2017 Seven Hills Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's a beautiful Tuesday, it's sunny and about 75 degrees outside so it seems like springtime has arrived in earnest!  And tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla wine makers, Casey McClellan and the 2017 Seven Hills Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.  I'm anxious to go sit out on my porch and enjoy a sunset with this wine so let's get to it!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, classic for a great Cabernet.  The nose is a very Bordeaux-esque affair with lots of ripe cherry, dried herbs, oak and tobacco that just dare you to take a sip.  The taste is a rush of black cherry and plum up front that transitions easily to some notes of savory herbs and dark chocolate midpalate.  The dusty tannins mark a pleasurable surrounding for such a wonderfully full, structured dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasure to drink right now, but would like improve even more with some time in the cellar.  With a limited production of just 149 cases, this is a wine to grab while you can!  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from lamb to mushroom risotto to hearty pasta, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled porterhouse with some of the biggest bacon roasted Brussels sprouts I've seen!  Cheers!

2015 DaMa Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a while since I've posted on a Wednesday, so this is a treat.  And speaking of treats, tonight I have a bottle from my latest wine club shipment from DaMa Wines.  I am a big fan of Mary and the folks at DaMa, as they are just good people who make really good wines.  The 2015 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon is a very limited production (68 cases) of 100% Cabernet from the Walla Walla AVA, so let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, classic Cabernet.  The nose is a lovely combination of earthy elements, green grass, ripe blackberry and cherry intermingled with some floral notes and a hint of leather.  The taste is a rush of big fruit, cherry cola, blackberry and plum that transitions to some notes of vanilla bean and mocha midpalate.  The chewy tannins provide a nice base for a finish that is long, well structured and exceptionally dry, ideal for sipping in front of a fire on a chilly fall evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely Walla Walla Cabernet, but could likely use a few years in the cellar before it really begins to shine.  This wine would be ideal with a variety of hearty dishes, from Italian sausage with onions and peppers to truffle mac and cheese to a seared tuna steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime filet mignon with some steamed asparagus and a big baked potato with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!

2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee

What a day, full of gathering leaves and getting them up to the street for the city to take in a few weeks.  This is the time of year when we work outside in the cold, then come in to a nice warm meal and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open up a bottle from one of my long-time favorite wineries in Walla Walla, L'Ecole No. 41, and in particular, one of my perennial favorite blends, the Perigee.  The 2014 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (20%), Cabernet Franc (12%), Petit Verdot (5%) and Malbec (3%).  I brought this bottle back with me from my trip to Walla Walla back in August, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is an elegant blend of leather, blueberry and smoky oak, that exudes richness and thoughtfulness in the blending.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry and plum that evolve into dark chocolate and tobacco.  The tannins are youthful but refined providing an ideal base for the long, smooth and well structured finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I'd rate this wine a solid 9, as the Perigee is still one of my all time favorites.  This wine would be fairly versatile with food, but it really deserves to be paired with a nice steak, whether a prime filet mignon or as I'm enjoying tonight, an Angus Porterhouse with baked potato and grilled leeks.  Cheers!

2003 Christian Moueix Merlot

Well, here we are again, another Cellar Saturday, where I reach way back and open a bottle that I've been holding on to, just so I can finally have an excuse to open and enjoy it.  And tonight's bottle is a wine that I used to get a lot, as it was a nice everyday Bordeaux, but then about 2005 or 2006 the stores in my area all stopped carrying it, perhaps they lost a distributor or maybe the winemaker went out of business.  In any case, I saved a bottle and am now opening it to reminisce...the 2003 Christian Moueix Merlot!  Now this wine is a bit different than your standard single Chateau Bordeaux in that it's blended by the winemaker with the idea of bringing out the best of the Merlot grape, and from my experience this wine does a pretty good job.

The wine itself is a rich ruby color in the glass.  The nose evokes pure Merlot, with aromas of anise, tar and earthy forest floor.  The taste has great fruit up front, cherries, cassis and ripe plum that transitions to some dusty limestone midpalate, accentuated by a velvety mouthfeel throughout.  The tannins have softened a bit with age, but they still provide a nice foundation for the long, structured finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a pleasure to drink and it was a pretty good value as well since the price tag was still on this one at $13.59!  Tonight I am enjoying it with a nice rare grilled Angus New York strip and some buccatini tossed with roasted garlic and olive oil.  Bon Appetit!

2010 Klinker Brick Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

Happy Independence Day!  Of course being the traditionalist that I am, the Fourth of July means barbecue, and specifically ribs and what wine goes better with barbecue than a nice Zinfandel, and of course you know I'm convinced that the best Zins come from Lodi!  Hence tonight I am enjoying a bottle of 2010 Klinker Brick Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel.

The wine has a nice deep ruby color and the nose is pure Zinfandel with notes of black cherry, anise and cocoa powder.  The taste is lovely, with some light floral notes amid rich ripe cherry and plum on the outset, transitioning into some nice licorice and baking spice midpalate.  The finish is very smooth and dry, as the soft tannins lend plenty of depth and character to the long, dry finish.  A perfect wine for the holiday!

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, as it's a nice Lodi Zin at a great price, I picked up this bottle at World Market for only $15!  And of course tonight I am pairing it with great American eats, some barbecued St. Louis spareribs, homemade strawberry coleslaw, red potato salad with dill and corn muffins fresh from the oven.  The richness of this wine pairs well with salads while the anise flavor is the perfect accent to a rich barbecue sauce.  I can't wait to start eating!

2009 Reininger Carmenere

So last night I got back from my wine tasting adventure to Walla Walla, so wouldn't it make sense to immediately taste more wine from there?  Yeah, but whoever accused me of making sense!  Tonight I've decided to taste a wine from one of the few producers that I didn't have an opportunity to visit on my recent trip, Reininger and specifically their 2009 Walla Walla Carmenere.

Well, needless to say, I'm still sort of jet lagged and am fully prepared to eat dinner at 11 pm, so this was an interesting evening.  I came home at about 7:30 and began cooking by first opening a bottle of this wine!  It's a beautiful deep purple color in the glass, and the nose evokes great aromas of anise, sharp spice, cinnamon, and cocoa.  The taste is very fruit forward with some notes of black cherry, plum and cassis that evolves into some lovely baking spice and earthy notes midpalate, including some cedar and limestone.  The finish is quite refined, with ample tannins creating a tight yet well structured long, dry finish that makes this wine excellent for food or for drinking while cooking (I speak from experience!).

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 with a great change for improvement with a bit of time in the cellar, it was drinking very well now though!  Tonight I paired this wine with a lovely thick cut Angus T-Bone grilled rare, along with some wonderful grilled veggies, including some Walla Walla sweet onions, asparagus and golden beets (which I just learned are good for the body's natural detoxification process, nudge nudge, poke poke!) and a great baked potato.  The wine stood up well to the beef and would be a great pairing to a variety of big dishes like that. Another day of Walla-Yum!