2017 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Red Wine

Happy Thursday!  This day started on several sour notes as my coffee maker decided to cease functioning half way through the brew cycle, so I started the day with only a half a pot of coffee.  Then when I pulled out of the garage at 7:30 to go buy a new one, I realized I had a screw in my back tire and it was completely flat.  Add changing a tire into the mix and this was set to be an awful day until now!  It's supper time and I have a nice dinner coming and a nice bottle of wine opened.  The 2017 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (93%), Syrah (5%) and Malbec (2%) all from the Spring Valley Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washtington.  So, let's see how this wine is making up for my sad start!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from such a Cabernet heavy blend.  Take a whiff and you are immersed in strawberry and raspberry aromas, with a bit of floral notes and some spicy undercurrents.  One sip and you are thrown into wonderland, bright red fruit intermingled with and acidity that has you first thinking of sweet tarts and then as you progress, you find yourself surrounded by wooded forest notes of cedar and peat, before the sturdy tannins usher in the very tight dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it has the earthy Bordeaux-esque character that I so love about Walla Walla wines.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, from braised short ribs to hearty venison stew, thick steaks or mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a prime, dry-aged bone-in ribeye grilled rare along with some grilled leeks and hatch chiles, wild mushroom farro and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah

Happy Wine Wednesday!  So you might recall that last year Sean Sullivan of the Washington Wine Report issued the Washington Merlot Challenge, which required those accepting the challenge to drink at least one Washington Merlot each month for the year.  This year the chosen varietal for the challenge is Syrah!  So much to enjoy with Washington Syrah, so naturally I accepted the challenge and tonight I am fulfilling my obligation for January and enjoying a 2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep garnet hue in the glass with nice clarity, classic color for a syrah.  Lift the glass and aromas of leather, caramel, blackberry and plum swirl around earthy notes of olive tapenade, peat and smoke.  On the first sip you're greeted with a rush of black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant that eases into tawny notes of vanilla and caramel midpalate.  The tannins are still fairly sturdy, providing for a wonderfully long, dry finish that lingers into a reprise of olive tapenade at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a great example of a high-quality Walla Walla Syrah that's held up well over the past eight years.  This wine would pair well with lamb, roast pork tenderloin or mushroom risotto, but tonight I am enjoying this with some stir fried teriyaki steak with udon noodles for a simple midweek dinner.  Cheers!

2012 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Tonight I just felt like opening a big Napa Valley Cabernet, and I remembered that I had a couple bottles in the cellar from the very strong 2012 vintage, so why not have a go?  On this fine Monday evening, after all the rain has finally paused, I've opened a bottle of 2012 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend from their estate vineyard along with a number of other quality vineyards in the valley.  So, let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, as you might expect from a big Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a lovely combination of black raspberry, marionberry and plum with undertones of leather and kirsch.  The taste is classic Napa Cabernet, with a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry that transition nicely to some notes of white peppercorn, dark chocolate and dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are sturdy and nicely structured to carry the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a great effort from a strong vintage, but didn't quite have the wow factor of some other Cabernets.  This wine practically begs to be paired with a big ol' steak, so I'll oblige and enjoy this one with a rare grilled ribeye with some grilled asparagus and a big baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2017 DaMa Winery Tempranillo

Happy Sunday!  I had the best of intentions today, with plans to get some work done, go to the gym, and...well at least I started making dinner!  Tonight I've decided to pair my upcoming feast with a recent wine club selection from DaMa wines, the 2017 Tempranillo, a 100% Tempranillo from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA of Washington.  I think the producers in the Columbia Valley are doing some wonderful things with some Spanish varietals like Tempranillo, so I'm excited to see how this one tastes. 

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass, somewhat darker at the center than I might have expected.  The nose is a lovely old world breath of fresh air loaded with ripe berry fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant, intermingled with notes of tobacco and dried sage and a hint of leather over the top.  The taste is a refreshing rush of rip fruit up front, cherries, blackberries and strawberries that evoke a bit of sweetness before transitioning on to more rustic notes of green cedar and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are sturdy, providing for a robust yet velvety smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely example of an old world varietal taking root in the new.  This wine would be ideal for a broad range of dishes, from paella to taco Tuesday, from pizza to steaks.  But tonight, after the snowstorm earlier in the week, I needed a reprise of summer, with some barbecued beef back ribs, red skin potato salad, cole slaw and corn muffins.  Cheers!

2011 Forgeron Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  I've been running ragged trying to get all the food ready for my annual Christmas Party tomorrow evening, so I've barely had time to even think about what wines to serve tomorrow let alone what I should open this evening, so I'll make it easy and open a nice Washington red.  Tonight it's the 2011 Forgeron Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, a limited production wine from a cool vintage.

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose exhibits notes of blackberry, cherry, leather and a hint of eucalyptus.  The taste evokes some lovely flavors of cherry cola up front that evolves into some lovely mineral notes of dusty limestone, smoke and dark chocolate midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, as the sturdy tannins provide a nice foundation for the long, smooth, and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a great example of a fine Washington Cabernet.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing of a rare grilled Angus New York Strip, baked potato and grilled asparagus.  It might pair well with a variety of hearty winter dishes, but to me, this wine just begs to be served with a nice steak.  Salut!