2022 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Well happy Saturday!  I spent much of the day mowing, then running errands and completing a little work before having dinner and heading to the theatre for our penultimate performance!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle from one of my all time favorite Walla Walla wineries, the 2022 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is 100% composed of Cabernet Sauvignon from the McClellan Estate Vineyard, with some of the older vines in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine has a classic look of a quality Cabernet in the glass, inky black at the center and bright ruby along the edges.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals a nose chock full of ripe black fruit and earthy elements that make Walla Walla wines so special, leather, limestone and peat.  The first sip is a rich mouthful of ripe blackberry, currant and plum that dance around your palate with hints of mint and and dried herbs.  The tannins are subtle but well structured, providing for a long, smooth, dry finish that decidedly more European in character.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a fabulous example of the high-quality Cabernet that the Walla Walla Valley is capable of.  This wine would pair well with classic steaks, braised short ribs, or pappardelle Bolognese, but it would also feel right at home in a summer cookout of burgers and brats.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared New York strip with sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms, along with some oven roasted asparagus.  Cheers!

2016 Reininger Cima

Happy Sunday!  It's been an interesting weekend full of a lot of cooking, and apparently I've now taken up canning as well!  As I'll explain, my Sunday dinner has been two days in the making, as yesterday I went to the farmer's market and picked up a bushel of the last of this season's tomatoes, determined to make my first marinara sauce since 1998!  So, yesterday I made about 9 quarts of sauce, which then drove me down the rabbit hole of how can I store all this sauce for future use, and about $50 in jars and equipment later, I am now a canner!  At any rate, I also picked up some other items from the farmer's market, which requires me to open some sort of Italian-esque wine this evening, and so I've opened a bottle of 2016 Reininger Cima.  This wine is one of my perennial favorite blends from the Walla Walla Valley, and this vintage is a blend of Sangiovese (50%), Merlot (25%) Cabernet Sauvignon (22%) and Petit Verdot (3%), primarily from the Seven Hills Vineyard, with a bit from the Pepper Bridge and XL Vineyards.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, no doubt a testament to the Sangiovese in the blend.  A gentle swirl and you lift you glass to enjoy aromas of strawberry, currant, cedar and a bit of peat that shows the character of this Tuscan style blend.  A sip reveals flavors of cherry and ripe red fruit that develop gradually before hitting a crescendo of peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are subtle yet provide a nice backbone for the smooth dry finish that lingers on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it just isn't quite at the level of the 2015 Vintage, but still a very nice wine.  This would pair well with steaks, braised short ribs or a variety of Italian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some homemade eggplant parmesan, with sauce made yesterday and fresh eggplant from the farmers market.  Cheers!

2015 Prodigo Lazio Syrah

Happy Sunday!  Today I got some work done in the yard, despite the heat and humidity, I succeeded in permanently installing the windmill from my uncle's house, I dug up a number of unwanted trees and shrubs and transplanted a small ginkgo sapling.  And now it's time for dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Based on my dinner choice, I opened a bottle of 2015 Prodigo Lazio Syrah, a 100% Syrah from Italy that I purchased from Wines Till Sold Out a few months back.  So let's see how this Italian Syrah is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a nice Syrah.  A quick swirl releases ample black fruit aromas, blackberry, blueberry and currant amid undertones of leather, cedar and peppery spice.  A sip reveals wonderfully rich black fruit flavors with just a hint of sweetness before transitioning to some tobacco and earthy mineral notes midpalate.   The tannins are subtle, but still provide a nice structure to the smooth, dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's not a spectacular wine, but a nice everyday sipper, and a terrific value for just $10!  I would normally say Zinfandel is the best varietal with barbecue, but recently I've come to the realization that Syrah is also a great wine for barbecue, which is what I'm pairing this wine with tonight, barbecued pork spare ribs along with some mustard baked beans and sriracha slaw, an ideal patio dinner as we near the end of summer.  Cheers!

2017 Carpe Diem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The older I get, the faster time flies it seems, whether a month (is January gone already) or just a weekend, time flies when you're having fun!  So, to end the weekend, which has been full of snow and shoveling, I've decided to make a nice dinner and enjoy a good glass of wine, in this case a recent purchase from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2017 Carpe Diem Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of select Cabernet Sauvignon (98%) from vineyards in Napa, with some Petit Verdot (1%) and Cabernet Franc (1%) to round things out.  So let's see how this wine will let me conclude my weekend!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, though somewhat lighter than you might expect from a big bold Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a rather cathartic, old world experience, with aromas of green bamboo, black cherry, and mulberry.  The taste matches the nose, with black fruit up front, intermingled with notes of matcha tea, dried herbs and the faintest hint of peppery spice.  The tannins are subtle, but elegantly integrated for the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very pleasant drinking, everyday wine, particularly at the value price of just $20.  This wine would pair well with lamb, steaks or even barbecued ribs.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus porterhouse, with some grilled leeks, mashed potatoes and gravy and some steamed broccoli and cauliflower.  Cheers!

2019 Forgeron Cellars Pink Rabbits Rosé

Happy Friday!  As the summer heat has lingered this week, I figured there is no reason to cease the summer of rosé!  Tonight's wine is one I received in a wine club shipment for a virtual tasting, unfortunately it didn't arrive on time, so I was forced to open a bottle tonight.  The 2019 Forgeron Cellars Pink Rabbits Rosé is a rosé of Syrah from the Columbia Valley of Washington, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a classic deep pink color in the glass, just like the rabbits on the bottle!  The nose presents aromas of sweet strawberry with undertones of crisp apple and peach.  The taste is a mouthful of summer, with a rush of summer fruit flavors of strawberry, peach and honeydew that transition easily to some mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are subtle but firm, while the mild acidity provides for a smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's everything a summer rosé should be.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of lighter dishes, from grilled chicken breast to grilled pork tenderloin.  Tonight I am keeping it simple and enjoying this wine with a simple linguine tossed with broccoli rabe sauteéd with garlic and olive oil and topped with shaved Parmesan.  Cheers!

2012 Good Vines Breganze Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy New Year!  Well at least it's a snowy and cold one around here, but spring is just a few months away!  So to ring in 2014 and to enjoy a lovely meal before returning to work tomorrow, I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 Good Vines Breganze Cabernet Sauvignon. Now I picked this one up at Whole Foods last Saturday, as they were doing a tasting and pitched the story of their wines and how they donate a portion of every bottle sold to local children's charities, so I decided to follow their directions on the bottle, "Do Good, Drink Me!"

The wine is a bright ruby in the glass, with a somewhat lighter appearance than is typical of a bigger Cabernet, but this wine was produced in Italy, which isn't exactly known for big Napa style cabs!  The nose is somewhat subdued, with mild floral notes and earth tones, over a bet of ripe red fruit, cherries, currant and plums. The taste is quite mild and fruit forward, with taste of red fruit, leather, dried herbs and earthy flavors of cedar and forest floor. The tannins are subtle and supportive of a modest, very dry finish. 

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's bit the type of wine that would knock your socks off, but it's a pleasant and easy drinking wine that's a decent value at only $12. Given the lighter nature of this wine, tonight I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared tuna steak with some Sriracha mayo and a nice salad with sesame ginger dressing. The ripe fruit and lighter flavor really matches well with the tuna and Asian flavors. Cheers!