2013 Forgeron Primitivo

Well happy Saturday!  It's been snowing off and on all day here in northern Indiana, but at least that's a good excuse for cooking indoors and enjoying a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a new bottle that just arrived last week from my wine club shipment at Forgeron Cellars, the 2013 Forgeron Primitivo.  Now you know how much I enjoy a good Zinfandel, and I have similar feelings about Primitivo, which shouldn't be surprising since they are so closely related, but I still feel that Primitivo is just a bit more elevated.  So let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass, with an almost black inky color at the center.  The nose offers stunning aromas of leather, black cherry. anise and just a hint of lilac.  The taste is just lovely, with a subdued bit of candied black fruit up front that transitions effortlessly to some warm spice notes of white pepper and tarragon midpalate.  The finish is warm and supple, as the firm yet well integrated tannins set up the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's one of the best Washington wine's I've had in quite some time.  It would be perfect with any number of dishes, from a nice steak to a rich Italian pasta to barbecue.  But tonight, like always. I am going against the current, enjoying this lovely wine with some king crab legs, roasted potatoes with parmesan and asiago, and some steamed asparagus.  The warm spice is just the perfect foil to the richness of crab, cheers!

2008 Cougar Crest Reserve Syrah

Here we are on a Sunday night after Labor Day, the first day of Autumn is rapidly approaching, so to celebrate the waning days of summer I decided to grill some brats and enjoy my Sunday dinner out on the patio, as I fear the days of outdoor dining may soon be at an end for this year.  And so go with the brats, I've opened a bottle of 2008 Cougar Crest Reserve Syrah which I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  Cheers to them, but I've been a fan of Cougar Crest since I visited their tasting room back in 2010 (?) and I really liked the 2007 Reserve Syrah which you can see here.  But back to the here and now, this is a very nice wine that I think I like even better than the '07!

The wine is a deep inky purple color in the glass, with a bit of opacity.  The nose is lovely, with aromas of ripe fruit, plum, blackberries and cherry, with some hints of vanilla, clove and autumn spice.  The taste is just beautiful, with a blast of ripe fruit that easily transitions to some leather, green grass and white pepper notes midpalate.  The soft tannins provide for a supple mouthfeel and a velvety, smooth and absolutely dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a great example of a Walla Walla Syrah and I found it for an absolute bargain price of just $20!  Of course tonight I'm enjoying this with some wine and cheese brats (ironic eh?) with some grilled peppers and onions, a perfect summer summer that pairs so well with this wine.  I wish summer could last a little longer, but even if it can't, I'll have a good reminder when the frost hits and I enjoy another bottle of this wine.  Cheers!