2023 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rosé

Happy Sunday!  I spent yesterday trimming hedges and mowing, so today I needed a break!  I did some laundry and now I'm ready for a nice glass of wine and my Sunday dinner.  Given the recent heat and humidity, I thought it appropriate to once again celebrate rosé season!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle from a recent wine club shipment from the Bledsoe Family Winery, the 2023 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rosé.  This wine is a 100% Syrah from the Flying B Estate, Los Oidos and Kenny Hill Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how summer is treating this wine!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, with a more solid color than some recent rosé vintages.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, orange blossom and citrus that signal a bit of refreshment coming your way.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of sweet summer fruit with subtle acidity that practically begs you to enjoy this bottle fully engaged on your patio. The mild acidity and well integrated tannins create a finish that is lingering on the palate, much different from the acidic crush of most rosés.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I think it's the best vintage yet of this fun summer wine.  This one would pair well with summer salads, particularly a nice caprese with aged balsamic, seared tuna or fun fish tacos.  Tonight, I am taking a decidedly Mediterranean route with this wine and enjoying it with some grilled octopus and fresh summer veggies grilled with herbs de Provence and flaky sea salt.  Cheers!

2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Well, it's the first Saturday in December, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday, that one day a month that I try to dig deep in the cellar for something with a bit of maturity.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that's only been in my cellar for a few months, but is certainly ready to try, the 2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  This wine is a blend of Grenache (70%), Syrah (15%) and Mourvedre (15%), that should just about be ready to drink (I personally believe these wines should wait at least a decade before they are mature enough to drink).  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, a bit darker than usual but in my view an ideal color.  The nose presents aromas of ripe fruit, plum, cherry and dates, overlaid with some wonderful dried floral and spice notes.  The taste is a nice rush of sweet fruit up front, a combination of berries and dried fruit that transition to some lovely spice notes midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with a reprise of sweet fruit in the tannins, that play a perfect counter to the lingering dryness on the finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a truly lovely example of a French classic.  This wine would be perfect for the holidays, pairing well with turkey, ham or lamb, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely sesame crusted seared ahi tuna filet with some steamed asparagus and jasmine rice.  Cheers!

2009 Mansion Creek Cellars Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well it's a bit of a rainy Saturday in October, perfect weather for football and a big red wine like a Cabernet!  Today I ran a lot of errands ahead of a short trip to Canada, so I figure I deserve to open something nice for dinner.  So tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up on my last trip to Walla Walla about 18 months ago, the 2009 Mansion Creek Cellars Waldheim Cabernet Sauvignon!

The wine is a beautiful inky black and ruby color in the glass.  The nose is quite nice, a bit of ripe fruit, blackberries and plum, with some lovely herb notes, that make for a very interesting combination of sweet and tart aromas.  The taste is quite nice, we get a blast of fruit and tart, it really does remind me of SweeTARTS candy, which transitions nicely to some smoky mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are very nicely structured, providing a velvety, long dry finish that seems to last more than a minute.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's really a very nice example of a Walla Walla Cabernet at a modest price (I think this one was about $32 when I bought it).  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the monster cowboy cut ribeye you see above, along with some wild rice and fresh steamed asparagus.  This is a great wine with a big ol' steak, the fruit and mineral notes just make a great balance with charred beef.  Cheers!

2010 14 Hands Hot to Trot Columbia Valley Red

So yes, I know it's March Madness, and the day before St. Patrick's Day (not a stellar wine holiday I must say), but you know what?  It's still March and that means it's still Washington Wine Month!  So I went out today to a local merchant near my office called Grand Central Market to find an interesting bottle, as I recall last year they had a nice selection of Washington Wines.  Well in the last year, they've remodeled the store and drastically cut down the size of their wine selection, but fortunately they still had a selection of 6 or 7 Washington reds, so I wasn't disappointed.

There was a nice bottle of Powers Cabernet, and some Columbia Crest which I've never been all that impressed with.  In the end it came down to two, one was a red blend from the Mt. Rainier area, which I'm not as familiar with, and it had a screw cap (you know how I am not a fan of screw caps!). Then there was a familiar label of the 14 Hands Winery, I've had their Cabernet a few times and it always was a nice everyday drinking wine, at a very good price.  This bottle was a red blend that I wasn't familiar with, but I trust the winery, and I do love nice red blends, so what the heck, give it a try.

The wine is a blend, primarily of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a few other varietals added for good measure.  The wine itself has a garnet color with very little opacity, suggesting a lighter style wine, which is perfect on what ended up being a record 80-degree day!  The nose had hints of leather, vanilla and candied apple, with a bit of a smoky edge to it.  The taste is very fruit forward, with plenty of ripe cherries, plums and blackberry, and a bit of sweetness that gets right to the edge of too sweet, but then pulls you back with the mellow tannins that are just enough to give you that twang back from the brink of sweet preserves.  The tannins are also just enough to give the wine a clean, crisp finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a 7, given that it's still pretty young and likely to develop further over the next year or two, and the price isn't bad either, I found this bottle for $11.  I had a glass tonight with some simple pasta and red sauce, but I don't really envision this to be a food wine, rather it's an ideal wine for enjoying a glass or three on the patio on a mild spring or summer evening, watching the sun set and putting a relaxing finish on a hard day.  Speaking of which, it's time for me to relax and watch some hoops!

2008 Cloudline Pinot Noir

This wine was part of our "Best of" wine tasting, and what's not to love about a Pinor Noir from Oregon?  Now I'll be the first to admit that I am not the biggest fan of Pinor Noir, but having lived in Portland for a few years and traveling extensively throughout the Willamette Valley, I have to admit it kinda grows on you!

The 2008 Cloudline Oregon Pinot Noir is not a pure Willamette Valley wine, but is a blend of wine from a variety of Oregon vineyards.  This is one of the lighter Pinot Noirs that I've had, and it tends to have more delicate flavors than some heavier wines.  The wine itself has a nose that is somewhat woodsy, with mild floral aromas, that hints at the lightness.  As for the taste, it's a fruit forward wine with hints of blackberry and an almost honey-like sweetness, with a finish that was somewhat lacking.  This wine is light enough that I would hesitate to pair it with a full meal, instead I think it's an ideal wine for a cheese course, particularly made up soft cheeses that would not overpower the delicate nature of this wine.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's certainly not a "knock your socks off" sort of wine, but for the $12-15 price tag, it certainly is a value among Oregon Pinots!