2014 Cobblestone Vineyards Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's that magical first Saturday of the month when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from a producer that I've featured on previous Cellar Saturdays last year, featuring the 2013 and 2012 vintages, and not it's time for the 2014 Cobblestone Vineyards Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Atlas Peak region of Napa Valley.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a classic Napa Cabernet, with an inky black center and bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of prune, blackberry and currant, with undertones of leather and tobacco that will have you imagining an Ivy League library.  The first sip is a rush of sweet black fruit, cherry, blackberry and currant that wash over your palate before transitioning to some notes of black pepper spice intermingled with caramel and vanilla notes.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a classic dry Napa finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a really well made Cabernet that has stood the test of time.  This wine would pair well with a variety of aged cheeses, braised short ribs, wild mushroom risotto, or a classis grilled steak.  I've opted for the latter and tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled T-bone steak, blistered yellow grape tomatoes, grilled broccolini and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2017 Preferred Stock Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Merry Christmas!  It's been a relaxing day, just watching Christmas movies (I am finishing up White Christmas with A Christmas Carol on deck!) and now it's time to have a nice glass of wine with dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2017 Preferred Stock Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which I purchased recently from Wines Till Sold Out.  Of course, I'm a sucker for innovative labeling and anything that looks like a stock certificate or currency, so this was a natural choice.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet from Napa Valley produced by the Toulon Wine Company.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect from a big Napa Cab.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of earthy leather and graphite intertwined with ripe plum and black cherry fruit.  The first sip is a mesmerizing mix of ripe sweet black fruit and tart cherry and pomegranate that eventually transitions to some earthy notes of dusty limestone with some mocha and white pepper spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured for the long, smooth dry finish that lingers on your palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderfully approachable Napa Cabernet with the solid drinking quality while avoiding the pretense.  It was also a good value at just $25!  This wine would naturally pair well with a big steak, but also would fair well with braised short ribs, veal osso bucco or leg of lamb.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled tomahawk ribeye, baked potato and maple bacon Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2021 DaMa GSM

Happy Saturday!  It was a wild day of yard work, as I mowed for the first time this year, but had to pause for a while to let a thunderstorm pass, but I finally finished, then changed the oil and tuned up the lawn mower, so I feel accomplished!  And now, for a nice glass of wine with dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from DaMa Wines, the 2021 GSM.  This wine is a blend of Grenache (56%), Syrah (29%) and Mourvèdre(15%) from the Yakima Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass, it really is gem-like in the light, with a bit of fuchsia along the edges.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, tart cherry and bits of earthy sandalwood and peat.  Take a sip and you're awash with rich, sweet fruit, blueberry, marionberry and cherry that dance around until you ease into some hints of cardamom and earthy notes.  The tannins are somewhat subdued but they still manage to hold everything together for a wonderfully smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's an adventurous wine that will have your palate going in multiple directions.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from pastas and risotto, to Sunday roast beef.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a bit of a Pacific Northwest pairing of crispy skin salmon with a lemon dill cream sauce, along with some roasted sweet potatoes with red onion and jalapeno, and some steamed rainbow cauliflower.  Cheers!

2019 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy weekend, but since it was windy for most of it, I hardly did any leaf blowing.  I got the front yard cleared, but the back yard is going to be a challenge.  In any case, it's Sunday night, time for a nice meal and a good bottle of wine.  I was in Grand Rapids last week and stopped at Total Wine and found a few bottles to bring home, including tonight's selection, the 2019 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon.  I've been a fan of Drew Bledsoe's wine efforts for a while now, and this latest vintage is a blend of Cabernet (87%), Merlot (6%), Petit Verdot (4%) and Malbec (3%) from the McQueen, Lefore, Bob Healy and Figgins Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So, let's see how this Sunday wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, brooding ruby color in the glass, as you might expect from a big, expressive Cabernet.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, cassis, sandalwood and graphite, all expressive of the vineyards from whence this wine came.  Take a sip and you're greeted by a rush of sweet black fruit, blackberry, cherry and marionberry, which transition easily to some notes of mocha and earthy notes of tobacco and graphite.  The fine grain tannins are well integrated, providing for a velvety smooth finish that lingers until you take your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a perennial favorite for the best of what Walla Walla has to offer to the Cabernet drinkers of the world.  This wine would pair well with a wide variety of hearty dishes, from lamb and steaks, to alder planked coho salmon.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap, with oven roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2015 San Rustico Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

Happy Sunday!  It's been a slow, rainy day here, though I managed a couple hours between raindrops to remove some fencing temporarily in anticipation of a tree removal tomorrow morning.  But now I'm back inside, finishing laundry and making Sunday dinner.  For tonight's festivities, I've opened a bottle of a perennial favorite Italian variety that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2015 San Rustico Amarone della Valpolicella Classico is a blend of Corvina and Corvinone (68%), Rondinella (27%) and Molinara (5%), dried for three months before pressing.  So, let's see how this wonderful and interesting wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  A gentle swirl of the glass releases aromas of black cherry, kirsch and warm spices, with undertones of smoke and earthy loam.  Take a sip and your senses make and abrupt turn with a rush of sweet ripe cherry, blackberry and prune that very gradually evolves into some white pepper spice and bit of charred oak.  The tannins are nicely structured for the long, smooth dry finish with a reprise of spice notes on the very end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very pleasant drinking wine and it was a great value at just $30.  This wine would be perfect with steaks or game meat, such as bison, elk or lamb, as well as smoky barbecue.  Tonight I've taken a different approach and am enjoying this wine with some bucatini with mussels fra diavalo, as the spice and acidity of the sauce marries well with the up-front sweetness of this wine.  Cheers!

2016 Maison Bleue Voyageur Syrah

Happy Saturday!  It's been a day of intense yard work, as today was hedge trimming day!  I managed to trim all the bushes and hedges in the front yard, and my arms and back will be paying the price tomorrow, and I still need to do the back yard and rake up all the branches!  In any case, I have to clean up for the theater tonight, so I've opened a bottle of 2016 Maison Bleue Voyageur Syrah.  It's been a while since I've had any wines from Maison Bleue, despite the fact that I am a shareholder in the vineyard as they don't ship to Indiana!  But having recently visited Walla Walla, I brought back a case of Maison Bleue and Pambrun wine, so I'm set for a while!  This particular vintage is a 100% Syrah sourced from the Les Collines, Stone Valley and Yellow Jacket Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with great clarity.  A gentle swirl releases aromas of black raspberry, currant and ample mineral notes of graphite and dusty loam.  A sip reveals an unexpected rush of vibrant, sweet fruit, blackberry, currant and plum that dance around your palate before easing into notes of floral notes of violets intermingles with some tobacco and herb notes.  The tannins are supple bringing the finish to a climactic moment that brings you a sigh of easy satisfaction as you reach of another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant drinking classic Syrah from the Walla Walla Valley, unpretentious and approachable.  This wine would pair well with a variety of challenging dishes, from spiced Moroccan chicken, to green curry to a classic lamb.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a summery dinner of maple sesame wild sockeye along with some chilled pasta salad and sriracha slaw.  Cheers!

2014 Napa Underground Oakville Red Wine

Well, today I received a shipment of wine from Wines Till Sold Out, by far my favorite online wine seller.  I saw this wine on offer for $20 and figured it was worth a try, the 2014 Napa Underground Oakville Red Wine.  Although my view is that Washington does the best Bordeaux style blends, Napa has done some nice ones in the past so why not give this one a try.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (59%), Cabernet Sauvignon (32%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Petit Verdot (3%) and Malbec (2%), so this one should have a bit more of a right bank feel to it.  So let's see if this was worth the investment of s double sawbuck!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, expressing the dominance of Merlot in the blend.  The nose presents aromas of black raspberry, plum overlaid with hints of dried herbs.  The taste is somewhat surprising with a rush of rather sweet fruit up front that transitions to some notes of mocha and dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are still fairly tight but provide some nice backbone for the long, smooth dry finish.

Yeah I may have been a little too aggressive on the Brussels sprouts!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8 as this would make a very nice, solid quality everyday red wine.  This would pair well with a broad array of hearty dishes, as nothing delicate would stand up to this wine, given the big, bold Napa character.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled boneless ribeye, grilled Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2015 Josh Cellars North Coast Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week and definitely time for a glass of wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I picked up at my local market when I went grocery shopping last week.  I've had wine from this producer before, so I figured I'd try a bottle of the 2015 Josh Cellars North Coast Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect from a Cabernet.  The nose is chock full of ripe black fruit, with some interesting green grass and floral notes mixed in that give this one an interesting vibe.  The taste is a rush of sweet ripe berries, blackberries, currant and cherries, that give way to some notes of cocoa powder and green herbs midpalate.  The tannins are fairly smooth, providing nice structure to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking wine, and for $16 it makes a nice everyday wine as well.  This wine would pair well with the Cabernet classics, steaks, chops, roasts, but tonight I'm enjoying it with a simple linguine with spicy marinara and a baby arugula salad.  The spiciness of the sauce and the arugula really pairs well with the sweetness of the fruit in this wine.  Cheers!

2014 Peju "The Experiment" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It was a bit of a lazy day for me today, I came back from church and then did a bit of laundry, caught up on the interwebs and just generally relaxed.  So what better way to cap off an afternoon of relaxing than with a nice bottle of wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine the boss gave me, he's really swell that way, particularly since he does a lot more Napa visits than I ever do, the 2014 Peju "The Experiment" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  After reading the label, I did a little searching on the Peju website and found the story of this wine to be fascinating.  Apparently, Peju winemaker Sarah Fowler has an annual experiment where she try various methods for toasting and constructing the oak barrels and then shares the results with her fellow winemakers in a tasting.  For the 2014 vintage, she experimented with 33 different toasting styles and 20 coopers to make this wine, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, classic for a Napa Valley Cabernet.  The nose is a cascade of vanilla bean, white floral notes and a hint of white pepper that practically scream for you to take a deep sip.  The taste is a rush of sweet black fruit up front, black raspberry, plum surrounded by hints cinnamon that transition to some wonderful dark chocolate and white pepper notes midpalate.  On the finish, you have a distinct emergence of vanilla bean as the well integrated tannins provide for the long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's just a classic big Napa Valley Cabernet, with a lot of flavor complexity that you seldom see on many of the Napa styled red wines today.  This wine would be great to enjoy with hearty Italian dishes, roasts, wild game or a classic steak, but I think it would be even better just to sip on the patio with some salted dark chocolate.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime ribcap, topped with fresh rosemary and garlic scapes, along with a baked potato with sour cream and chives, and some fresh steamed green beans with red and yellow peppers.  Cheers!