2019 B by Fonbadet Bordeaux

Happy Sunday!  Well the long holiday weekend is almost over, but there's still time for Sunday dinner and a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a nice bottle of Bordeaux that I think I bought a few months back at Costco, and I have no idea about the wine or it's composition, but being a Bordeaux, I can only imagine it has some Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and any other combination of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, so let's just try it out shall we?

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a nice Bordeaux.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, toffee, earthy mineral notes and baking spice.  The first sip is a rush of stark minerality, with notes of basalt and tar, that transition nicely to some notes of black cherry and cassis, intermingled with black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are classically structured for a Bordeaux, leaving you with a dry finish that you scarcely notice.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it was a solid example of a daily drinker in the heart of France, and like so many Bordeaux, this wine is very affordable as I think I paid about $15 for this one at Costco.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from pasta and jambalaya to hearty steaks and chops.  Tonight I am opting for the latter and enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Cajun spiced ribeye with sautéed onions, mushrooms and peppers and some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2020 Forgeron Cellars Syrah

Happy Saturday!  It's been a half relaxing, but busy day, with shopping, errands and then a trip to the gym, and now I am making dinner before heading out to a new event in town that a friend of mine is putting on.  At least there is wine!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of 2020 Forgeron Cellars Syrah.  This wine is composed of Syrah (94%) co-fermented with Viognier (6%) from the Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, perhaps somewhat heavier than you might expect from a Syrah.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of plum, blackberry, black cherry and peppery spice with floral undertones of violet.  The first sip is a rush of wild flavors, black cherry and plum up front, intermingled with toffee, cocoa powder and oak, before heading back to some black pepper spice at the finish.  The tannins are velvety smooth, making a fine foundation for the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very pleasant drinking Syrah and certainly not priced out of the range of most consumers.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from braised short ribs to rack of lamb, pork tenderloin to mushroom risotto.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some crispy skin salmon, mushroom pasta and asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2021 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Franc

Happy Saturday!  I have been trying to relax today after two busy days of volunteer work as well as some near disasters with my plumbing and A/C on Wednesday, it's been a challenging week to say the least.  And that my friends is why the Lord gave us wine to cheer our hearts.  Tonight I've opened up a wine club exclusive bottle from Seven Hills, one of my all time favorite wineries in the Walla Walla Valley.  The 2021 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Franc is a 100% Cabernet Franc sourced entirely from the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a lovely deep ruby color in the glass with excellent clarity.  A gentle swirl of the glass releases aromas of black cherry, vanilla bean and toffee with undertones of peppercorn and a hint of sage.  As the first sip washes over your palate, a rush of ripe cherry, black raspberry and plum tickle your senses, before evolving into some earthy notes of graphite and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are soft but well integrated, providing for a luxurious, smooth dry finish that seems to linger until you next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's an excellent example of pure bottling of what is historically a blending varietal, providing room for the grape to shine and highlight some of the wonderful characteristics of Walla Walla fruit.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steaks and chops to pasta Bolognese, barbecued ribs to spicy chicken fajitas.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled ribeye, with grilled hatch chiles and poblano peppers, and oven roasted rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2019 Hillside Napa Valley Calistoga Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Merry Christmas!  I know it's only Christmas Eve, but I probably won't be posting tomorrow, so enjoy the greetings while you can!  I'm enjoying a relaxing Christmas Eve, listening to the broadcast of the play I was recently in, which will be played on our local public radio station tonight.  To help in that effort, I've opened a bottle of 2019 Hillside Napa Valley Calistoga Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Calistoga district in Napa Valley.  I've heard good things about the 2019 Napa vintage, so let's see how this wine is shaping up.

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, as you might expect from a nice quality Cabernet.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of blackberry, cherry and toffee aromas that are warm and inviting.  Take a sip and your greeted by a rush of ripe blueberry, blackberry and plum with just the faintest floral undertones of violets.  Midpalate, you have some wonderful earthy mineral notes that are expressive of the volcanic soil of this vineyard, before reaching the climax, with well integrated tannins providing for a velvety dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.  

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a wonderfully drinking Cabernet at release, but would likely benefit greatly from a few years in the cellar to mature.  This wine would pair well with steaks, lamb, venison or even braised short ribs, as the flavors would stand up to the richest fare.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared filet mignon, along with some mashed potatoes and bacon roasted Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2018 Mark Ryan Monkey Wrench

Happy Easter!  It's been a wonderful day, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s, flowers and birds singing, what more could you ask for?  How about a nice bottle of wine to go with your Easter dinner?  Tonight I've opened a bottle I recently bought from Mark Ryan Winery, the 2018 Monkey Wrench!  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (68%), Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (13%) and Petit Verdot (1%) from the Red Willow, Phinny Hill, Ciel Du Cheval, Klipsun and Quintessence Vineyards in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with plenty of bright ruby along the edges, a testament to the heavy hand of Cabernet and Merlot in the blend.  After breathing for a couple hours, a quick swirl in the glass reveals aromas of leather, green grass and blackberry compote and a hint of violet to round things out.  The taste is a real treat, with a rush of tart cherry to greet you before transitioning to some notes of toffee, blackberry and blueberry, before easing into some lovely spice notes of white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth providing for the perfect background for the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish that just lingers before giving way to a hint of candied cherry.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a wonderfully pleasant drinking wine that lends itself to a variety of cuisines.  I could enjoy this wine with grilled steaks to hearty pasta, to spicy chili.  But for tonight's Easter dinner, I am enjoying this wine with a roasted rack of lamb provencal, with potato puree, and oven roasted root vegetables.  Cheers!

2018 Pepper Bridge Merlot

Happy Saturday!  It's been a relaxing day for me, just enjoying some time with friends this morning and spending time reading this afternoon, I guess now it's time to enjoy a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open the most recent vintage of Merlot from the Pepper Bridge Winery, the 2018 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Valley Merlot.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (81%), Cabernet Franc (13%) and Malbec (6%) from the Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Octave Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a beautiful deep ruby color in the glass, classic for the varietal.  Raise a glass and you're greeted with essence of blue and black fruit, blueberry, cherry and plum with lingering aromas of green cedar and dusty loam.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum with flavors of toffee and smoky oak midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and supple, creating a voluptuous mouthfeel and setting the stage for a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a classically built Washington Merlot that lends itself to quiet sipping or boisterous meals.  This wine would pair well with the classics, steaks and chops, lamb and roasts, or hearty risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled filet mignon on a bed of grilled leeks, along with some mashed potatoes with a red wine demiglace and asparagus with Hollandaise.  Cheers!