2017 Cave Dog Napa Valley Red Wine

Happy Saturday!  It's been a busy day of cooking for a range of folks, but now it's time to relax a bit with a nice glass of wine and some hearty dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2017 Cave Dog Napa Valley Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) and Merlot (50%) from a stellar vintage in the Napa Valley, so let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby red color in the glass, a testament to the blend.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, earthy cedar, cardamom and peat that has a definite old world sort of vibe.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of cool black fruit that washes over your palate, transitioning easy to some earthy notes and spicy pepper midpalate.  The tannins are robust, creating a wonderfully vibrant dry finish that lingers as you reach for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a pleasant drinking, quality wine at a value price of just $20.  This wine would pair well with steak, slow roasted pot roast, or vibrant Italian dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a thick Angus, bone-in ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare along with some bacon maple Brussels sprouts and oven roasted baby carrots.  Of course, I'll likely be finishing this bottle on the patio with a wonderful fall fire.  Cheers!

2018 Seven Hills Pentad

Happy Friday!  It's been a long week, but at least it seems to have gone by relatively fast, so now I can relax a bit on the weekend.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of a recent wine shipment I received from Seven Hills Winery, one of my favorite Walla Walla wine producers (this was even before they started shipping to my home state!).  The 2018 Seven Hills Pentad is a special blend that is not produced with every vintage, as historically Casey (and presumably now Bobby is continuing the tradition) would only produce Pentad when all the stars were aligned to make a truly special wine.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (42%), Merlot (25%), Petit Verdot (13%), Malbec (12%) and Carmenere (8%) al sourced from the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So, let's see how this one is shaping up!

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, reminiscent of a big bold Cabernet (which is likely a major contributor to the blend).  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, blackberry and cassis joined with some dusty mineral notes that will have you thinking of an classic college library.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe black fruit encased in some dusty minerality before transitioning to some notes of tobacco and cocoa powder midpalate.  The tannins are vibrant and perfectly suited to the velvety, bone-dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's a really remarkable wine that would be ideal for a special occasion.  This wine would pair well with big juicy steaks, rack of lamb or venison tenderloin.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic pairing, a rare grilled dry aged porterhouse that I picked up at a local butcher yesterday, along with some oven roasted rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2016 Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Saturday!  So today was the day that I took down all the Christmas decorations, so another holiday season is officially in the books (though I'll probably be encountering tinsel until March).  After all that work this afternoon, I've decided to open a bottle of wine that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2016 Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva is a 100% Sangiovese for a classic Chianti, bringing the freshness of Tuscany to your table.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity as you'd expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of bright red berries, cherry, raspberry, currant and strawberry with undertones of floral and Tuscan herbs.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of red fruit, raspberry, tart cherry and currant that transitions to some earthy notes of tar, tobacco and limestone midpalate.  The tannins are well structured with some bright acidity to provide for a vibrant but very dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a pleasant, easy drinking Classic Chianti, that was also a terrific value for just $13!  This wine would pair well with classic Tuscan dishes, from a Bistecca Fiorentina to a Tuscan toast with fava beans.  Tonight I am going more of a traditional Italian pairing, enjoying this wine with some porcini mushroom and truffle ravioli with some Italian sausage marinara.  Cheers!

2018 Titan Octave Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  I finished work early today and had a chance to play with a couple of new toys, my new Stihl backpack leaf blower and a set of radio equipped hearing protection, so I could clear leave while listening to Christmas music on the radio.  Two hours later and I can see the end of the 2021 leaf harvest in sight!  Now, ahead of the overeating that will occur tomorrow, I've decided to make a modest dinner and enjoy a bottle of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2018 Titan Octave Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a single-vineyard Cabernet from Rutherford area of the Napa Valley AVA.  This is a limited production wine (144 cases) that I found for a terrific price at Wines Till Sold Out, so let's see how this practically newborn wine is shaping up!

The wine is an inky indigo at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Rutherford Cabernet.  A swirl of the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant with some subtle floral undertones that transition easily to aromas of fig and candied plum.  A sip reveals flavors of leather, cedar and rich black currant and raspberry intermingled with Rutherford dust that presents as a combination of spice box, cinnamon and cedar.  The tannins are vibrant and well structured, providing for a lingering dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a pleasant drinking Napa Cabernet that presents an interesting pairing conundrum given it's evolving flavor profile.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall dishes, from grilled steaks and chops, to meaty lasagna or osso buco.  Speaking of veal, tonight I've taken a different route and am enjoying this wine with some Madras curry spiced veal chops along with some oven roasted baby carrots, beets and Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2011 Tenuta Vitanza Beunello di Montalcino Riserva

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's that magical first Saturday of the month when I raid the cellar and open a bottle that's been in development for at least a decade.  I am a lover of Sangiovese, and since Brunellos usually hit their stride at the 10-year mark, why not spend a Cellar Saturday on one of these?  So, I've opened a bottle of 2011 Tenuta Vitanza Beunello di Montalcino Riserva that I know has been in my cellar for at least five years, so let's see if it was worth the wait!

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass, with just the faintest hint of amber along the edges, just as you might expect from an adult Brunello.  A gentle swirl releases aromas of anise, prune, cedar and spicebox that bring be back to the aromas I smelled when walking into a small grocer in Florence.  Take a sip and you are greeted with a surprisingly vibrant bit of fruit, strawberry, red currant and raspberry that ease into earthy notes of tar and tobacco, with a hit of black pepper spice over the top.  The tannins are still quite vibrant, providing for a long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really pleasing example of a nice Brunello from a somewhat lackluster vintage.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of Italian fare, from risotto to classic pasta, steak or veal.  Tonight I am enjoying this with a poor man's version of bistecca Fiorentina, a porterhouse grilled Pittsburgh rare on a bed of grilled leeks with a baked potato and steamed asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2017 Elodia El Manzano Don Arturo Estate Malbec

 Happy Birthday!  I mean yes, thank you!  It's my birthday today, which means that I went out on my annual hunting trip to get Christmas trees, and today I landed a couple of really nice white pines.  Then I came home, made out Christmas cards and made an apple pie and now it's time for some wine and dinner!  It didn't seem like I did much today, but now that I see the list I'm pretty impressed!  So tonight I've opened a bottle of 2017 Elodia El Manzano Don Arturo Estate single vineyard Malbec from the Uco Valley in Mendoza Argentina which I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, and you'll see why I've opened this wine when we get to the pairing.  So let's see how this wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep inky indigo at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Mendoza Malbec.  The nose presents aromas of cherry, blackberry, leather and pumice that shows the character of Argentina.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit that washes over your palate before transitioning to some wonderful earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are vibrant and youthful, but well structured, providing for a very smooth, dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I think this is a new favorite Malbec (truth be told, I ordered four bottles of this one and enjoyed three of them before I got around to reviewing it!).  This wine is an ideal steak wine, which is ideal since I've decided to enjoy this wine this evening with a Brazilian steakhouse favorite of rare grilled picanha!  For those unfamiliar, picanha or sirloin cap, it's a delightfully tender steak, comparable to a filet, but with a lovely cap of fat to add incredible flavor.  Tonight I am grilling this with some bacon roasted brussels sprouts and a baked potato.  Cheers!

2017 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Walla Walla Red Wine

Well, things just continue to get weird during this whole pandemic.  Today I stopped at Walgreens and they finally had toilet paper in my preferred brand so I picked up some, but then I went to the grocery store and was informed that I was buying too much meat as I had three packages of steak and they are only allowing two...so now I'm really getting worried!  If it took two months to get toilet paper back on the shelves, I shudder to think how I'll survive months without steak!  This may turn in to a wine and ramen noodle blog!  In any case, to celebrate the two steaks I got, I've decided to open a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from Pepper Bridge Winery, the 2017 Pepper Bridge Vineyard red wine.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (52%), Malbec (23%), Petit Verdot (13%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (12%), all from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see how this vintage is tasting!

The wine is an inky affair at the center, with bright fuchsia along the edges, as you might expect from a Merlot- and Malbec-heavy blend.  The nose is a pleasant combination of ripe blackberry, currant and blueberry with hints of leather and anise.  The taste is a rush of blueberry and blackberry in jammy quantities, that transitions to some mineral and earthy notes midpalate.  The tannins are stout, which combined with the surprising acidity provide for a vibrant, and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking nicely now, but will likely soften a bit with some time in the cellar.  This wine would pair with a variety of dishes, from barbecue to pasta, pizza to steak, as the fruit just makes a great partner for great food.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Madras curry rubbed T-bone on a bed of grilled leeks, with a baked potato and some steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2019 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rose

Well, this past week featured some remarkably early summer like days, with highs in the mid- to upper-70s and lots of sun, which had me yearning for rose season, but alas today it was cloudy and windy with a high of 42.  But that's not stopping me, I am tasting some rose, and tonight it's the 2019 Bledsoe Family Winery Healy Rose, a lovely rose from the Walla Walla Valley that just arrived with a wine club shipment last week.  So let's see how this preview of summer is tasting!

The wine is a lovely pale peach color in the glass.  The nose is a basket of summer fruit, peach, watermelon and citrus all dancing around, beckoning you to take a sip.  The taste is just a mouthful of summer, with a rush of ripe peach, honeydew, pink grapefruit and strawberry that just dance around your palate before transitioning to some mineral and herb notes of thyme and lavender midpalate.  The acidity is quite pronounced leading to a wonderfully vibrant yet dry finish that lingers like a long summer evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's my first taste of rose season and it's already got me wanting more!  This wine would pair well with summer salads, barbecue or pasta.  Tonight, since it's still chilly, I am pairing this with a recipe I saw from one of my favorite food bloggers Chris of Don't Go Bacon My Heart (you really should check him out on Instagram or his site: https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/ a wonderful Gorgonzola pasta with pancetta, leeks and mushrooms (you can find the recipe here: https://www.dontgobaconmyheart.co.uk/gorgonzola-pasta/) and this rose is just perfect with that hearty pasta dish.  Cheers!

2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah

Well, it's the last Friday of Washington Wine Month, and  my last chance to highlight a wonderful Washington wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a wine club selection that I've held onto for a few years, the 2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah, from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  I am hopeful that this wine has matured a bit and will be ideal with my dinner this evening, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep inky color at the center with bright fuchsia along the edges, almost more like a Cabernet than a Syrah.  The nose is a luxurious combination of leather, blackberry and black pepper spice with an overlay of floral notes of violets.  The taste is a rush of cherry sweet tart that gives way to more subdued notes of blackberry and plum before transitioning to some caramel and vanilla notes midpalate.  The tannins are still quite vibrant and well integrated for the long, smooth and very dry finish with a bit of minerality at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a food friendly and really pleasant drinking Syrah.  This wine would pair well with a breadth of dishes, from hearty pasta to steaks and chops, to Indian food.  Tonight I am pairing this with a sesame crusted seared tuna steak along with some wild rice from Minnesota and some steamed sugar snap peas.  Cheers!

2008 Saviez Private Reserve Cabernet Franc

Happy Saturday!  It's the first Saturday in June and that means it's cellar Saturday, that magical time when I open a bottle at least 10 years in the making!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I literally found in my cellar a few weeks ago, as I didn't ever remember buying it!  I have a number of Saviez wines, mostly their Zinfandels, but this is a 2008 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc produced from their estate vineyard in Napa Valley.  I've let this wine get some air for about an hour, and I am a big fan of Cabernet Franc, so let's see what this one has to offer.

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with garnet along the edges, very reminiscent of a Cabernet Sauvignon.  The nose is an interesting combination of ripe black fruit, dried Italian spices intermingled with notes of leather and butterscotch.  The taste is remarkably smooth, with lovely cool fruit notes up front, blueberry, cherry and raspberry that dance around some notes of green herbs and rose petals.  The tannins are remarkably vibrant and well structured after a decade, supporting a long, smooth and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a fine example of the varietal and it's proven that it's ageworthy.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steak to barbecued ribs to hearty pasta dishes.  But tonight I am enjoying this wine with some classic tacos, with spicy sauce, tomatoes, avacado, baby greens and sour cream on corn tortillas.  Cheers!

2005 Chateau Potensac Medoc

Happy October!  You ever wonder what October is the 10th month, rather than the 8th month?  I wonder about crazy things sometimes, but today I am wondering about the first Saturday of the month, which of course is Cellar Saturday!  Today I've opened a bottle that's been in my cellar for less than a day, the 2005 Chateau Potensac Medoc, which I bought at Costco today!  The Chateau is one of the Cru Bourgeois estates producing Medoc, that lovely Cabernet Merlot combination from the left bank of the Gironde, so let's see how this one grabs me!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents aromas of leather, tar, blackberry and kirsch with just the faintest floral overtones.  The taste brings out the gravelly clay soils of the Garonne, but the fruit is still a major player with flavors of black cherry and plum, but the star is the minerality that expresses itself midpalate, really highlighting the terroir of the Chateau.  The finish is divine, with still vibrant tannins after more than a decade, supporting the long, smooth and exceptionally elegant and dry finish, with just a hint of funk at the end.

I am a big Bordeaux fan, and this is a gem that I would easily rate a 9!  This would be ideal with aromatic or hard cheeses, or with a variety of hearty Autumn dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some additional Costco fare, a rare grilled Prime ribcap steak, with some grilled asparagus and oven roasted fingerling potatoes.  The minerality of this wine is a perfect foil to the rich fattiness of the ribcap, my new favorite cut of beef.  Salut!

2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Valley Merlot

It's hump day and boy can I use a nice glass of wine with dinner!  And since it's Merlot month, why not open a bottle of my favorite under-appreciated varietal?  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Valley Merlot, which is actually a blend of Merlot (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) from the Seven Hills and Ferguson estates.

The wine is a beautiful ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose presents aromas of ripe dark fruit, green grass and coffee.  The taste is as smooth as it gets, with some subdued fruit notes up front that quickly give way to some smoky notes and cherry cola.  The earthy mineral notes of basalt really come through midpalate, surely the influence of the estate Ferguson fruit.  The tannins are vibrant, making a nice combination with the earthy minerality on the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, and it was a very nice value even at the full retail price of $36.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a perfect mid-week dinner of a petite porterhouse (yes there is such a thing in my world!) along with some grilled asparagus and sweet potato mash, what a perfect way to end an Autumn evening!  Cheers!

2007 Fitch Mountain Cellars Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

It's been a long day, definitely time to open up a bottle of wine.  And since it's snowing, I feel like a big hearty red, so why not the 2007 Fitch Mountain Cellars Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon?  That ought to warm things up a bit!

The wine is a deep, inky purple in the glass, and the nose is a pleasant combination of leather, oak, anise and dried spices, a perfect combination to warm you up on a cold evening.  The taste is a lovely fruit blast at the outset, with flavors of ripe berries, tart cherry and ripe plum, that provides an intriguing combination of sweet and sour.  Midpalate we transition to some lovely spice notes and a hint of cocoa, before the vibrant tannins lead you to the long, smooth, dry finish.  A nice Cabernet that though reminiscent of those from Napa Valley, provides a bit more fruit and a different overall feel when drinking it.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, and maybe I'm being generous, or maybe I just really needed a glass of wine, but so be it!  As for pairings, I am going against the grain tonight, enjoying this big, bold red with some butternut squash ravioli and some sun dried tomato and parmesan cream sauce.  The bold fruit and spice notes of this wine provide a great contrast to the creamy smoothness of the ravioli, delish!

Hell's Canyon Retriever Red Wine

Tonight I've decided to open one of my vacation wines, a bottle I brought back from a truck stop in Baker City, Oregon of all places (see us wine aficionados can find wine anywhere!), the Hell's Canyon Retriever Red Wine, a non-vintage blend of Merlot (56%), Cabernet Franc (22%), Cabernet Sauvignon (19%) and Syrah (3%).  The winery is located in the Snake River Valley in Caldwell, Idaho, so I probably passed in on the way to Oregon but I didn't stop.  In any case, I stopped at a hotel in Baker City for the night, and went across the street to the truck stop for some chips and saw they had wine, and this bottle with a great image of a Black Lab swimming with a duck in its mouth really caught my eye, so I figured why not buy a bottle?

The color of the wine is a nice ruby red, a little lighter than a lot of Bordeaux style blends I've seen.  The nose is enveloped with aromas of sweet cherry, licorice and cedar, with just the faintest hint of fresh mint.  The taste is actually remarkably well balanced, with ample fruit on the front, laced with ripe cherries and blackberries, giving way to hints of charcoal and fresh herbs midpalate.  The vibrant tannins make for a very crisp, tight finish that could mellow a bit over time, but as it stands marks the perfect yin to the sweet red fruit yang on the front end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's hands down the best truck stop wine I've ever had!  And as I recall it was a pretty good value too at about $11.  Tonight I am pairing with some butternut squash lasagna that a good friend at work made and brought in for me to try, and a fresh salad.  The wine complements the sweet and earthy flavors of the lasagna quite well, so it looks like I'm going to have a good evening after a long week!

2001 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Time flies when you're having fun!  Here we are, already at my third Cellar Saturday, the first Saturday of the month where I open up a bottle of wine that's been waiting patiently in the cellar for me to finally open up and enjoy.  And this month we have a really special treat more than a decade in the making, and a wine from my all time favorite winery, L'Ecole No. 41 in Walla Walla!

What a wonderful wine, I can tell already!  The color is a rich, deep ruby color, and the nose is a wonderful blend of earthiness, oak, offsetting a sweet spiciness, that's a blend of cassis, cherry and blackberry, balancing out the spice of cinnamon and dark chocolate.  The taste is remarkable, with flavors of ripe fruit coming through despite the age, which are quickly overtaken by notes of cocoa powder and cherry cola, leading to a wonderful bit of mint and cedar with a hint of earthiness, and a classic flavor of rich, dark chocolate that is so characteristic of Walla Walla wines.  The finish is very long, dry and smooth, and after a decade, the tannins are still very well structured and vibrant, which is a perfect complement to the overall lush mouthfeel of this wine.

Given this is such a wonderful, classic wine, I better have something besides Taco Bell to enjoy this with, and yes, you know me better than that!  So I've paired this wine with a dinner that is a marriage of summer and fall, with the last bits of summer coming together with the very best of what fall has to offer.  I've started with the summer, a simple salad of sliced heirloom tomatoes with a bit of fresh basil, drizzled with 25-year balsamic vinegar.  And once that gets your tastebuds moving, the main course is a rare grilled angus ribeye, with sweet potato fries and grilled white, yellow and orange carrots, bringing in the classic root vegetables of fall.  And after all that, I'm ready for a nap!

Oh, but before I doze off in the La-Z-Boy, my rating!  I am totally biased, but I would have to rate this one a solid 9, as it's a stellar example of the wine, the terroir and the vintage, I just have no idea of the value since I bought this back in 2004!  In any case, I'll be enjoying this one again someday, as I still have another magnum left in the cellar!