2018 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Syrah

Happy Saturday!  I started the day running all sorts of errands, then I got home and worked all afternoon, so now I'm ready for a nice dinner and a glass of wine. Tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, who occasionally sources some outstanding Washington wines, and tonight's is no exception.  The 2018 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Syrah is a blend of Syrah from three different vineyards, Les Collines, which is a perennial strong source of Syrah, their own estate vineyard, Forgotten Hills and Holy Roller Vineyard, from the Rocks District, which has its own identity in the world of Syrah.  As a fan of Syrah, I can't wait to see how this wine has developed!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with a more medium body.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of boysenberry, lavender and a good bit of forest floor, revealing the earthy character of Walla Walla Syrah.  The first sip is a rush of tart cherry that backs off to reveal some blackberry and boysenberry fruit, easing into some umami and dusty limestone and black pepper spice midpalate that is classic for Rocks District Syrah.  The tannins are voluptuous, providing for a velvety, smooth dry finish with a bit of acidity that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a shining example of the Walla Walla terroir and its impact on producing great Syrah.  This wine was also a terrific value at just $25, one you could sip on the weeknights, or enjoy with friends at a nice dinner party.  Speaking of which, this wine would pair well with a range of dished, from rack of lamb and risotto, to classic salmon and steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared, crispy skin Scottish black pearl salmon filet, mushroom pasta and oven roasted broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

2004 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Gran Viu Finca Santiaga

Happy Saturday!  And since this is the first Saturday of a new month (and new year) it's Cellar Saturday!  Tonight, I've raided the cellar and opened a bottle that I just bought a week or so ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2004 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Gran Viu Finca Santiaga is a red blend from the Aragon region of Spain containing Grenache (60%), Cariñena (20%) and Vidadillo (20%).  So, let's see how this wine has developed over the past two decades!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, much more reminiscent of a Merlot than a Grenache heavy blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, black currant and licorice with undertones of earthy graphite.  The first sip is remarkably fresh with a rush of blueberry, tart cherry and currant that ease into some notes of tar and dark chocolate.  The tannins are voluptuous, providing for an ideal base for the lingering dry finish that just leaves you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's the most impressive Grenache blend I've had the pleasure of drinking.  This wine would pair with a wide range of dishes beyond the traditional Spanish paella, anything from hearty steaks to pasta to roast leg of lamb.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared prime center cut ribeye, with sautéed mushrooms and onions, steamed green beans and a big baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2016 Pepper Bridge Vineyard

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  I spent the weekend up in Traverse City Michigan and we did a little wine tasting yesterday, and although they make some nice wines, it's good to get back to my normal selections of big red wines, and tonight is no exception.  I have opened a bottle of the most recent Pepper Bridge wine club shipment which arrived last week, the 2016 Pepper Bridge Vineyard red wine.  This wine is made up of Merlot (48%), Malbec (26%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (26%) all from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. So let's have a taste!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, just as you'd expect from these prime varietals.  The nose is chock full of candied plum, blackberry and cherry with solid notes of oak, graphite and a bit of black pepper.  The taste is very fruit forward with a rush of plum, black cherry and blackberry that transitions nicely to some notes of dark chocolate and black pepper spice midpalate.  There is a good bit of oak on the back end as the voluptuous tannin structure meets up with a nice bit of acidity that brings you to a surprisingly bright and very dry finish that seems to linger.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a wonderfully big, bold red wine with enough structure and sophistication to stand up to a big steak or to simply sip on the patio on a cool summer evening.  This wine practically begs to be paired with meat, from steaks to roast beef to lamb or pork tenderloin.  Of course tonight I am enjoying this wine with a prime New York strip grilled rare with some grilled leeks and oven roasted beets with applewood bacon.  Cheers!

2015 Mark Ryan Wild Eyed Syrah

Happy Thursday!  I've been running around a bit this week, but today it was rainy most of the day, so a good day to open up a nice bottle of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a more recent vintage of wine from Mark Ryan Winery, the 2015 Wild Eyed Syrah.  This 100% Red Mountain Syrah is a blend of fruit from the Ciel du Cheval and Olsen vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA in the Yakima Valley of Washington.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep, brooding inky red at the center that almost looks like a Cabernet.  The nose is a pleasant combination of black fruit, green grass and bay leaf that practically screams this wine is a great food wine.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit, blueberries, plum and currant that transition nicely to some notes of black pepper and pipe tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are wonderfully structured, to provide great body and a voluptuous mouthfeel that supports the long, smooth and very dry finish.

I realize I've been neglecting the food part of "Wine, Food and Fun" so let me try to correct that!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's still a quite young and could do with a few years in the cellar, but it's still drinking quite nicely right now.  This wine is also an ideal food wine, as I could easily drink this with a variety of dishes, from robust pasta dishes and paella, to barbecue and burritos, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a mango marinaded grilled pork tenderloin, roasted cauliflower and pesto linguine.  Cheers!

2014 Mark Ryan Winery "Dead Horse" Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday!  Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, but last week I had a big travel week, hitting 5 cities on the west coast in 5 days, and unlike most work trips where I like to relax with a nice dinner after a long day, last week most of my dinners were at airports!  So tonight I am looking forward to a nice dinner at home with a great bottle of wine, and I have just such a bottle tonight, the 2014 Mark Ryan Winery "Dead Horse" Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Merlot (10%), Cabernet Franc (4%) and Petit Verdot (1%) from the Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, Obelisco and Quintessence Vineyards in the Red Mountain AVA in Washington.  I have been a big fan of Mark Ryan since I visited the Walla Walla tasting room back in 2013, but since joining their wine club, I've been somewhat hesitant to open the wines since they pack them so nicely in wood cases, but tonight I gave in!  So let's see how this wine stack up!

The wine is a lovely deep, inky purple color in the glass, just as you'd expect from a quality Cabernet.  The nose is classic Cabernet, with notes of black cherry, cassis, graphite and leather.  The taste is classic Washington Cabernet, with a more old world style, smooth, voluptuous and elegantly styled making this about as smooth a Cabernet as I've ever had.  The tannins are soft and well integrated, to support the long, dry finish that's so smooth, you can't bring yourself to put down your glass!  I have theater tickets after dinner tonight, and I'm going to have a hard time not finishing this bottle before I leave!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's one of the best Cabernets I've had in a long time, and a classic example of how Washington does the varietal.  This wine would be great with big steaks, but it's versatile enough to pair with a wide variety of dishes, from a light salad, to wild mushroom risotto to grilled salmon.  Tonight, I am fortunate to be enjoying this with a rare grilled prime T-bone, with grilled leeks and asparagus, a perfect summer dinner.  Cheers!

2012 Forgeron Facon Rouge

Well it's time for Sunday dinner, and since it's been so hot and humid here lately I've opted to cook indoors in the comfort of the air conditioning!  Of course that also means it's a perfect temperature to enjoy a nice bottle of red wine, and tonight it's the 2012 Forgeron Cellars Facon Rouge, a blend of Grenache (35%), Syrah (35%) and Mourvedre (30%), aka GSM, from the Boushey Vineyard in Yakima Valley Washington.

The wine is a beautiful dark ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is classic GSM with notes of leather, smoke and rich dark fruit.  The taste is at first an explosion of dark fruit, blackberry, plum, marionberry and black cherry, that subsides momentarily for the emergence of white pepper spice and earthy mineral notes midpalate.  The complex layers of fruit return for another round at the finish, with nicely integrated tannins providing for a voluptuous texture and long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this one a solid 8, I'm a sucker for a good GSM blend, and in my judgement Marie Eve and the folks at Forgeron really do an outstanding job.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely summer dinner of seared sea scallops on a bed of baby arugula along with some oven roasted rainbow carrots and asparagus.  The rich layered fruit in this wine offers a lovely contrast with the savory aspects of the veggies and the richness of the scallops.  Cheers!