2020 Helix Rose of Sangiovese

Happy Friday!  It's been a busy week, and I am more than ready for the weekend, so tonight I've opened a nice summer rose, since the weather has been heating up again.  It's also Washington Wine Month (though I confess, reading on Twitter, it seems as though Washington Wine Month happens at least three or four times a year), so I've opened a bottle that I brought back from my vacation to Walla Walla last month.  The 2020 Helix Rose of Sangiovese is a wonderful rose wine based on Sangiovese sourced from the Royal Slope AVA of Washington (the Royal Slope was designated as an AVA in 2020, with a south facing slope that's much cooler than the Wahluke Slope to the south).  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a lovely, light peach color in the glass, in line with many recent Washington roses.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of peach, citrus and green grass that seem like a breath of summer to be inhaled.  Take a sip and you're greeted by a rush of crisp summer flavors, bright citrus, wild berry and vibrant herbs with hints of melon and apple.  The tannins are wonderfully integrated for a delightfully crisp, dry finish that lingers on the palate more than you might expect from a rose.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful summer sipping wine that I will enjoy on the patio later this evening.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, lettuce wraps of Thai chicken, and of course seafood.  Tonight I am taking the classic approach and enjoying this wine with some herb crusted wild cod loins, along with some farro and steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2019 Stolen Horse Syrah

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy one for me, as I went to a graduation party and then completed a few projects around the house, and now I'm definitely ready for Sunday dinner and a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of a wine club shipment from the Bledsoe Family Winery that arrived on Friday.  The 2019 Stolen Horse Syrah is a classic Syrah (98%) co-fermented with Viognier (2%) sourced from the Lefore, Flying B, Loess and Kenny Hill Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this new vintage is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nearly a Cabernet sort of feel.  After letting this one breathe for an hour or so, a easy swirl reveals aromas of green grass, smoky oak, and hints of wild berries that beckon you to taste.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a cascade of flavors, from blueberry reduction, to olive tapenade, smoke and earthy mineral notes.  The mouthfeel on this wine is a real treat, with velvety texture and well structured tannins to provide for a delightfully dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's such a solid example of the varietal, but also such an intriguing wine.  This wine practically begs to be paired with a hearty meat dish, from a grilled pork tenderloin to barbecued beef ribs.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Sunday dinner of herb crusted rack of lamb with potato puree, red wine demi and haricots verts almondine.  Cheers!

Reininger CPR Third Edition

Happy Boxing Day!  Well as with all the holiday rush, I confess I've been sorely neglecting the wine blog, and for that, I apologize.  Now that the rush is over, I have time to do more, though don't get too excited as it seems I'm also battling a cold which could hamper my wine blogging efforts.  To make up for that, I've opened up a bottle of very unique wine to share with you tonight, the Reininger CPR Third Edition.  Of course, the CPR represents Chuck Reininger's initials, and this wine comes in editions rather than vintages, as you see, this wine was inspired by the Solera blending tradition, where each year they bottle 20% of the wine and replace it with wine from the new vintage.  As a result you have a wine consisting of eight varietals from nine different vintages!  I reviewed the inagural edition here: CPR First Edition and had a chance to barrel taste the third and fourth editions on a visit to Walla Walla in 2017 (see: here), and since I was in an odd mood, I decided to skip the second edition and go right to the third tonight.  This edition is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (26%), Syrah (19%), Cabernet Franc (16%), Petit Verdot (10%), Merlot (9%), Malbec (7%), Sangiovese (7%) and Carmenere (6%) from the Ash Hollow, Pepper Bridge, Phinny Hill, Seven Hills, Stone Tree and XL Vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA from vintages spanning 2005-13.  So let's see how this intriguing blend is tasting!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose exudes a cascade of wild berries, amid earthy aromas of leather, cardamom and some delicate floral notes.  The taste is a rush of cool black fruit, black raspberry, cherry and plum that excites the senses before transitioning to some wonderful notes of vanilla bean, a hint of cedar accentuated by some white pepper spice.  The flavors just dance around the palate until the fine grain tannins and delightful acidity cut in to establish a dramatic finish that lingers for what seems like hours.  This is certainly a wine that could pair exceedingly well with a variety of food, but it's also the kind of wine that will continue to develop nuances of flavor as you sip it throughout an evening.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a delight to drink and experience the evolution of flavor over an evening.  It's also a very food friendly wine as I could see myself enjoying this wine with everything from steak to barbecue, tacos to oven roasted salmon, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled petit prime New York strip, with some grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes with a merlot reduction.  Cheers!

2010 Penalolen Cabernet Franc

Happy Tuesday!  Man this summer is going by fast, I just can't believe it!  Well in any case, this week has been unseasonably cool, which is always fine by me, but it's still warm enough to grill out some steaks and sip some wine on the patio.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2010 Penalolen Cabernet Franc from the Casablanca Valley of Chile, an area with a somewhat cooler climate that's ideal for Cabernet Franc.

The color is a deep ruby in the glass, that's almost black at the center.  The nose evokes wild berries, raspberries and cassis along with freshly cut grass.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward, with flavors of ripe raspberry and plum at the outset that edges toward tart cherry and some dusty limestone notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely integrated, leading to a smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's a very nice example of the varietal that would pair well with a variety of dishes.  It was also a terrific value at just $10 from Wineshopper.com, illustrating the bargains to be had from South American producers!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a nice grilled Angus T-bone, baked potato and haricots verts almondine.  The earthy herbal notes in this wine make it ideal with steak or flavorful Latin dishes.  Salut!