2012 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon

It's Friday night, I left the office at a reasonable time, went to the gym and now I'm ready to relax!  So what better way to relax than opening a bottle of wine and sipping it on the deck as the sun dips below the horizon?  For tonight, I've decided to pair my relaxation with a bottle of 2012 Nelms Road Cabernet Sauvignon, the Columbia Valley Cabernet from the second label at Woodward Canyon.  The wine itself is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%), Syrah (12%), Merlot (4%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Barbera (2%) and Petit Verdot (2%).

The color of the wine is classic Columbia Valley Cabernet, deep, inky purple with bright ruby edges.  The nose is a burst of sweet red fruit aromas, currant, cherry and a bit of spice over the top.  The taste is really a pleasure to drink, with a bit of dark fruit up front, blackberry, plum and raisin that transitions to some spice notes midpalate, black pepper, baking spice and a bit of tart cherry.  The tannins are somewhat supple, providing for a nice smooth, very dry finish.  A perfect wine to sip on a summer evening!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a wonderful Cabernet and at a very reasonable price, as this wine is just $25, much less than the flagship Woodward Canyon Cabernet.  Tonight of all things I am pairing this with a classic midwest dinner of tuna casserole!  See it's not all glamour around my house, besides sometimes you just need a great wine to elevate the food you pair it with!  Cheers!

2011 Sueno Tempranillo

Do you know what day it is? Oh yeah!  It's hump day!  Time to open up a new bottle of wine and celebrate getting through to the downward slope of the work week (even though the next two days are going to be crazy busy for me).  So tonight I've opened up a bottle of our Office Wine Club's June selection, the 2011 Sueno Tempranillo!  You know how much I appreciate the quality and value of Spanish wines for everyday drinking, so hopefully this one will be true to form as it's 100% Tempranillo from the Ribera del Jucar.

The wine is a little darker than I might have expected, with a deep ruby color throughout that brightens along the edges.  The nose is classic Tempranillo with lots of dark ripe fruit, blackberry, plum and cassis intermingled with some dark chocolate and dried flower notes, that transitions to just a hint of black pepper and spice.  Despite the dark fruit nose, the taste is very light, with some lovely berry notes on the outset that transitions to some rustic flavors of anise, dusty limestone and barnyard.  The tannins are somewhat soft but very well integrated giving a nice structure to the wine and supporting a smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5 as it does what most Spanish wines do, pair well with a variety of dishes at a value price - I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $11!  And tonight I am enjoying it with a classic mid-week dinner of pizza, a perfect pairing as the rustic flavors just mesh so nicely with the spicy sauce and pepperoni.  Cheers!

2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson

Well, a weekend of hard work has come to a close and it's time to relax with a nice glass of wine.  You see, this weekend was taken up with more than just the normal chores around the house, my Uncle Ron decided to visit, and at 77 years old, it's always an adventure with him!  So he made it home safe and now I think I've earned a nice glass of 2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Ferguson, a wonderful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), Merlot (32%) and Cabernet Franc (11%) from L'Ecole's newest vineyard which lies on a ridge overlooking the Walla Walla Valley which consists of a thin layer of soil over fractured basalt, which gives the wine some very interesting mineral characteristics.  I had a wonderful opportunity to barrel taste this wine last summer during the winery's 30th Anniversary celebration, so I'll be interested to know how the final product turned out!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is a vibrant blend of cut grass over a layer of ripe black fruit with just a hint of floral notes at the end.  The taste is quite nice, with some rich fruit up front, but not sweet or overpowering, this isn't a jammy wine, but a wine with sophistication and complexity in the fruit.  The fruit notes transition effortlessly to some dark chocolate and mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The finish is exceptionally dry, as the young but well structured tannins support the long dry finish that leaves you wanting more.  It's hard to believe, but I think this wine improved from what I remember last June!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 9, as I think it has some great mineral characteristics and finesse that will likely improve over time, and although the price at $59 isn't cheap, I think it's well worth it.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a thick cut Hereford beef Kansas City cut NY Strip, grilled rare with some oven roasted Yukon gold potatoes and steamed asparagus, a perfect Sunday dinner in my house!  The mineral notes in this wine are the perfect foil to spiced potatoes and a rich cut of beef, cheers!