2010 Viticoltori in Valpantena Amarone della Valpolicella

I was in Florida this week for work and finally arrived back home last night, so today has been catch up day for all my household chores, including taking down the last of the Christmas decorations outside!  So now it's time to relax in the evening with a nice bottle of wine, and tonight it's a bottle of 2010 Viticoltori in Valpantena Amarone della Valpolicella, and those who know me know what a big fan of Amarone I am!  This one is a classic blend of Corvina (60%), Corvinone (20%) and Rondinella (20%).

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with great clarity.  The nose is a classic Amarone, with wonderful cherry and ripe plum notes, with just a hint of floral essence with some rose petals.  The taste is classic Amarone, with a blast of ripe fruit, cherries, blackberries and prune that transitions flawlessly to some vanilla and a hint of white pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is lovely, with some earthy notes of dusty limestone and a hint of hazelnut as the well structured tannins form a foundation for a long, voluptuous finish that can only come from a nice Amarone.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's drinking quite well now, but it's still young and should improve with a few more years in the cellar, and it was a great value at less than $23 from Wines Till Sold Out.  This wine would be ideal with a variety of great Italian dishes, from Bistecca alla Fiorentina to a hearty pasta with a spicy red sauce.  Tonight I am pairing this wine with the classic American (almost Italian?) dish of stuffed peppers!  The sweetness of the wine is a perfect complement to the hearty beef and rice stuffed peppers topped with a bit of spicy marinara and some grated parmesan and asiago cheese.  So delicious!

2010 Forgeron Petite Sirah - Stone Tree Vineyard

What a long day!  Sometimes it seems like the work around the house just never ends, whether you're mowing the grass, raking leaves, or this time of year shoveling snow, there is always work to do.  Today I took down the Christmas decorations, dragged the trees to the curb, took down almost all the lights and garland, though there is one section outside the living room I didn't get to since it started snowing and I didn't feel like getting up on the ladder in the snow!  In any case, now it's time to relax, and to help me do that I've opened up a bottle of 2010 Forgeron Petite Sirah, from the Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope.  I just happened upon this bottle while looking for something to go with my dinner, and what a find, a Forgeron Societe exclusive wine with only 108 cases produced!

The wine is a deep, inky purple color in the glass that's almost black at the center.  The nose is just divine, with aromas of ripe black fruit and a bit of smokiness that accents the notes of boysenberry and blueberry.  The taste is a rush of ripe fruit, blueberries, plums, black cherries, that transition to some lovely notes of white pepper and cassis midpalate.  The finish is lovely, as the well integrated tannins support the long, smooth and velvety dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.  I can't wait to have another sip!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a big, fruit forward wine that would pair well with a variety of dishes, from steak to a lovely roast lamb, but tonight I am pairing it with some barbecue chicken breast!  You see, I really love petite sirah as a great wine to go with barbecue, in a similar vein to Zinfandel, the strong fruit notes and the spice just make it perfect with smoky, sweet barbecue with just a hint of spice.  Along with the chicken breast, I'm also having some oven roasted rainbow potatoes and some sugar snap peas, it's like summer came back for an evening!  Cheers!

1999 I Balzini Super Tuscan - Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese

Happy New Year!  Yeah, I know I'm a few days late, but what can you expect from me?  Tonight not only will I make my first blog post of 2015, but it's also "Cellar Saturday" that first Saturday of the month where I raid the cellar and open a bottle that's had some time to mature.  Tonight, that mature bottle is the 1999 I Balzini Super Tuscan blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese that I originally bought in a vertical that included the 1997-99 and 2001 from Wines Till Sold Out.

Having let this wine breathe for a couple hours, it's a bright ruby, with some darker color toward the center, and surprising clarity given its age.  The nose is quite pleasant, with some ripe berry, prune and cherry notes up front, than transition to some toasted oak and smoky notes.  The taste is quite nice, with some ripe cherry and cola notes up front, that transition to some notes of plum and dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are very well developed, supporting a round, velvety and very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very pleasant wine that would make a great accompaniment to a variety of heavier, meaty dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled Angus New York Strip topped with some Stilton, along with a big old baked potato and some fresh steamed Brussels sprouts.  A perfect dinner for such a lovely wine!