2013 Gravel Bar Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Hump Day!  I have to admit since I'm on staycation this week, I hardly noticed hump day at all.  But at the very least I've decided to open a nice bottle of wine to celebrate the middle of the week and tonight it's the 2013 Gravel Bar Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%) and Malbec (9%) primarily from the Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley.  So let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep, inky black color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you would expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, currant, leather and some mineral notes of graphite and limestone.  The taste is quite nice, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, that transitions nicely to some notes of mocha, dark chocolate and cassis midpalate.  The tannins are smooth and well integrated for a long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nicely drinking wine right now, and it was a terrific bargain as I found this at my local wine store for just $16!  This wine would pair nicely with some hearty grilled steaks, braised short ribs or rustic Italian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled farm to table sirloin steak that came from one of the cows at the recent Elkhart County 4-H Fair, some garlic mashed potatoes and steamed Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2005 Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Mencia

Happy Saturday!  Of course, this being the first Saturday of August, it's also Cellar Saturday, that one day per month where I raid the cellar for a bottle that's attained an appropriate level of maturity.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2005 Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Mencia that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  The wine is made from 100% Mencia grapes, which have experienced a bit of a revival with winemakers utilizing grapes from higher elevations and older vines, yielding much more age worthy wines.  This bottle was somewhat disappointing as the cork disintegrated when I tried to open it, so I decanted and then had to run the wine through some filter paper to get rid of the cork fragments (not sure what impact that will have on the wine).  So after a rough start, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents pleasant aromas of blackberry, cherry, anise, green grass and tar, that suggests this will be a serious wine.  The taste is surprising as there is a rush of ripe fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and ripe plum that just overwhelm your senses.  The rich fruit transitions to some lovely mineral notes midpalate, with dusty limestone and granite that persist into the finish.  The tannins are nicely structured for a velvety mouthfeel and a long, supple dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a very pleasant drinking wine that is just starting to reach its prime.  I would recommend decanting for at least an hour and letting the wine breathe as well, as this one definitely opens up to reveal even more complexity among the fruit.  This wine would pair well with a nice grilled steak, paella of some more robust Mediterranean dishes, but tonight I am going a bit off script and enjoying this one with a grilled swordfish steak along with some oven roasted fingerling potatoes and some grilled organic rainbow carrots.  The fruit in the wine really offers a nice contrast for the flavor of the swordfish.  Cheers!

2012 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot

Happy Hump Day!  I know last month was a bit of a bust for my wine blog, as I was traveling a lot for work, but now I have some time at home for a little while so expect more blog posts in August!  Tonight I've decided to open a wine club selection that's been waiting around for a few months, the 2012 DaMa Walla Walla Valley Merlot,  You know I love me some Merlot and what could be better on Wine Wednesday?

The wine is a lovely, deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of blackberry, currant, leather and smoke, a very inviting combination.  The taste is really quite interesting, with a blast of ripe red fruit up front, cherry, raspberry and currant intermingled with red licorice that transitions nicely to some mineral notes of dusty limestone and a bit of green cedar midpalate.  The description of this wine on the DaMa website notes, "This lovely new wine is like that treasured sweater: classic, comforting and warm from the inside out," and that is especially true for this wine, it has a particularly warm presence.  The finish is quite pleasant, with moderately chewy tannins supporting the smooth, warm dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's just such a pleasant wine to sip and a classic expression of Merlot, which is so seldom seen today.  This would be a great wine for grilled meats, barbecue or rustic Italian dishes, but tonight I am enjoying this with a lovely mid-week dinner of a rare grilled prime petit filet mignon along with a baked potato and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!