2014 Stonehedge Grand Reserve Napa Valley Meritage

Happy Sunday!  I won't say which "Sunday" it is since I don't want to pay a royalty, but rumor has it there's some sort of big game on tonight!  Well in honor of the big game, I've decided to open up a big wine, the 2014 Stonehedge Grand Reserve Napa Valley Meritage, a Bordeaux style blend of Merlot (50%), Cabernet Franc (20%), Petit Verdot (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).  This wine was our office wine club selection last month, and I got it from Wines Till Sold Out, so you know it was a good value, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a blend that is heavy on Merlot.  The nose is a breath of smoky, mineral goodness, with hints of leather, blackberry and toasted oak.  The taste is really nice, with a rush of ripe fruit up front, cherry, red currant and raspberry that transition nicely to some cherry cola and black pepper spice midpalate.  The tannins are young, but surprisingly mellow, perfect to support the long, supple and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking very nicely now but will likely improve with a few years in the cellar, and it was a solid value for just $20.  This wine would be great with a variety of meaty dishes, from hearty Italian pasta to Yankee pot roast, but tonight I'm enjoying it with a grilled prime sirloin steak with some roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked potato with all the trimmings, classic Sunday dinner...you might even call it super!

2006 Hendry Napa Valley Pinot Noir

Happy Saturday!  Well it's the first Saturday of February, which of course means it's "Cellar Saturday" when I get to raid the cellar for a bottle of wine that's had a bit more time to mature, a decade at least.  So tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2006 Hendry Napa Valley Pinot Noir that my boss gave me last year.  Now Napa is known more for Cabernet than Pinot, so let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a lighter garnet color, somewhat darker and with a bit more of a brownish tint than your typical Pinot,  The nose is classic Pinot, with a rush of ripe strawberries and plums overlaid with some mineral notes and a bit of smoke.  The taste is actually quite nice, with a rush of ripe fruit up front, strawberries, cherries, and currant, that transition to some notes of green cedar and basalt midpalate.  The finish was quite nice, with smooth tannins and a very nice, long dry finish that has nice acidity but doesn't have the harshness that some Pinots can exhibit.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very enjoyable Pinot Noir from a region that's really not known for the varietal.  This wine would pair with a variety of dishes, from lamb to seafood, but tonight I'm enjoying it with an old school seafood Newberg, a wonderful combination of scallops, shrimp, mussels and crab in a decadent sherry cream sauce served over puff pastry.  The acidity in this wine is perfect to counter the richness of the sauce.  Cheers!

2013 Edge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Ahh...Hump Day,,,what a beautiful day!  We're on the downward slope toward the weekend, so let's enjoy a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of wine that some friends bought me for Christmas, the 2013 Edge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine is a blend of grapes from a number of vineyards with the goal of being a more value priced Napa offering, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep, inky purple at the center with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is classic Napa Cabernet, with aromas of leather, cedar and anise with wonderful notes of ripe black fruit.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward with a rush of blackberry, cherry and plum that transitions nicely to some spice notes of cinnamon and mocha midpalate.  The tannins are firm but well stuctured, an ideal foundation to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, for a value priced Napa Cabernet (online I found this for under $20) this could be a very nice everyday wine.  It would be great with a variety of red meat and tonight I'm enjoying this one with a rare grilled prime sirloin with some linguine tossed with broccoli rabe sauteed in garlic and olive oil.  Cheers!