2015 Pepper Bridge Walla Walla Merlot

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around my house!  We had a bunch of snow today, so to avoid cutting down my Christmas trees in the snow, I went out yesterday afternoon to get them.  And in typical Clark W. Griswold fashion, I probably went a little overboard on the family room tree as it really fills the space!  In any case, you can get a sense of the holiday cheer in the photo below (and yes, that is an official Christmas Story leg lamp in the background!).  I also confess I'm apparently on a bit of a Merlot kick, but to be fair, wineries keep sending me Merlot in wine club shipments so I can't really help it!  In any case, tonight I've opened a bottle from the latest wine club shipment from Pepper Bridge Winery, the 2015 Walla Walla Merlot, which is a blend of Merlot (78%), Cabernet Franc (15%) and Malbec (7%) from the Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Octave Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. 

The wine is a deep inky color in the glass, just what you'd expect from a nice Merlot.  The aromas of leather, black cherry, and tea leaf abound on this wine from a very warm vintage (based on my discussions with a lot of Walla Walla folks, the 2015 vintage will likely be much more fruit concentrated and likely better for early drinking rather than cellaring).  The taste is a fantastic rush of ripe black fruit, cherry, plum and layers of fig that yield to notes of black pepper and fennel.  The tannins are lush, supporting the warm, dry and voluptuous finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a lovely Merlot that's versatile and food friendly.  This is a wine that just speaks to the upcoming holidays, and I could easily see this wine pairing with anything from fire glazed ham to turkey with cranberries, to dark chocolate and peppermint bark.  Tonight I am relaxing after decorating (more to finish tomorrow!) and enjoying this wine with a dinner of pan seared sea scallops on a bed of baby arugula with pesto penne.  Cheers!

2015 Seven Hills Merlot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a busy week so far, but at least there's wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a recent wine club selection from one of my favorite wineries, Seven Hills out of Walla Walla.  And much to the dismay of "Sideways" fans everywhere, I am a bit fan of Merlot, and tonight I'm enjoying the 2015 Seven Hills Walla Walla Merlot, so let's see who's right!

The wine is a lovely deep, inky purple in the glass with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a subdued affair, with notes of leather, blackberry, cherry and cassis with just the slightest hint of green grass.  The taste is not nearly as fruit forward as some past vintages, but still nice black cherry at the outset that evolves into some lovely white pepper notes before diving into dark chocolate and mocha midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with somewhat tightly wound tannins with a reprise of tart cherry before the long, smooth and exceptionally dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking quite nicely now, but has the potential to improve quite a bit with a few years in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of roasts and stews, classic chill in the air autumnal fare, but tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a prime eye of ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare with some steamed baby red potatoes with butter and parsley and some steamed broccoli.  Cheers!

2007 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, I've been somewhat of a slacker for the past couple months, but I finally remembered to Cellar Saturday, that magical first Saturday of the month where I raid the cellar for something interesting to open.  Tonight I've decided to open a nice one, a bottle of 2007 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, so let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine has the deep coloration you'd expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose is an interesting combination of black fruit and earthy notes, blackberry, plum and prune interlaced with tar, peat and tobacco.  The taste is a rush of bright cherry fruit that envelopes the palate while easily transitioning to some warm spice notes midpalate.  The finish has a note of sweet cherry, as the well structured tannins still provide the backbone for the long, smooth and velvety dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a really nice Cabernet and I'm glad I let it develop for the past decade as it was well worth it.  This is also a classic, "big" California Cabernet, so it's practically begging to be paired with a nice steak and tonight is its lucky day!  I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled filet mignon along with butter braised Yukon gold potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Cheers!