Cogdal Vineyards NV Merlot

Happy Friday!  Tonight will be busy as I have theater tickets and I'm trying a new recipe for dinner, but at least I have some time for wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of Cogdal Vineyards non-vintage Merlot from the shores of Lake Michigan.  I visited this winery located just north of South Haven, Michigan a few years ago and was impressed with a few of their wines.  Although this one is non-vintage, I can confirm that it's been sitting in my cellar for at least 3 years, so let's see how it tastes.

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass with nice clarity, just a bit lighter than you'd expect for a Merlot.  The nose is a combination of light floral notes intermingled with hints of leather and tart cherry.  The taste is a rush of cool red fruit, cherry, raspberry and plum that transitions to the faintest hints of vanilla bean before a reprise of tart cherry hits you on the end.  The tannins are evolving, at first subdued and then somewhat sharp as you get the full effect of the pleasant, very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, which is pretty good for a local wine.  This wine is also quite food friendly, as I could see myself enjoying this with anything from burgers and pizza to tacos and steak.  But tonight, the meal is the star of the show as I was recently inspired by a television show about the food trucks of Austin, Texas which featured Chi'Lantro, a Korean-Mexican fusion that came up with Kimchi Fries late night to satisfy their drunk customers exiting the bar scene.  So tonight I've created a slight variation of Kimchi Tots! This was a sort of hybrid creation similar to how Chi'Lantro came up with their creation, combining a lot of what they had left in the food truck at the end of the night.  For me, I made the tots and simmered some leftover braised short ribs that I shredded with the kimchi, put that over the tots, sprinkled some cheese and sriracha and garnished with some Thai basil.  Voila, a new spicy creation!  Cheers!

2014 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I've decided to open a nice bottle of Merlot, and a bottle that will likely be a wine club selection soon, the 2014 Rutherford Hill Napa Valley Merlot.  This wine is a Merlot blended with a bit of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that likely provides a bit of added heft and complexity.  I also selected this wine based on what I'm having for dinner, which I began cooking at lunchtime if that provides you any hints.  So let's see how this wine tastes. 

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with deep, inky purple at the center.  The nose is a pleasant combination of ripe black fruit, green cedar and some wonderfully subtle floral undertones that exemplify the level of complexity in the wine.  The taste is classic Merlot, with a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and cassis that envelop the palate.  Midpalate, you're treated to some notes of dark chocolate and espresso with a reprise of black cherry before the wonderfully structured tannins provide for the smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful Merlot that's boosted by the added Bordeaux varietals.  This wine would pair well with a variety of steaks and chops, fresh pasta dishes, or since we are entering the fall months, hearty stews and roasts.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic braised short ribs over mashed potatoes with chives along with some steamed broccoli.  The freshness of the wine and wonderful fruit really brings up the richness of the short ribs.  Cheers!

2007 Girard Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel

Happy Labor Day!  I know, I technically missed Cellar Saturday as I was driving through the north woods of Minnesota, but thankfully it's a holiday weekend so this will still count as my Cellar Saturday for September, even though it's Monday.  Tonight I've decided to open an old bottle of 2007 Girard Napa Valley Old Vine Zinfandel, which is a bottle with a somewhat interesting story.  I bought this wine back in 2011 when the famed 1913 Room restaurant at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids was closing.  They were selling a lot of different items, silverware, china and other things (I think I have a couple butter knives) and the contents of their wine cellar.  So I bought this bottle for $18.50 along with a few others that are probably around here somewhere, and it's been in my cellar ever since.  So let's see how this one has aged!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, classic for a nice old vine Zinfandel.  The nose is chock full of sweet cherry, vanilla, oak and peppery spice, just what you might expect from the varietal.  The taste is a rush of cherry, fig and vanilla at the outset, which transitions to come green olive notes midpalate.  The classic Zinfandel peppery spice comes in right at the end, and lingers with the somewhat mellow tannins for the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's still a very nice wine, but my sense is this was just a few years past its peak.  Like most Zindandels, this wine would pair very well with a variety of more casual, end-of-summer cookout fare, which is a good thing as tonight I'm enjoying this wine with some barbecued baby back ribs along with some coleslaw and corn on the cob.  The spice in this wine does wonders against the sweetness of the barbecue sauce.  Cheers!