2016 Pepper Bridge Winery Walla Walla Merlot

Happy Saturday!  It's been a crazy busy month for me, and I've barely had time to enjoy a glass of wine much less blog about it!  But hopefully I will have a little breathing room before the year is over, I just got back from New York and got my Christmas trees today, so it seems like there are some things coming together for the holidays.  One side effect of being so busy is that I haven't had much time to drink all the wine that's been arriving almost daily it seems from all the wine clubs I belong to, and such is the case for tonight's wine, the 2016 Pepper Bridge Winery Walla Walla Merlot.  This wine is a blend of Merlot (78%), Cabernet Franc (14%) and Malbec (8%) from the Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Octave Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a beautiful, deep garnet color in the glass.  The nose presents inviting aromas of cherry, raspberry and leather with subtle mineral undertones of graphite and smoke.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward, with a rush of blueberry, cherry and currant - all somewhat candied fruit - that transitions smoothly to some notes of mocha and tea leaves midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured providing a great foundation for the velvety smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, though I am convinced this one is ideal for aging and I'd be happy to revisit this wine after a half decade or so in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with lamb, steak, or a variety of hearty, earthy dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip, grilled asparagus and a big old baked potato with butter, sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!

2012 Keiser Wine Company Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I have to admit, I've been quite busy lately, and that's been cutting down my time for both food and wine but soon enough it will be over and I can get back to at least a bit of a routine.  Have I mentioned that I am in a play?  Yes, my acting debut is coming at the Elkhart Civic Theatre as we put on "It's a Wonderful Life" as a radio play.  It's been so much fun, but it's been eating into my evening wine and food time!  At any rate, tonight I've opened a bottle of wine I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2012 Keiser Wine Company Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was relatively inexpensive (maybe $20?) and I figured how can you go wrong with a Napa Cabernet from that vintage?  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, somewhat lighter than the typical big, bold Cabernets of Napa.  The nose is an elegant combination of leather, cardamom, tobacco and smoke, with an undercurrent of rich fruit.  The taste is rich, with a rush of ripe blackberry, plum and currant that envelop your palate before transitioning to some wonderful herb and mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured and positioned perfectly to provide nice backbone to support the long, supple and very dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a wonderful example of a nice Napa Cabernet that's not build to beat you in the face with a mallet.  This wine is still begging to be paired with a big piece of meat, and lucky for me I have some thick cut prime sirloin from Costco that's punching way beyond its weight class.  So rare prime sirloin, grilled asparagus and a big baked potato, what else could you ask for a perfect Sunday dinner?  Cheers!

2008 Sommavite Brunello di Montalcino

Well, it's the first day of December and also the first Saturday of the new month which means it's Cellar Saturday!  Last month I totally forgot to open a wine more than a decade old on the first Saturday of the month, so for that I apologize.  In any case, tonight I've opened a bottle of 2008 Sommavite Brunello di Montalcino.  I am a huge proponent of letting the great Italian wines like Brunello and Barolo wait for at least a decade from the vintage before they are ready to drink, and this one is just about ready.  So let's see what this epitome of Sangiovese has to offer!

The wine is a nice ruby color in the glass, with hints of amber along the edges.  The nose is classic Brunello, with hints of cherry intermingled with leather, dried spices, coarse mineral notes and a light floral overtone.  The taste is somewhat fruit forward with a rush of cherry and red currant with light mint overtones that transitions nicely to some earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are velvety and nicely integrated for a long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a nice example of a good quality Brunello that's had some time to develop in the bottle.  This wine would be ideal with hearty Italian pasta, fall mushroom risotto, or a classic bistecca alla fiorentina.  Tonight I am heading in the latter direction, enjoying this wine with a prime New York strip grilled Pittsburgh rare (half the bistecca anyway) along with some sauteed onions and peppers, grilled asparagus and a big old baked potato with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!