2017 Lu & Oly Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Monday!  It was a busy day today and it seemed like I didn't get nearly as much accomplished as I had hoped, but at least there is wine.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of a recent purchase from Mark Ryan Winery, the 2017 Lu & Oly Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is named after Mark's daughters and is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%) and Malbec (15%) all from the Columbia Valley AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, though just a touch lighter than your typical big bold Cabernet.  The nose is a tempting combination of candied cherry, raspberry and a hint of cedar that beckon you to take a sip.  The taste is a surprising rush of rich black cherry, black raspberry and blueberry that transitions to notes of cocoa powder and a bit of spice midpalate.  The fine tannins and somewhat subdued acidity provide a nice base for the lingering dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a terrific everyday drinking Cabernet, particularly at a full retail price point of just $30!  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dished, but who are we kidding, a great Cabernet just demands to be paired with a nice steak and tonight I'm enjoying it with a thick cut New York strip grilled rare along with some grilled leeks and broccoli rabe.  Cheers!

1996 Lazzarito Barolo

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month, so time to dig deep in the cellar to find some wine at least a decade in the making to open and enjoy.  I'll admit today's post was the result of a confluence of events that ultimately worked out, despite my second thoughts!  You see, I knew that my favorite TV chef, Gordon Ramsay was going to make spaghetti carbonara on "Ramsay in 10" on Instagram today, so I thought that sounds like a perfect meal, so I need to find a great Italian wine to pair with it.  Then came the beautiful weather today, the first time this spring we approached 80 degrees, and when I was mowing the lawn, all I could smell was my neighbors cooking out, and I just really wanted a nice steak!  Well, discipline prevailed and I went with my original plan and made linguine Carbonara and opened a bottle of 1996 Lazzarito Barolo!  Now I freely admit that I really cannot tolerate a wine from Piedmont that's less than a decade in the making, but since this one is now clearly of legal drinking age, let's see what it has to offer!

The wine is a rustic garnet color in the glass, with a tinge of amber at the edges as you might expect from a wine of this maturity.  The nose presents aromas of leather, anise and spice box, that brings me back to the time I spent in Rome and Florence in the mid 1990s.  The taste is a rush of floral notes, with flavors of rosehips that gives way to earthy flavors of tar and tobacco midpalate, as you might expect from a Nebbiolo.  The finish is still quite vibrant, with nice balanced acidity that frames a wonderfully long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as this Barolo is just singing right now and approaching a peak in terms of flavor and complexity.  This wine would pair with a broad range of Italian dishes, from a classic morel mushroom risotto to a bisteca fiorentina.  But tonight, I am enjoying this one with the classic Gordon Ramsay linguine carbonara, made with pancetta, garlic, petit peas, and some lovely egg yolks and creme fraische, finished off with some shaved parmesan and parsley.  Cheers!

2017 DaMa Chardonnay

Happy Friday!  It was an eventful day of wine deliveries for me today as both the UPS and FedEx guys stopped by to deliver wines, so I had plenty of choices to open tonight.  I decided to open the 2017 DaMa Columbia Valley Chardonnay, simply because I'm not really a fan of white wines, but fortunately I was making something for dinner that I thought we definitely benefit from pairing with a Chardonnay, more on that later.  I will also admit that I'm a big fan of the artwork that DaMa incorporates on their labels, but this Chardonnay label has be scratching my head, as I'm not sure if it's the bride of Frankenstein or Marie Antoinette...though either would be appropriate "in times like these"!  So let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a crisp golden color in the glass, reminiscent of a field of buttercups.  The nose presents aromas of pear, pineapple and citrus (I'll admit when I first opened and poured a glass there was a strong alcohol aroma, but that dissipated after it opened up a bit in the glass).  The taste is a basket of summer fruit, with honeydew, kiwi and strawberry intermingled with white grapefruit that transitions to some dusty mineral notes midpalate.  The acidity is somewhat subdued, though the taste of this wine is nowhere close to the classic buttery Chardonnay, as it seems to be plowing it's own ground.  The finish is crisp but dry, with a lingering reprise of minerality.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, just because I am not really a fan of white wines, but I'm sure futures guests will enjoy my remaining bottles!  As for pairing, this would go well with summer salads, fresh fruit or a light pasta.  Tonight I am pairing this with some homemade ham and bean soup that's been simmering in the crock pot all day, along with some fresh cornbread (I really wish I had this yesterday as it was raining with a high of 43 and I just could not get warm yesterday no matter how hard I tried!)
.  The crispness and mineral notes offer a nice balance to the richness of the soup.  Cheers!