2016 Raymond Vineyards Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a busy day of volunteer work and chores for me.  It started early as this month I've volunteers to provide refreshments for the green room at church, so I got to make a breakfast casserole for the worship band and singers to enjoy.  Then this afternoon I went over to a local food rescue called Cultivate Culinary (please support their great work if you can: https://cultivateculinary.com/), and helped pack meals for food insecure students in a three county area.  Then it was back home to finish laundry and now have a glass of wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of the next vintage of the Raymond District Series, the 2016 Raymond Vineyards Atlas Peak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which I bought from Wines Till Sold Out (you can see my review of the 2015 Vintage here).  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center, with deep garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from a nice, big Napa Caberent.  A quick whiff and your senses are immersed in a basket of earthy aromas, bright fruit and spice, leather, black currant and cassis, amid dried Moroccan spice.  The first sip reveals a rush of black currant, cassis and plum that transitions effortlessly to some notes of cardamom and smoke midpalate.  The tannins are intimately structured, providing for a wonderfully long, dry finish with enough acidity to keep your interest and ease you into your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's another great example of the wonderful quality Cabernets that Raymond produces, at a price point that doesn't leave you depressed.  This wine practically begs to be paired with a big steak, but it would also find a nice home with lamb, smoked beef brisket or even a rustic pasta.  Tonight I am taking the easy way out, and enjoying this wine with a big, rare grilled porterhouse with some bacon roasted Brussels sprouts and a baked Yukon gold potato.  Cheers!

2005 Helix Stillwater Creek Merlot

 Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month and time to dig in the cellar for something at least a decade in the making, and tonight I have opened a bottle from a recent library tasting done by Chuck Reininger and the gang at Reininger Winery.  In this case it was a tasting of library Merlots from the Helix label and tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2005 Helix Stillwater Creek Merlot.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, characteristic of the varietal, but still bright for the age of this wine.  A quick swirl in the glass releases aromas of charred meat, white pepper spice and faint hints of white floral notes, that just exclaim the rustic nature of this wine.  A quick sip reveals flavors of black cherry, currant and umami, that transitions nicely to some smoky oak and earthy tar notes midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, but the acidity is rather abrupt at the long, very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a very interesting, mature Merlot that's a real treat to drink.  This wine would pair very well with charred meat, steaks, chops, grilled pork tenderloin or even some earthy dishes like a wild mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some friends that came over for some grilled picanha, along with oven roasted Yukon gold potatoes and some grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2017 Raymond Vineyards Napa Valley Red Reserve Selection

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a while since I've posted on a Wednesday, so let's enjoy it while it lasts.  Tonight I am resuming my recent Raymond Vineyards trend and have opened a bottle of 2017 Raymond Vineyards Napa Valley Red Reserve Selection.  Similar to 2018 Raymond Reserve Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has a very cool velvet label, only this time it's blue!  As for the wine, this one is a blend of  Cabernet Sauvignon (48%), Petit Verdot (22%), Zinfandel (9%), Cabernet Franc (6%), Merlot (6%), Petite Sirah (5%), and Malbec (4%), though there might be a kitchen sink in there somewhere as well!  So, let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, a testament to the Cabernet influence.  A quick swirl in the glass releases aromas of black cherry, dusty limestone, anise and cedar that tease you into taking a sip.  That first sip is a refined blast of cherry, blueberry cobbler and black currants that give way to some lovely spicy pepper notes midpalate.  The fine grained tannins are well structured, and with some balanced acidity provide a long, velvety dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a wonderfully playful blend that lends itself to a broad range if dishes.  This wine would pair well with classic grilled steaks and chops, island spiced pork tenderloin or even Indian curry lamb.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a very simple midweek dinner of penne tossed with broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic and olive oil and topped with shaved parmesan.  Cheers!