2018 Ratified & Repealed California Red Wine

Happy Independence Day!  Let me first say, as you may already know, I am a sucker for interesting packaging, particularly when it involves art deco styling, which leads me to tonight's wine.  The 2018 Ratified & Repealed California Red Wine checks all the boxes, with a bottle reminiscent of a liquor bottle along with art deco lettering and design.  I picked this wine up at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago, and I don't recall that it was expensive, so let's hope the wine is as attractive as the bottle!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, currant and hints of graphite.  A sip reveals a rush of ripe fruit, black currant, cherry and plum that transition to some notes of warm spice and vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a smooth dry finish with a good bit of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a very pleasant drinking red wine that would pair well with a range of weeknight dinners, or just sipping on the patio with friends.   This wine would be wonderful with grilled steaks, barbecue or tacos, or even a weeknight burger.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my 4th of July dinner of a prime tomahawk ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare along with some grilled garlic scapes, broccoli rabe and corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2016 Spring Valley Uriah

Happy Sunday! It's a holiday weekend and I am in full relaxation mode!  I just spent the afternoon trimming some branches and then it was off to the patio for some Limoncello martinis before dinner.  So, for the wine tonight, I've opened a bottle of wine that was from a favorite producer in Walla Walla, but was just delivered from Wines Till Sold Out today!  The Uriah is a blend of Merlot (59%), Cabernet Franc (39%) Petit Verdor (1%) and Malbec (1%) from the Spring Valley Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley of Washington.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges as you might expect from a Merlot dominant blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of blackberry, cherry and a bit of Bordeaux funk over the top.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of black plum, cherry and blackberry that transition to to some warm notes of backing spice and vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing a good backbone for the velvety, long dry finish that lingers on your palate for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a great example of a right bank style Bordeaux blend that is being produced in the Walla Walla Valley today.  This wine would pair well with steak, lamb, braised short ribs or a wonderful mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine on the patio with a rare grilled bone-in ribeye along with some gilled asparagus and garlic scapes and some grilled corn on the cob.  Cheers!

2010 Château la Tour de Bessan Margaux

Happy Independence Day weekend!  It's also the first Saturday of a new month, which makes this Cellar Saturday. that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making to enjoy.  Tonight I've opened a special bottle, one that's been in my cellar for more than a decade and one which longevity makes a masterful difference.  The 2010 Château la Tour de Bessan Margaux is a classic example of a high quality Bordeaux that need ample time in the cellar to fully develop.  So, let's see how this wine has developed over the past decade!

Thw wine is a deep ruby color at the center, in what could also be taken for black when looking down in the glass.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of black cherry, cardamom and oak with undertones of black plum and star anise, giving you a hint of the old world classic flavors you're about to imbibe.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe, candied fruit up front, cherries, blackberries and currant that transition to some wonderful mineral notes of basalt, dusty limestone and classic Bordeaux funk midpalate.  The tannins are classically structured in an old word style creating a long, smooth dry finish that makes you hardly think you've been drinking wine at all!

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as this classic old world Margaux is just now reaching its peak.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dished and hard cheeses, from lamb chops to wild mushroom risotto. hearty steaks to hearty pasta dishes.  Tonight, I am  enjoying this wine with a class spring dinner of a rare grilled prime ribcap along with some linguine tossed with garlic, olive oil, broccoli rabe and asparagus topped with shaved parmesan.  Cheers!