2020 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been a weekend of yard work as I am nearing the end of leaf harvest, and soon all the trees will be bare and several metric tons of leaves will be hauled to the front of my house.  And now that it gets dark before suppertime, I suppose it's appropriate to open a nice bottle of wine in anticipation of dinner.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a perennial favorite, the 2020 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon (you can see the many other vintages I've reviewed here).  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), Petit Verdot (12%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Merlot (4%), and 1% each of Syrah, Barbera and Dolcetto.  So, let's see what this vintage has to offer!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you would expect from a nice Cabernet.  Take a whiff and you're greeted by aromas of black cherry, leather, anise and a hint of mint.  The first sip is rush of ripe black fruit that transitions to some notes of dried spice and earthy notes of tar and basalt.  The velvety mouthfeel and well integrated tannins offer and appropriate yin and yang to a Cabernet that really shines through the Bordeaux aspects of Washington state.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, and since it's still relatively young, there is plenty of opportunity to mature with some time in the cellar.  This wine would pair exceptionally well with hearty steaks, braised short ribs or hearty fall stews.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare American Wagyu strip from Snake River Farms, along with some oven roasted sweet potatoes, leeks and maple bacon Brussels sprouts.  Cheers!

2012 Cobblestone Vineyards Atlas Peak Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's the first Saturday of a new month which means it's Cellar Saturday!  It's time to raid my cellar and find something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened the first bottle in a 2012-2016 vertical I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2012 Cobblestone Vineyards Atlas Peak Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (96%) and Petit Verdot (4%) from the Atlas Peak AVA of Napa Valley.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a classic, big Napa Cabernet.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of prune, lavender, eucalyptus and a bit of ripe blackberry.  Take a sip and you are immediately in big Cabernet country, with a rush of black fruit that washes over your palate, blackberry, cherry and plum, that transition easily to some notes of anise, white pepper spice and earthy loam.  The tannins are robust, providing for a velvety mouthfeel and a long, smooth dry finish that seems to linger for a minute or more.

I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's really matured well over the years.  This wine would pair well with a lot of hearty dishes, but like most big Napa Cabs, it would be exceptional with steak.  Tonight I am doing just that and enjoying this wine with a big dry aged prime ribeye grilled Pittsburgh rare, with grilled leeks, oven roasted sweet potatoes, blistered cherry tomatoes and steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2020 Mark Ryan Winery "The Dissident" Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It's been cold an rainy today, so I confess I haven't done much outside of some laundry, but at least there's wine!  Tonight I am getting ready for a bit of Italian for dinner, and though I seriously thought about opening a nice bottle of Italian wine, I opted for a bottle of wine I just recently received from a special promotion by Mark Ryan Winery.  The 2020 Mark Ryan Winery "The Dissident" Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (24%), Malbec (3%) and Petit Verdot (1%) from 11 different vineyards in 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, just as you might expect from a classic Washington Cabernet.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of ripe cherry, aged leather, currant and a hint of tarragon.  The first sip is a rush of sweet cherry, intermingled with charred oak, hints of tobacco and dark chocolate which transition easily to some mineral notes of dusty limestone and basalt midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured, providing the ideal base for the long, smooth dry finish that lingers and beckons you to take another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic example of the new world meets old world character of Washington Bordeaux style blends.  This wine is an easy drinking, hearty Cabernet, that was also a terrific value (normally $45, there is a wine club special for just $32 through the end of the month). This wine would pair well with a big steak, hearty stews, or fall pasta dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with some squid ink linguine tossed with some sautéed shrimp in some of my homemade sauce.  Cheers!