2023 Seven Hills McClellan Estate Malbec

Happy Saturday!  It was a long week, and it's not even over yet!  At least I got to sleep in today before working some more, but now it's time for a relaxing dinner and a nice bottle of wine before the time change which will have me groggy for the next week.  Tonight I've opened a bottle from a wine club shipment from Seven Hills Winery that I got yesterday.  The 2023 Seven Hills Walla Walla Malbec is sourced from fruit grown on the McClellan Estate Vineyard in Walla Walla, so let's see how this wine is starting out!

The wine has a dark center and bright ruby along the edges, just as you'd expect for a classic Malbec.  The nose presents a an intriguing combination of smoke, blackberry and leather, with undertones of earthy peat.  The first sip is jarring rush of tart cherry that eventually subsides, evolving into some notes of blackberry, olive tapenade and dried herbs midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing for a long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a wonderfully drinking Malbec, but is still quite young.  I expect this wine will age gracefully and be quite a stunner with a few years in the cellar.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from hearty pasta, lamb or Sunday pot roast, but like any great Malbec, this wine yearns for a nice steak.  We wouldn't you know it, tonight I just to happen to have a pan seared Za'atar seasoned New York Strip over sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms with some steamed asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2020 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  It was a rather relaxing but productive day for me, doing some work, chores and getting to the gym, so I figure I deserve to open a really good bottle of wine, so tonight I've opened a bottle of 2020 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon!  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (89%), Merlot (6%), Malbec (3%) and Petit Verdot (2%) sourced from the McQueen, LeFore, Bob Healy, Figgins, Flying B, Loess Vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  I've reviewed this wine since the 2011 Vintage (you can see the posts here), so let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a deep inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, just what you'd like to see in a high-end Cabernet.  The nose exudes notes of leather, subtle floral notes under black fruit that hearken back to an eighteenth century library.  The first sip is a subdued combination of black raspberry, cherry and plum amid toasted oak, that transitions to notes of vanilla and baking spice.  This wine has such a velvety mouthfeel it's ridiculous, as the rich tannins provide for a voluptuous dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's just a spectacular Cabernet from a somewhat challenging vintage.  This wine would pair well with a range of dishes, from rack of lamb to braised short ribs, wild mushroom risotto to thick steaks.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of pan seared New York strip, steamed asparagus with hollandaise and a baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2015 Chateau Grand Tayac Margaux

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the magical first Saturday of a new month, the time where I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making to share.  Tonight, I've waited so long for a nice Margaux to get to 10 years, so I've opened a bottle of 2015 Chateau Grand Tayac Margaux.  This wine hasn't been in the cellar for a full decade, but it's pretty close, as I know I bought it at least 6 years ago..  In any case, this is a classic Bordeaux composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), Merlot (27%) and as my high school French guided me, "le reste en Petit Verdot" (3%). I have reviewed other vintages of Margaux from this Chateau, including the 2009 Vintage and the 2011 vintage, so, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The nose presents a classic French Bordeaux profile, leather, earthy peat, lilacs and roasted game.  Take a sip and and your palate is awash in black cherry, mulberry and blackberry, before transitioning to some dusty limestone  and vanilla bean midpalate.  The tannins still stand at attention a decade in, a testament to the classic Bordeaux structure, providing for a bone dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a classic example of a true Bordeaux that takes you back to a sidewalk café in Paris.  This wine would pair well with a variety of dishes, from a classic onion soup, to braised lamb shank, to classic steaks and chops.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared New York strip over some sautéed onions and mushrooms, mashed potatoes and gravy, and oven roasted broccoli rabe.  Cheers!