2015 Force Majeure Parvata

It's the first Saturday of the new month, which means it's Cellar Saturday, that glorious time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that hasn't been in my cellar very long, as I bought it earlier this year from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2015 Force Majeure Parvata is a Southern Rhone-style blend of Mourvèdre (46%), Syrah (34%) and Grenache (20%) from the Force Majeure Estate Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA of Washington.  So, let's see if this wine is singing or if it's past its prime as some reviewers projected shortly after release.

The wine is a lovely, deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd like to see from such a blend.  The nose presents its own adventure with aromas of leather, blackberries and currant that jump to some smoked meat and dried herbs, then back to dark chocolate and hints of peppery spice.  The first sip is wildly decadent, with a rich velvety mouthfeel and flavors of ripe blackberry and plum up front, before an easing into some smoked duck and peppery spice, ahead of some earthy basalt at the finish.  The tannins are still right there, thick and chewy and playing their essential role in the long, smooth dry finish that lingers for what seems like ten minutes.

The experts were clearly wrong, as this wine is still singing well past their drinking window into 2023, and I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's one of the best Southern Rhone-style blends I've had from Washington state.  This wine would pair well with a variety of soft cheese, rack of lamb or classic steak.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared New York strip over a bed of sautéed onions and mushrooms along with a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2022 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  For most, you are enjoying a long holiday weekend, but now that I am teaching, I don't get many of the traditional holidays, so for me, this is just a routine Sunday dinner.  But at least there is wine!  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a perennial favorite, the 2022 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon!  I have reviewed many vintages (not always in the correct time sequence), going all the way back to the 2010 Vintage.  The current vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (98%) and 1% each of Petit Verdot and Malbec.  Let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine has a classic Cabernet look, inky black at the center and bright ruby along the edges. The nose presents aromas of green grass, black currant and blackberry, with hints of floral undertones.  The first sip is classic Washington Cabernet, with a rush of black fruit, overtaken by earthy basalt and oak, that eases into some dark chocolate midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, providing for a very smooth dry finish that lingers until your next sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's drinking very nicely now, but is sure to evolve meaningfully over the coming decade.  This wine would pair well with a range of hearty dishes, as well as hard cheeses, but it seems like this would feel most at home with a big honkin' steak.  Well, as luck would have it, tonight I am enjoying this wine with perhaps the biggest tomahawk steak I've ever grilled (and don't worry, this will likely be my dinner for the entire week!), with the last of the hatch chilies I just roasted.  Cheers!

2023 Kirkland Signature Stag's Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Saturday! It was a great first week of classes, have I mentioned that I am now a teaching professor of finance?  In any case it was a good week, and now I am spending the weekend preparing for next week, but in the interim I can enjoy a nice dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that I picked up at Costco yesterday, the 2023 Kirkland Signature Stag's Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  You had me at Stag's Leap Costco!  So, let's see how this (likely too young) wine is tasting!

The wine has the look of a classic big Napa Cabernet, inky black at the center and bright ruby all around.  The nose presents aromas of leather, Bing cherry, hints of white pepper and just a bit of dried herbs.  The first sip is an intriguing combination of green grass up front that transitions to some ripe cherry and blackberry and earthy limestone midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, providing for a long, smooth dry finish with a bit of acidity at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it would have rated higher, but it's still quite young and has a bit of sharpness along the edges (if they release this a year later, this wine would be really singing!).  This wine would of course pair well with steak, but also with barbecue, braised lamb shank, or even a variety of pasta dishes, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic Midwest dinner of pan seared New York strip, over sautéed red onions and mushrooms with some corn on the cob (I am reliably told there is more than corn in Indiana).  I will likely enjoy the rest of this wine beside the fire this evening, cheers!