2014 Helix Cabernet Franc

Happy Sunday!  I've spent the afternoon raking and blowing leaves and trying to get my leaf vac to run, but without luck today (more on that in another installment of "I'm not a mechanic, nor do I play one on TV").  At least the day is done and it's time for some dinner and a glass of wine.  Tonight I've decided to open another bottle of the recent wine club shipment from Reininger, the 2014 Helix Cabernet Franc from the Weinbau Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley of Washington.  Unfortunately I lost my tech sheet on this wine, but I'm confident that it's mainly Cabernet Franc, with a bit of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to bring some added complexity, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, somewhat lighter in color than a Merlot.  The nose a fabulous array of aromas, from candied plums to fresh herbs to hints of violet.  The taste is a rush of black cherry, raspberry and plum that transitions nicely to some notes of cocoa and green herbs midpalate.  The tannins are a bit tightly wound, providing a bit of a snap on the finish, which is long and extraordinarily dry, with just a hint of funk at the very end.  This is a wine that reminds me of some of the best right bank Bordeaux, with lovely fruit, earthy undertones and a great finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's only the third vintage since 1997 and this one has the potential to develop nicely over time.  This wine would pair well with a wide array of dishes, from lamb to grilled pork tenderloin, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a alder planked wild Alaskan salmon filet over a bed of baby arugula and topped with fresh pineapple jalapeno salsa with some steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2014 Helix Petit Verdot

Happy Friday!  I spend much of the day working in the yard as it's getting to be the heart of leaf season around my house (that's the price you pay for living in your own private forest).  But at least now it's time for a nice glass of wine with dinner, and tonight it's a recent wine club selection from Reininger, the 2014 Helix Petit Verdot, an extremely limited production available only to wine club members.  This 100% Petit Verdot is made from fruit from the Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope, so let's see how this interesting varietal stacks up!

The wine is a deep, inky color in the glass, somewhat like a nice Cabernet.  The nose is a blast of lovely floral notes, lavender, lilac, and rich black fruit. overlaying the mildest hints of mineral notes.  The taste is a rush of cool ripe fruit, blackberry, cherry, plum, all singing together before rushing into some subdued spice notes of black pepper midpalate.  The tannins are the most beautiful background singers for the star of the show, as this wine just croons with a voluptuous dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of my favorite pure examples of this varietal.  This wine would be great with a lot of fall dishes, from hearty stews to chili to Yankee pot roast, but tonight I am enjoying one last blast of summer as I was at the market today and they had spare ribs on sale, so I'm enjoying this wine with barbecued spare ribs, fried sweet potatoes with peppers and some rich baked beans.  This has to be one of the best wines with barbecue I've ever had!  Cheers!

2014 Forgeron Barbera

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a wonderful day today, though a little chilly, but at least it's stopped raining!  So tonight I've decided to open a recent wine club selection from Forgeron, a wonderful producer of some great wines out of Walla Walla.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of the 2014 Columbia Valley Barbera, so let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color, almost inky at the center, very similar to the color on a nice Merlot.  The nose is a lovely combination of leather, smoke, graphite and red fruit, raspberries, cherries and currant.  The taste is a lovely rush of cherry cola, blackberry and pipe tobacco that transitions effortlessly to some lovely notes of dark chocolate and dried Italian spices midpalate.  The finish is very smooth, with fine grained tannins supporting a long, dry finish with a reprice of spice at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's one of my favorite vintages of Barbera from Forgeron over the past several years.  This wine would be wonderful with steak, roasts or even barbecue, but in my eyes it practically begs to be paired with classic Italian pasta dishes, so tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a simple linguine with tomato basil marinara topped with shaved Parmesan.  Cheers!