2012 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  You'll have to forgive me for not having many posts over the past week as I've been fighting a cold, and who wants to review wines when their sinuses are acting up?  In any case, I'm feeling better now, as evidenced by my continuing lack of organization (though I did recently buy a filing cabinet and organized my home office!) but recently I was looking through wine and found a cache of 2012 Seven Hills Klipsun Cabernet Sauvignon!  Keep in mind that I've already reviewed the 2013 vintage (you can see that here) and the 2014 vintage (you can see that here), but somehow skipped the 2012!  So at long last (and it's been a while as I recall bringing this back on my Walla Walla RV road trip back in 2015!) here is my review of the 2012 vintage!

The wine is a wonderfully dark and brooding color in the glass, classic for a Red Mountain Cabernet.  The nose presents lovely notes of mint, blackberry and cassis over earthy notes of leather and barnyard.  The taste is just beautiful, with a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, plum and cherry that transitions effortlessly to some notes of vanilla bean and white pepper spice midpalate.  The finish is that of a wine just coming into its own, with wonderfully integrated but chalky tannins providing the backbone for a voluptuous and smooth, but very dry finish that seems to last a minute or more.

I have to admit, I think this is my favorite vintage of the three Klipsun Cabernets I've tried from Seven Hills, so I'd rate this one a solid 9.5.  I could see myself enjoying this wine with a variety of hard cheeses, prime steaks and chops, or even a lovely Pacific salmon, but tonight it a Wednesday of what's been a busy week, so I'm enjoying this beautiful wine with some take out sushi!  Spicy tuna roll, dynamite roll and a wasabi crunch roll, all playing wonderfully with the dark fruit and earthy goodness of this wine!  Cheers!

2013 Lander Jenkins Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine I found on clearance at my local wine store, the 2013 Lander Jenkins California Cabernet Sauvignon.  The producer takes great pains to point out that this winery is family owned and family farmed, and it's part of the Rutherford Wine Company, which has properties from Napa to the Central Coast AVAs in California.  This particular vintage is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (83%) with the balance of other varietals from a number of California AVAs.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, a bit lighter than your typical Napa Cabernet.  The nose is a breath of earthy notes, oak, leather, smoke and dried herbs.  The taste is surprisingly nice, with a rush of blackberry and black cherry up front that transitions to some vanilla and mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are nicely structured, with a reprice of red fruit and spice on the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very pleasant drinking Cabernet that's ideal for every day.  This was a great bargain at the normal price of $11, but with this one on sale 30% off, it was an irresistible bargain at just over $7!  This wine would pair well with steaks, pasta, roasts and a variety of winter comfort food.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with braised short ribs over creamy mashed potatoes, it doesn't get more comfortable than that!

2015 Mercer Canyons Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Tuesday!  I've been a long day and I feel a cold coming on, so I may be somewhat curt in this post.  In any case I'm sure some wine will help with my mood, and tonight I've opened a bottle that I found at my local market last week, the 2015 Mercer Canyons Cabernet Sauvignon.  I wasn't familiar with Mercer,  but learned that they operate their vineyards and winery in the Horse Heaven Hills in the Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State.  This vintage of Cabernet under their Mercer Canyons brand is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), Merlot (17%) and Syrah (7%).  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect for a Cabernet.  The nose is full of black cherry, mint and green grass, somewhat different than your average Cabernet.  The taste is a full rush of black cherry and plum up front that transitions nicely to hints of vanilla and dried herbs midpalate.  The finish is somewhat warm and subdued, with soft tannins, but still pleasant and very dry.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very pleasant drinking everyday Cabernet, and a wonderful value as I found this at my local Meijer for just $11!  This wine would be great with a lot of simple weekday dinners, like pizza, tacos (hello taco Tuesday!) or burgers, but you know me, tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare grilled tagliata steak, oven roasted potatoes and some steamed broccoli.  Cheers!