2013 Casa Natal Malbec Reserva

Good evening!  It's been a remarkably rainy week so far, and I just got back from the gym so I'm ready for a nice glass of wine with dinner.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that I bought from Wines Till Sold Out last fall, the 2013 Casa Natal Malbec Reserva from Mendoza Argentina, a blend of Malbec (90%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).  We know many of the best Malbecs come from so let's see how this one stacks up!

The wine is a deep, inky indigo at the center with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from the varietal.  The nose is a luxurious combination of leather, blueberry, violet and graphite that just makes you sit up and take notice.  The taste is a rush of blueberry, blackberry and plum, that transition to some notes of cocoa powder, oak and a reprise of candied plum on the finish.  The tannins are voluminous but well structured, providing for a pleasant, velvety dry finish that doesn't share the sharpness that can be found in Malbec.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a very pleasant drinking wine and a terrific value for only $15.  This wine practically stands like a gaucho ready to carve up a steak, so it would be perfect with almost any cut of steak, from filet to porterhouse, but tonight I'm taking a slightly different and decidedly old school approach and enjoying this wine with a pan seared veal loin chop along with parsley buttered red potatoes and some steamed asparagus.  Cheers!

2016 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah

Well, it's been a busy weekend, and just like that it's almost over!  Well at least there is still food and wine and tonight I've decided to open a bottle of wine I barrel tasted back in 2017, the 2016 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah.  This wine is a 100% Syrah from the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  I remember tasting this wine on my visit and it was impressive, so let's see if it remains so!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you'd expect for the varietal.  The nose is a layered affair, with a bit of leather and cedar on top of blackberry and currant with a hint of lilac in between.  The taste is a rush of black fruit, blackberry, currant and cherry that transitions effortlessly to some earthy notes of peat and cedar midpalate.  This finish is supported by some tight tannins that gives you a rush of Bordeaux style funk before easing into a long, smooth and deliciously dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking nicely now, but will likely get better with a year or two in the cellar.  This wine is a perfect wine to pair with some Mediterranean cuisine, whether great fish stews from the southern Rhone, or a wonderful linguine alle cozzi from Sicily, the earthiness and fruit would pair well.  But tonight I am enjoying this wine with food from an entirely different continent as I made some chicken and vegetables with masala curry sauce over basmati rice.  Cheers!

2016 Anvil Boushey Vineyard Syrah

Well, the week is finally starting to wind down, so I've decided to open a nice bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner tonight.  I've decided on a Yakima Valley wine since I recently saw an article about halibut season in the northwest and I wanted to at least enjoy it vicariously!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of Forgeron's 2016 Anvil Boushey Vineyard Syrah, This limited production (210 cases) wine is 100% Syrah from the Boushey Vineyard, which sits upon basalt and silt deposits from the Missoula floods at an elevation of about 1,400 feet.  This wine was carefully crafted and then barrel aged for an extended period of nearly two years before it's release this spring.  So let's see how it's tasting!

The wine is a deep, inky indigo at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The wine casts aromas of blackberry, leather and mint in a striking layered approach.  The taste is a wonderfully complex combination of blackberry and cherry fruit up front that cascades into notes of violets, oak and a bit of earthy mushroom midpalate.  The tannins are precisely structured to provide a long, smooth and very dry finish that dances on your palate enticing you to another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's clearly one of my favorite syrahs of the 2016 vintage.  The great fruit and layered complexity of this wine are sure to make this one a crowd favorite for years to come.  I also consider this wine extraordinarily food friendly, and although it makes an easy pairing with lamb or other game, it would also be a great wine to accompany robust fish or even vegetarian dishes.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with the steak of the ocean, a wonderful fresh halibut filet pan seared in rendered Berkshire bacon fat along with some gemelli tossed with broccoli rabe sauteed in olive oil and garlic.  What a remarkable meal!