2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Syrah

So yesterday was Black Friday and I have to admit, I didn't partake in all the shopping mania, though I did get in to the Christmas spirit.  I slept in, did some yard work and did my best Clark W. Griswold impersonation in putting up the garland and lights on the fence and by the front window.  And today, building on the spirit, I went up to Owosso, Michigan to ride on the North Pole Express, behind the Pere Marquette 1225 locomotive that was the locomotive behind the "Polar Express" movie.  So now that I'm fully immersed in holiday joy, I thought it was appropriate to open up a bottle of a recent wine club selection from L'Ecole No. 41, the 2016 Walla Walla Syrah, from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  So, let's have a taste!

The wine s a deep ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is an interesting combination of earthy notes along with some rich fruit notes, olive, black pepper and violets intermingle with notes of ripe blackberry and currant.  The taste is more classic old world syrah, with a rush of blackberry, cherry and smoky oak that eases into some notes of dark chocolate and classic peppery spice midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, providing nice balance for the long, dry finish.  This syrah seems more the classic variety, and less avant guard than some of the heavy mineral examples coming from the Rocks district of late, and for me that's a good thing, as I think it makes this wine more approachable and food friendly.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as this is an easy drinking wine that I could enjoy with a broad range of dishes, from pizza and tacos, to seared tuna or hearty steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a simple dinner of grilled Zahtar seasoned Angus chuck eye steak with some grilled asparagus and oven roasted purple potatoes.  Cheers!

2016 L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee

Well, I think I may have finally come to an end of leaf blowing season at my house, and it couldn't come too soon as I have 100 feed of garland and Christmas lights to hang next weekend!  After the final day of blowing, raking and piling at the front of my yard, it's time for a nice glass of wine to make my dinner and evening more enjoyable.  Tonight I've opened a recent wine club shipment from one of my favorite Walla Walla wineries, L'Ecole No. 41!  The 2016 Apogee is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%), Malbec (11%) and Cabernet Franc (4%) from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington.  So let's see how this vintage is shaping up!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, a testament to the heavy blend of Cabernet.  The nose is wonderful deep breath of leather, fresh herbs and a bit of black licorice over the top.  The taste is a rush of ripe berry fruit at the outset, blackberry, currant and blueberry that transitions nicely to some notes of dark chocolate and hints of baking spice midpalate.  The fine grain tannins amplify the smoothness on the finish, with a reprise of blackberry on the long, velvety dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would easily rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a bit better than some previous vintages of Apogee (those who know me know my preference for the Perigee blend of the two signature Bordeaux style blends that L'Ecole produces).  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty fall and holiday dishes, from prime rib roast, to cedar planked salmon to Christmas ham.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled petite Angus porterhouse with Bearnaise sauce, oven roasted purple potatoes and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2016 Seven Hills Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Wine Wednesday!  It's been a while since I've posted on Wednesday, so I figured it would be a good idea to open a nice bottle from one of my favorite Washington producers before I head out to my play rehearsal (have I mentioned I'm playing Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Elkhart Civic Theatre production of A Christmas Carol as a radio play?).  Tonight I've opened a bottle of 2016 Seven Hill Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, a 100% Cabernet sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard.  So let's see how this one tastes.

The wine is an inky black at the center with bright garnet along the edges, just as you'd expect for a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, oak, balckberry and plum with just a hint of floral notes over the top.  The taste is a rush of black cherry at the outset that envelopes the palate before transitioning to some notes of dark chocolate, cassis and eucalyptus midpalate.  The tannins are velvety, and wonderfully integrated to support the long, voluptuous dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a marvelously structured, but approachable big red wine.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, from steaks and chops to stews and pastas.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with an old school homestyle favorite comfort food, swiss steak with stewed tomatoes along with some roasted garlic mashed potatoes.  Cheers!