2012 Doubleback Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Well this weekend just flew by!  The weather was near perfect for early spring, so I had a chance to do a little yard work and a few projects around the hours and now it's time to wind down before starting the work week tomorrow.  And tonight I've decided to go big as we near the end of Walla Walla Valley Wine Month, and open up a bottle of 2012 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine has really become a favorite for the more old-world style of Washington Cabernet, produced by Drew  and Maura Bledsoe and their chief winemaker Josh McDaniels, which I had the chance to taste on a trip to Walla Walla back in 2015 (see Tasting at Doubleback) before they moved their tasting room out to their new and fancier digs.  So let's see how this stellar vintage has evolved over the five years since I first tasted it.

The wine is a brooding, inky black affair at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, suggestive of a bigger wine.  The nose is classically old world, with aromas of blackberry, prune, leather, lavender and just a hint of Bordeaux-style funk.  The taste is just magical, with a rush of ripe black fruit dancing with hints of floral, before transitioning to some notes of dark chocolate and sage midpalate.  The tannins are velvety smooth, supporting a long and luxurious dry finish with a reprise of sweet cherry at the back end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it's probably one of the finest examples of this stellar vintage of Walla Walla Cabernet that I could imagine.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes, but let's be serious, this wine screams to be sipped with a big steak!  And as luck would have it, I have one available!  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a prime New York strip grilled rare, along with grilled asparagus and cipollini onions (man those are a pain to peel!) and a big baked potato.  Cheers!

2017 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Carmenere

Happy Saturday!  Well I got a some shopping done today since it was raining for much of the day, so I made a trip to Costco just for the halibut (Waka Waka!) which you can see more of below.  So what wine could I pair with my favorite fish?  I've decided on a recent wine club selection from Reininger, the 2017 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Carmenere.  This wine is a 100% Carmenere from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA of Washington, so let's see how it tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with a bit of dark indigo at the center.  The nose is an interesting combination of black currant, peppery spice and a bit of earthy peat..  The taste is a rush of tart cherry, raspberry, currant and a good portion of white pepper spice that transition to some lovely notes of cherry cola, cocoa and the barest hint of mint.  The tannins are very fine with a balance of acidity that brings a velvety dry finish that has you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really wonderful example of the "lost Bordeaux varietal."  This wine would pair very well with a broad range of rich dishes, from a cheese risotto to hearty pasta with cream sauce, roast lamb to a casual barbecue.  Tonight I am going a bit off the beaten path and enjoying this wine with a pan seared halibut filet along with some farro and oven roasted rainbow carrots, for a dinner that is both light and hearty.  Cheers!

2012 Chappellet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Thank goodness it's Friday!  I am certainly ready for the weekend, as it's been a long week (does it seem like every week is full of Mondays during a pandemic?!?) and now I'm ready for a glass of wine before my virtual happy hour with some fraternity brothers in a couple hours.  I haven't seen many of them in decades, so I'm looking forward to it as well as tonight's wine, the 2012 Chappellet Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is from one of Napa's recent great vintages, and it's been waiting in my cellar for at least 6 years, so I thought tonight I would open it.

The wine is a deep inky indigo at the center with a bit of fuchsia along the edges, somewhat classic for a Napa Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of ripe blackberry, currant and prune with a bit of oak and mint over the top.  The taste is much cooler than the nose suggest, with a rush of ripe black cherry, plum, and cherry cola that swirls around before giving way to some decidedly Bordeaux-esque flavors of tar, tobacco and spice box midpalate.  The tannins are supple, but firm, providing a nice base to the voluptuous dry finish that just lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, perhaps even a 9.5 as this wine is really coming into its own nearly eight years from harvest.  This wine would pair well with a variety of hearty dishes but like many big Napa Cabernets, this one practically begs to be paired with a nice steak.  So, it's a good thing I'm enjoy this wine with a prime ribcap grilled rare on a bed of grilled leeks and topped with some horseradish, with grilled asparagus and a loaded baked potato.  Cheers!