2019 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Syrah

Happy Sunday!  So last night Forgeron Cellars hosted a virtual wine tasting of wines from the Boushey Vineyard with Dick Boushey and winemaker Cody Janett.  It was a delightful experience hearing from one of the great wine grape growers and pioneers of the Yakima Valley, including some interesting stories about recent vintages, the challenges of growing certain varietals and some of the great creativity shown by many of the wine makes in Washington today.  So last night I tasted some of the Boushey Vineyard Grenache (which you can see here) and tonight I'm doing a bit of a vertical tasting with the 2018 vintage (which I reviewed here) and the barrel sample of the 2019 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Syrah for last night's event.  So let's see how next year's wine is shaping up!

The wine is a deep inky color at the center, with bright ruby along the edges, just as you might expect from a quality Syrah.  The nose presents aromas of smoke, oak and a bit of black pepper over ripe blackberry, blueberry and plum.  The taste is a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, currant and cherry that burst on the palate, before transitioning easily to some earthy mineral notes of tar and black pepper midpalate.  The tannins are a bit tightly wound, but fully supportive of the long, smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, it's still early, but this early taste of the 2019 vintage suggests it may eclipse the 2018 vintage when it's released next year.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of dishes as a food friendly varietal, and I could see this wine with barbecue, steaks and chops, to pizza and tacos.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled cajun spiced prime sirloin, with grilled leeks and garlic scapes, steamed Brussels sprouts and garlic mashed potatoes.  Cheers!

2018 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Grenache

Happy Saturday!  It's been hot here today, so I've taken the opportunity to do indoor tasks, at least until I grill my dinner!  Tonight is also set for some excitement as Forgeron Cellars is hosting a virtual wine tasting tonight with Forgeron winemaker Cody Janett and famed viticulturist Dick Boushey, whose eponymous vineyard produced the grapes for the wines we are tasting, including the 2017 Anvil Syrah (which I reviewed here), the 2018 Forgeron Syrah (which I reviewed here) and tonight's wine, the 2018 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Grenache.  And as an added bonus, we also have barrel samples of the 2019 vintages of the Syrah and Grenach, so I might do a bit of a vertical tasting later!  But for now we have the Grenache to taste!

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, just as you'd expect from a nice Grenache.  The nose is chock full of red fruit, bing cherry, raspberry and red currant over hints of spice box and white pepper.  The taste is just a rush of sweet red fruit that lingers on the palate, cherry, pomegranate and strawberry that gently shift to some earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate.  The soft tannins are expertly structured to build the smooth dry finish that beckons you to take another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's one of the most pleasant drinking examples of Grenache that I've had in a while.  This wine is ideal for summer grilling as it would pair nicely with anything from burgers to barbecue, steaks to shish-kabobs.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled prime sirloin along with some grilled garlic scapes, red onions and mushrooms, and some classic garlic mashed potatoes and gravy.  Cheers!

2007 Robinson Family Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, this afternoon, I decided to go for a bike ride, and went for a few miles and kept pedaling as the dark clouds and thunder starting picking up as I got closer to home.  I am hopeful that we will see some heavy rain as it's been unusually dry here lately and since my sprinkler valve cracked over the winter and we are still waiting on a replacement, my lawn desperately needs it!  Tonight I've decided that since I totally missed Cellar Saturday this month, I thought I would make up for it by revisiting a Cabernet from a classic Napa Valley vintage, the 2007 Robinson Family Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stag's Leap District of Napa Valley.  I first reviewed this wine back in 2014 (which you can see here), so let's see how this wine has developed in the past five and a half years!

The wine is an inky black at the center, with bright garnet along the edges, classic for a Napa Cabenet.  The nose presents aromas of leather, smoke and a hint of lilac over undertones of black cherry and currant. The taste is remarkably structured, with a rush of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum, with undertones of mint, that transition easily to some earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are still quite lively, providing for some nice structure to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would still rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a classic big Napa Cabernet that is holding up well over time.  This wine would pair well with a broad range of red meat, from steak to lamb, pasta with zesty red sauce or even classic summer grilling.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a modified surf and turf, with a rare grilled prime filet mignon with Zahtar seasoning along with some wasabi seared sea scallops, blistered cherry tomatoes and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!