2018 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee

Happy Sunday!  I did a little work this afternoon and then went for a bike ride given that the weather was sunny and nearly 80 degrees today.  So, to conclude my weekend I'm having a nice patio dinner and enjoying one of my favorite wines, the 2018 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (16%), Cabernet Franc (16%), Petit Verdot (9%) and Malbec (9%) all sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  Let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black at the center of the glass, with bright garnet along the edges, just as you might expect from a heavy Cabernet blend.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of ripe black fruit, blackberry, cherry and marionberry intermingled with earthy notes of cedar and tobacco.  Take a sip and you are greeted by an amazingly complex and layered combinations of flavors, with blackberry and cherry undertones giving vibrancy to some violet, oak and herbs de Provence before your taste journey transitions to some anise and roast beef notes midpalate.  The tannins are expertly structured, bringing nice body and silkiness to the long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9.5, as it just reminds me of being in Walla Walla, barrel tasting some of the great Bordeaux style blends, and this wine just exemplifies that tradition (and it's also perhaps my favorite vintage to date of the Perigee!).  This wine would pair well with a broad range of hearty dishes, from steaks and chops, to rack of lamb or hearty pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip topped with Béarnaise along with a bounty of oven roasted vegetables, including leeks, broccoli rabe, garlic scapes and blistered yellow cherry tomatoes.  Cheers!

2016 Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva

Happy Saturday!  I basically spend the day working around the house and running errands, and with some cooler weather, I'm looking forward to a fire on the patio tonight.  But until then, it's time to open a bottle of wine and enjoy some dinner.  Tonight I've opened a recent purchase from Costco, the 2016 Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Riserva.  Who doesn't love a nice Sangiovese based wine, and this one should be just about to hit its stride, so let's have a taste!

The wine is a bright ruby color in the glass, with great clarity, just as you would expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of cherry, strawberry, leather and oak with undertones of spicy peppery notes.  Take a sip and your greeted with plenty of ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry and currant that lingers on the palate before transitioning to earthy notes of dusty limestone and a hint of anise midpalate.  The tannins are soft, creating a wonderfully supply, dry finish that will have you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a really pleasant drinking example of a Chianti Classico at a value price of just $14 at Costco.  This wine practically begs to be paired with Italian food, and I would enjoy it with a classic bistecca Fiorentina to a risotto alla Milanese, hearty pasta with red sauce or my dinner tonight, some sweet Italian sausage sautéed with onions and peppers along with some linguine tossed with garlic and olive oil and broccoli rabe, topped with shaved Parmesan.  This is the type of dinner that reminds me of the great Italian fests, like for San Gennaro back when I lived in Hoboken in the 1990s.  Cheers!

2018 La Pruladière Lussac Saint-Émilion

Happy Thursday!  It's been a busy time lately, with a lot going on, especially last weekend but now things are opening up a bit in my schedule so I might actually have time to make a few posts.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of Bordeaux that I recently purchased from Wines Till Sold Out, a new wine that I haven't heard of before.  The 2018 La Pruladière Lussac Saint-Émilion is a blend of Merlot (98.5%) and Cabernet Franc (1.5%) from Lussac Saint-Émilion which is to the north of the Saint-Émilion known for clay-limestone soils with moderate climate for grape growing.  So, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, as you might expect from a heavy Merlot dominance.  A swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, violet and oak with bright overtones of blackberry, blueberry and cherry.  A sip reveals ample fruit with a rush of blackberry and currant that transitions easily to some notes of tart cherry and rustic wood notes midpalate.  The tannins are chewy, providing for a smooth dry finish that should hold up well against the heartiest of meals.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a pleasant, everyday drinking red, with a hearty appeal.  This wine was also a solid value at just $16, and would pair well with a variety of warm fall dishes, from braised short ribs to mushroom risotto.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled New York strip topped with some béarnaise along with steamed broccoli and a big baked potato topped with sour cream and scallions.  Cheers!