2020 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah

Well, after a long holiday weekend of planting flowers, cleaning off the patio furniture and grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for a dozen guests, it's nice to be back to normal.  It's funny how holidays tend to be so much more work than actual working!  So, tonight I've opened a bottle of a recent wine club shipment from one of my long-time favorite Walla Walla producers.  The 2020 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Syrah is a 100% Syrah sourced from the Pepper Bridge (69%) and Seven Hills (31%) vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep, reddish purple in the glass, with bright ruby at the edges, just as you might expect from a nice Syrah.  After some time to breathe, the nose presents a lovely cascade of aromas ranging from ripe blackberry, plum and kirsch, intermingled with leather and lilac amid undertones of earthy loam and meat.  Take a sip and your palate is awash in fruit, boysenberry, black raspberry and lingonberry that transition easily to some earthy mineral notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The fine grain tannins are expertly integrated to support the velvety smooth, dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a fabulous example of the lovely Syrah being produced in the Walla Walla Valley.  This wine would pair well with a variety of summer dishes, from grilled pork tenderloin to barbecued ribs, steaks to caprese salad.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a grilled veal loin chop with herbs de Provence along with Portobello mushroom farro and grilled asparagus.  Cheers!

2022 Helix Sangiovese Rose

Happy Saturday!  I trust you are all enjoying a wonderful Memoria Day weekend.  I spend much of the day at the cemetery planting flowers for my relatives, but now I am back home and ready for a nice glass of wine dinner.  Given the near proximity of summer, tonight I've decided to open a classic summer wine, the 2022 Helix Sangiovese Rose.  This wine is a rose of 100% Sangiovese from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard in the Royal Slope AVA of Washington.  So, let's see how this burst of summer is tasting!

The wine is a pale peach color in the glass, and a gentle swirls reveals aromas of peach blossom, strawberry amid hints of citrus.  Take a sip and summer comes rushing in, crisp refreshing notes of grapefruit, fresh melon and tropical notes of guava and mango.  This wine has a crisp and refreshing dry finish that's just perfect for summer sipping on the patio.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5 as it's just a wonderfully simple, refreshing wine that is an ideal representation of what rose should be.  This wine would pair well with seafood, light salads or beef tartare.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with my Memorial Day lobster fest, as my local market had live Maine lobsters on sale for just $9.99, along with a sale on corn on the cob, so here I am, enjoying a perfect taste of summer in late May.  Cheers!

2019 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Sunday!  I had a wonderful day yesterday at the local Elkhart Airshow, seeing a lot of vintage World War II airplanes and reenactments, and then I had a wonderful dinner with the neighbors.  So, today I did a bunch of yard work and now I am ready for a nice bottle of wine with dinner.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle of a recent purchase from a long-time favorite Walla Walla Winery, the 2019 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (93%) and Petit Verdot (7%) from the Champoux, Woodward Canyon, Wallula and Weinbau Vineyards, some of the best of  Washington.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is an inky black and the center with bright ruby along the edges, letting you know that you're about to taste something special,  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of raspberry, blackberry and oak, beckoning you to take a sip.  And that first sip reveals flavors of black cherry, raspberry and dark chocolate, intermingled with mineral notes of graphite and limestone midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated providing for a velvety dry finish that lingers for a minute or more.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, but it has the potential to improve with a few years in the cellar (lucky I have a couple more reserved for future consumption!).  This wine would pair well with a broad range of hearty dishes, from steaks and chops to hearty shews or rich pasta dishes.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a rare grilled thick Angus porterhouse along with some grilled broccoli rabe and blistered cherry tomatoes.  Cheers!