Magnificent Wine Company! Syrah Columbia Valley 2007

There’s no question as to what’s in this bottle – 100% Syrah.


I’ve been off Syrah for a few months, so I was happy that this bottle turned me around. I’m grooving on Washington Syrah again. You’ll be thrilled by this wine immediately after opening it. The nose is instantly interesting, qualities that only improve over the next couple of hours.

I found this to be a very enjoyable Washington Syrah. I loved the inky color and the rich, almost oily mouth feel. There’s tobacco, tarragon and dark fruit – love it. When my glass was empty, I was left pleased and purpled (just don’t wear white or sit next to any lightly colored furniture – you’ve been warned).

I don’t know why, but I’m always extra partial to odd year vintages. This 2007 Syrah gets big points in my book. Found this bottle locally for less than $20. Magnificent Wine Company! Syrah Columbia Valley 2007 is another wonderful example of a Washington Syrah. Recommended.

http://www.magnificentwine.com/

Honesty on the Label - 2006 Honorable Cabernet Sauvignon

Living Up to His Name

Although I have not posted recently, don't think for a second that I'm not imbibing Washington wines. I am, but, I should mention that my palette has become a bit, "acid sensitive" - which means some wines just taste too sharp for me to appreciate. Even with my current picky palette, I have found some wines I can honestly recommend.

One of the wines you should go find is the 2006 Honorable Cabernet Sauvignon by Charles Smith. Don't you love the label? The 2006 HCS went really well with baby back ribs, so it's a food friendly pairing. This wine was smoky/spicy, with cherry/vanilla and pleasantly dry. Not a meek wine, not a monster wine, but an honorable presentation of what a decent Washington Cabernet Sauvignon should be. Priced between $11 and $16 it is also a great value.

The wine is made by Charles Smith in Matawa, Washington (Walla Walla). I had the pleasure to meet Mr. Smith last year at Taste Washington Seattle, he always has interesting labels on his wines and he's an interesting winemaker too. Recommended.

http://www.charlessmithwines.com/

Culture Shift

Crush It!: Gary Vaynerchuck

This is a must watch. If you have not seen this, then take the time to click on the link above.

I've been thinking about this subject for several years, Gary nailed it. You don't have to be interested in wine to get some value from this video. He's talking about work, life, family, business, marketing and the culture change that is happening now.

Photo of me and Gary at Taste Washington 2008 (I've lost some weight, I'm not as big today).

Chateau St. Michelle, Indian Wells, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon

Good Wine, Happy Camper

Fall is settling on us quite rapidly. Today, our sunny afternoon was framed by ominous dark clouds, lurking north of us. It‘s unsettling how quickly the cool weather descends on SE Washington. That touch of sunshine had me in the mood for grilling steaks tonight. I‘ll embrace the sun as I can. But, what good is steak without wine? I grabbed a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon on the way home. Something I would not usually purchase, but it was priced right, on sale for less that $15. My expectations were not high for the wine, I was just hoping for something palatable.

Chateau St. Michelle, is a Washington winery - an Eastern and Western Washington winery. The St. Michelle winery and tasting room is located in Woodinville, Washington, across lake Washington from Seattle. However, this wine is made in Patterson, Washington, from Columbia Valley grapes (Indian Wells series) at their attractive Columbia Crest winery near the Columbia River in South Eastern Washington (about 35 miles from my home).

Dinner turned out well, thick-cut delicious steak, grilled with mushrooms and a good assortment of veggies on the side. Surprisingly, the wine was very good too. I opened the wine two hours before pouring. And yes, the wine improved immensely in those two hours. My bias against this wine is due to the size of the company. Chateau St. Michelle/Columbia Crest make up the largest producer of wine in Washington state. I tend to favor smaller Washington wineries. I must admit, I’m happy with this purchase.

The wine was tight when it was opened, but after a couple of hours some wonderful aromas emerged: a touch of spicy earth, cherry, and vanilla are framed by a caress of tarragon. Good weight in the mouth, pleasantly dry, with flavors of spice, dark cherry and vanilla, which goads you to have another glass. Give it some air-time and this wine is sure to be a hit. Even with my considered bias, I like this wine and recommend it.

I seem to be off my Syrah kick - Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot seem to be tooting my horn lately.

Chateau St. Michelle, Indian Wells, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
14.2% alcohol
Patterson, Washington
www.ste-michelle.com
425-488-1133

Cheers!

Kiona 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - Estate Bottled - Red Mountain

Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Happiness

My wife gifted me with this bottle last week - just because I’ve been a good husband - a trend I hope to continue. I don’t know where she bought it, or how much she paid (it is a gift). I enjoyed every bit of this wine.

Earthy aromas hit you after you pull the cork - wait, let it breathe. This wine has a gorgeous color, to me it looked smoky-ruby in the glass. I’m reviewing this wine on day two, and I’m very pleased with how the wine has changed from day one (day one was mostly fresh Bing cherry and tartness).

There's ripe cherry, vanilla, leather, spice with a hint of toasted coconut underneath the nose. Dry Bing cherry, vanilla in the mouth, very smooth, and a bit of plum tartness - good mouth feel, medium body. This is a sunset wine or sipping wine. It does not have the aggressiveness needed for food, it’s just too dainty - and a bit sophisticated.

I really like this Kiona wine, and it puts me in the mood for more Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery is located on Red Mountain, I’ve had intentions of visiting them for a couple of years. For some reason, I’ve never made it over to their “new” tasting room. It’s on my to do list - I’ll see if I can encourage someone to join me in a Red Mountain tasting trip. Volunteers?

13.5% alcohol
Vineyards first planted in 1975
www.kionawine.com

Cheers!

2008 Badger Mountain Organic Chardonnay NSA

Organic and NSA Goodness in a Pretty Blue Bottle

Now that I am back in town, I made a point of visiting the Badger Mountain Certified Organic Vineyard & Powers Columbia Valley Winery. The winery is located on top of Badger Mountain, in the Rancho Reata area of Kennewick. Lucky me, they are only 15 minutes from my home.

While I am focusing on the Organic NSA Chardonnay, I did enjoy tasting many of their wines at the winery. I was honestly impressed by the quality and value of every one, white and red. When I have time, I’ll review some of their other tasty wines.

Back to the Chardonnay, I like the bright blue bottle this wine is in. It protects and presents well and tells everyone that there is something special waiting inside. The enticing aroma is the first thing you’ll notice when you screw the cap off the bottle. This is a smooth, easy to appreciate Chardonnay. You’ll find it easy to impress your friends with this wine. At first you might mistake this for a “sweet” wine, because of all the juicy flavors bouncing in your mouth; peach, pear, and grape. Don’t worry, this is an adult wine, perfect for barbecues, parties and date night. I’m not a huge white wine drinker, but I like this wine. Ahh, there's lovely Chardonnay goodness in the mouth after you swallow.

Go out and find yourself a bottle of the Badger Mountain Organic 2008 Chardonnay NSA, while you can. It’s time to drink it now. An Organic and NSA wine and very good too - I'm impressed. Contact the winery direct and they will be happy to ship for you. They have for me.

*As of this posting, their Website is out of date, you'll have to call the winery for correct pricing if you can't find it locally - number below.

The grapes used to make this is wine are from their Certified Organic Vineyards. No chemical herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or synthetic fertilizers are used. One of the reasons for growing these grapes organically, is because the vineyard is in a residential location. This wine is also NSA (No Sulfites Added) only naturally occurring sulfites are present in this wine - which makes it ideal for those who are sulfite sensitive (win, win or wine, wine as my fingers prefer to type).

13% alcohol.
This wine is certified organic by the Washington State Department of Agriculture.

Badger Mountain Vineyard & Power Winery
1106 S. Jurupa St.
Kennewick, WA 99338
1-800-643-WINE
http://www.badgermtnvineyard.com/

Hospitality Index = ***

Cheers!

2006 Kiona Zinfandel - A Great Wine for the End of Summer

Kiona 2006 Zinfandel

This time of year, our SE Washington days are pleasantly warm with enchanting cool evenings. This makes for the perfect time of year to enjoy our Washington wines. If you are in the area, take in a desert sunset with friends and Washington wine - a real treat.

Lucky me, I was gifted with a bottle of Kiona 2006 Zinfandel. I've been a fan of their Lemberger for two decades, so I was intrigued by this Zin. Of note on the back of the bottle: the fruit is harvested from their vineyards on top of Red Moutain! Certainly news to me. Kiona is one of the oldest wineries on Red Mountain.

Tasting notes:

Bright garnet color, very clear and clean.

Nose: Ripe blackberry, with subtle pepper a hint of violets - and a whiff of cellery (subtle).

Taste: In the mouth good feel, cooked fruit, tar, bright.

Finish: With 13.5% alcohol it does not have the heat of other Washington reds - so you can savor the flavor. Good acidity is moderated with the perfect amount of medium tanin, and a clean finish.

This wine is immediately approachable. While it won't knock your socks off, it is pleasant, easy to drink, balanced and went very well with my, oh so tender grilled steak. I think Pinot fans will loves this wine.

Bottom line, recommended.

Web: http://www.kionawine.com/

(I'm back in Washington - so I hope to make a trip up to the Kiona winery soon).

Cheers!