Alto Almanzora Este, 2006

Alto Almanzora Este, 2006

This red table wine from Bodegas Alto Almanzora is produced in the Almanzora Valley region of southern Spain. Este is a combination of Monastrell, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot. This wine has a dark ruby color with a delightful nose of black cherry, plums and spice. It delivers a broad mouthful of fruit with cherry and cassis along with some espresso and black pepper. This is a medium bodied wine with fine grained tannins and a mineral accent on the finish. We enjoyed this wine while down in Scottsdale this past weekend and found it to be pure and elegant and a great value for about $10. If we come across this wine in the Seattle area, we will definitely buy a few more bottles.

Alfiera Barbera d'Asti Superiore, 2001

Alfiera Barbera d'Asti Superiore, 2001

The Marchesi Alfieri wine estate is located in the Alfieri Castle in San Martino Alfieri, high above the adjoining hills between Asti and Alba. We visited this winery back in 2003 since we have been fans of their Barbera called "La Tota" for many years. This 2001 Alfiera is made solely from the Barbera grapes, and derives its name from the small vineyard in which the fruit was grown, an historic four-hectare “sorì” (south-facing cru) of Marchesi Alfieri, planted in 1937. This wine is only made in great vintage years. The wine is stored fo 15 months in French oak followed by 8 months of bottle aging under controlled temperatures at the winery. We have cellared this wine for the past 4 years. This Barbera has a deep, black ruby color that is almost opaque. On the nose is an array of blackberries, plums, cherries along with some gentle vanilla and toast. This is a medium to full bodied wine packed with ripe black cherry, cassis and espresso with some nice earthiness and fine grained oak. There is great acidity along with smooth tannins that give this wine a zesty, focused personality. Overall this is a rich red wine with great length and structure. It is delightful to enjoy such a nice Barbera from this famed Asti Estate. We enjoyed this with a great pizza of Fontina, Ricotta and fresh oregano. We wish we had more!

Colosi Nero d’ Avola, 2007

Colosi Nero d’ Avola, 2007

This Colosi Nero d'Avola is made from estate fruit and is aged exclusively in stainless steel. The color is a dark ruby red that is nearly opaque with a black hue. This is a delicious, full-bodied Nero d'Avola bursting with sweet dark cherries and berries with nice floral notes and a hint of pepper. On the palate it is ripe and full bodied with nice integration of sweet tannins. There is a good level of acidity that balances the creaminess of the mid-palate and contributes to a long and harmonious finish. This is a modern wine from Sicily that should please anyone who enjoys a delicious fruit-forward wine that will pair well with a pizza or a grilled rib-eye steak. We purchased this lovely wine at the Seattle Wine Company for about $14.

Matthews Columbia Valley Red, 2002

Matthews Columbia Valley Red, 2002


Kate just purchased the 2001, 2002 and 2003, Matthews Columbia Valley Red wines, as a holiday gift for us. We have enjoyed these wines, in the past, and are excited to add them to our cellar. The Matthews Columbia Valley Red, 2002, has a dark, nearly opaque black/red color with a delightful nose packed with black fruit, chocolate and cassis. This is a full bodied wine with chewy concentrated fruit, espresso, spice, licorice and mocha commingling to create a luscious and balanced wine. The tannins and underlying acidity coat your mouth and linger on the smooth, long toasty finish. This wine deserves a grilled prime steak or some well aged cheese. This wine is ready to drink now, but should continue to evolve over the next 5 years. This is one of our favorite wines.

Casale Triocco Sagrantino di Montefalco, 2003

Casale Triocco Sagrantino di Montefalco, 2003

Sagrantino is grape varietal that grows only around the hilltop town of Montefalco, in the Umbria region of Italy. Sagrantino is known to produce tannic, heavy masculine wines. This Casale Triocco Sagrantino is a powerful wine with a deep purple/ ruby color. The scent of ripe rich blackberries and raspberries are complimented by dried floral notes, pepper, and warm vanilla. This is a big wine with dark cherry, ripe strawberry and mocha flavors with layers of rich tannins that completely coat the mouth. There is impressive concentration and nice balanced acidity that create a full and pleasant finish. This wine is lovely now but should do well with a few more years of cellaring. Enjoy this wine with a grilled Kobe steak or a sharp aged cheese. We purchased this outstanding and unique wine from “Wines From Italy” for about $40.00.

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Cabrales Cheese

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Cabrales Cheese

Here is a simple tapas that will pair well with any tasty red or white wine. The exact quantity of dates, bacon and Cabrales (Spanish blue cheese) depends on how many stuffed dates you need. Figure at least two, per person, if pairing with other tapas. You can substitute Monchego for the Cabrales cheese or Serrano ham for the bacon. These tapas are delicious in all these variations.

Medjool Dates, slit open and pit removed
Sliced Bacon , 1/2 slice per date
Cabrales cheese (Spanish blue cheese)

Preheat oven 425 degrees

Stuff the inside of the dates with the Cabrales cheese. Wrap each stuffed date with a half slice of bacon. Overlap edges of bacon and secure with toothpick. Line up each on baking sheet with edge side down. Bake in oven for about 8-12 minutes until bacon is golden and crisp. Remove dates from oven and place on paper towel to absorb excess fat. Serve within 5-10 minutes while still warm. I would pair these with the delicious 2007 Bodegas Ateca Garnacha de Fuego. Yum.

Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley, 1999

Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley, 1999

This was one of the many top shelf wines we opened on New Years Eve as part of our wine and food extravaganza. Leonetti Cellars has a reputation of being one of the top wineries in Washington State and has almost cult status due to the difficulty finding their wines and an unblemished record over the past 20 years. We had cellared this wine for the past 5-6 years and one of our New Years resolutions was to drink more of the fine wines we have been saving. Below is a picture of our "line-up" for New Years Eve, plus we opened a bottle of Dom Perignon Champagne, 1993, at the crack of midnight. The Leonetti Cabernet was a lovely wine that continued to evolve in the glass as the evening went along. The wine has a deep ruby color with a complex bouquet packed with black fruit, coffee and licorice and some smoky oak. The wine delivers a broad mouthful of fruit with cherry and cassis. This is a full bodied wine with fine dusty tannins and subtle acidity. The fruit is followed by flavors of espresso, licorice, tar and vanilla. This wine is smooth, silky and well balanced and has a long elegant finish. Current vintages of this Leonetti wine sell for about $100, making it one of the higher priced Washington State reds. For my money I would rather invest in Gorman, Matthews of Alexandria Nicole Cabernet for about half the price!