Atalaya, 2008

It has been a busy few weeks for us with trips to San Francisco and Scottsdale and a hectic work schedule in between. This weekend things returned to normal as we slipped back into our normal routine of lazy mornings with our laptops, walks in Bellevue Square and casual cuisine with some tasty wines. Tonight, I made stuffed peppers and we enjoyed them with an excellent value wine from eastern Spain. This is the second vintage, available in the Seattle area, of Atalaya from Almansa. The 2008 Atalaya is a blend of Monastrell, Garnacha, and other red grapes. This wine was aged for eight months in French and American oak. The color is deep purple with a violet rim. This wine has a lovely bouquet of black cherries, blueberries, aged cheese and cotton candy. On the palate it has beautiful dark fruit flavors of dried plum, black cherry and blackberry along with some light spice, coco and white pepper on the finish. This is a medium bodied wine with mild tannins and gentle acidity that contribute to a smooth mouth-feel. This is a “new world” wine that is quite delicious and will go well with any hearty meal (like stuffed peppers) or with a nice chunk of dark chocolate. We bought this 2008 Atalaya at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $14.

Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red Wine, 2008

We have been big fans of Columbia Crest wines for many years. I can't think of another American winery that can produce such a tremendous quantity of wine and produce an excellent product at every price point. They have wines starting at about $6 and wines priced above $40. The Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, was selected as “Wine of the Year”(for 2009) by the Wine Spectator Magazine. The Columbia Crest “H3” wines are upper-mid level wines that sell for about $12 to $14 in the Seattle area. The name “H3” stands for Horse Heaven Hills which is the appellation of this wine and the home of the Columbia Crest Winery in Patterson, Washington. The H3 Les Chevaux is a blend of 34% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec. "Les Chevaux" is French for "the horses" - a reference to the wild horses that once roamed this region. In the glass there is a deep ruby/purple color and lovely aromas of dark berries, crème de cassis, minerals and some spicy oak. This red blend is both bold and elegant with zesty ripe blackberry cherry, currant, and blueberry balanced by espresso, licorice, flint and spice flavors. The medium bodied frame supports smooth tannins on a long, creamy finish. This is a delicious “new world “ blend that is a great value from the Horse Heavens Hills AVA. This wine can be found at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $13.

Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera, 2009

We love many wines from Piedmont and Barbera is definitely one of the great "food wines" of the world. With crisp acidity, low tannins and fresh berry flavors, Barbera is one of the favored varietals to accompany the delightful cusine of the region. When we traveled in Piedmont, back in 2003, we stopped at Fontanafredda on a warm autumn day. Since that time, we have been buying this Briccotondo Barbera, every new vintage, and are definitely enjoying the ritual. The color is a deep ruby red with purple tones on the rim. On the nose there are notes of red cherries and plums with some wet rocks. This is a medium bodied wine with a smooth texture and rich flavors of blackberry, cherry, cranberry, burnt almond and earth. There is zesty acidity followed by gentle tannins that add to the long and harmonious finish. We bought this Barbera at the Seattle Wine Company for about $12. This wine is a good choice for your next Italian dinner or a pepperoni pizza!

Whitman Cellars Syrah,Walla Walla, 2002

I recently read that Whitman Cellars, of Walla Walla, closed their doors after 13 years of wine making. So last night I decided to pull a bottle of the Whitman 2002 Syrah, from our cellar, and bid farewell to a winery I always respected. The wine has a deep ruby-red color and is nearly opaque. The nose is packed with black fruit, smoke, mineral, cedar, blueberry and blackberry. The palate is very rich and ripe with wonderful flavors of ripe black fruit, espresso, spice, vanilla and mocha commingle to create a luscious and balanced wine. The powerful dark fruit flavors are firmed by solid tannins and lifted by gentle minerality and acidity. It has plenty of complexity and structure and is still fresh and lively. This is a solid effort from a winery that is now a part of Washington State's wine making history. So long Whitman Cellars!

Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 2007

This is a red table wine made from 100% Montepulciano grapes that are native to the Abruzzo region of Italy. Until recent times, many of the Montepulciano wines from Abruzzo have been of questionable quality and are characterized by cooked fruit flavors with very little distinction or pizzazz. The Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo represents a pleasant trend in wines coming from the Abruzzo region of central Italy. In the glass this wine has a deep ruby/purple color. Aromas of fresh cherries, tobacco and cocoa precede delicious flavors of black cherry, plum, fig and some earth. This is a medium bodied wine with smooth integrated tannins and vibrant acidity. This wine says “Italy” and will compliment any hearty pasta or flavorful aged cheese. This wine is available in the Seattle area for about $13.

Finca El Tesso Tempranillo, 2008

Finca El Tesso wines, from Bodega Martinez Paiva, comes form a relatively unknown region of western Spain. The Ribera del Guadiana D.O. is in the Extremadura region of Spain and is characterized by a mild climate with Atlantic influence. This area is known for producing Black Iberian pigs used in producing some of Spain’s best hams. This wine is imported by Small Vineyards, of Seattle, and represents their philosophy of finding special wines that showcase the regional character of Italy and Spain. This Tempranillo is a very interesting wine and we had fun drinking this wine over a two day period this week. What made this wine exciting was the evolution of flavors that occurred as the wine was decanted and exposed to air. Many wines will change in their aromas and flavors as they are exposed to air. It is generally acknowledged that these changes reveal the full potential of the wine and allow for smoothness, balance and depth to fully appear. The Finca El Tesso Tempranillo has a deep purple/ruby color and is nearly opaque. I can not describe this wine without “time-lines” to highlight how the tastes and aromas changed immensely after some short-term decanting. Initially there is an interesting nose of black berries, lead pencil and the unexpected, fresh apples and pears. In the mouth the surprise continues with a medium bodied wine showing fresh black cherry, plum, graphite, some burnt rubber and the still present, apples and pears. Wow, we were not expecting Autumn fruits. There are a medium amount of tannins and subtle acidity that contribute to the interesting profile. As the evening progressed, the decanted wine went through a very noticeable metamorphosis of flavor, aroma and overall character that left us amazed of the transformation. The aromas of apples and pears disappeared and were replaced by prune, fig and tar. The flavors of apples and pears also left and were replaced by stewed prunes, licorice, chocolate nibs and burnt cedar. Even the “mouth-feel” changed, becoming more full bodied, tannic and dense. This was an “amusement park” of a wine that gives you two distinct choices; drink it quickly (fresh and quirky) or let it open-up (elegant and powerful)… your choice! The decanted version of this wine pairs well with a wood-grilled NY Steak. I purchased this Tempranillo at Wine World Warehouse, in Seattle, for about $11.

Domaine la Garrigue Cuvee Romaine, 2009

Last week we enjoyed a bottle of Domaine Andezon Cotes du Rhone Red Wine. This wine was predominantly Syrah and we thought it was really delicious and was a great value from the 2009 vintage. This weekend we tried another lovely wine from the 2009 vintage, but this time the wine is predominantly Grenache with a small amount of Syrah and Mourvedre. Cuvee Romaine is another custom cuvee for Eric Solomon Selections made by famed Rhone oenologist, Philippe Cambie. This wine is well crafted and has a deep purple color and an expressive nose of black cherry, licorice and violets. This wine is full bodied and loaded with ripe black fruit, raspberry jam, and herbes de Provence. The are abundant velvety tannins, crisp acidity and notable minerality that balance this impressive wine. This wine is very nice now, but should soften and develop beautifully with a few years in the cellar. We bought the Domaine la Garrigue Cuvee Romaine at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $14.

Andezon Cotes du Rhone, 2009

Eric Solomon is one of my favorite importers of wines from France and Spain. Back in 1994, Eric visited the Vignerons d’Estazarques and met their winemaker, Jean-Francois Nicq. They decided to create a custom bottling of old vine Syrah from one of the wineries best parcels, Andezon. Eric Solomon has a talent for finding great winemakers that will join him to create outstanding wines to import to the United States. This 2009 Cotes du Rhone is made from 90% Syrah and 10% Grenache. In the glass this wine has a deep, dark ruby color with black and purple hues. There are beautiful aromas of ripe cherries, raspberries and roses. This is a medium to full bodied wine with a rich mouth-feel and flavors of blackberry, blueberry and cassis. There is a delicious creaminess in the mouth and the fruit forward profile of this wine is balanced by nice acidity, smooth tannins along with spicy black pepper on the finish. Definitely more “New-World” then Old, there is pure pleasure in drinking this lovely wine. This wine can be found at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $13. Pair this wine with any meal or sip with your favorite cheese.

Evodia, 2009

The 2009 Evodia is a young red wine made from 100% Garnacha grapes from Spain’s promising wine growing region of Calatayud. This region is distinguished by its prevalence of high elevation vineyards planted with the Garnacha grape in dry, slatey soil. This wine, made from old vines, is imported by Eric Solomon and represents another nice value wine from an up-coming Spanish DO. In the glass this wine has a dark ruby color with nice clarity. There are expressive aromas of fresh raspberry, blackberry leafs and minerals. This is a medium bodied wine that is quite fruit-forward with red cherry, raspberry and strawberry complimented by wet stone and white pepper. There are smooth tannins and racy acidity that complete the profile. This wine is tank-aged without the use of oak and is easy to enjoy with any casual dinner. We enjoyed this Spanish Garnacha with Pulled Pork Sandwiches with my homemade Mustard BBQ Sauce. This wine can be found at Pete’s Wine shop, in Bellevue, for about $11.
　

Hudson Shah Malbec, 2008

Amongst the ever growing list of wineries in Woodinville, Washington, the Woodhouse Estate Winery is producing a large variety of well crafted wines from grapes grown throughout the Washington State wine country. Woodhouse was started in 2004 by husband and wife team, Bijal and Sinead Shah. Their wines are marketed under various labels including Kennedy Shah, Hudson Shah, Dussek and Maghee. We purchased a few of these wines to enjoy during the holiday season and found them to be solid wines that reflect the excellence in Washington wines at reasonable price points. The 2008 Hudson Shah Malbec shows that the Malbec grape has a place amongst the Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Columbia Valley. This wine has a dark purple/red color and is nearly opaque. There are pleasant aromas of ripe black cherries, violets, black pepper and some toasty oak. This is a medium bodied wine, fruit-forward, with cherry, blackberry, coffee, baking spice and some creamy vanilla. There is a nice level of acidity that keeps it fresh and the delightful mouth feel is filled with abundant smooth tannins. This wine retails for $16, but can be found in the Seattle area for a few dollars less. This wine is delicious on it’s own and will pair well with any hearty meal including a hefty Lasagna or a grilled Rib eye Steak.