Santa Ema Reserve 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon; Maipo Valley, Chile

Very floral nose, very aromatic. The wine hits the palate with tannin, moves to earthy, tarry, notes, and berries come mid-late palate. This wine is also fairly acidic; a good candidate for a little bottle aging, although the finish is fairly quick, and concentration is not great, so i don't know. The more I taste, I'm deciding this is an ok to good wine, not great. Enjoyable, but forgettable.

Vale Do Bomfim Douro Valley 2006; Oporto, Portugal

The Douros I have had before I have liked. This is no exception. A pretty ruby-ish purple color, it has a plummy nose. That plum note carries over to the palate, with some nice tannins, almond notes, a touch of pepper and herbs. Really versatile, I could see myself serving this with any number of dishes. A very tasty, inexpensive bottle.

Hogue Genesis 2006 Syrah; Columbia Valley, WA

First, this Syrah got some great press. A 92 from Wine & Spirits, I believe. I like it, but I don't think it's quite that good. The boquet has a beautiful cherry liqueur nose to it, and it's very aromatic. The scent leaps out of the glass. The attack on the palate is strong on the black fruits, but missing the plum component I have grown to love about Washington syrahs. Some nice vanilla notes shine through mid-late palate, with a very nice and long finish,with spice the dominant note . The concentration is not as good as some Syrahs I have had lately, but it's still a very strong bottle. Maybe it is a 92! I'm liking it more and more with each sip. One thing is for sure, it's a definite bargain at the $12 sale price that is so common on it right now.

Alius Crianza 2004; Somontano, Spain

This is a nice 50/50 Cab Merlot blend. Nothing spectacular, but nice. Exhibits a nice, smoky nose with touches of black fruit. Fairly light body, bright juicy acidity, strawberry and cherry notes, with a pleasant, if quick finish. Notes of vanilla and smoke on the finish.

Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2007; Walker Bay, South Africa

First, the nose smells of excessive toast/oak. Some strawberry notes sneak through, but not a ton. This pinot is very, very, soft...displays little varietal character or concentration. Very thin, some weak berry flavors do muddle through, but it takes too much thinking to discern any noticable flavor at all. Not a bottle I would care to purchase again.

Hogue Pinot Grigio Columbia Valley 2008; Washington

My parents surprised me by bringing me a bottle of wine to enjoy with some roast chicken tonight! The first thing I notice is a very soft nose: just hints of green apple. The wine follows that pattern. Very light, with a definite pear component, especially on the fleeting finish. This wine is ok for sipping chilled on a deck on a hot summer afternoon, or would accompany grilled citrus marinated whitefish like halibut.

Wine tasting madness!

I shouldn't post this, but how could i not post about a very fine cab tasting the other night...I didn't take very good notes, so this is from memory.

The first was a Sagelands Four Corners 2006 cab. Very nice, simple, every night quaffer. Don't remember too much detail.

#2: 2006 Novelty Hill 2006 Columbia Valley Cab. This was fantastic. Mike Januick is the winemaker, and I am a big fan. Very sweet tannin, palate coating juicy fruit flavor- blackberry, raspberry; a hint of cocoa, and a long, beautiful finish.

#3: Columbia Crest Reserve Cab 2004. Nice, very tasty, but don't recall the specifics =(

#4: Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Red Wine 2006. Huge. Sadly, this wine was hemmed in by tannin, and shouldn't see the light of day for a few years at least. But the future potential was obvious with concentrated fruit, earth, coffee, and cocoa.

Loved this tasting...Love Washington Cabs!!! Will the big boy reviewers please stand up and shout from the rooftops about what Washington is doing with this King of Reds?

Terra Blanca Red Mountain Syrah 2002

This wine was very interesting. Just old enough that it was beginning to undergo some of the changes red wines do, but still having some of the youthful freshness. The color was a pale purple, obviously lightened up by some age. The wine was an incredibly interesting mix of blackberry, cedar, tobacco, and vanilla. The tannins were still present, but nicely integrated into the wine. A very fine offering from Terra Blanca.

Cline 2007 Ancient Vines Mourvedre; Contra Costa County, CA

First things first...this wine needs to breathe a bit. When first opened, sulphur was the prodominant component of the nose. This, however subsided rather quickly. The nose is very soft, notes of strawberry, vanilla, and smoke. The palate attacks with lots of tannin, then transitions to strawberries and cream. Caramel. Mocha on the back end. The body is light. The finish is pleasant. This is a good palate education wine, as mourvedres are not terribly common. I like this wine, and actually think it is a great summer grill pairing. A nice value right now at World Market for 13 bucks. (Word of Caution- 15% alc. so drink responsibly)

August 19th
I tried this wine again today, and felt an update was needed! I really like this wine! No sulphur aroma is present, just a lovely sweet aroma. It almost seems as though the body has changed. The tannis are there, but sweet, and the flavor profile has evolved to resemble thick, gorgeous blackberry syrup, with beef fat on the finish. Incredibly interesting transformation. Get a bottle, decant, and let aerate before you drink!

Columbia Winery 2005 Columbia Valley Merlot; Woodinville, WA

I am surprised. This is a delicious merlot. I don't usually go for Merlot, because of the cliche about them being too soft...but this one is great. Dark ruby edging toward purple, the color is beautiful. The nose is wonderful: violets and cherry. This wine is a heck of a lot more structured than I was anticipating- firm tannins surprise the unsuspecting palate and acid seems a bit high. This wine could probably stand up to a few more years of aging! The concentration is decent, and the palate way more complex than I was expecting. Dark fruits are the first flavors, kinda muddled, but then earthy tones come next, especially in the finish. Cedary, forest floor-y notes and more tannin dominate a lengthy finish...even more tannin as it sits, causing me to believe a couple more years of aging could really make this bottle interesting. All in all a solid bottle from this producer, and a good bargain at less than $12 most stores.

Columbia Crest H3 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon; Patterson, WA

Let me be honest: I LOVE Washington Cabs. The concentration and flavor profiles are delightful. And this bottle from the Horse Heaven Hills appellation is quite simply a stellar value. The color is beautiful crimson red, it exhibits a very floral nose, but what stands out it in this wine is the balance. Almost textbook. First it has very lovely tannin. Absolutely noticable, but sweet, and giving you just the right amount of kick to let you know this is not a crappy, cheap innocuous wine. Then the palate is flooded with black cherry; vanilla, toast/smoke, brown sugar, chocolate, even some cedary/tobacco notes follow. The finish is generous, sweet and cocoa-ish. Nice acidity, good body. I really like this wine. And it reminds me why Washington Cabernet Sauvignon is probably my favorite wine. You just cannot do better for the money. This bottle is good enough for a special occasion, but priced moderately at around $15. A very good workhorse for any cellar. Good job, Columbia Crest!

Isabel Sauvignon Blanc 2008; Marlborough, New Zealand

Beautiful pale yellow, very translucent. This is a good, very servicable SB. Exhibits a nice nose of pear and apple, with some mineral spirits. The body seems a little heavier than I am used to for a SB, almost the texture oak would give it, but I (thankfully) taste none. This wine has very distinct lemon notes, and definitely gives the impression of sweetness. The lemon gives way to metal; almost like some reislings. The finish hits you with grapefruit, not unlike Squirt Soda, and mellows into something I can only describe as Ricola Cough Drops. The finish is persistant.

Sagelands Red Blend 2006; Columbia Valley, WA

This economical bottle has a wonderful nose of oatmeal raisin cookies. Really. Nice Ruby color. This Bordeaux blend of 51% Cabernet, 36% Merlot and 13% Malbec is nicely structured with some noticable tannins. Cherry and almond flood the palate, with some great hints of black pepper on the back end. The finish is nice, if unspectacular. A very decent every night drinker, perfect for informal roast or spaghetti dinners.

***In full disclosure, this bottle was in my apartment during the Heat Wave of Last Week. Temperatures in Aberdeen exceeded 100 degrees, and I don't know how hot my wine closet got. So that may have tainted this bottle.

Bodega Del Fin Del Mundo 2007 Pinot Noir Reserva; Patagonia, Argentina

I love this Pinot. It exhibits a beautiful crimson color, and has a distinct, Pinot Noir nose. Full of fresh strawberry and raspberry notes, this is a very fruit-driven Pinot with nice structure. I would venture a guess that this wine would age pretty well, with it's fairly noticable (but not at all unpleasant) tannins. The finish is strong on raspberries, and then transitions to nice, lingering oaky smoke. This would be an outstanding accompaniment to wood-grilled salmon. Usually retails around US$25. An outstanding effort from this producer.

Chalk Hill Estate Bottled Chardonnay 2000, Sonoma County, CA

Find of the month. Maybe year. I picked up some of this at our local Grocery Outlet. Quite old for a Chardonnay, but I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try. From such a renowned producer, I thought it had a good chance.

It is still drinking beautifully! This chardonnay has attained a beautiful honey hue. The only thing that may not be holding up is the nose...it's not bad, just very light. I am sipping it slightly chilled, and the first flavor I notice is nice, mellow honey notes that move into lime and butter...beautiful job integrating the oak: it's there, but doesn't smack you in the face. The finish is smooth, long and lemony. This is just begging for some lemon herb chicken, or a pasta primavera.

Here's the kicker: I paid $4.99. Holy crap.