2004 SIlvan Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Friends, my apologies, I have been lax in upholding my Oregon Wine Blog responsibilities... This and my recent birthday required opening something special, something big, something red. A bottle of 2004 Cabernet Reserve from Silvan Ridge (http://www.silvanridge.com/) fit the bill, especially because a new stainless BBQ graced the backyard and awaited two beautiful New York steaks and some asparagus!

The nose on this bottle was very, very smooth; vanilla, cinnamon, and anise notes dominated the nose and palette. The first sip did have a slight bite at the very back of the mouth, which was lost completely when paired with the steak. However, the peppery flavor of the steaks brought forward similar notes from the glass. These spices were not present at the first sip-a great example of wine making the meal and the meal making the wine!

Such a pairing is standard with Bordeaux varietals and has been sighted previously on the Oregon Wine Blog however, this Rouge Valley red is something special to me. Syrah's are still supreme, but this Cabernet is exceptional and I will be looking for the next Cab Reserve from Silvan Ridge- luckily only a ten minute drive south of Veneta on Territorial highway will get me (and you) to the winery!

With only 150 cases produced, this a rare bottle in the age of 1000+ cases/vintage/year. This particular bottle was received as a house warming gift so I don't have a price quote, but I would guess $30 to $40 would be a good guess-not cheap, but this is a very good Cab that is worth a spot in someone's special selection.

CORRECTION- I received some valuable input from a Silvan Ridge insider. The 2004 Silvan Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve described above retails for $20 to $25, which makes this bottle a bargain for people who like big reds! Cheers!

2005 Keever Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

I’ve been lucky to share a lot of special memories with my Grandpa while growing up, but I recently realized we have never enjoyed quality conversation over a glass of good wine. This past Christmas my wife and I gifted my Grandpa a spin-off of the program “Meals on Wheels”, where we’d schedule one monthly home-cooked meal for him at our home, or his. What better way to resolve this void in our relationship.

At our January meal, I served a bottle of Willamette Valley Vineyards (WVV) Riesling with our dinner, capping off the meal with the WVV Frizzante to go with a chocolate mousse (yes – just like the Oregon Wine Blog’s Christmas Dinner). I always knew my Grandpa liked wine, although I was more familiar with his typical Restaurant choice – Zinfandel. I figured the Riesling would be a good conversation segway to my newfound wine appeal.

My Grandpa took interest in my new hobby, explaining long-time family friends of he and my Grandma’s, (The Keevers) are Vintners at a Winery in Napa Valley – Keever Vineyards. My Grandpa didn’t know much about the winery, but I made mental note – thinking of “what could be” for February’s meal.

At the conclusion of the meal, and after saying goodbyes, my first priority was to locate Keever Vineyards online, which I did. Navigation through the website revealed an address for the winery, and showed a 100% Estate Grown, Cabernet Sauvignon, priced at $68.00. I penned a letter to Bill Keever (Owner/Operator), explaining the circumstances regarding our “Meals on Wheels”, and told him I’d be purchasing their wine in the near future, while asking for two special requests. I requested my bottles be signed, and that he write a brief note to my Grandpa, which I’d present at February’s meal.

A week after sending the letter, Bill Keever wrote back, with anticipation for what our February meal had in store. A short week later, two bottles of wine arrived, signatures and all, in addition to a personal note addressed to my Grandpa.

Our February meal occurred last Friday, and figuring my Grandpa’s positive reaction, we invited my parents and brother’s family to enjoy in the occasion.

I went to present my Grandpa with his bottle of wine, card and all, and was overwhelmed with his response. His gratitude and appreciation was something I’ll never forget. We opted to pop the cork on the bottle, utilizing a decanter to aerate the wine.

Now, to accurately assess the Keever Cabernet Sauvignon, and to hold some level of objectivity, I asked my dad and brother to bring a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, representing the Northwest Viticulture. What arrived were a Silver Lake 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Rattlesnake Hills AVA) and an Idaho wine, Sawtooth - 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.

My wife and sister-in-law assisted in serving up a traditional blind taste test, which resulted in a hands down favorite being the Keever Cabernet; superior in taste, but also its aroma, development and finish, neither my dad, brother, nor I, noted any flaws.

Sitting in the glass, the wine evinced its elegance, showing off a satiny smooth structure, distinguishing itself as the Varsity member of the trio at hand. An array of fruits presented themselves in the nose, most prevalent to us being spiced plum and dark cherries. Winemaker Celia Welch Masyczek describes the wine as “Classically elegant at entry with very fruit-centered flavors up front”. I couldn’t agree more. I respected the 100% Estate Grown Cabernet grapes, and felt some indebtedness to a wine with such close ties to my lineage.

While comparing Napa grown wine to Washington/Idaho wines may have been comparing apples to oranges, I can say that drinking the Keever Cabernet opened my eyes to the world of quality, exquisite wine, and as such, has raised the bar for wine reviews to come.

Thank God I have that second bottle!

Update and 2004 Columbia Crest Grand Estate Cab

Here at The Oregon Wine Blog, there are times of the year in which we are limited in our ability to post as a result of the jobs that actually pay us. It is the downfall of our staff pretty much all working in the same industry -- university administration. Being the start of the school year, this is one of those times. Sorry. Things will settle down in a week or two and the posting traffic will pick back up. And, if anyone would like to pay me to do THIS, email me - josh@theoregonwineblog.com :)

Last week I was in Bend with some friends, and we cracked open a bottle of wine that I was familiar with previously although it's allure had fallen into a forgotton corner of my palate: 2004 Columbia Crest Grand Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Columbia Crest is another Eastern Washington winery, located in the Horse Heaven Hills of the Columbia Valley (Paterson, WA). Columbia Crest markets under three labels -- Reserve, Grand Estate, and Two Vines. I have consistenly been impressed by the Grand Estate offerings, their middle-tier wines which are available as a quite reasonable price point.

Tasting notes from the winemaker are pretty darn accurate: "Slight spice, chocolate, and hints of coconut and black cherry aromas lead into a subtle and harmonious balance of oak and fruit on the palate. This supple wine trails into a slightly spiced cocoa finish.” The chocolate notes and cocoa finish were particularly prominent for me. It's a very drinkable wine and you can't go wrong for $12.99. Seriously. We bought another bottle the other day and it's nearly gone. While the 2004 is pretty widely available at retailers, the 2003 in my opinion is even better. I haven't seen this on the shelves lately but it looks like it is still available at the winery. Darn it, I want to buy some now.

With that, I'll leave you all to vinification bliss. On a final note, if there is something you would like to see on The Oregon Wine Blog, leave a comment or send me an email.

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Today brought a trip to Willamette Valley Vineyards, perhaps one of my favorite wine producers due to their great service, famous Pinot, and diverse portfolio of varietals--all done well. In fact, I'm such a fan, I'm a stockholder (see the bias coming out?) WVV is the largest producing winery in the state of Oregon and was one of the founders of this appellation. They are known for their Pinot Noir's, they have a darn good Pinot Gris (Wine Spectator best buy), a good Riesling, and an up-and-coming Chardonney. For the dessert wine conniosuers, can't beat their semi-sparkling muscat frizzante...marketed under the Tualatin Estate label.

The trip today was to pick up the most recent shipment from the Oregon Wine Guild premier cru, a wonderful wine club that bring a red and a white every other month, with no membership fees, free reserve tastings, and a 20% discount on the shipments plus all wine purchased through the winery. Today's shipment included the 2006 Riesling as well as a 2004 Griffin Creek Cabernet Franc. Of course, stopping by the winery, a tasting was required. For some reason they were opening the really good stuff for us--we got into the 1998 Freedom Hill Pinot and the 1999 Karina Vineyard Pinot, in addition to the standard fare. After the winery, a group of us proceeded to the Vina's for a BBQ, and that is where we cracked open the wine that I'll be reviewing today -- 2002 Griffin Creek Cabernet Sauvignon.

Griffin Creek is the label WVV uses mostly on the bigger reds, as the grapes come from the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon so the Willamette Valley label can't be used. This cab is a gorgeous dark red, almost burgundy, and as could be expected from a big red like this had good legs on it. The nose had strong peppery notes, and on the second glass after it had opened up a bit I started picking up some toffee and leather aroma. Upon tasting, it has a warm spicy feel with a lingering finish. After opening up, I detected a jammy fruitiness that could be overpowered by the bold spice if you aren't careful. For the technical details...the wine retails for $35, fermented in 100% stainless and barrelled in 50% new oak. It's 14.6% in alcohol and 886 cases bottled. This is a great wine meant to be consumed with heavy food.

That's it for now--you'll be reading more about WVV in the future though (we have a lot of their wine to drink).