Seven Falls Wahluke Slope Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (about $15)

About The Wine: Washington State has not overtaken California as the best producer of domestic wine but I believe it is only a matter of time.  When done right, Washington State's Cabs have a smoothness and an easy drinking quality that most of Cali's over the top reds lack.


About THIS Wine: In the glass it is opaque purple right up to the rim.  Jammy blackberry dominates the nose along with prominent vanilla notes.  The palate is full and slightly tannic.


Drinking This Wine: The tannins are potent enough that a little bit of decanting is advisable.  Leave the wine open for half an hour or an hour to let it smooth out.  It is not really big enough for beef but it would be divine with pork steak.


Overall Impression:  This is a smooth, easy drinking, and food friendly wine.  It is everything you could want from a fifteen dollar bottle and as such it is good for the price.

House Wine Red 2010 (about $12)

About the Wine:  This is one of the first labels I sold well when I got into the wine business.  That was over two years ago now.  At that time it was smooth, unpretentious, and enjoyable to a drinker with an undeveloped palate.  I don't remember if it was this vintage, but I doubt it.  I do not recall the back label of that vintage giving a breakdown of the blend where this label helpfully informs us that the wine is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 15% Syrah, and 3% Cabernet France.  My guess is that the wine maker started with a Left Bank Bordeaux blend and added the Syrah to make it more fruit forward and approachable and because who cares, it's $12.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is opaque with a purple rim.  The Syrah really dominates the nose.  It is all jammy fruit.  The Syrah also dominates the palate with that sticky, jammy quality that defines Syrah from the West Coast.  There are some subtle dry and spicy notes in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is not really a food wine.  It is basically a dry red patio pounder for people who like jammy, sticky wines.  That said, it could also go well with a burger.

 Overall Impression:  I have never been a fan of West Coast Syrah but this wine is varietally correct and the winemaker did do a pretty good job of taming the Syrah with the other varietals.  That makes this wine good for the price.