Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Waterbrook 2013 Reserve Merlot

The Winery:  Waterbrook
The Wine:  2013 Reserve Merlot
The Price:  $25.00

Waterbrook is a Washington State winery, located in Walla Walla. Waterbrook is one of Washington's early wineries, opening their doors in 1984. They are a winery that I discovered long ago - probably 16 years or so. They were the first winery to get me beyond the $5 bottle mentality. I reviewed one of their wines in 2009, so it is time for another go around.

The Waterbrook Reserve Merlot is made from 100% Merlot grapes. The grapes are sourced from three vineyards: Mirage, Canyon Vineyard Ranch and Pepper Bridge, all in the Columbia Valley AVA. The wine is aged for 22 months in a blend of American Oak (94%) and French Oak (6%). Each vintage is aged in 25% new oak barrels. The wine was stopped with a natural cork and decanted an hour before tasting.

The Wine is a very deep purple in color, with just a slight hint of brown. It has aromas of cherry, vanilla, dried plum, and a very slight hint of black pepper. It has a pronounced cherry flavor with a strong vanilla back. It has more subtle tones of raspberry, pepper and oak. The wine is very good and drinkable today, but it has pronounced tannins and a bit of a bite that should yield an even better wine after a few years in the cellar.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Liberty School 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Winery: Liberty School (from Hope Family Wines)
The Wine: 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Price: $16.00

Liberty School is one of Hope Family Wines from Paso Robles, California. The wine is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Syrah; all from the Paso Robles AVA. The wine was aged in 10% new French and American Oak and 90% neutral French and American Oak barrels.

The wine was capped with a natural cork. It was decanted an hour before tasting.

The Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon is an extremely dark ruby color. It has aromas of blackberry, cherry, cassis, and black pepper. It has flavors of tart cherry, blackberry, vanilla and a slight hint of cinnamon.

This is a very good wine. At $16, it is a bargain for a wine of this quality.