2 Cabernet Sauvignons From Sawtooth Winery

This weeks coverage of Sawtooth Winerycomes to a close with today's offerings. I'm taking a look at 2 Cabernet Sauvignons from different vintages and in different tiers at Sawtooth Winery. The first in their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from their main tier of wines. This selection is 77% Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Merlot, 7% Petite Verdot, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc making up the balance. 1,350 cases of this wine were produced and it retails for $14.99.

Violets, dark berry fruit and a persistent cedar aroma make up this wines nose. Taking the first sip I was struck by an abundance of sweet rich berry fruit. A bit of tartness appears at first and decanting this wine is recommended. After it had a chance to breathe and open up it displayed silky smooth character throughout while maintaining a good tannin structure. Spice notes and earthiness populate the medium length finish.

Having all 5 Bordeaux varietals helps create a balanced wine that has good complexity for it's price point.

The second wine is Sawtooth's2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This one is also a blend of all 5 Bordeaux varietals. 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% Malbec make up the reserves blend. Only 150 cases of this offering were produced and the suggested retail price is $24.99.

More so than the 2005 even, this reserve Cabernet Sauvignon requires decanting. An hour really does the trick and allows the wine to shine. Loads of cherry notes and an undercurrent of spice dominate both the nose and the palate of this wine. The mid-plate is rich, fruity and mouth filling. This wine is well balanced throughout displaying structure, complexity and a persistent intensity. The reserve Cabernet Sauvignon has an excellent finish full of vanilla, white pepper and nutmeg with subtle mocha notes underpinning them all. A wine like this deserves to be paired with a steak or other substantial meal.

After it was open a full 24 hours I retasted the reserve Cabernet and it was still holding strong, perhaps drinking even better than it had the previous day.

The 2 Cabernet Sauvingons from Sawtooth Winery are quite distinct. The 2005 is a solid wine, with good value in it's price category. It offers solid varietal character and is a good bet for a solid Cabernet affordable enough to drink everyday. The 2004 Reserve at a higher price point is still a good value as it offers even more character and complexity. It's also likely to improve in the bottle over the next 5 or so years.

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Sawtooth Winery - 2004 Tempranillo

The third wine up from Sawtooth Winery is a Tempranillo. For those unfamiliar this grape is most often found in the Rioja region of Span. This is not only my favorite region for Spanish wine, but also one of my favorite wine regions in the world. Over the years I've sampled Tempranillo from other areas of the world with mixed results. Most often the wines produced from Tempranillo outside of Spain are in sharp contrast to the ones emerging from this grapes native home. So when I had the chance to taste a Tempranillo from Idaho, I was curious, to say the least. Having enjoyed the previous Sawtooth offerings I've run through this week, my anticipation for the Tempranillo increased. The 2004 Tempranillo from Sawtooth Winery is one of their smaller productions. Only 140 cases of this wine were produced in what was only their second vintage for Tempranillo. The Retail price is $18.99. This wine is finished with a natural cork closure.

The Sawtooth 2004 Tempranillo has an appealing nose of plum and violets, underscored by subtle spice notes. The palate of this wine is rich with cherries from the first sip you take through to the finish, which is full of spice notes that kick in about midway through. Some earthiness and mushroom notes also emerge at the end as the wine opens up after time in the glass. This Tempranillo is gentle smooth and layered. It is made in the same style that Tempranillo is made in its native Rioja. This wine will be a great match for Paella or medium strength cheeses. Manchego would be a natural and perfect match.

What I like most about the Sawtooth Tempranillo is that It's the type of wine I could sip all day. It's full favored, with nice complexity but never tires the palate by being over the top as so many other Tempranillos made outside of Spain tend to be in my experience. Another well balanced and food friendly wine from Sawtooth Winery.

Up Next: 2 Cabernet Sauvignons from Sawtooth Winery.

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Sawtooth Winery - 2006 Reserve Chardonnay

Sawtooth Winery makes a broad range of wines. Most are varietally labeled wines, though they do produce a blend called Skyline Red. In addition to dry table wines, Sawtooth also makes several dessert wines. The selection I'm going to look at today is from their reserve line. The 2006 Reserve Chardonnay was aged in small oak barrels for 6 months. Fruit was sourced from Sawtooth Vineyard. Alcohol is 13.5%, which is modest for a New World Chardonnay.  Only 140 cases of this wine were produced. The retail price is $14.99.

Mango, pineapple and vanilla dominate the nose of this Chardonnay. This wine has a rich found mouth feel full of intense fruit flavor. It's big, bright and the fruit just explodes forth from the glass. The oak treatment is evident but never detracts from the fruit. The finish is impressive in length with lingering vanilla and nutmeg spice notes. For a Chardonnay this wine will match up with fairly rich cuisine. Mushroom Ravioli with Pecorino Romano Cream sauce comes to mind, as does Chicken Pot Pie.

Chardonnay is one of the varietals I can personally be the most finicky about. There is so much of it out there in general that it's often hard to weed through and find exciting or even examples. It's even more difficult to find Chardonnay I like for a good price. At $14.99 I think the Sawtooth Reserve Chardonnay is an absolute steal. It explodes with fruit flavor and has enough oak on it to provide a nice level of complexity. As indicated this is a small production, if you like rich, fruit driven Chardonnay, grab this while it's available. This is another reasonably priced, full flavored offering from Sawtooth Winery.

Up Next: A look at Sawtooth Winery's Tempranillo.

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Sawtooth Winery - 2005 Syrah

After spending the last few weeks looking at all California Wines, from Petite Sirah to Charbono it's time to take some time away from California. Sawooth Winery will be my focus for the next few days as I take a look at a handful of their releases. Sawtooth is an Idaho Winery that opened their doors 20 year ago as Pintler Cellars. The lands their vines are planted on now were in winemaker Brad Pintler's family previously as pastures farmed by his father. The Idaho wine industry is growing at a rapid rate, close to 20% each year. As the 2^nd largest producer in the state, Sawtooth is helping to lead the charge. Just over a year ago "Snake River Valley" became Idaho's first AVA, an important designation that an area needs to be on equal footing with established and better-known regions of the world.

The first wine from Sawtooth WineryI'm looking at is a 2005 Syrah. 84% of the wine is varietal withCinsault (7%), Mouvedre (7%) and Grenache (1%) making up the balance. The wine spent approximately 15 months in small oak barrels. 1,600 cases of this Syrah were produced. It's finished with a screw top closure and the suggested retail price is $12.99.

Light and dark plum notes as well as underlying vanilla characteristics make up the inviting nose of this wine. Loads of spice character, including both black and white pepper dominate the palate of this wine along with raspberry notes aplenty. The mid-palate is rich with firm tannins. Cherry and earth notes come out in the finish. This wine is fruit forward with good acidity and a nice balance. It drinks easily on it's own but will pair well with many foods. Just about anything grilled will work very terrifically.

What impressed me most about this wine is how smooth it is out of the bottle. With some time to breathe more complexity emerge to be sure. But from the outset this wine goes down easily with no rough edges to speak of. That said it's structured and complex enough to be interesting. It's closer in style to an old world Syrah. My best is it has at least 5 years of positive evolution ahead of it. For $12.99 though, you're not going to hesitate to crack this one open, whether it's to accompany a burger or to sip on your porch all by itself. Definitely recommended.

Coming Up: A Limited Production Chardonnay From Sawtooth Winery.

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