I read somewhere that there are sommeliers who can taste a particular wine and determine not only the grape, vintage, and area, but also the personality of the winemaker.
My meager skills are nowhere close to that kind of artistry, but I’m becoming better at determining from what area a wine comes. For example: a Napa Cabernet is going to taste and smell a lot different than one from Australia; same grape, same process, but so many things factor into how a wine eventually tastes, what they call “terroir,” that no two wines ever taste exactly the same.
I bring this up because the second you open the Charles and Charles Post No. 35, you can tell it’s from Washington State. Washington is second to only California in U.S. wine production, and despite a reputation for cool, rainy conditions, the Columbia Valley is actually very dry, with more hours of sunlight during the peak of growing season than California. I have found Washington State red wines to have brighter fruit, and a bit more acidity than other regions. The Charles and Charles Post No. 35 is another very enjoyable Columbia Valley red.
I tasted the 2012, which is mostly Cabernet with about 25% Syrah. It’s lighter and softer than your typical Cab, so steak would probably overpower it, but by itself as a pleasant sipping wine, or with lighter fare, this would be a tasty choice.
This is a nicely balanced, medium-bodied red with subtle flavors of cherry and plum, not too sweet, and it gets 90 points from Wine Spectator. It’s a fantastic value for the price.
On my five cork scale based on taste and value, I give the Charles and Charles Post No. 35 Cabernet Syrah three corks!
