Layer Cake 2006 Shiraz

*Bottle #2: Layer Cake Barossa Valley 2006 Shiraz 

*Price: $16

*Running Tab: $28

I found this little number at the trendy deep south Seattle Verve Wine Bar and Cellar. Kate, the sommelier and co-owner, coaxed me with promises of confections and a picture of a cake on the label. Yup, proud owner of a sweet tooth. 

Kudos to the winemaker and his story on the back of the label detailing his grandfather's love of wine as a layered cake. "The cake with fruit, mocha and chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich,"reflects the winemaker of his patriarch. 

My impressions of the shiraz were just a bit let down after reading the passionate description a la connoisseur. I'm pinpointing the bottle, at a 2006 vintage, was a little too young and with a lackluster richness that Grandpa Layer Cake was shooting for. However, I found the wine to have a lovely bouquet... You know, it smelt awesome. I swear, I could detect multiple things in the glass, none of which I could really put my finger on until tasting...

I took a wine class a couple weeks ago and the sommelier told us a wine's taste is however you personally find it. So I'm slowly learning how to cook (as in not from a cookbook) and I'm pretty sure I found some nutmeg in this guy. Plum was the most distinct flavor I got with the tannins and the fruit holding a solid balance, which was surprising for me because I thought it'd be more tannic, being a shiraz. Still, no mouth drying or bitterness that I usually gain from tannic, fuller bodied wines. 

Overall, I found the Layer Cake to be very cutting edge. The label was intriguing and Kate whistled my tune in her romance of the wine. The bottle did not go wasted nor was it a buzz not worth the while but I'll be over it by next week. 

Score: 5.

Silver Lake 2003 Reserve Merlot

*Bottle #1: Silver Lake Columbia Valley 2003 Reserve Merlot

*Price: $12

*Running Tab: $12

Regarding my numero uno blog review, I wanted to take a somewhat easy spin on my joyride of wine tasting so I went on what I thought was the plateau of red wines. I chose the Silver Lake Columbia Valley 2003 Reserve Merlot. This is a local for a Seattlelite such as myself and taking a road much traveled for me east of the mountains was a safe bet for this premiere. 

The Silver Lake 2003 Reserve Merlot bottle is right in my target price range and I've been to both the vineyard in Zillah, WA and the winery in Woodinville, WA - the two wine meccas of Washington state. The taste was familiar. 

I poured, swirled and spilt on my couch. Jamming the glass gracefully into my nose, I smelt bold, dark fruit aromas - like black cherries, a delicacy of Columbia Valley in early summer. Tasting the wine, I found a hint of oak (the merlot grape was aged for 28 months in oak barrels) in my sip as well as full-bodied fruit and a pinch of honey cloves. As I expected with a middle-grade intensity red wine, the Silver Lake Reserve Merlot had a harmonious balance of fruit and tannin. I found it soft, velvety and definitely ready to drink. 

I'm far from being a pairing-specialist but I thought this wine, since it was so balanced, would match awesomely with a strong cheese like brie or gouda and crackers. I tested and thought it paired swimmingly. I also did a test-run with chocolate chip cookies that passed with flying colors as well...

I'm not sure if this is a good note for the wine, but I liked it much more with my second glass.

Since this was my first review, I don't want to give too high of a rating on this bottle but I have no intention of discrediting the wine... 

Score: 6.5.

Cheers.