These were the memorable wines from Happy Hour at a friend's home yesterday:
2016 Terra Blanca Signature Series - Batholith Red Mountain Red Bordeaux Blend
First time with this wine, very impressed. Red Mountain fruit, more red than black, classic and pristeen, velveteen mouthfeel with no apparent oak. Overall in the same lane as the '08 Quilceda Creek we opened a week ago. Excellent.
2016 Chateau Ste. Michelle Artist Series Red Wine Columbia Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Been a long time since I've had an Artist Series, and in between I've had way too many overly sweet, over malo-d CSM reds such that I forgot that excellent, well-made reds like this were even possible from this winery. Though still layered with oak and showing more in the direction of Walla Walla than the Red Mountain wine above, it was deep and balanced with tobacco, earth, tangy blackberry fruit, and an excellent long finish.
2019 Boen Wines Chardonnay Tri-Appellation California
I tasted this a year ago and found it overly sweet and a tad goopy, but this weekend it showed as very complex and balanced. In fact, surprisingly good for an affordable-class California Chardonnay.
2019 Succession Wines Merlot Oscar Famiglia Family Vineyards Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley
Thin and raspy compared to the expections based on Washington merlots in general and what I recall tasting and loving at the winery, though likely a different vintage.
With chicken cacciatore at home on Saturday night:
2013 Podere La Cappella Corbezzolo Toscana IGT Sangiovese
Like this a lot. The other reviewer captured it well--it's in a sweet spot between modern and traditional--but four years later it's of course a lot more integrated with stylish sweetness and only a hint of secondary development. Delish.