Take Me to Church .....and pour me a wine so good it cracks the "Best of the Best"

Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

- Hozier

Take me to Church (and State)
I'll worship like a dog at your beautiful shrine
I'll tell you my sins so you can pour me your wine
Offer me your fantastic grapes
Good God, please give me more wine

 - Engemoen


My Grammy awaits.

My GOD, who will I take as my date to the Grammys?!! I could take my wife I suppose, but that's too predictable. I wonder what Taylor Swift is doing? EngeSwift? Hmm. Not bad,

Woah, hang on, I think I blacked out for a second there. OK back to reality. And back to wine.

Church & State 2014 Signature Series Merlot ($35.00)

Beautiful, intense aromas of black fruit, red cherry, mint, cold cuts and a touch of savory herbs. The palate is incredibly complex, incredibly rich, the tannins are incredibly smooth for a wine this young, the flavors of sweet cherry, baking spice, mocha, herbs and black fruit combine effortlessly. Finishes incredibly long. Did you notice how many times I said "incredibly" in this review? That wasn't an accident. Superb. At this price point, anyone who buys it should be led away in handcuffs. 95.


 That's the big one for today, but a few other nice wines to talk about, including another three from these guys:

Church & State 2015 Viognier ($25.00)

Strong notes of orchard fruits dominate the nose with pretty white flowers lingering in the background. The orchard fruit stays through the palate, joined by some sweet bread on the finish. Lovely. 89.







Church & State 2010 Gravelbourg Vineyard Chardonnay ($27.00)

Toasty oak and butterscotch with a bit of floral notes. Palate features some sweet hazelnut and butterscotch flavors. 89






Church & State 2011 Gravelbourg Vineyard Chardonnay ($27.00)

More floral and less buttery than the above. Palate still features some hazelnut and butterscotch flavors, with higher acidity. 88.








Black Hills 2016 Alibi ($24.90)

75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Semillon

Pineapple, lemon rind, tropical fruit and grassy notes on the nose. There is just a hint of spice that shows through, joining the tropical fruit and lemon. Still very young but showing a ton of promise. 88.



Quails' Gate 2012 The Boswell Syrah ($61.05)

Previously reviewed here not long after release. At the time I suggested we had opened it too early. The extra 18 months changed it a lot, but the improvement was minimal. The nose didn't change much, still strong hints of blackberry, coffee and spice. The palate was a whole new world, however, as the coffee flavors were incredibly prevalent. A tiny bit of tobacco showed up as well. 89

I have a couple more of these, we will see if further time in the bottle changes it again.


Next up: Next weekend, our next theme night as we tackle the food and wine of South Africa!

That's it for today, and I leave you with the video for the song that served as the inspiration for today's blog. WARNING: If you haven't seen this yet, it is controversial and a bit disturbing to say the least.

Next up: Next weekend, our next theme night as we tackle the food and wine of South Africa!