Chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon

For all of you Cabernet Sauvignon fans who keep asking us if we have a Cabernet...the answer is a resounding YES!

This Valentine's Day Weekend marks the first release of our 2007 3 Horse Ranch Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
Silky tannins and lush blackberry flavors express the finest characteristics of this famous variety. Showcasing perfectly ripe fruit in the mid-palate, deep ruby color and a long lingering finish, this wine is an excellent example of Idaho fruit. Great balance and structure create a multi-layered wine with rich spicy highlights and a remarkable soft finish.

So, bring your Valentine, or your best wine buddy, and come out to to 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards this weekend and sample some really luscious Cabernet, paired with a beautiful milk chocolate or dark chocolate truffle from Lee's Candies of Boise.

The 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards Tasting Room is open Thursday through Sunday 11:00am to 6:00pm. To Life!

Outstanding Blend: Estate Grown Viognier/Roussanne

Those who know me know that I love a delicious, dry, French style Rose' in the summer. I especially enjoy our Reserve Rose' made with a delicious blend of 82% Merlot and 18% Grenache grapes. The Merlot gives the rose'the courage to stand up to grilled summer fare like ribs or burgers, even tri-tip; the Grenache lightens the Rose with scents of fresh picked summer strawberries.

But I have to confess, I have a new favorite summer wine! It is the 2008 Estate Grown Viognier/Roussanne. This lovely wine is a classic Rhone Valley blend of two outstanding varietals, Viognier and Roussanne. The Viognier offers up the luscious aromas of fresh stone fruit, peaches, nectarines and apricots. The Roussanne complements the Viognier with a honeyed richness and crisp finish.

This wine is made from grapes grown organically here at 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards. It is our first venture into the world of white Rhone Valley blends. It is lovely with cooked shellfish (lobster, crab and shrimp), pasta cooked with garlic and olive oil, and roasted or grilled vegetables.

Come on out to the tasting room and give the Roussanne/Viognier blend a taste. I know it is sure to please and may become a new summer favorite!

Rose' a Knockout!

If you received our twitter yesterday, you know we started delivering the 2008 Reserve Rose' wine to the retailers and restaurants that preordered it. We couldn't resist so we had some with dinner last night. The color and clarity of the wine is beautiful. The nose comes right out of the glass as you raise it to your lips, and the flavor is that wonderful dry, crisp blend of strawberries and cherries that we came to love with the 2007 vintage.

The rose was one of my favorite summer wines last year, refreshing enough to enjoy with lunch on a hot summer day and as fashionable to drink as a great Bordeaux-style wine at dinner. Look for 3 Horse Ranch Rose' in your favorite wine shop or restaurant and start summer a little early!

Viognier is back, new Pinot Gris

These two lovely wines are now available.

2008 3 Horse Ranch Pinot Gris, Estate Grown
The first vintage of this delicate grape produced in a decidedly Alsatian style, this wine opens with intense aromas of orange, pineapples and grapefruit. It's lush almost fresh cut apple-like acidity shows well in the roundness at mid-palate. A wine that displays a complexity that captures the crispness of the fruit yet broadens to a soft lovely finish.

2008 3 Horse Ranch Viognier, Estate Grown
Last year's Viognier offered lovely aromas of white peach, apricot and honeysuckle with unctuous stone fruit flavors nicely balanced by soft acidity. Be one of the first to taste this year's release.

2008 white wines

We tasted our 2008 Estate grown wine on Tuesday. The is the first harvest of our certified organically grown grapes. All the work of the year culminating in a glass of wine! Coming to a wine glass near you...our 2008 Pinot Gris, Viognier, Roussanne and Roussanne/Viognier blend.

The Pinot Gris is a crisp, dry Alsatian sytle, delicious and ready for the holidays and beyond.

The Viognier bursts out of the glass with the aromas of summer, white peaches and apricots.

The Roussanne is more subtle, a honeyied richness that will age well.

Finally, the Viognier/Roussanne blend, a blend of the best of Viognier and Roussanne traits.

As we went from barrel to barrel, literally tasting the fruits of our labor, we were impressed by the quality of wine that came from the ranch terroir.

We'll have more offerings as they mature and are ready for bottling, for anyone who wants to know, the Rose is coming along beautifully!