Washington State |
Dec. 27, 2007
Thanks to all for coming and participating in the tasting (especially Brad for his house and food, Brian for
Cheese, Kristin for the map and tasty salad, and Nigel for the great photo above) featuring the great
wines of Washington State! We had a great turn-out on this cold December evening in Seattle, but it was
well worth it. All of the wines showed very well (with the possible exception of the Chardonnay), and it
was amazing to take in an overview of really superb wines from this region. It seems Washington State
has really excelled and risen to "world class" level in the past several years. I could not imagine the
same across-the-board quality in Washington wines even 5 years ago. And after I visited Walla Walla
the next day and took in another 14 wineries and about 70 odd wines, I was very impressed with the
quality of so many different varietals and styles of wines. Needless to say, this tasting turned out to be
one of the livliest (and loudest) events in quite a while! Everyone really seemed to enjoy getting together
and tasting and learning more about the wines from their own state. A list of the wines from the event
follow, along with my comments, and as always, my notes and personal, subjective scores. Responses
and comments are welcome--just go back to the "past events page" to send a message.
Cheese, Kristin for the map and tasty salad, and Nigel for the great photo above) featuring the great
wines of Washington State! We had a great turn-out on this cold December evening in Seattle, but it was
well worth it. All of the wines showed very well (with the possible exception of the Chardonnay), and it
was amazing to take in an overview of really superb wines from this region. It seems Washington State
has really excelled and risen to "world class" level in the past several years. I could not imagine the
same across-the-board quality in Washington wines even 5 years ago. And after I visited Walla Walla
the next day and took in another 14 wineries and about 70 odd wines, I was very impressed with the
quality of so many different varietals and styles of wines. Needless to say, this tasting turned out to be
one of the livliest (and loudest) events in quite a while! Everyone really seemed to enjoy getting together
and tasting and learning more about the wines from their own state. A list of the wines from the event
follow, along with my comments, and as always, my notes and personal, subjective scores. Responses
and comments are welcome--just go back to the "past events page" to send a message.
Bergevin Lane, Viognier, Columbia Valley, 2006
Our first wine was a delightfully fruity viognier. It had notes of pear, tropical fruit, a little citrus, and a
touch of caramel, possibly from the fermentation in barrels. The mouth reminded me of a fruit salad,
and was clean with a nice persistent finish. I really liked this--it was sort of island-exotic, and a good
aperitif wine. Not bad for this Walla Walla winery whose first vintage was in 2003. My score: 89; Wine
Spectator: 91; $25.
Poet's Leap (Long Shadows), Rielsing, Columbia Valley, 2006
Also from Walla Walla, Long Shadows has a very unique model for a winery: it produces several wines,
each under completely different labels and names. Each bottling combines the best sources of fruit in
Washington with the help of a different famous wine-maker from world renowned wineries. Thus, a
Bordeaux type wine is made with the help of a great Bordeaux wine-maker/consultant from Bordeaux, a
"California Cab" style wine is made with the help from an iconic wine-maker from Napa, etc. This wine
was made with the help of Armand Diel--a famous wine-maker making some extremely good Rieslings
from Germany. Who has the clout to convince all these rather important persons in the wine world to
come all the way to Washington? The answer is Allen Shoup, the former head of Chateau Ste.
Michelle. This white was not as aromatic as the viognier, but possessed very nice minerally, earthy
tones, followed by pear, melon, litchee, and various tropical fruits. It had a medium-full body, but was
delicate with just a touch of sweetness, normal for a dry Riesling, and had great balance. This had the
lowest alcohol of all the wines at 12.9%. Definitely a well-made, classy white. Rieslings are great with
spicy Asian foods, meats with a little sweetness, and especially when any type of fruit sauce is used
(think pork chops and apple sauce). My score: 90; $20.
Dunham, Chardonnay, Lewis Estate Vineyard, Columbia Valley "Shirley Mays", 2005
This wine threw everybody for a loop. Definitely not in the main stream category of Chardonnays, I
smelled a sort of graham cracker character, followed by caramelized fruit and cake, then some melon. I
wasn't sure if this may have been a bit oxydized (by exposure to air some where along it's path). It
reminded me of a Chardonnay from Burgundy with it's slight "funky" nose. Anyway, the mouth was nice,
soft, and buttery. When I was in Walla Walla I was 5 minutes too late to stop by and re-taste this wine at
their tasting room to get a second opinion. I seem to think it was made in this unique style, though. Not
a bad wine, although it may take a little getting used to. My score: 88; $35.
Kiona, Lemberger, Red Mountain, 2005
I wanted to throw in a Lemberger because it's important in Washington viticulture. Washington has sort
of laid claim to this varietal in that it's the only place in the U.S. where it's grown, and produces a very
unique wine. They say you either love it or hate it. I thought it was fun to try something very different.
It possessed sort of spicy blackberry-cherry-red licorice flavors with maybe even a hint of clove in there.
I thought it was rather tart, though, with hardly any tannins. On the other hand, it's meant to be an
easy drinker, juicy, and certainly was! As an aside, Kiona, while not a great producer, was the first
winery to establish vineyards on Red Mountain in the '70's. Red Mountain is now one of the top regions
for Washington reds, especially Cabernet and Merlot.
Viento, Syrah, Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla, 2002
On to the Syrahs! While the wine says Walla Walla, the winery, like several others, is actually located in
Oregon. This Syrah show cases sweet, ripe berries such as blackberry, blueberry, and plum. Although
it was very dark purple, it was relatively fresh and fruity, with some berry pie flavors. I found it very easy
going for a compact fruity wine, very pure, but not that complex (but does every wine have to be to be
good?). For some reason it reminded me of blueberry pancakes. Delicious. My score: 90; $35.
Bunnell Family Cellars, Syrah, Boushey-McPherson Vineyards, Yakima Valley, 2005
Boushey vineyards is one of the great vineyards in Washington, and this wine proves it as far as I'm
concerned. The high elevation of Boushey produced a wine that has rich, dark cherry notes along with
chocolate. I also had visions of a couple old bricks squishing wild berries/blueberries and spices all
together until they squirted out all over the place with chunks of brick and brick dust in it. OK, not the
best visual, but still it had wonderful earth-mineral and spice notes mingled with dark fruit. The wine
was very well-balanced and seemed to speak of a certain place, unlike so many mass-produced
generic blended wines. This was my wine of the night, and also one of the top 100 in the Seattle Times
wine column. My score: 92; $37 (at Pete's for $32).
Owen Roe, Cabernet Franc, "Rosa Mystica", Columbia Valley, 2006
Here's another Oregon winery making many of their wines from WA fruit. Cabernet Franc is one of the
main grapes used in right bank Bordeaux wines (like St. Emilion and Pomerol) and has been really
taking hold in Washington. This is a beautiful and classic New World version of this wine. It showed
ripe blackberry, foresty notes, blueberry, wet earth, a hint of clove, plum, and even aromatic floral
notes. In the mouth it was silky, expansive, rich, but not heavy, with fine tannins. I thought it was dark,
complex, and fine. A lovely wine with exceptional character. My score: 91; WS: 91; $42.
Cadence, Red, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, 2005
This is a "Bordeaux Blend", or a mixture of grapes that are typically used in Bordeaux wines, including
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It was very aromatic and made me
think of dark musty cellars, and the smell of fresh leather, tobacco, plums, and earth. After that, a bowl
of cassis or black currants. Wow, a really great complex and pure "cabernet" nose. It was super silky in
the mouth, and the flavors were nicely concentrated. This was amazing start to finish, elegant despite
its power, and left me with a very long finish reminiscent of candied berries. All class and highly
recommended. Ciel du Cheval is another one of the top vineyards (in Red Mountain). My score: 92;
$40.
Januik, Cabernet Sauvignon, Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, 2005
The color of this wine was nearly opaque black with just a slight purple hue. That should give you some
indication of what was in store for your palate: Black earth, truffle notes, dry dirt, and just a smidgen of
musky-musk and meaty-meat. Not as aromatic as the Cadence, this wine drew from it's 100% Cabernet
Sauvignon character, and the land at the Champoux Vineyard, known to accentuate in its wines this
earthy character. The body was lush, powerful, and had a big mouthful of tannins. Not as exciting as
the Cadence, this is the "silent but strong" type and needs to age at least another 4 years in my
opinion. This was a joy to savor despite being too young. My score: 92; $50.
Our first wine was a delightfully fruity viognier. It had notes of pear, tropical fruit, a little citrus, and a
touch of caramel, possibly from the fermentation in barrels. The mouth reminded me of a fruit salad,
and was clean with a nice persistent finish. I really liked this--it was sort of island-exotic, and a good
aperitif wine. Not bad for this Walla Walla winery whose first vintage was in 2003. My score: 89; Wine
Spectator: 91; $25.
Poet's Leap (Long Shadows), Rielsing, Columbia Valley, 2006
Also from Walla Walla, Long Shadows has a very unique model for a winery: it produces several wines,
each under completely different labels and names. Each bottling combines the best sources of fruit in
Washington with the help of a different famous wine-maker from world renowned wineries. Thus, a
Bordeaux type wine is made with the help of a great Bordeaux wine-maker/consultant from Bordeaux, a
"California Cab" style wine is made with the help from an iconic wine-maker from Napa, etc. This wine
was made with the help of Armand Diel--a famous wine-maker making some extremely good Rieslings
from Germany. Who has the clout to convince all these rather important persons in the wine world to
come all the way to Washington? The answer is Allen Shoup, the former head of Chateau Ste.
Michelle. This white was not as aromatic as the viognier, but possessed very nice minerally, earthy
tones, followed by pear, melon, litchee, and various tropical fruits. It had a medium-full body, but was
delicate with just a touch of sweetness, normal for a dry Riesling, and had great balance. This had the
lowest alcohol of all the wines at 12.9%. Definitely a well-made, classy white. Rieslings are great with
spicy Asian foods, meats with a little sweetness, and especially when any type of fruit sauce is used
(think pork chops and apple sauce). My score: 90; $20.
Dunham, Chardonnay, Lewis Estate Vineyard, Columbia Valley "Shirley Mays", 2005
This wine threw everybody for a loop. Definitely not in the main stream category of Chardonnays, I
smelled a sort of graham cracker character, followed by caramelized fruit and cake, then some melon. I
wasn't sure if this may have been a bit oxydized (by exposure to air some where along it's path). It
reminded me of a Chardonnay from Burgundy with it's slight "funky" nose. Anyway, the mouth was nice,
soft, and buttery. When I was in Walla Walla I was 5 minutes too late to stop by and re-taste this wine at
their tasting room to get a second opinion. I seem to think it was made in this unique style, though. Not
a bad wine, although it may take a little getting used to. My score: 88; $35.
Kiona, Lemberger, Red Mountain, 2005
I wanted to throw in a Lemberger because it's important in Washington viticulture. Washington has sort
of laid claim to this varietal in that it's the only place in the U.S. where it's grown, and produces a very
unique wine. They say you either love it or hate it. I thought it was fun to try something very different.
It possessed sort of spicy blackberry-cherry-red licorice flavors with maybe even a hint of clove in there.
I thought it was rather tart, though, with hardly any tannins. On the other hand, it's meant to be an
easy drinker, juicy, and certainly was! As an aside, Kiona, while not a great producer, was the first
winery to establish vineyards on Red Mountain in the '70's. Red Mountain is now one of the top regions
for Washington reds, especially Cabernet and Merlot.
Viento, Syrah, Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla, 2002
On to the Syrahs! While the wine says Walla Walla, the winery, like several others, is actually located in
Oregon. This Syrah show cases sweet, ripe berries such as blackberry, blueberry, and plum. Although
it was very dark purple, it was relatively fresh and fruity, with some berry pie flavors. I found it very easy
going for a compact fruity wine, very pure, but not that complex (but does every wine have to be to be
good?). For some reason it reminded me of blueberry pancakes. Delicious. My score: 90; $35.
Bunnell Family Cellars, Syrah, Boushey-McPherson Vineyards, Yakima Valley, 2005
Boushey vineyards is one of the great vineyards in Washington, and this wine proves it as far as I'm
concerned. The high elevation of Boushey produced a wine that has rich, dark cherry notes along with
chocolate. I also had visions of a couple old bricks squishing wild berries/blueberries and spices all
together until they squirted out all over the place with chunks of brick and brick dust in it. OK, not the
best visual, but still it had wonderful earth-mineral and spice notes mingled with dark fruit. The wine
was very well-balanced and seemed to speak of a certain place, unlike so many mass-produced
generic blended wines. This was my wine of the night, and also one of the top 100 in the Seattle Times
wine column. My score: 92; $37 (at Pete's for $32).
Owen Roe, Cabernet Franc, "Rosa Mystica", Columbia Valley, 2006
Here's another Oregon winery making many of their wines from WA fruit. Cabernet Franc is one of the
main grapes used in right bank Bordeaux wines (like St. Emilion and Pomerol) and has been really
taking hold in Washington. This is a beautiful and classic New World version of this wine. It showed
ripe blackberry, foresty notes, blueberry, wet earth, a hint of clove, plum, and even aromatic floral
notes. In the mouth it was silky, expansive, rich, but not heavy, with fine tannins. I thought it was dark,
complex, and fine. A lovely wine with exceptional character. My score: 91; WS: 91; $42.
Cadence, Red, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, 2005
This is a "Bordeaux Blend", or a mixture of grapes that are typically used in Bordeaux wines, including
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It was very aromatic and made me
think of dark musty cellars, and the smell of fresh leather, tobacco, plums, and earth. After that, a bowl
of cassis or black currants. Wow, a really great complex and pure "cabernet" nose. It was super silky in
the mouth, and the flavors were nicely concentrated. This was amazing start to finish, elegant despite
its power, and left me with a very long finish reminiscent of candied berries. All class and highly
recommended. Ciel du Cheval is another one of the top vineyards (in Red Mountain). My score: 92;
$40.
Januik, Cabernet Sauvignon, Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, 2005
The color of this wine was nearly opaque black with just a slight purple hue. That should give you some
indication of what was in store for your palate: Black earth, truffle notes, dry dirt, and just a smidgen of
musky-musk and meaty-meat. Not as aromatic as the Cadence, this wine drew from it's 100% Cabernet
Sauvignon character, and the land at the Champoux Vineyard, known to accentuate in its wines this
earthy character. The body was lush, powerful, and had a big mouthful of tannins. Not as exciting as
the Cadence, this is the "silent but strong" type and needs to age at least another 4 years in my
opinion. This was a joy to savor despite being too young. My score: 92; $50.
