A few days ago, I received the following message from one of my Walla Walla wine tasting friends who had been to an informal tasting (I was in Seattle at the time):

"Were your ears burning last night? At our impromptu gathering, we were just talking about your tasting notes & how right on target they are."

 

I get a lot of feedback from winemakers about my descriptions of their wines. Before wrapping up an issue of my Review of Washington Wines, I email copy to the winemakers, to check for factual accuracy. I generally get thanked for my write-ups. The usual comment is "looks great." But I do get some interesting comments. Here is a sampling:

 

"Your descriptive language is very precise, while maintaining a poetic cadence."

"Excellent work."

"Your review is lovely..."

"Sounds fantastic to me. I'm going to pour myself a glass."

"We appreciate your insight and thoughts."

"Nice descriptions..."

"These are beautiful reviews...'pain grille' is so accurate."

"I think these are very gracious reviews."

"They are accurate descriptions of the wines, as well as complimentary."

"I love the 'dried roses' note...we were just discussing descriptions for the floral notes in this blend."

"Your write-up, I think captures the distinctiveness of the varietal, the growing site and the vintage..."

"I would LOVE to be able to peel off descriptions like you do, Rand. Amazing."

"It's beautiful, Rand. It's like reading poetry, we are honored."

 

When I write reviews of wines, I try to be as precise as I can. My descriptions are always complimentary, because I only review wines that are interesting and complex enough to be recommended. If a wine doesn't meet my standards (generally scoring 18/20 or more points, unless it's a "value" wine), I don't write about it. Also, in order to be a "complete" wine, it needs to have a beginning (nose/aromas), middle (palate/mouthfeel), back (inner aromas/flavors), and finish (acids/tannins). My descriptions encompass these sensory characteristics. If a wine is like poetry, I try to convey that sense.

 

A Couple of Great Values from Hestia Cellars

 

Back in June, when visiting wineries in Woodinville, I stopped in the Hestia Cellars tasting room and sampled Shannon Jones' new 2010 Chenin Blanc. I have just learned that it is sold out at the tasting room, but there is some still available in retail shops, including Esquin. At Esquin, I also picked up a tasty 2008 Red blend. Here are my reviews:

 

2010 Hestia Cellars Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley ($15)

Shannon Jones makes a top notch Chenin, a highly under-rated variety. This version offers a brilliant gold color, an enticing nose of pear, nectarine, melon, lilac and honeysuckle. The white fruit compote flavors are rich and generous, with tones of stony minerals, grape extracts, and a touch of lees, followed by a lingering citrus-tinged finish. 18/20 points.

 

2008 Hestia Cellars Red, Columbia Valley ($18)

This is a thick, savory blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Dark purplish colored, it shows a smoky, sultry nose of blackberry, black cherry, plum, tobacco, oriental spices and dried roses. The palate is loaded with ripe dark fruit flavors that are intermixed with licorice, chocolate and scorched earth. The back picks up macerated berries, cherry liqueur and mocha on the way to a warm, sweetish tannin finish. Packs a lot of flavor for the price. 18/20 points.