Harvest 2015 Update

The 2015 Washington wine grape harvest may be one for the records: the earliest ever, and of high quality. Quantity looks to be less than last year's. Generally, hot summers (such as 2000 and 2003) lead to higher alcohol, lower acid wines, but amazingly enough the grapes came in with fine balance, with moderate alcohol and good acidiity. Temperatures currently are in the 80's to low 90's, meaning the remaining grapes to be harvested, can continue to develop evenly.

Kerloo Cellars Hosts an Industry Party

Last night (September 9) Ryan Crane hosted a party for wine industry friends. His first vintage was the 2007, and the inaugaural release event was at Va Piano (at which he was assistant winemaker at the time). Since that tine, Ryan has achieved an admirable track recored with his wines. The mainstays have been the Syrahs from the Va Piano and Les Collines vineyards, along with Tempranillo, Malbec, and occasional other varieties.

At the Industry Party, Ryan poured six library wines. Here are my notes.

2009 Tempranillo, Columbia Valley - Sourced from the Stone Tree (Wahluke Slope) and Les Collines (Walla Walla Valley) this showed a brilliant ruby color and perfumed aromas of raspberries, cherries, violets and white pepper. The flavors were deep and forceful, yet elegant, underlain with notes of minerals, coffee and burnt charcoal, followed by a lingering, dryish finish. 19/20 points.

2009 Les Collines Vineyard Syrah - Deep ruby colored, this offered a lovely nose of raspberry and cassis, with scents of sweet roses, mulberry, violets and spiced incense. The supple, generous flavors spread out on the palate, with intermixtures of cocoa, coffee and Les Collines loess, and then glided into a rich, savory, smooth tannin finish. 19+/20 points.

2012 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, Blue Mountain Vineyard - This was a Calling Club release. It showed an alluring nose of blackberry, cherry, cassis, crushed roses, black tobacco and violets. The sturdy flavors were marked by notes of dark chocolate, French roast and minerals, followed by roasted berries and nuts and a rich, satiny moderate tannin finish. 19/20 points.

2009 Malbec, Yakima Valley, Chelle den Millie Vineyard - Opaque colored, like the "black wine" of Cahors, this emited intense aromas of wild blackberries, black cherries and plums with scents of black roses and violets. The flavors were dark and saturated, with black chocolate, minerals, roasted berries and nuts, followed by a long, tasty finish. 19+/20 points.

2010 Malbec, Wahluke Slope, Stone Tree Vineyard - Inky colored, thos possessed an intense, spicy nose of black currants, black plums, incense and black violets. The flavors were composed of deep dark fruits, marked by notes of dark chocolate, licorice and Wahluke scorched earth. The intensity contined on the back with roasted berries and nuts, mocha and a ripe, intense finish. 19+/20 points.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Bacchus Vineyard - This showed a deep ruby color and a classic Bacchus nose of blackberries, huckleberries, black plums, crushed roses and incense. The flavors showed a velvety, yet vigorous character (also a trait of Bacchus Cab), marked by licorice, French roast and pulverized minerals, followed by a long, forceful finish. 19/20 points.

For current Kerloo Cellars releases, see the April and August issues of the Review of Washington Wines.

No Review Blog Next Week

Tomorrow morning, we will be leaving Walla Walla for a trip to Upstate New York, returning on the 23rd. The next Review Blog will go on line September 25th, along with the October issue of the Review of Washington Wines.