Downtown Walla Walla Tasting Room Moves

The changes in wine tasting room locales in Walla Walla has been like a game of musical chairs. Here are the recent moves.

Lagana Cellars - Jason Fox and Todd Bernave's winery has moved its tasting room around the corner from Rose Street to South Second Avenue, taking the location vacated by Kerloo Cellars which has moved all its operations to Seattle's SODO district.

Spring Valley Vineyards - This winery is moving its tasting room to the corner of South Second and Rose, where the Gino Cuneo and Côte Ciel was located. The balcony loft (formerly an artist studio) will be turned into a tasting lounge.

G. Cuneo Cellars & Côte Ciel - Gino Cuneo and Michael Holmes (Côte Ciel) will share the space previously held by Spring Valley. Remodeling is under way and the new location will be opened this Spring. 

Spring Coming in Walla Walla?

Last week, I reported on the unusually mild January and cold, snowy February. As of this writing, it is 36 degrees outside, with an expected high of 40. Snow has been melting slowly and refreezing at night, making driveways icy and hard to get in and out of. There'll be a warming trend into the upper 40s at the end of this week. The end of Winter is in sight, but will it be in time for the official beginning of Spring? We'll' see.

More Wines Recently Tasted

Below are some noteworthy wines we've tasted recently. from my wine collection reorganization. 

2016 Domaine Gerard Thomas Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru, La Garenne ($41.99 - Total Wine) - This is relatively affordable for a Premier Cru White Burgundy. It offers a brilliant gold color and a lovely perfumed nose of Bosc pear, white peach, citrus, pear tree blossoms, acacia flowers and white incense. The palate is filled with copious white fruits and the back picks up poire William and pêche liqueurs and granitic minerals followed by a long finish. "That's the way a Chardonnay should be, with mouth feel," says Lynn. 19/20 points.

2015 J.J. Vincent Julienas ($21.99 - Wine.com) - One of the more robust Crus of Beaujolais, this offers a deep ruby color and a rich, smoky nose of wild raspberries, plums and black currants, with scents of crushed roses, mulberry, tobacco and incense. The flavors are thick and fleshy, with notes of licorice, cocoa, roasted coffee beans and wood smoke. The chewy textured back picks up macerated berries, roasted nuts and framboise and creme de cassis liqueurs, followed by a grainy ripe tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc ($39.99 - Wine,com) - Little white wine is produced in Chateauneuf du Pape, but this one is worth looking for. It shows a brilliant gold color and exotic aromas of Asian pear-apple, peach, Crenshaw melon, honeysuckle, anise and clover. The flavors are full bodied and penetrating, with notes of pear skin, peach stone and mas (cobblestone) minerals. The intensity continues on the back with poire and pêche liqueurs and melon rind, followed by a persistently minerally dry but unaustere finish. 19/20 points.

2012 DeLille Cellars "D2" Red Wine, Columbia Valley - I picked this up a few years ago at a tasting with Jason Gorski. It takes its name from the Route D2 in the Bordeaux Medoc. It is drinking nicely now, showing a deep ruby color and a bouquet of semi-dried fruits - raspberries, cherries, plums - crushed rose, tobacco and incense. The flavors are rich and smooth, yet vigorous, with notes of licorice, cocoa and alluvial earth. The back picks up macerated berries, roasted nuts, mocha and toasty oak (100% new) followed by a lingering savory finish, with the tannins rounding out. 19/20 points.