Details

From time to time, Lynn and I will drink European wines with meals or at group tastings. This gives us a respite from tasting and rating Washington Wines for the Review of Washington Wines. Here's what we've been drinking lately.

Bordeaux 

When it comes to French wines, our favorites are from Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, but we do make room for Bordeaux.

2012 Chateau Talbot, St. Julien ($67) - This Fourth Growth is a really classy Bordeaux. Deep colored, it showed rich aromas of dark fruits - cherries, plums and black currants - crushed roses, earth and tobacco. The flavors were deep and penetrating with a long finish. 19/20 points.

2012 Chateau Haut Bailly, Pessac Leognan ($82) -This  is another classically styled Bordeaux. It exhibited a deep ruby-garnet color and intense aromas of raspberry, cherry, cassis and plum with scents of dried roses, tobacco, cedar and truffles. The flavors showed classic Graves (gravel) character with a firm, focused, yet velvety character and a long, well defined finish, along with fine grained tannins. 19.5/20 points.

2010 Chateau La Vielle Cure, Fronsac ($38) - This Merlot dominated wine comes from the right bank of Bordeaux, adjacent to Pomerol. It showed a deep ruby color and ripe aromas of raspberries, cherries and plums. The flavors were deliciously supple, yet deep and focused with distinct ferruginous minerality. The back picked up semi dried berries and ripe tannins.

2010 Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion, Pessac-Leognan ($67) - This comes from a neighbor of the famous Haut Brion. It displayed a deep ruby color and a nose of dark cherries, plums and smoldering incense. The flavors were dense, yet supple, with distinct Graves minerality. The long finish showed fine "grip" (as the Brits say) of grainy tannins on the long, complex finish. 19+/20 points.

Burgundy

2012 Clos des Rocs Pouilly-Loché ($32) - I ran across this yesterday while reorganizing my wine collection and we had it with lunch. It showed a deep, brilliant gold color and distinct Chardonnay aromas of pear, peach and minerals. The sun drenched flavors were rich and distinct, with calcareous undertones. 18.5/20 points.

2012 Domaine Michel Gros Nuits-St.Georges ($74) - Medium brick red colored, this possessed earthy, intriguing aromas of blackberries, cherries and baked apples, and scents of crushed roses and tobacco. The flavors were medium bodied, but with distinct Pinot Noir assertiveness and a long, supple finish. 19/20 points.

2012 Domaine Chandon de Brialles Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru, Ile de Vergelesses ($69) - This came on like a classic Côte de Beaune Premier Cru, with heady aromas of smoke and earth and full, fleshy yet well delineated flavors and notes of chocolate, coffee and fine grained tannins. 19/20 points.

2013 Louis Jabot Santenay, Clos de Malte ($36) - Jadot has been one of our favorite grower-negotiants. This Burgundy from the southern end of the Côte de Beaune offered a medium brick red color and definite Pinot Noir character. The medium bodied flavors were supple, yet well defined, with coffee and earth notes and a moderate tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2013 Louis Jabot Pommard Les Rugiens, 1er Cru ($80) - This is as deliciously rich and plush as a Burgundy can get. Deep brick red colored, it emited aromas of wild cherries, plums, black currants, mulberry, tobacco, crushed roses and violets. The flavors were thick and meaty, with a long, complex finish. 19.5/20 points. 

Rhone Valley

2015 Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Blanc ($34) - Composed of Roussanne, this showed a brilliant gold color and an intriguing nose of pear, peach and anise, with distinct saline minerality and notes of herbal tea, peach stone and pear skin. 18.5/20 points.

2013 Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Rouge ($36) - Composed of Syrah, this displayed a ruby-garnet color and a smoky berried nose. The flavors were thick and chewy, with notes of forest carpet, roasted berries and nuts and mineraly earth, followed by a ripe, chewy moderate tannin finish. 18.5/20 points.

2013 Domaine de la Charbonnière Vaqueryas ($32) - This South Rhone red is 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. It showed a deep ruby color and a rich, smoky nose of wild fruits. The medium full-bodied flavors were dark fruited, with notes of French roast, earth and minerals. The wine kept on going on the back and finish, with firm, yet supple tannins. "Very French," said Lynn. 18.5+/20 points.

2012 Domaine Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape ($59) - From a top-notch producer, this showed a deep ruby color and intoxication aromas of blackberry, blueberry and cassis, with scents of crushed roses, earth and smoldering incense. The flavors were deep, mouth encompassing and marked by cocoa and French roast, followed by a long complex finish. 19/20 points.

2010 E. Guigal Côte Rotie, Brune et Blonde ($69) - This came on as a classic Côte Rotie with rich aromas and roasted slope earth and minerals, marked by notes of roasted coffee, toffee, creme de cassis and a long satiny tannin finish. 19/20 points. 

Spain

These wines came from Christopher Cannan's Europvin in Bordeaux, which I knew in the 1980's. He specializes in Spanish wines as well as French ones (including Michel Gros and Allain Graillot above).

2010 Cune Rioja Gran Reserva ($33) - Cune stands for Compania Vinicola del Norte d'Espagne. This showed a brilliant ruby-garnet color and a sensuous nose of barrel aged fruits,  straw and incense. The flavors were bold and taut, yet velvety, a fine rendition of classic Rioja with Tempranillo grape purity. 19/20 points.

2012 Serras del Priorat Viña Tinto ($32) - from the foothills of the Pyrenees, this Garnacha, Cariñena combination offered a deep ruby color and aromas of berries, crushed roses, tobacco and smoldering incense. The medium full-bodied flavors were marked by notes of roast coffee and pulverized minerals. 18.5/20 points.

2010 Font de la Figura Priorat ($40) - From the producer of the above wine, this is a Reserva from very old vines and all Garnacha. It showed a deep ruby color and intoxicating aromas of wild fruits - cherries, currants, black plums - with scents of dried orange peel, tobacco and smoke. The flavors were deep and penetrating, yet accessible, underlain with pulverized minerals. The pepper dusted finish was long and complex, with dry yet ripe tannins. 19+/20 points.

Details

In the December issue of the Review of Washington Wines there are thirty two 2014 red wines, of which sixteen scored 19/20 points and seven, 19.5/20 points. This is a clear indication that the 2014 vintage is turning out to be a great one for red wines. 

In Gramercy Cellars' Fall newsletter, Greg Harrington and Brandon Moss wrote: "We are ecstatic with the 2014 vintage. The wines are fresh, structured, and more complex than ever. The wines have a balance of fruit and earth that displays true elegance....We hope you enjoy the 2014 vintage as much as we enjoyed making them." (See the December issue for reviews of the Gramercy 2014 "The Deuce" Syrah and "Third Man" Red.)

I agree with Greg and Brandon that the 2014 vintage is one to be ecstatic about. In my Review Blog posting of 26 August, I wrote: "For the 2014 reds, the harvest was another early, warm one, with much of the picking completed by the end of September. The 2014's seem to be a bit more structured than the 2013's (also from a warm year), with more phenolics which result in more complex aromatics (perfumes, tobacco, incense, etc.). My recent tastings and notes on the 2014's bear this out. There will be more to come. The January 2017 issue will have at least 15 more 2014's, all outstanding. More later!

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish all of you a happy and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday tomorrow. Be sure to have plenty of Washington wines (or other American ones) to celebrate our country's bounty.

 

Details

I'm sure all of you have heard or read stories about wines that taste like they cost more than they do. Such as a $25 bottle that tastes like a $50 wine. I From my tasting experience, I have found that to be true sometimes. And I have run across overpriced wines. But I have found most wines to be quantitatively in line with their prices.

To test this theory, I put on a blind tasting of three Washington Syrahs, one costing $25, one $55 and one $85 at the last PAWS (Perfectly Aged Wine Sippers, a seniors tasting group) get-together which Lynn and I hosted. Tasters were asked to rank the wines, all from the same vintage, in order of quality. First for the best wine, and so on. Here are the results, in order of ranking.

2013 Reynvaan Family Vineyards "The Contender" Syrah, Walla Walla Valley ($85) - Ten out of fourteen participants ranked this the highest. I found it to be a rich, aromatic (truffles, lavender, violets), earthy, complex Syrah with a long finish. My score: 19.5/20 points. So here, you get what you pay for.

2013 L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah, Columbia Valley ($25) - This was a surprise second place (eight out of fourteen), an attractively priced Syrah with considerable balance, depth and varietal character. My score, 19/20 points. 

2013 Long Shadows "Sequel" Syrah, Columbia Valley ($55) - If there was a direct correlation between price and quality, this should have been in second place (six did rank it second). I found it varietally correct, complex, but not highly so. 18.5/20 points.

I think the Sequel's placing third could be explained by its underdevelopment. In retesting it, I found it a bit closed in, without a lot of nuances. With a few more years aging, it will develop more complexity. The L'Ecole represents great value, but is nearly ready now and may not develop much more complexity.

This was an interesting exercise that, I think, shows that you do get what you pay for in wine to a considerable extent, but not completely so. 

At the PAWS get-together, some more bottles were opened after the tasting. Here are the most noteworthy wines.

2012 No Girls Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, La Paciencia Vineyard - Made by Cayuse assistant winemaker, Elizabeth Bouncier, this was classic "Rocks" Syrah, rich, earthy and minerals, with notes of truffles, dried roses and dark fruits. 19+/20 points.

2012 Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape - This Grenache-dominated Rhone was lovely, yet solid and vigorous, with thick, lavish red and blue fruits and a long, complex finish. 19+/20 points.

2010 Coté Nicault Red Wine, Wahluke Slope - Gilles Nicault's Rhone-style Mourvèdre-Syrah-Grenache blend was rich and flavorful, with lots of texture and spicy black and blue fruits and a long finish. 19+/20 points.

2010 E. Guigal Côte Rôtie, Brune et Blonde - A superb rendition of this North Rhone Appellation, from high terraced vineyards, this showed great depth and authority. 19+/20 points.

 

 

Details

November 4-6 was Fall Release Weekend in the Walla Walla Valley. This year, our focus was on wineries that are open for special events such as this one. Here's what we did that weekend. 

On Friday morning, November 4th, we went to the Reynvaan Family Vineyards at the end of Cottonwood Road in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. As usual, most of the family was on hand - Mike and Gale, winemaker son, Matt, and daughter Angela and numerous sisters and in-laws. We tasted samples of the 2015 vintage, to be released in 2018. It is a stellar vintage, with scores of 19.5 to 20/20 points. A preview report will be in the January 2017 issue of the Review of Washington Wines. 

In the afternoon, we went to Long Shadows to taste the newly released 2014 reds. They are among the best wines ever turned out by Long Shadows. Across the board, they were 19.5/20 points wines. Kudos to Gilles Nicault for coordinating the production of such stellar wines. Reviews will be in the December issue which goes on line November 23. Then we went to Woodward Canyon where we tasted the 2013 Estate Reserve Red and 2013 Charbonneau, to be reviewed in January. 

The next morning, Saturday the 5th, I went to Rasa Vineyards on Powerline Road. I tasted the outstanding 2013's - Plus One Cabernet Sauvignon, Creative Impulse Cabernet-Merlot, and In order to form a more perfect union BDX blend, all to be reviewed in January. In the afternoon, we stopped at Walla Walla Gourmet to sample the Proper 2014 Syrah from the "Rocks," a 19.5/20 points wine to be reviewed in January. Then we went to The Walls Vineyards where we tasted the newly released 2014's, Lip Stinger Grenache Blanc, Cheys Syrah, Gasparts Syrah, and The Ramparts GSM Red. They will be in the December issue. In the evening, we went to Corliss' annual open house where we sampled the 2011 Corliss Red (to be reviewed December) and upcoming vintages.

Watch for the December and January issues for full reviews!

Details

The 2016 wine grape harvest in Washington State is pretty much wrapped up. Rains in late October prompted winegrowers and wineries to pick up the remainder of the harvest, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (luckily, most of that had already been picked). By various estimates, the crop is 5 to 10 percent above normal, mainly due to larger grape clusters, which means more volume. Quality, overall, is good, especially for the earlier ripening varieties. More definitive qualitative assessments will occur over the coming months as winemakers check the progress of the wines through the fermentations (primary and malolactic). Winemakers are optimistic. But more later!

Fall Release Weekend in Walla Walla is Coming Up

This year, Fall Release Weekend in the Walla Walla Valley is this weekend, November 4-6. In the 18 October Review of Washington Wines Blog, I listed a number of wineries especially worth visiting. Here are a few more additions.

Sleight of Hand Cellars - On Sunday morning, I  tasted some outstanding 2014 reds - The Sorcerer Grenache, Levitation Syrah and Psychedelic Stoney Vine Syrah, all 19+ to 19.5 points. Reviews to be in the December issue, going on line November 23.

Tranche Cellars - For Fall, Tranche released a superb 2013 Chardonnay from the Celilo Vineyard in the Columbia Gorge. It was my highest scoring Chardonnay in the Seattle Magazine Wine Awards Judging back in March. A full review will be in the December issue. Some highly impressive 2012 reds - Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon - will be in the January issue. 

Proper Winery - This winery has gotten 90 plus points scores every vintage since the inaugural 2009. The 2013 will be poured at Walla Walla Gourmet (formerly Salumerie Cesario) on Saturday from 1 to 5.

Gramercy Cellars - This morning, I tasted two stellar 2014 reds, The Third Man Grenache and The Deuce Syrah, 19+ and 19.5, respectively. Reviews will be in the December issue. Also outstanding are two 2013's, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon to be reviewed January.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Visiting Olympic Peninsula Wineries
  2. The Re-emergence of Site Specific Chardonnay
  3. Harvest Update and Walla Walla Fall Release Weekend
  4. Walla Walla Fall Harvest Events