Late Summer Activities in Walla Walla
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- Written by Rand Sealey
In Walla Walla, there is no dearth of things to go wine-wise or otherwise. Here are some of the things we did during the past few weeks, not in any partcular order.
Had Lunch at Woodward Canyon and a Tasting at Long Shadows - The last two weekends, we had lunch at Woodward Canyon's Reserve House where meals are prepared with fresh ingredients from the winery's Lazy S Arrow Produce. We also tasted the winery's new releases which are reviewed in the September issue of the Review of Washington Wines. Last Sunday, after lunch, we had a tasting at Long Shadows' Chihuly Room where we tasted the '13 Poet's Leap, '12 Saggi, '11 Chester Kidder, and Sequel, which will be in the October issue.
Played Pétanque - This is a sport, akin to bocce, played with steel balls (boules) in teams which score porints by getting their boules closest to a marker thrown on the gravel court or by knocking a competitor's ball out. This is a fun sport, and the Walla Walla Pétanque Club meets weekly.
Drank Rosé Wines - On some of our winery visits, we picked up some very nice rosé wines that will make for enjoyable late summer drinking. Here are three new ones.
2013 Bunchgrass Winery Grenache Rosé, Walla Walla Valley ($22) - Sourced from the Nostra Terra Vineyard, this rosé offers a light copper color and intriguing aromas of peach, apricot, cantaloupe, mandarin orange peel, marigolds and spiced incense. The exoticism continues on the palate with sensations of yellow fruits intermixed with grape skin, peach stone and gravelly minerals. The back picks up touches of melon rind, toasted hazelnuts, orange custard, and light spices on the lingering dry finish. 18.5/20 points.
2013 G. Cuneo Cellars "Rosato" Dry Rosé Wine, Columbia Valley ($18) - Mostly Sangiovese, with a bit of Barbera and Nebbiolo, this rosé shows a brilliant orangish pink color and inviting aromas of raspberry, cherry, cranberry, red roses abd sweet pea blossoms. The flavors are fresh and lively, well extracted, yet restrained, picking up notes of squeezed cherries and cranberries, and melon rind on the lingering, dry finish. 18/20 points.
2013 DaMa Cellars Rosé of Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge ($30) - This one displays a brilliant orangish-pink color and attractive aromas of strawberry, Rainier cherry, and red currants, with scents of dried orange peel, and wildflowers. The flavors are bright and lively, with juicy summer fruits intermingled with grape skin and volcanic minerals, followed by a lingering, faintly honeyed dry finish. Reminscent of a Bourgogne Rosé de Marsannay. Only a couple of cases remain of this wine. 18.5/20 points.
Attended the Waters / Flying Trout Industry Party - On Monday, August 25th, Doug Roskelley, Ashley Trout, and Michael Mettler (the events marketing maestro) hosted a party for wine industry friends at the new production facility just below Amavi Cellars on Peppers Bridge Road. This new facility will enable the winery to bypass roadblocks that hinder cross-state operations such as those of Tero Estates and Flying Trout.
Planned a Trip to France - In October, Lynn and I will be flying to France to reconnect with friends near Paris and in Burgundy, whom we have not seen since the year 2000. So we've booked our flight, our rental car and made hotel reservations for what promises to be a memorable trip. I will be reporting on highlights of this trip upon our return.
Tasted Viognier Wines with PAWS - On Friday, August 23rd, we joined the others in the Perfectly Aged Wine Sippers group at the home of Pam and Ray Good, for a tasting of Viognier wines. A thunderstorm dampened the occasion which was moved indoors. Otherwise, it was a fun event, accompanied by delectable appetizers brought by participants. The top three wines, with my scores, were:
2012 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Viognier, Walla Walla Valley - Brilliant gold colored, this had a seductive nose of pear, peach, apricot and white incense (although I detected a bit of burnt grape skin) with lots of minerally "Rocks" flavor and a long, full finish. 19/20 points.
2013 àMaurice Cellars "Sparrow" Viognier, Walla Walla Valley - This showed wonderful varietal purity. Seductive white fruit aromas and scents of honeysuckke, white incense and wet stone, and elegant, precise flavors from beginning to end. Interestingly, the Sparrow appeared twice in this tasting. I scored one bottle 19.5/20 points, the other 19/20 points.
2011 Domaine Niero "Chéry" Condrieu Blanc - Condrieu in the North Rhone Valley is where Viognier originates. This one showed classic, pure Viognier aromas and flavors. Pear, peach, apricot, white lilac and white incense, with intense, minerally flavors that persist on the long, long finish. 19.5/20 points.
Had Lunches with Friends at the Capstone Kitchen - Capstone is the training restaurant at the Walla Walla Community College's Wine Country Culinary Institute, headed by Dan Thiessen. It gives students real live training in the preparation and serving of food to guests who are asked to rate the food and service on a scale of 1 to 5 points. Our scores were high, averaging 4.8 points. Unfortunately, College Cellars" wine was not served, as the restaurant is still waiting for the Liquor Control Board to issue a license.
Prepared for a Trip to the Wallowas - This afternoon (August 27th) we will drive to Enterprise, Oregon for two nights at the Prospector Motel. We will make some excursions around the Blue Mountains, and do some hiking and sightseeing in some of the most beautiful places in northeastern Oregon.
There are plenty of other things to do around Walla Walla, galleries, shows and concerts at the Gesa Power House Theater and Whitman's Cordiner Hall, and more. All this shows that Walla Wallans really know how to live the good life.
Harvest 2014 Just Around the Corner
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- Written by Rand Sealey
When I was at Tero Estates' Block Party last Saturday, I saw grapes undergoing veraison, the stage where the grapes start turning purple colored. As we walked through the vineyard blocks, we saw varying degrees of grape maturity. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc showed considerable purple, while the Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec were mixed green and purple.
The onset of veraision is a signal that grape harvesting time is not far off. After a hot July and early August, with frequent temperatures over 100 degrees, highs have become more normal, in the eighties. This will help the grapes mature more evenly and steadily. Harvest is projected to being in warmer sites such as the Wahluke Slope as early as the first week of September. Vineyard managers and winemakers will want to prolong "hang time" as long as possible to maxmize flavors and phenols.
As an added note, the 2014 harvest officially began on August 19th, whenb the Champoux Vineyard on the Horse Heaven Hills delivered 1.6 tons of Marquette grapes (a hybrid developed for the extreme winters of Minnesota) to the Fidelitas Winery. (See greatnorthwestwine.com for an article.)
More later, stay tuned!
Who Produces the Best Buy Wines?
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- Written by Rand Sealey
It has been my experience that finding exceptional wines at prices below others of comparable quality is harder to do than to find high quality wines at market prices. But the quest for exceptional values is a continuing one. Here are a number of sources.
The Big Players - It is no secret that many of the best values come from the state's largest wineries. Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest are prime examples. The vast acreage of vines and economies of scale (the Paterson winery has a three million case capacity) enable this combination to produce fine wines at attractive prices. The September issue of the Review of Washington Wines will include attractively priced wines from the Canoe Ridge (Horse Heaven Hills) and Cold Creek (with some of the oldest vines in the state). With Gallo's acquisition, Columbia Winery has positioned itself as a producer of solid value wines. Precept Brand's Waterbrook and Canoe Ridge (reviewed in April) also turn out fine values.
The Niche Wineries - There are a number of small wineries that turn out very nice, well-priced wines. By buying fruit directly from growers, crafting the wines themselves and self marketing them, they can deliver high quality/price ratios. Thurston Wolfe produces wines from the Zephyr Ridge Vineyard on the Horse Heaven Hills that can offer great value (see the January and August issues). Another is Kevin White who turns out terrific Rhone style wines for their prices (the 2012's to be reviewed in October). Savage Grace (Michael Savage) also produces high quality/price ratios (reviewed March). As a producer exclusively of sparkling wines, Treveri Cellars has been turning out excellent bubblies for $20 or less (reviews to come in September and November). Another specialist, Waitsburg Cellars, makes fine whites called "The Aromatics" and red blends, under the direction of wine writer, Paul Gregutt (reviewed August). Lagana Cellars (Jason Fox) is another white specialist (reviewed August).
The Negociants - There are some distributors and winemakers who run sidelines in buying surplus wines from various sources and bottling them under their own labels. Trey Busch (Sleight of Hand) is one of the first to come to mind. His Renegade Wine Co. wines usually come out for under $15 a bottle (most recently, the 2013 Rosé and 2012 Grenache, reviewed in April). Another is For a Song, a brand owned by Vinum Importing (see the July issue). Full Pull & Friends is Paul Zitarelli's foray into premium negociant wines that offer exceptional value (19/20 points for under $30 on the August issue).
Inventory Reduction Deals - Say a winery has a particular wine it wants to move because it isn't selling as well as it would like, or is moving into another vintage. Then the price gets reduced, making the wine an even greater value. Here are some deals I found in Esquin's on-line August newsletter: 2012 Walla Walla Vintners Sangiovese $18.99, regular $25 (18.5 points, February), 2012 L'Ecole No. 41 Semillon $11.99, regular $15 (18+ points, November 2013), 2012 Maison Bleue "Au Contraire" Chardonnay $18.99, regular $25 (19 points, February).
So there are a lot of ways to get the biggest bang for the buck in shopping for wine. By looking around, a savy consumer can save a lot of money.
The Jimgermanbar Gin Tasting
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- Written by Rand Sealey
On Monday, July 28th, Lynn and I participated in a tasting of Gin and Aquavit at the Jimgermanbar in Waitsburg. It turned out to be a highly enjoyable and educational event. The tasting was conducted by Jim German, the bar's owner and bartender. It was accompanied by a tasty smorgasbrod of appetizers and Swedish meatballs, prepared by Jim's wife, Claire Johnston, and the kitchen staff. The spirits were tasted in pairings as follows, with my notes.
The first pairing was two Genever gins from Holland. Genever is the original gin, produced by the Dutch and Belgians since the 1600's. There are two styles, "Jonge" (young) and "Oude" (old). Juniper berry (Jenever in Dutch) is the principal flavoring ingredient.
Boomsma Genever "Jonge" - This gin had a clear color and floral, herbal aromas, with a slightly oily texture, yet finished clean and crisp. 19/20 points.
Boomsma Genever "Oude" - This had a medium amber color and rich aromas of vanilla and botanticals the slightly oily texture continued on through the finish. 19/20 points.
The next pairing was of two Aquavits (Aqua Vitae - Water of Life) one from Oregon and one from Norway, where Aquavit originated. The prinicipal flavoring ingredients are caraway seed and star anise, and the spirits, distilled from grain or potatoes, are aged in wood.
Gamle Aquavit "Krogstadt" - This comes from Portland, Oregon and is a replication of Norwegian Aquavit. Amber colored, it was highly aromatic, with a pronounced anise nose. The flavors were rich, yet dry. 19/20 points.
Linie Aquavit - This is the original Aquavit, which, after being put into Sherry casks, is taken on a sea journey through the Panama canal to the Indian Ocean and back to Norway, a process that was accidentally discovered when some casks were mistakenly shipped to Australia. It was served from the freezer. It was amber colored and rich, with smoky licorice aromas and amost creamy flavors. 19/20 points.
The next two were classic "London Dry" style gins, from the U.K., produced from a variety of botanticals.
Bombay Dry Gin - This is a classic Martini gin. It came on as being very crisp, clean and floral, with juniper and bark notes. 18.5/20 points.
Hammer & Son "Old English" Gin - This came in a crimp cap bottle, like cider, and is made in the old style, in pot stills. It was very crisp and lively, dancing on the palate, with a balanced infusion of juniper and other botanticals. It was the clear favorite of the evening. 19.5/20 points.
The final flight consisted of three distinctly styled gins.
Oola Dry Gin, Washington State - This was distilled by Kirby Kallas-Lewis at his Seattle distillery. It had a citrusy and floral nose, with crisp, classic notes of coriander and cardamon supplementing the juniper. 19+/20 points.
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin - This is from the West Scotland Island of Islay, noted for its single malt whiskys. Infused with island grown botaniticals including orris root, cassia bark, coriander seed, the spirit is slowly simmered in a pot still. It showed rich, smoky aromas, yet turned clean, crisp and citrusy on the finish. 19+/20 points.
Ransom "Old Tom" Gin - "Old Tom" style gin from England is produced from malted barley and other grains, and distilled in an alembic pot. This one showed a deep amber color and a highly aromatic nose, redolent of juniper, barley, anise, coriander and more. 19/20 points.
For after tasting cocktails, Jim mixed up a concoction of Aquavit, Barolo Chinata (a liqueur made from old Barolo wine) and kirschwasser. It was tasty, exotic yet accessible. Thanks to Jim German for putting on such a fun event, and to Sabrina Lueck of the Walla Walla WSET Study Group for putting it together.
For pictures of this event, see the Review of Washington Wines on Facebook.
Seattle Magazine's Washington Wine Awards
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- Written by Rand Sealey
On March 3rd, I participated in the judging for Seattle Magazine's 2014 Washington Wine Awards. This was the second consecutive year, that I was on the judging panel. The winners were announced in the August issue of Seattle Magazine. Here are my comments on these awards.
The panel consisted of 20 wine industry professionals, includng sommeliers, wine merchants, winemakers and wine writers. The wines were tasted double blind (wines poured from brown bags and unknown to any of the tasters) and scored on a ten point system (similar to the U.C. Davis 20 point system). Points were scored 1 for appearance, 3 for aroma, 4 for palate and 2 for "Judges choice," an overall quality score component. Scores were tabulated and the winners are as follows, with my scores from the Review of Washington Wines.
White Wine of the Year: 2012 Ch. Ste. Michelle/Dr Loosen "Eroica" Riesling, Columbia Valley ($30) - I reviewed this wine in the March 2014 issue of the Review of Washington Wines, scoring it 19/20 points. At the Washington Wine Awards judging, I gave it 9/10 points. I did, however, score the 2012 Cote Bonneville 9.5 points. But the Eroica is a highly meritorious wine that points up the high quality of old vine Washington Riesling, with its finesse and intense minerality.
Red Wine of the Year: 2011 Mark Ryan "Lonely Heart" Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain ($80) - Here, again, this was not my top pick which was the 2009 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet, scoring 10/10 points (see Cabernet $65 and over below), but still highly meritorious. It scored 19.5/20 points in the April issue of the Review of Washington Wines. As a superb expression of Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from the challenging, yet elegant, 2011 vintage, it is a highly impressive wine, indeed.
Other Categories. This years Washington Wine Awards included top wines in several varietal categories at various price ranges. Here's a rundown on those winners, with my scores and top picks.
Sauvignon Blanc $20 and under - 2012 Lobo Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima Valley ($17) - my score 7.5/10 points.
My Pick: - 2012 Guardian "Angel" Sauvignon Blanc - my score 8.5/10 points.
Sauvignon Blanc over $20 - 2012 Efesté "Sauvage" Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima Valley, Goldent View Vineyard ($23)
Mt Pick: same as above, 9.5/10 points.
Chardonnay $15 or less - 2011 For a Song Chardonnay, Columbia Valley ($10) - my score 7/10 points.
My Pick: 2012 Charles Smith "Eve" Chardonnay, Washington State ($12) - my score 17.5/10 points.
Chardonnay over $15, under $40 - 2012 Gorman "Big Sissy" Chardonnay, Columbia Valley ($35) - my score 8.5/10 points.
My Pick: 2011 Array "Dijon Clone" Chardonnay, Yakima Valley, Otis Harlan Vineyard ($32) - my score 9/10 points (reviewed March 2013 - 19/20 points).
Chardonnay over $40 - 2012 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay, Washington State ($44) - my score 9/10 points.
My Pick 2011 Cote Bonneville Chardonnay, Yakima Valley, DuBrul Vineyard ($50) - my score 9.5/10 points.
Riesling $15 and under - 2012 Charles Smith "Kung Fu Girl" Riesling, Ancient Lakes, Evergreen Vineyard ($12) - Sold out.
My Pick: same as above 8/10 points. (reviewed June 2013 - 18/20 points, Best Buy)
Riesling over $15 - 2012 Ch. Ch. Ste. Michelle/Dt.Loosen "Eroica" Riesling, Columbia Valley - see White Wine of the Year above.
Merlot $20 and under - 2011 Blacksmith by Forgeron Merlot, Columbia Valley ($15)
My Pick: same as above, 8/10 points.
Merlot over $20 - 2011 Longshadows "Pedestal" Merlot, Columbia Valley ($60)
My Pick: same as above, 9.5/10 points (to be reviewed in September)
Red Blend $20 or less - 2012 Tamarack Cellars "Firehouse" Red Wine, Columbia Valley ($18) - my score 8/10 points.
My Pick: 2012 Syncline "Subduction" Red, Columbia Valley ($20) - my score 8/10 points (reviewed July 2014 - 18/20 points)
Red Blend over $20 - 2010 Soos Creek Champoux Red, Horse Heaven Hills ($40) - 9.5/10 points
My Pick: Tied with 2011 Avennia "Gravura" Red Wine, Columbia Valley ($35) - my score, 9.5/10 points (reviewed May 2014 - 19+/20 points).
Syrah $20 or less - 2012 Charles Smith "Boom Boom" Syrah, Columbia Valley ($15) - my score 8.5/10 points
My Pick: 2012 For a Song Syrah, Columbia Valley ($15) - 9/10 points (reviewed July 2014 - 18.5/20 points).
Syrah over $20 - 2012 W.T. Vintners "Damavian" Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, Les Collines Vineyard ($42) my score 9/10 points.
My Pick: 2011 Avennia "Arnaut" Syrah, Yakima Valley, Boushey Vineyard ($48) - 9.5/10 points (reviewed October 2013 - 19+/20 points).
Cabernet Sauvignon $25 or less - 2010 Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($25) - my score 8.5/10 points
My Pick: Tied with 2010 McKinley Springs Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills ($20) 8.5/10 points (reviewed September 2013 - 18.5/20 points).
Cabernet Sauvignon over $25, under $65 - 2010 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($45) my score 8.5/10 points,
My Pick: 2010 Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($48) - my score 9.5/10 points (reviewed September 2013- 19/20 points).
Cabernet Sauvignon over $65 - 2011 Mark Ryan "Lonely Heart" Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $80) - see Red Wine of the Year, above. My Pick: 2009 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon (also see above) - reviewed January 2014, 19.5/20 points.
Special Awards
Best Emerging Winery: Rasa Vineyards - There is no doubt in my mind that Pinto and Billo Naravane keep getting better and better with their wines at their Walla Walla Valley winery. Scores in the Review of Washington Wines have been 19 to 20/20 points.
Winemaker to Watch: Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen, W.T. Vintners - I have been impressed with his 2013 Gruner Veltliner (reviewed May 2014, 18.5/20 points) and the 2012 "Damavian" Syrah (see Syrah over $20 above)
Winemaker of the Year: Greg Harrington, Gramercy Cellars - There, again, I have no doubt about this. Greg's wines, especially his Syrahs and Cabernets have always been outstanding.
Vineyard of the Year: Evergreen Vineyard, Ancient Lakes - This vineyard in the new Ancient Lakes American Viticultural Area is a prime site, best known for Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.
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