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Full Pull Paul

 

My introduction to Paul Zitarelli, owner of Full Pull Wines, was through my colleague Sean Sullivan who publishes  the Washington Wine Report, a well-written on-line review (see my blog of 20 December, 2009 - scroll down to the bottom of this page and then back to previous posts). One day, I received notification of a new (paid) subscriber, Paul Zitarelli. I suspected Sean instigated the sign-up which was confirmed by an exchange of emails.

 

Then I made an appointment to meet Paul. His store is located in a small warehouse space on Utah Avenue South in Seattle's SODO district and is stocked with remnants from previous Full Pull offerings. It was a Thursday, which is Paul's only full day there while open for order pick-ups. On these days, there usually is a "guess the wine" blind tasting. To see how I did, go to Paul's "Full Pull Rand" offering of 1 April 2010.

 

So I signed up to receive Full Pull's offerings, usually two or three times a week. I placed a few trial orders on line. Then I got confirmation of the receipt of the orders, followed by notification of my allocations (most wines have limited availability and need to be divided up among customers), Once the wines are in the warehouse, the orders are invoiced and charged, and then notifications of arrival are emailed out to customers. Pick-ups are on Thursdays (other days are by appointment only) or the wines can be shipped. The day I picked up my order happened to be "Merlot Celebration Night" with a tasting of several Washington Merlots.

 

This system of ordering wines requires some patience. Full Pull is not a destination walk-in store like Esquin (which I owned for 27 years, until 1997). At Full Pull, you wait for your wines to come in before you pick them up. But the wait is well worth it, as the wines are first-rate, well selected and competitively priced. I found there to be a high correlation between the wines Paul offers and the kinds of wines I recommend in my Review of Washington Wines. In recent and future Full Pull offerings, you will find some of my reviews quoted.

 

For the kind of service it provides, I recommend Full Pull Wines highly. Go check it out at the website (you may click on the link back at the May issue of the Review of Washington Wines).

 

Next Week: Walla Walla Spring Release Weekend - A Report

 

 

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Walla Walla Valley Spring Release Weekend Preview

 

The weekend of April 30 - May 2 will be Spring Release Weekend in Walla Walla. It is the biggest event of the year and all the hotels, motels and restaurants are fully booked. We will be going over a week early in order to check out several wineries before things get hectic. Here's my list of must-visit wineries.

 

aMaurice, Walla Walla Vintners - These two neighbors off Mill Creek Road have generous, friendly owners: the Schafer family (aMaurice) and Gordy Venneri and Myles Anderson (WWV) so it always pays to visit.

Bunchgrass Winery - This small winery will be pouring its new '07 releases, Syrah, Malbec and Triolet.

College Cellars of Walla Walla Community College - I tasted a couple of impressive wines made by enology students, so I will check this out.

Couvillon, Spring Valley Vineyards - These wineries on Corkrum Road will be open Friday and Saturday, so we'll take the ten mile drive up Middle Waitsburg Road to visit.

Flying Trout, Tero Estates - Ashley Trout has found a new home for her winery, sharing space with Tero (Mike TEmbrull, Doug ROskelley).

Glencorrie Winery - Ronn and Dean Coldiron's winery will be pouring its second vintage, the 2007's.

Gramercy Cellars, Waters Winery - Gramercy will have its tent erected next to Waters.

Long Shadows - Spring Release Weekend is not complete without a visit to this impressive operation.

Otis Kenyon - This is one of the few times the winery in Milton-Freewater is open to the public (the tasting room is on Main Street in Walla Walla).

Rasa Vineyards, Cadaretta Winery - They will be pouring at the Artifex facility on Saturday.

Reynvaan Family Vineyard - We will be retasting the fabulous '08 Syrahs that are being offered as futures.

Robison Ranch Cellars - Jim & Jane Robison and Brad & Ruth Riordan will be hosting an Open House on Saturday which will be the event. The 2009 whites and rose will be presented along with a preview of the 2008 reds.

Rotie Cellars - Sean Boyd will be opening a new tasting room on Main Street.

SuLei Cellars - We will be checking up on Tanya Woodley and Elaine Jomwe's promising '09 whites and rose and '08 reds.

Trio Vintners - Now consisting of a duo, spouses Steve Michener and Denise Slattery, Trio Vintners will be releasing new 2007's.

Woodward Canyon - Rick Small always serves up tasty food and impressive wines.

 

For those of you coming over to Walla Walla for the weekend, this serves as a recommended list. Also check out: El Corazon, Sleight of Hand, Sweet Valley, Forgeron, Amavi, Pepper Bridge Winery, Beresan, Gifford Hirlinger, Adamant, Kontos, CAVU, Castillo de Feliciana, Tertulia, Trust, and more. I will be reporting on my findings in the upcoming June and July issues of the Review of Washington Wines.

 

 

 

 

 

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Barrel Tasting at Sleight of Hand Cellars

 

Trey Busch is one of the Walla Walla Valley's most talented winemakers. His winery, Sleight of Hand Cellars, was picked by Seattle Magazine as one of the "Next Cult Wineries of Washington State." Little wonder, as Trey and partners, Jerry and Sandy Solomon have been turning out some head turning wines. Sleight of Hand's 2007 reds are outstanding. I rated the Illusionist 19/20 points, the Archimage, 19+/20 points (both in the November 2009 issue) and the Levitation Syrah 19/20 points (September 2009). On March 23rd, I went down to Saviah Cellars (where Trey makes his wines) and tasted these highly promising 2008's from the barrels. Here are my notes.

 

2009 Chardonnay, Yakima Valley, French Creek Vineyard

Before going to the reds, we sampled this wine from Jon Martinez's (Maison Bleue Winery) vineyard which has a small block of 30 year old Wente Clone Chardonnay vines. It showed a crisp, fresh apple and pear nose with apple blossom and acacia scents. The flavors were crisp and applely with authentic varietal character, quite a contrast from tropical California Chardonnays. 18.5/20 points.

 

2008 "Levitation" Syrah, Columbia Valley

Composed of 54% Les Collines (Walla Walla Valley) and 46% Lewis Vineyard (Yakima Valley), this wine showed a purplish color with an enticing nose of wild blackberries, currants, lavender, sage and a hint of violets. The ripe berry and cassis flavors initially showed more Les Collines than Lewis character. Then on the back, the wine shifted to a dark dried berry character and blueberry background, followed by an opulent licorice, chocolate and coffee finish. 19/20 points.

 

2008 "The Archimage" Red, Columbia Valley

Aged in 40% new oak (enough to give it a presence without being obtrusive) this 50% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon combination showed a deep ruby color, and an exotic nose of wild berries, incense, crushed roses and sandalwood. It was thick and saturated on the palate, laced with licorice, cola, coffee grounds, graphite and minerals. The deep, almost meaty background led into a roasted berry and fine grained tannin finish. Sources: Double River Ranch and Va Piano Merlot; Frenchtown Cabernet Franc; Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. 19+/20 points.

 

2008 "The Illusionist," Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of approximately one-third each of Red Mountain, Blue Mountain (Walla Walla Valley) and Phinny Hill (Horse Heaven Hills) vineyards, aged in 50% new oak. It exhibited a deep purplish color and terrific aromatics of crushed blueberries, cherries, cassis, roses, lavender, incense and even violets. On the palate the saturated fruits were amazingly opulent, marked by minerals, pencil lead and French roast, all culminating on a back palate of roasted berries, orange peel and toasted oak. The finish lasted two minutes. 19.5/20 points.

 

Next Week: A Preview of Walla Walla Valley Spring Release Weekend

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Taste Washington - A Report

 

Taste Washington is the Washington Wine Commission's biggest event of the year. Held on March 27th this year, it featured over 200 wineries, 800 wines, and over 75 restaurants. The event was so big, it was overwhelming. For the most part, I could only focus on wineries I was not familiar with and hope to make some discoveries. Here are some of my finds.

 

Animale - This ultra boutique winery poured a fine 2007 Petit Verdot (44 cases) and Syrah (45 cases). I will check this out.

Stomani Cellars - This small winery in Seattle's SODO district has some nice chewy Italian varietals, especially Sangiovese, and blends. I will visit the winery and find out more.

Walter Dacon - This Shelton winery had a fine line-up of '07 Syrahs - C'est Belle, C'est Beaux, Magnifique. Will make an appointment to retaste.

College Cellars of Walla Walla Community College - Under the tutelage of Billo Naravane (Rasa Vineyards) who was at the table, the College's students have turned out a nice '08 Semillon and '07 Scholarship Red.

Cedergreen Cellars - Kevin Cedergreen had some nice whites, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, and reds, Thuja, Merlot, Cabernet. I re-tasted later with Kevin and will report on the wines in June.

Irlandes - I tasted a nice '07 Syrah and '07 Merlot. They have a tasting room in Woodinville, so I will check it out later.

 

The Taste Washingon Seminar: Common Ground - Boushey Vineyard

 

The day before the Grand Tasting (see above) Taste Washington conducted a series of Seminars. Lynn and I attended one of them which focused on Dick Boushey's vineyard near Prosser, in the foothills of the Rattlesnake Mountains. It was moderated by Bob Betz, owner-winemaker of Betz Family Winery. The panel consisted of Dick Boushey, Joshua Greene (Wine & Spirits magazine) Kevin Pogue (Professor of Geology, Whitman College) and Sara Schneider (Sunset magazine).

 

Bob Betz kicked off the discussion by stating the seminar's purpose as exploring the "sensory consequence of site specific wines." Seven wines were poured, six of them from wineries using Boushey Vineyard fruit:

2007 JM Cellars, Syrah, Yakima Valley, Boushey Vineyard

2007 Bunnell Family Cellar Syrah, Yakima Valley, Boushey-McPherson Vineyard

2007 Sparkman Cellars Syrah, Yakima Valley, "The Darkness," Boushey-McPherson Vineyard

2008 Forgeron Cellars Syrah, Yakima Valley, "La Serenne Block" (Barrel sample)

2008 Maison Bleue Syrah, "Liberte," Yakima Valley, Boushey Vineyard

2008 Betz Family Winery Syrah, "La Serenne," Yakima Valley

The seventh wine was not from Boushey Vineyard, but from Red Mountain:

2008 Betz Family Winery, "La Cote Rousse," Red Mountain

 

Winemakers were also present: Chris Sparkman, Ron Bunnell, Marie-Eve Gilla (Forgeron) and Jon Martinez (Maison Bleue). The discussion initially focused on the soil characteristics of the various blocks: Goldenview (Maison Bleue, JM Cellars) on silty loam over basalt, where roots grow deep; Boushey-McPherson (Bunnell, Sparkman) on high elevation with shallow silt loam over basalt; La Serenne-County Line (Forgeron, Betz) on deep silt over Misoula Flood sediments. The similarities of these parings could be detected in tasting them. Dick Boushey commented that small clusters of small berries is what he looks for in grape growing. Kevin Pogue pointed out that hydrologic properties is perhaps the most important factor in terroir. Marie-Eve Gilla commented that with Dick Boushey's grapes, "you don't have to fight with the fruit, just let it do its work." The wine writers had interesting comments. Sara Schneider said California Syrahs tend to be fruitier, unlike the brooding, savory characteristics of Washington Syrahs which are often rejected in California. Joshua Greene also sensed a "backlash" against Washington Syrahs which come from "redder fruits." The last wine, the Betz "La Cote Rousse," stood out from the Boushey Vineyard wines in its darker, spicier fruit characteristics. In summing up, Bob Betz echoed the "sensory consequence of site specific wines." The seminar was a revealing exercise in discovering how terroir as well as winemaking technique can have a profound effect on a wine's characteristics.

 

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The Wine O'clock Wine Bar in Prosser

 

When in Prosser, you definitely should visit the Wine O'clock Wine Bar in the Vintner's Village (which also includes several winery tasting rooms). Run by Susan Bunnell, wife of Bunnell Family Cellar and RiverAerie winemaker Ron Bunnell, it is a delightful place to taste the family's wines and to have a delicious meal.

 

Lynn and I visited Wine O'clock on February 26 and were seated at an attractively appointed table. The restaurant pours the the Bunnell Family and RiverAerie wines at retail prices and also offers three glass flights. We ordered one of the artisan pizzas (baked in a wood fired oven) along with two flights: the '07 "Lia," "a Pic," and "Vif" for Lynn and three '06 Syrahs, Boushey, Clifton Hill and Horse Heaven for me. We also shared each other's flights. The pizza was delicious as were the wines. Susan Bunnell also poured us some samples of the soon to be released '07's. The action there was lively. A local couple was seated next to us and said they came regularly. Winemakers, writers and consultants also were around.

 

Wine O'clock also offers daily specials: bistro-style dishes created by chef Laurie Kennedy. Every effort is made to source its menu locally and sustainably, and to produce its dishes from scratch by hand. The retail and tasting hours are daily from noon to 5 p.m. The dining room is open Friday and Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday and Monday, noon to 5 p.m. Reservations are encouraged (509 786-2197). Wine O'clock is located at 548 Cabernet Court. To get there, take exit 80 off Interstate 82, turn south, left at the rest stop onto Merlot Drive. Drive 1.5 miles, right on Port, right on Cabernet Court.

 

Wine O'clock is highly recommended. Kudos to Susan Bunnell who has done a remarkable job of launching this venture.

 

Rasa Vineyards: A Correction

 

In my blog of last week, I incorrectly described the Riesling I tasted as being from the Mackey Vineyard. I had tasted a couple of Syrahs from that winery, and miswrote the Riesling as being from Mackey. It is actually from Rasa Vineyards (Billo and Pinto Naravane's own winery). The correct name of the wine is:

 

2009 Rasa Vineyards Riesling, "The Composer," Columbia Valley, Sagemoor Vineyards

This is composed of 50% Dionysus Vineyard, Block 17 and 50% Bacchus Vineyard, Blocks 1b and 1c. It came on as being more integrated than most Washington Rieslings. The typical apple, peach and grapefruit aromas were evident, along with wet stone minerals and spices. The fruit-acid-sugar balance was near perfect. 18.5+/20 points.

 

  1. Barrel Tasting at Rasa Vineyards
  2. How I Pick the "Best Buys"
  3. The Limited Production Washington Varietals
  4. How I Rated the 20 Point Wine