Wine Peeps is an independent wine blog dedicated to helping you get the most bang for your buck in wine. We do this through blind tastings of wine from around the world and calculations of 
Book Signing and Washington Wine Tasting II
By Kori ~ March 26th, 2008.
Dad (John) and I ventured into Esquin Wine Merchants on Saturday looking to pick up a bottle or two of French Cabernet Franc for the upcoming Wine Blogging Wednesday. While we were there, we were able to taste some more Washington wines and have another excellent Washington wine book signed by the author.
Like last week’s tasting at Esquin, there were two stations featuring Washington wine. We started at the Gilbert Cellars station and had the pleasure to meet Sean Gilbert, general manager and co-winemaker of Gilbert Cellars. Sean is a really nice guy, and he and his family are producing some excellent wines at their four year old winery. Their vineyards are located near Mattawa and Wiley City, Washington, and they will be opening a tasting room in downtown Yakima this June.
Steve Roberts was on hand signing his new book, WineTrails of Washington. This guidebook contains 608-full color pages covering 228 Washington wineries. It is divided into 32 unique WineTrails. It is a beautiful book with detailed information on each winery. You will not find wine reviews here, but you will find winery descriptions, contact information, hours, maps, and more to help you make the most of your visits to Washington wine country. This book should be on the shelf of every wine-lover in Washington and anyone else planning to visit. Also, bookmark Steve’s WineTrailsNW website as he is constantly updating his Washington winery database.
After a nice visit with Steve, we finished up our tasting with the second station featuring the wines of Woodinville Wine Cellars. Overall, we were not as impressed with the Woodinville wines.
Here’s a rundown of the five wines we tasted in my personal order of preference:
2005 Gilbert Cellars Syrah: Luscious black fruits and pepper on both the nose and the palate. Full bodied, velvety mouth-feel, and a lingering, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $24.99
2004 Gilbert Cellars Claret: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot. Dark fruits, particularly blackcurrant, highlight this smooth wine. Well-balanced with light tannins.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $17.99
2005 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah. Flavors of blackberry and licorice lead to soft tannins. Not as robust as most cabs, medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $24.99
2005 Woodinville Wine Cellars Syrah: 99% Syrah, 1% Viognier. Too oaky on the nose. Better on the palate but not very complex.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $28.99
2006 Woodinville Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc: Aromas of pear and citrus. Fruit flavors muted by butter and oak.
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Esquin (Seattle), $16.99
Filed under: American Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Red Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine, White Wine, Wine Activities/Events, Wine Books, Wine Travel, Wines NOT To Buy (1 & 2 Star), Wines Over $25, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25
228 wow thats a lot of wineries I’m always surprised by how big Washingtons Wine Industry has been growing in just a few short years. Its nice actually to see that the industry is finally really starting to take off out in Seattle as well. Maybe I just wasn’t as savvy a few years ago but it never seemed to be that big until more recently.