Founded in 2004 by winemaker Jarrod Boyle and his wife Ali, Alexandria Nicole Cellars is located on their 243-acre estate vineyard, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, in the Horse Heaven Hills of Washington State overlooking the Columbia River. They also have tasting rooms in Prosser and Woodinville. Jarrod began his career in the industry as assistant viticulturist to Dr. Wade Wolfe when they both worked for Hogue Cellars. During his time there, he discovered the property that is now home to Destiny Ridge Vineyard, and vines were planted in 1998. After the vines came into full production and showed great potential, Jarrod decided to try his hand at winemaking and Alexandria Nicole Cellars, named for his wife Ali, was born.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste twelve wines from Alexandria Nicole Cellars in a blind samples tasting. We were very impressed with the overall quality of all of these wines and would recommend all twelve. Three of the twelve received an excellent Quality rating of 4 stars (out of five): the 2007 Alderdale Cabernet Sauvignon, the soon-to-be-released 2007 A2 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2007 Quarry Butte.

I also had the pleasure to meet Jarrod at a recent tasting at El Gaucho in Seattle. Jarrod makes the Mackay Duck Press Red for Mackay Restaurants, which includes El Gaucho. We had the Duck Press Red in one of our private tastings earlier this year and thought it was excellent, too.

While Alexandria Nicole Cellars is not a brand-new winery and we had previously visited their tasting room in Prosser, I must admit that I consider them to be an exciting new discovery for us. We have enjoyed some of their wines in the past, but the overall quality of their portfolio as evidenced in our recent tastings is impressive. Some wineries hang their hats on one or two wines that they submit to reviewers and hope that good scores on those wines will result in sales of their other wines. For Alexandria Nicole to submit twelve samples for review shows the confidence that they have in their products. And that confidence is justified. Not only are these wines of high quality, but also four of the twelve received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of five).

2007 Alexandria Nicole Alderdale Cabernet Sauvignon (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Medium-deep, ruby red. Aromas of earth and black licorice. Flavors of black fruits, blackcurrants, licorice, spice, and a hint of earth. Full-bodied and crisp with smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity, good mouthfeel, and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35; Available elsewhere, $32

2007 Alexandria Nicole A2 Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Very pleasant nose with spice rack aromas, particularly vanilla and cinnamon. Black fruits and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium tannins. Good mouthfeel, texture, and complexity. A lot of layers. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $24 [will be released next week]

2007 Alexandria Nicole Quarry Butte (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec, and 3% Syrah. Deep, ruby red. Very aromatic with jammy red fruits and cherry Jolly Rancher aromas leading to black fruits and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good mouthfeel and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $17 to $20

2008 Alexandria Nicole Shepherds Mark White (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 65% Roussanne, 24% Marsanne, 11% Viognier. Pale, greenish yellow. Aromatic with apple, pear, and floral notes on the nose; apple, pear, lemon, and lime on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $18

2007 Alexandria Nicole Block 17 Syrah (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Dark, inky purple. Very aromatic with dried black fruit, floral, and almost port-like aromas. Black fruits and chocolate on the palate. Full-bodied and crisp with high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $42

2009 Alexandria Nicole Marsanne (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Light, greenish yellow. Pleasant nose with floral, peach blossom, peach, and apple aromas. Apples come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28

2009 Alexandria Nicole Roussanne (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 98% Roussanne, 2% Marsanne. Pale, straw yellow. Aromatic with apples and floral notes on the nose; loads of apples and a bit of minerality on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28

2007 Alexandria Nicole Destiny (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Carmenere, and 3% Malbec. Deep red in color. Pine needles, perfume, and floral aromas come through on the nose; red fruits, spice, and Red Vines candy on the palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $45

2008 Alexandria Nicole Late Harvest Riesling (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Pale, greenish yellow. Honey and dried apricot aromas and flavors. Sweet, medium-bodied, and crisp acidity with a long finish. Residual Sugar: 3.75%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $16; Available elsewhere, $16

2009 Alexandria Nicole Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley, Washington): Very light, almost watery, greenish yellow. Gorgeous floral nose with magnolia blossom aromas. More floral, citrus, and white peach on the palate. Light-bodied and lively with a long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $14

2008 Alexandria Nicole Crawford Viognier (Columbia Valley, Washington): Light, straw yellow in color. Fairly tight nose with faint floral aromas and a hint of minerality. Citrus flavors, particularly lemon and lime, come through on the palate as well as some metallic notes. Light to medium-bodied and lively with a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $19 to $20

2007 Alexandria Nicole Tempranillo (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Moderate aromas of earth and black plums lead to black fruit and earth on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a long finish. Good up front but a bit hollow on the mid-palate.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $55

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