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 
Baer Winery: A Constellation of Red Blends
By Kori ~ May 7th, 2012.
Lance Baer founded Baer Winery in 2000. After he passed away in 2007, his sister Lisa and father Les took over the winery and have continued Lance’s legacy. Today, Lisa Baer is the face of the winery. With the help of consulting winemaker Erica Orr, Lisa strives to make wines that would meet her brother’s standards. Baer Winery sources fruit exclusively from Stillwater Creek Vineyard, located in the Frenchman Hills on the Royal Slope of Washington State’s Columbia Valley. Located in the warehouse district in Woodinville, Washington, Baer Winery produces over 2,000 cases per year.
Recently, we had the opportunity to taste Baer’s three Bordeaux-style red blends from the 2009 vintage in a blind samples tasting. While we thought all three were very good, our favorite was the 2009 Star Red Wine.
If you are in the Woodinville area, you should definitely visit the Baer Winery tasting room in the warehouse district. And even if you aren’t able to visit, be sure to try some of their wines.
2009 Baer Winery Star Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 77% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with black cherry and vanilla on the nose. Plum, cherry, peanuts, and a touch of spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $27; Available elsewhere, $26
2009 Baer Winery Ursa Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 44% Cabernet Franc, 38% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Malbec. Dark purplish red. Nose is a bit tight at first and then black fruit and floral notes come through. More black fruit, floral notes and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $39; Available elsewhere, $36 to $40
2009 Baer Winery Arctos Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot. Dark purplish red. Aromatic with plum, blackberry, and vanilla on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium to high tannins, and 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 $43; Available elsewhere, $38 to $50
Filed under: American Wine, Red Wine, Washington State Wine, Wines Over $25
I remember meeting Lisa and tasting her wines while in WA for the Wine Bloggers Conference 2010–can I say STELLAR? Very memorable–and I tasted a lot of wines on that trip! I would love to run into these wines in California!
Hi Gwendolyn,
Glad to hear that you enjoyed meeting Lisa and tasting the Baer wines when you were in WA for WBC10. Hope you find some of their wines in CA sometime. Cheers!