Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Established in 1912 by Joseph Osborn in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia, the d’Arenberg estate has grown to 345 acres. Today, fourth-generation winemaker Chester Osborn leads d’Arenberg. The name “Stump Jump” refers to the South Australian invention, the Stump Jump plough. The plough became a popular piece of machinery for ploughing fields because of its ability to ride over stumps and roots, which saves valuable time and resources by not stopping the draught horse.

“Inviting fresh plum aromas leap out of the glass with raspberry and pretty pot-pourri notes providing more complexity. The palate is juicy and spicy with an abundance of red fruits that are fresh and vibrant. Licorice and rose petals come through on the mid palate and an under-lying earthy complexity is evident all the way through. The tannins are powdery and subtle on this juicy ready to drink red.” –d’Arenberg

2008 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz (McLaren Vale, South Australia): Deep, dark purple. Very jammy with black cherry and spice on the nose; blackberry, black cherry, licorice, and a hint of black pepper on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $14

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump Shiraz was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Winemaker Joe Shirley received his Master of Science in Enology from UC Davis and launched his winemaking career in 1997. He joined Trinchero Winery in 1999 and worked his way up to winemaker for Trinchero Family Selection and Trinchero Napa Wines in 2002. In 2007, Joe was named head winemaker for Napa Cellars.

Napa Cellars produces seven different wines. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Zinfandel, and 2009 Merlot in a blind samples tasting. All three wines were good and are very reasonably priced for Napa Valley wines.

2008 Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California): 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. Deep purplish red. Aromatic with black fruit, earth, and leather on the nose. More black fruit and leather as well as cocoa and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $26

2009 Napa Cellars Zinfandel (Napa Valley, California): 88% Zinfandel and 12% Petite Sirah. Deep ruby red in color. Nice nose with red plum and spice aromas. Red plum, strawberry, spice, and a hint of pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $22; Available elsewhere, $15 to $22

2009 Napa Cellars Merlot (Napa Valley, California): 100% Merlot. Deep red in color. Black plum and blackberry dominate both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $22; Available elsewhere, $16 to $22

Napa Cellars: Good Value Reds from Napa Valley was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Recently, we had what turned out to be a showdown between two Washington Cabernet Sauvignons in one of our double blind private tasting dinners. We had two wines from the 2008 vintage, the 2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2008 Gorman The Bully Cabernet Sauvignon. For a more complete description of how we set up these private tastings, please refer to How We Taste.

Fielding Hills Winery is a small, family-owned winery located in Wenatchee, Washington. Owner/winemaker Mike Wade and his wife Karen are longtime apple and cherry growers who have turned a middle portion of their orchard near Mattawa into a vineyard. Their Riverbend Vineyard, planted in 1998, is in the Wahluke Slope AVA. They source all of their fruit from Riverbend Vineyard.

Gorman Winery, located in Woodinville, Washington, was founded in 2002 by owner/winemaker Chris Gorman. He runs a two-man show with assistant winemaker Mike Metheny, and they are doing a phenomenal job. Gorman produces fewer than 3,000 cases annually and focuses primarily on Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah sourced from Red Mountain.

Both of these wines are outstanding and paired perfectly with our weeknight dinner of Swiss steak, rice, and green beans; although, when forced to pick our favorite, we all gave a slight edge to what turned out to be Fielding Hills. Not only did both wines receive a Quality rating of 4.5 stars (out of 5), but they also received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Fielding Hills and Gorman are superstars in the Washington wine industry. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to give them both a try.

2008 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark inky purplish red. Gorgeous nose with blackberry, black plum, vanilla, and oak aromas. Gorgeous black fruits as well as cherry vanilla cola come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high, chewy tannins. Well-balanced and extremely smooth with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $42; Available elsewhere, $42

2008 Gorman The Bully Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Very aromatic with leather, black cherry, bacon, smoke, and earth on the nose. More black cherry, leather, and molasses come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $40; Available elsewhere, $35 to $48

Private Tasting: 2008 Washington Cabernet Sauvignon was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. Last year, Juan Munoz Oca took over as head winemaker from Ray Einberger. Einberger had been at the helm since 2002 when he took the reins from Doug Gore who had been the winemaker since Columbia Crest was founded in 1983. The Columbia Crest winemaking team has produced more 90+ scoring bottles of wine than any other winery in the world. For those of us who live in Washington State, it is nice to have such a consistent, affordable producer in our own backyard.

H3, an abbreviation for Horse Heaven Hills, is one of the tiers in the Columbia Crest portfolio and showcases the region in which their winery is located. All of the fruit used to produce H3 wines come from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. This red blend is called “Les Chevaux”, French for “the horses” and a reference to the wild horses that once roamed the region.

“Aromas of fresh blueberries, anise and earth lead to firm and supple tannins on the palate. This red wine blend presents incredible depth, with layered flavors of candied nuts, licorice and dark chocolate that lead to a mocha finish featuring ample, sweet tannins.” –Winemaker Juan Munoz Oca

2009 Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red Wine (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 18% Syrah, 10% Malbec, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with bright red and black fruit, smoke, and pencil lead. Black cherry, black plum, smoke, pencil lead, and a hint of earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity and smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $10.99; Available elsewhere, $11 to $15

A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux Red Wine was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We decided to pair the pie with a Tawny Port and a Muscat, specifically the Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto and the 2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. Both of these wines were excellent! However, we all thought that the Tawny Port paired best with the German chocolate pie.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this dessert. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

Taylor Fladgate 10 Year Old Tawny Porto (Douro Valley, Portugal): Deep garnet color. Nice nose with black plum, caramel, and toffee aromas. Black plum, toffee, caramel, honey, and raisin come through on the palate. Medium sweet and medium to full-bodied. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $28.99; Available elsewhere, $21 to $30

2008 Domaine de Durban Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise (Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOC, France): Pale to medium, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with honeysuckle, potpourri, and apricot on the nose. More apricot and floral notes come through on the palate. Sweet and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $17.99 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $14 to $15

Challenging Wine Pairing: German Chocolate Pie was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

In 1999, St. Francis built a new winery facility on the Wild Oak Vineyard, which is about one mile from the original winery site. The St. Francis Visitors Center was completed in 2001 and features three separate tasting bars.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste their 2007 “Old Vines” Zinfandel in a blind samples tasting. It is excellent and delivers serious bang for your buck. To be used in the St. Francis “Old Vines” Zinfandel program, the vines must be at least 50 years old, and many are 100 years old, must be head pruned without benefit of trellising, and must be dry farmed.

2007 St. Francis Winery “Old Vines” Zinfandel (Sonoma County, California): Deep red in color. Nice nose with molasses and black fruit aromas. Black plum, cinnamon, and apple cider come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. 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 $19.95; Available elsewhere, $12 to $26

St. Francis Winery “Old Vines” Zinfandel was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Tapeña Wines, produced by the Ferrer family in Spain, are fresh and fruit-forward. Made to pair well with tapas (small plates), Tapeña wines feature a distinctive fork on the label. At every taberna in Spain, tapas are served communal style—each person armed with a glass of wine and a fork. Perhaps best known as the owners of Freixenet, the popular sparkling wine, the Ferrer family operates over 11 wineries in Spain. Gabriel Suberviola joined Freixenet in 1980 and has risen to become head winemaker for several of the Ferrers’ wineries.

“Opening with powerful violet-red hues, this wine has a tremendous concentration of ripe cherries and juicy candied fruits. The palate is intense in rich, ripe, dark fruits balanced by soft tannins and a lovely spicy mouthfeel. It is well structured, soft but lively, ending with a lingering velvety finish.” –Tapeña Wines

2010 Tapeña Garnacha (Spain): 100% Garnacha (Grenache). Medium ruby red in color. Aromatic with black cherry and a touch of barnyard on the nose. Fruit-forward with cherry, licorice, and earth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $10; Available elsewhere, $7

A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Tapeña Garnacha was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

This month’s wine tasting dinner featured Rhone-style red blends from Washington State. It was another fabulous evening of great wines, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. All six wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tomato basil soup, mixed green salad, roasted beef tenderloin, green beans with almonds and caramelized shallots, roasted rutabagas, and Death by Chocolate ice cream with ladyfingers.

The overwhelming consensus favorite was the 2008 Olsen Estates Red Wine. It received an unprecedented eight out of eight first place votes against some stiff competition. This is the first time in 102 tasting dinners that I can remember a wine sweeping the top spot. And, at $11, this wine is an absolute steal. The bad news is that Olsen Estates is now a defunct winery, officially closing its doors last year. While the Olsens continue to focus their efforts on grape growing, they are no longer making their own wine. But if you see this wine on closeout at a local Seattle retailer, I highly encourage you to grab a few bottles.

Rounding out the top three wines and also receiving Quality ratings of 4.5 stars were the 2008 Rôtie Cellars Southern Blend and the 2008 Grand Rêve Collaboration Series II. As you will see from the quality ratings below, we felt that all six wines were very good. In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with any of these. Not only did all six wines receive a Quality rating of 3.5 stars or higher (out of 5), but five of the six also received a QPR rating of either 4 or 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2008 Olsen Estates Red Wine (Yakima Valley, Washington): 70% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre, 12% Cinsault, 5% Grenache, and 1% Counoise. Dark purplish red in color. Nice nose with black cherry, blackberry, spice, and vanilla aromas. A lot going on in this wine. Gorgeous black fruit, nutmeg, pencil lead, and leather come through on the palate. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish. An outstanding wine from the first sip right on through dessert.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $11; Available elsewhere, $15 to $18

2008 Rôtie Cellars Southern Blend (Washington State): 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvedre. Deep, ruby red. Nose is a bit tight at first but then opens up with nice red and black fruit aromas and a hint of earth. More red and black fruit and earth as well as spice and perfume come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40; Available elsewhere, $38

2008 Grand Rêve Collaboration Series II (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 40% Grenache, 38% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, 1% Viognier, and 1% Roussanne. Deep, dark red. Very aromatic with eucalyptus, violets, vanilla, and a hint of barnyard on the nose. Black plum, vanilla, and oak come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and big, bold, chewy tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $50; Available elsewhere, $54 to $78

2010 Owen Roe Sinister Hand Red Wine (Columbia Valley): 71% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 5% Mourvedre. Deep purplish red. Aromatic with strawberry, red cherry, pencil lead, and floral notes on the nose. Black cherry, vanilla, floral notes, and a hint of coffee come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, smooth tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $23; Available elsewhere, $20 to $30

2010 Syncline Subduction Red (Columbia Valley, Washington): 31% Mourvedre, 25% Syrah, 21% Grenache, 12% Cinsault, 7% Carignan, and 4% Counoise. Deep ruby red in color. Nice nose with black cherry, raspberry, and cinnamon aromas. Fruit-forward with red and black cherry, spice, and herbs on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $18; Available elsewhere, $18 to $20

2007 Brian Carter Cellars Byzance (Columbia Valley, Washington): 51% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, 2% Counoise, and 1% Cinsault. Deep, dark red. Smoked meat, spice, blackberry, and black cherry come through on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $27; Available elsewhere, $22 to $27

Wine Tasting Dinner: Washington Rhone-Style Red Blends was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Plantagenet Wines was the first winery established in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. The Great Southern region is characterized by a cool, continental climate and granite-laden soils. Founded in 1968 by English immigrant Tony Smith, Plantagenet is named after the local Shire of Plantagenet. Smith’s initial plantings included Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Later, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay were planted as well. Plantagenet’s Omrah line of wines is named for the SS Omrah ocean liner, which ferried settlers and soldiers to and from Western Australia’s shores in the 1900’s.

“Plush blueberry and plum with just a hint of characteristically regional pepper and spice notes. Subtle oak characters impart a sweet, vanilla chocolate note. The bouquet will evolve with time in the bottle providing further complexity.” –Plantagenet Wines

2008 Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz (Great Southern, Australia): Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with black fruit, oak, and a touch of earth on the nose. Fruit-forward with blackberry, black cherry, and a hint of smoke on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. 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 $13; Available elsewhere, $17

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Plantagenet Omrah Shiraz was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Mission St. Vincent is a 12th century mission, which has been turned into a modern winery. Located between two rivers, the Garonne and the Dordogne, in the Entre-Deux-Mers region in France, Mission St. Vincent extends over fifteen villages. For over 25 years, plots of vineyard land have been carefully selected to obtain the best grapes in order to produce a quality wine.

“Strong color, bright red highlights. Pleasant nose combining the red and black fruit with a woody vanilla. The mouth is round, silky tannins with a lovely aromatic presence. A contemporary style.” –Mission St. Vincent

2008 Mission St. Vincent Bordeaux Rouge (Bordeaux, France): 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Medium to deep red in color. Aromatic with vegetal notes and a hint of barnyard on the nose. Smoke, black fruit, and bell pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $10; Available elsewhere, $10

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Mission St. Vincent Bordeaux Rouge was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.