Wine Peeps » Semillon

A Wine for Tonight: 2007 Latah Creek Semillon

Kori — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2007 Latah Creek Semillon from Washington State.

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

Latah Creek Winery, owned by Mike and Ellena Conway, has been in business 28 years and produces about 17,000 cases per year. Latah Creek remains a family owned and operated winery with the Conway’s daughter Natalie serving as assistant winemaker since 2005. This wine is a great sipper, with or without food. Best of all, it retails for less than $9 and received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

2007 Latah Creek Semillon (Washington State): Very pale, straw yellow in color. Very aromatic with straw and floral notes on the nose. Tropical fruits, melon, cantaloupe, guava, and mango come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing 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), $8.39

A Wine for Tonight: 2007 Latah Creek Semillon was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Wine Tasting Dinner: Washington Semillon

Kori — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:00:21 +0000

Well, it seems that fall has already arrived here in Seattle. Even though the official end of summer has not passed, the overcast skies and cooler temperatures tell us that summer is indeed over. Nevertheless, we wanted to have another tasting dinner featuring refreshing white wines before we turn the page on the summer of 2010. Last Friday, we hosted our 87th wine tasting dinner and featured Washington Semillon for the first time. As one guest noted, these wines are like “summer in a glass.”

Mom (LaGayle) outdid herself this time with an amazing meal, which paired extremely well with the wines. The menu included Thai creamy sweet potato soup, spinach, bacon, and apple salad, grilled pork loin chops, garlic cheese grits, roasted beets with sautéed beet greens, and peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

The consensus favorite of the evening was the 2007 Latah Creek Semillon. Latah Creek Winery, owned by Mike and Ellena Conway, has been in business 28 years and produces about 17,000 cases per year. Latah Creek remains a family owned and operated winery with the Conway’s daughter Natalie serving as assistant winemaker since 2005. This wine is a great sipper, with or without food. Best of all, it retails for less than $9 and received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

The other wine in this tasting that deserves extra attention because of its high quality is the 2008 Chateau Rollat Ardenvoir Artist Series Semillon. In fact, the top five wines are all good choices to enjoy on a warm summer evening or any time you want to call upon that “summer in a glass” feeling.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2008 Chateau Rollat Ardenvoir Artist Series Semillon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 92% Semillon, 8% Sauvignon Blanc. Pale yellow and aromatic. Aromas of honeysuckle and straw lead to flavors of honeysuckle, lemon, and lime. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $21.99; Available elsewhere, $19

2007 Fidelitas Semillon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, straw yellow in color. Nice nose with apricot and tropical aromas. More tropical fruits, apricot, and peach on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with 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), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $15 to $20

2008 L’Ecole Nº 41 Semillon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 89% Semillon, 11% Sauvignon Blanc. Pale, straw yellow. Straw and vanilla aromas lead to flavors of vanilla, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon. Dry, medium-bodied and lively with a long finish. A bit plain.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $12.79; Available elsewhere, $12 to $17

2009 Amavi Cellars Semillon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 86% Semillon, 14% Sauvignon Blanc. Pale, straw yellow in color. Nose is a bit tight at first, then vanilla aromas come through. More vanilla, straw, melon, and pear on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $15.99; Available elsewhere, $16 to $20

2007 Beresan Winery Semillon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Vanilla, melon, and floral aromas and flavors. Dry, medium-bodied and lively with a long, bitter finish.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $16.99; Available elsewhere, $18

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

Highlights and Wine Tastings from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference

Kori — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00:52 +0000

This past weekend, Dad (John), Colby, and I spent three jam-packed days in Walla Walla, Washington, for the third annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. We were joined by over 300 fellow wine bloggers, wine industry participants, and media members for tastings, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and visits to local vineyards and wineries. [See the bottom of this post for a recap of the wines that we tasted before, during, and after the WBC.]

As a judge for the WBC-or-BUST contest, I was invited to join the group of winners for a few of their pre-conference stops: a Woodinville Grand Tasting at Willows Lodge, Brunch and Unique AVA Wine Tasting at Cave B in Quincy, and the Walla Walla Vintners Pizza & Wine Social. These stops allowed me to visit with many winemakers and taste numerous wines before the conference was officially underway.

Things really kicked into high gear on Friday with the official start of the conference. We enjoyed a taco truck tasting for lunch followed by a keynote address by wine writer Steve Heimoff of Wine Enthusiast and SteveHeimoff.com on the future of wine writing. He made several points that really resonated with me: 1) Know who you are, find your voice, and then stretch it. 2) Transparency is key. Bloggers are forcing print critics to be more transparent. 3) To develop and expand your palate, it is important to read a lot, taste a lot, and write a lot. Alan Kropf of Mutineer Magazine then presented the 2010 Wine Blog Awards. Congratulations to all of the winners!

A portion of each day was devoted to breakout sessions on a variety of topics. I won’t bore you with the details, but we found most of the sessions very interesting and informative. We hope to incorporate some of the suggestions and ideas we formulated during these sessions to make Wine Peeps even better. The thread that ran through all of the sessions was the importance of remembering that we are all wine writers, no matter whether our platform is a blog, a newspaper, a magazine, or a book. And once again, there was an emphasis on social networking and interacting with our readers. (So if you aren’t already, please follow/like us on Twitter and Facebook.)

This year, we had two Live Wine Blogging segments (White Wines on Friday and Red Wines on Saturday) which featured wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves in a fast and furious “speed dating”-like format.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates hosted dinner on Friday evening. Doug Gore, Senior Vice President of Winemaking and Vineyard Operations, introduced a number of their winemakers who were on hand pouring their wines. The highlight of the evening was when Domaine Ste. Michelle sparkling winemaker, Rick Casqueiro, demonstrated how to open a bottle of sparking wine with a saber. After dinner, we visited a number of tasting rooms in downtown Walla Walla who opened for an after-hours walkabout.

We got up bright and early the next morning for a fascinating presentation on the terroirs of the Walla Walla Valley by geologist Kevin Pogue. His talk was a perfect start to a day spent visiting vineyards and wineries in the Walla Walla Valley. We divided into groups of 15 and boarded buses, not knowing where we were headed until we got there. Our bus enjoyed visits to Cougar Hills Vineyard, a Syrah tasting and panel presentation at Skylite Cellars that also featured wines by Smasne Cellars and Riverhaven Cellars, and lunch at Pepper Bridge Winery.

The Washington Wine Commission hosted a grand tasting of Washington wines followed by a family-style dinner on Saturday evening with a Washington winemaker sitting at each table. Lettie Teague, wine columnist for The Wall Street Journal and author of Educating Peter, gave the keynote address on finding your voice.

One of my favorite sessions of the weekend was also the last, a Food and Wine Pairing seminar and lunch with chef Jeffrey Saad, the runner up on season 5 of The Next Food Network Star. The conference officially ended just after lunch on Sunday.

While I enjoyed all of the keynotes, sessions, events, and tastings, the best part of the conference was getting to meet so many of our fellow wine bloggers in person and see some friends we had made at previous conferences.

Many thanks to Allan Wright of Zephyr Wine Adventures and Joel Vincent of the OpenWine Consortium for organizing this wonderful conference and to all of the sponsors for your support in making it a reality.

We stayed in Walla Walla for a couple of extra days in order to visit a few more wineries. In the coming weeks, I will be posting in more detail about some of the conference topics and wineries we visited.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted before, during, and after the Wine Bloggers Conference, except those that we already rated during the Live Wine Blogging segments (White Wines on Friday and Red Wines on Saturday). Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $38, QPR: 5
2007 Betz Père de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $60, QPR: 5
2006 Boudreaux Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $100, QPR: 5
2008 Betz La Côte Patriarche Syrah, Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $55, QPR: 4

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 5
2006 Rulo Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 5
2008 Walla Walla Vintners Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 5
2009 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Chardonnay, Puget Sound, $24, QPR: 5
2007 Gilbert Cellars Estate Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $24, QPR: 5
2007 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 5
2007 Rulo Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $40, QPR: 5
2009 Sparkman Cellars Pearl Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: 4
2009 Syncline Grüner Veltliner, Underwood Mountain Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, $20, QPR: 4
2009 Dowsett Family Winery Gewurztraminer, Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, $20, QPR: 4
2007 Camaraderie Tempranillo, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2008 Nefarious Rx-4 Red Wine (Rhone-style blend), Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2007 Barrister Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2005 Skylite Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 4
2008 Dusted Valley Big Bad MOFO! Petite Sirah, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Rulo Silo Reserve Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $36, QPR: 4
2005 Otis Kenyon Reserve Merlot, Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 4
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 4
2008 William Church Malbec, Gamache Vineyards, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 3
2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $34, QPR: 3
2006 Cave B Cuvée de Soleil (Bordeaux-style red blend), Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2008 Buty Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Conner Lee & Champoux Vineyards, Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2007 Sparkman Cellars Ruby Leigh (Merlot-based blend), Columbia Valley, $42, QPR: 3
2007 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Bordeaux Blend, Red Mountain, $45, QPR: 3
2006 Glencorrie Cuvée Marquis (Bordeaux-style blend), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 3
2007 Skylite Reserve (Malbec-based blend), Columbia Valley, $47, QPR: 3
2006 Alma Terra Syrah, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, $54, QPR: 2
2007 Buty Rediviva of the Stones (Syrah/Cab), Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 2
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Pepper Bridge Vineyard Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 2
2006 Col Solare (Cabernet-based blend), Columbia Valley, $75, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9, QPR: 5
NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 5
2006 Kiona Estate Lemberger, Red Mountain, $12, QPR: 5
2009 Nefarious Riesling, Stone’s Throw Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
NV Barrister Rough Justice (Red blend), Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2008 Rulo Sundance Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, $20, QPR: 4
NV Hard Row to Hoe Pinot Noir, Lake Chelan, $25, QPR: 4
2007 Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 4
2007 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 4
2006 Rulo Cabernet Sauvignon, Klipsun Vineyard, Red Mountain, $40, QPR: 4
2008 Cedergreen Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 3
2009 Cedergreen Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 3
2009 Tildio Viognier, Lake Chelan, $18, QPR: 3
2008 Cougar Crest Grenache Rosé, Walla Walla Valley, $18, QPR: 3
2008 Rulo Viognier, Walla Walla Valley, $18, QPR: 3
2008 Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Dowsett Family Winery Devotion (Rhone-style red blend), Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2006 Skylite Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Skylite Cellars Syrah, Minnick Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Syrah, Red Mountain, $32, QPR: 3
2007 SYZYGY Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $33, QPR: 3
2007 Sinclair Estate Syrah, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2008 Buty Conner Lee Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2007 Woodward Canyon “Artist Series” Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $49, QPR: 3
2007 Cooper Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 3
2009 Amavi Semillon, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: 2
2009 William Church Viognier, Conner Lee Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $21, QPR: 2
2009 Doyenne Rosé (Rhone-style blend), Yakima Valley, $23, QPR: 2
2009 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Roussanne, Horse Heaven Hills, $24, QPR: 2
2007 Camaraderie Malbec, Crawford Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: 2
2008 CAVU Malbec, Columbia Winery, $30, QPR: 2
2007 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, $36, QPR: 2
2007 Doyenne Syrah, Yakima Valley, $39, QPR: 2
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 2
2007 Sparkman Cellars Stella Mae (Cabernet-based blend), Columbia Valley, $42, QPR: 1
2007 Sinclair Estate Vixen (Rhone-style red blend), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2005 SYZYGY Saros (Tempranillo/Malbec/Cab), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2007 Glencorrie Cuvée Marquis (Bordeaux-style blend), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2007 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Cabernet Blend, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 1
2006 Alma Terra Syrah, Minnick Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $54, QPR: 1
2006 Pepper Bridge Winery Pepper Bridge Vineyard Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 1
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Seven Hills Vineyard Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, Columbia Valley, $13, QPR: 5
2007 DaMa Cowgirl Cab, Columbia Valley, $21, QPR: 5
2007 Rulo Syrca Red Wine (Syrah/Cab), Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 4
2009 DaMa Rosé (Mourvedre/Syrah), Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2008 DaMa Syrah, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2007 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $28, QPR: 4
2007 Riverhaven Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, River Rock Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $34, QPR: 3
2006 SYZYGY Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $36, QPR: 3
2009 Shameless Hussy [Hard Row to Hoe] Sangiovese Dry Rosé, Lake Chelan, $15, QPR: 2
2009 Rulo Combine (Sauvignon Blanc/Muscat Ottonel), Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 2
2009 Rulo Rosé (Syrah/Cab), Walla Walla Valley, $15, QPR: 2
2007 Cedergreen Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 2
2009 Cave B Saignée Rosé, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2007 Tildio Merlot, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 2
2007 Des Voigne Cellars The Duke Red Wine (Zinfandel blend), Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Riverhaven Estate Syrah, River Rock Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Glencorrie Merlot, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2009 Davenport Cellars Semillon, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: 1
2007 Cougar Crest Viognier, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2008 Tru Rosé (Syrah/Chard/Riesling), Washington State, $21, QPR: 1
2008 CAVU Barbera, Horse Heaven Hills, $30, QPR: 1
2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Rattlesnake Hills, $32, QPR: 1
2007 Dusted Valley Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Camaraderie Elegance (Bordeaux-style red blend), Meek Family Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Smasne Cellars Block 3 Syrah, Lawrence Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Sweet Valley Double Barrel Red, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2008 Rulo Birch Creek Chardonnay, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2009 DaMa Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $21, QPR: NR
NV Tru Blanc de Blancs, Washington State, $40, QPR: NR
2007 Sinclair Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $45, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2007 Tru Gewurztraminer, Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, $21, QPR: NR

Highlights and Wine Tastings from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Live Wine Blogging from WBC in Walla Walla – White Wines

Kori — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:52:35 +0000

4:50pm
Dad (John), Colby, and I are here at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. We are just about to begin the Live Wine Blogging – White Wines segment featuring wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves. We will update this post as we go.

5:00pm
NV Pepperwood Grove Chardonnay (California): The Big Green Box. Green apple, vanilla, crisp acidity. But not much to it.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $19.99 [3L box]

5:05pm
2009 Desert Wind Viognier (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Nice nose, fresh, floral, white peach, apricot. A bit hot.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

5:11pm
2009 Poet’s Leap Riesling [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Always a favorite. So crisp and refreshing. Great acidity. Apricot, peach, citrus. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20

5:16pm
2009 Big House White (California): 51% Malvasia Bianca, 14% Muscat Canelli, 13% Viognier, 10% Gruner Veltliner, 5% Pinot Gris, 4% White Riesling. Very fragrant nose. Disappoints on the palate.
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $21.99 [3L Octavin]

5:21pm
2008 Maryhill Viognier (Columbia Valley, Washington): Green apple, pear, honey. Lively acidity. Residual sugar: 1.24%.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $11.95

5:26pm
2008 Hogue Genesis Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Off-dry, crisp acidity, refreshing. Melon, citrus, tangerine. Long finish. Residual Sugar: 1.8%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

5:31pm
2008 Buty Semillon/Sauvignon/Muscadelle (Columbia Valley, Washington): 69% Semillon, 26% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle. Good acidity. Floral aromas, lemon, hint of oak. Very nice. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $25

5:38pm
2009 Dusted Valley Ramblin’ Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 52% Mourvedre, 29% Counoise, 16% Syrah, 2% Viognier. Dry. Strawberry, raspberry, cherry. Good acidity.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18

5:41pm
2008 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Semillon. Dry, grapefruit, vanilla, honey, tropical fruits.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $34

5:47pm
2008 Duck Pond Cellars Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon): Dry, mineral, melon, smooth.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

5:47pm
2009 Banfi Centine Bianco (Toscana IGT, Italy): 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Grigio. Nice nose. Pear, lime, crisp acidity.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10

5:55pm
2009 Kung Fu Girl Riesling (Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): Produced by Charles Smith Wines. Nose is a bit tight at first. Lime, lemon, tropical fruits. Off-dry. Good acidity. Residual Sugar: 1.5%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $12

6:00pm
This concludes the Live Wine Blogging – White Wines segment. Whew! A fast-paced process but lots of fun.

Cheers!

Live Wine Blogging from WBC in Walla Walla – White Wines was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Spotlight On: Cave B Estate Winery

Kori — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:05:54 +0000

Cave B Estate Winery is a destination winery resort located on 900 foot cliffs above the Columbia River in Quincy, Washington. Founded in 2001 by Vincent and Carol Bryan, Cave B Estate Winery sits in the heart of the Bryan’s SageCliffe Resort which also includes The Cave B Inn at SageCliffe, The Spa at SageCliffe, Tendrils Vineyard Restaurant, a cliff-side swimming pool, and event and meeting facilities. While Cave B is a little off the beaten path, it is actually centrally located, just over two hours from both Seattle and Spokane. The setting is peaceful and visually stunning, an excellent place to visit for an afternoon or a long weekend.

The SageCliffe story began in 1980 when the Bryan family bought the land. At the time, it was home to alfalfa, sagebrush, and a few cattle. They began planting their first vineyard on the property that first summer. When the vineyards began producing adequately, they sold the grapes to wineries around Washington State but always looked forward to making their own wine. Their first winery was known as Champs de Brionne. Not long after the winery opened, the Bryans discovered an area on their property which offered amazing natural acoustics. Today, that area is the world-renowned Gorge Amphitheater. As the reputation of the amphitheater grew, they decided to close the winery and focus on the amphitheater and vineyards.

Years later in 2001, with the amphitheater’s reputation firmly established and the vineyards more mature, the Bryans decided to open another winery, this time a smaller, premium estate winery named Cave B Estate Winery. All of the grapes used in Cave B wines come from their 100+ acre estate vineyards. The climate in their vineyards is not as hot as Wahluke Slope and not as cool as Lake Chelan but rather somewhere in the middle. This allows them to ripen reds nicely but also retain good acidity. As a result, many varieties seem to do well on their site, and they currently grow seventeen different varieties. Cave B uses about 35 percent of their crop and they sell the rest of the grapes to other wineries. Currently, Cave B produces a total of about 5,000 cases per year under two labels, their primary Cave B label and their more widely available SageCliffe label.

Winemaker Alfredo “Freddy” Arredondo joined Cave B in 2006 as assistant winemaker and became head winemaker in November 2007. He is a very personable guy with a clear passion for both wine and food. In fact, his roots are in the food world. He attended culinary school in Scottsdale, Arizona, and later also studied at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Costigliole, Italy. Through his culinary studies, he became interested in wine and in 2003 decided to switch his focus to winemaking. He graduated with a degree in Enology and Viticulture from the Institute for Enology and Viticulture in Walla Walla, Washington. During school, he worked as a cellar master at Cougar Crest Winery. After graduation in 2005, he went to work for Cave B.

“Before changing careers, I was a chef. I’ve been working on my palate my whole life. I make wines that are meant to be drunk with food.” –Winemaker Freddy Arredondo

Recently, Dad (John) and I had the pleasure to meet Freddy and taste through some of the Cave B wines with him when he was in Seattle. The 2008 vintage was the first vintage that Freddy produced completely on his own. During that tasting, we had the opportunity to taste three of “his” reds that were recently bottled and will not be released until June, a Malbec, a Cabernet Franc, and a Tempranillo. We were very impressed, particularly with the Malbec. Both the Malbec and the Cabernet Franc are the first varietal bottlings of those wines from Cave B. Given that recently bottled wines tend to be muted on both the nose and palate, we were very impressed with the character that these wines already showed. I will be anxious to try these wines again once they’ve been in the bottle six to eight months. We have had Cave B wines in the past and had found them to be somewhat inconsistent. It is obvious that Freddy has Cave B headed down the right path as these current and upcoming releases are quite impressive and really show Freddy’s potential as a winemaker as he showcases Cave B’s vineyard site.

“My philosophy in winemaking in general is to really pull back on oak, really have a restrained, light touch with oak. I really view the oak as giving the wine texture and body more so than giving it toasted wood. I, personally, especially with food, don’t really like wines that smell and taste like toasted wood. I want the fruit to be front and center, not the oak.” –Winemaker Freddy Arredondo

The only bad news in all of this is that most of Cave B’s wines are not widely distributed. About 80 percent of all their wine sales take place on the premises through their tasting room, restaurant, and wine club.

The wines rated below include a number of Cave B’s current and upcoming releases, one we tasted in a blind samples tasting and the others when we tasted with Freddy in Seattle. These eight wines are excellent representatives of the Cave B portfolio. With four 4-star wines, two 3.5-star wines, and two 3-star wines, I encourage you to pick up any of these if you happen to see them on the shelf at your local wine shop. And if you find yourself near The Gorge Amphitheater or looking for a special vacation destination, I encourage you to stop by or make a reservation at Cave B. As if the current amenities aren’t enough to entice you, they also are developing The Golf Club at SageCliffe and a limited number of single-family residences. And down the road, they plan to build a Hilltop Village which will include art galleries, performance spaces, more culinary offerings, retail shops, and condominiums.

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Malbec (Columbia Valley, Washington): Bottled in early March. Cave B’s first varietal Malbec. Beautiful blood red with purple hues. Massive red fruit on the nose. Luscious red fruits, spice, and a hint of black pepper on the palate. Medium-bodied with very crisp acidity and drying tannins. Well-balanced now but should really open up with more time in the bottle.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, probably low $30’s (to be released in June)

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, straw yellow with green tinges. Petrol, mineral, dill, and citrus aromas on the nose; pears, peaches, and green apples on the palate. Off-dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and complex with a long finish. Residual Sugar: 2%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Bottled in early March. Cave B’s first varietal Cab Franc. Gorgeous nose for just being bottled. Spice, clove, vegetal, and dark fruit aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish. Well-balanced, good complexity, has great potential.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, probably high $20’s (to be released in June)

2006 Cave B Estate Winery Cuvee du Soleil (Columbia Valley, Washington): 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot. Cave B’s signature Bordeaux-style blend. Great nose with smoke, chocolate, and spice aromas. Black fruits and smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, drying tannins. Good fruit up front and good weight on the mid-palate. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Tempranillo (Columbia Valley, Washington): 80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Franc. Bottled in early March. Aromas of earth, floral, and spice; flavors of smoke, dark fruits, and leather. Medium to full-bodied, lively acidity, medium drying tannins, and a long finish. Should come together with more time in the bottle.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, probably high $20’s (to be released in June)

2009 SageCliffe 100 Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington): Small amount of Viognier blended in as well. Light-bodied and very aromatic. Floral notes, pear, and apple come through on both the nose and palate. Crisp, yet smooth, with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18.50

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Semillon Ice Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Golden yellow. Nose is a bit tight at first but then honey and dried apricot aromas and flavors show through. Not overly sweet on the palate despite the high residual sugar. Good balance. Residual Sugar: 12.5%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $35 [375ml]

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Semillon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Some oak and a hint of butter on the nose. Light to medium-bodied. Smooth and creamy with lively acidity and a long, slightly hot, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $20

Spotlight On: Cave B Estate Winery was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

20something—the new vintage: This Saturday, November 21

Kori — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:00:56 +0000

Are you between the ages of 21 and 30? Do you enjoy wine and yet feel a bit intimidated by it? Do you live in the Seattle area or have plans to be in the area this weekend? If you answered “yes” to all three questions, then 20something—the new vintage could be just the event for you. This Saturday, November 21, at Fremont Studios in Seattle, 20something attendees will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with more than 75 Washington winemakers who will be pouring their favorite $30-and-under wines.

Recently, I attended the 20something TweetUp hosted by the Washington Wine Commission that featured 15 wines which were a preview of what will be poured at the 20something event on Saturday (see my notes below). If those wines were any indication, it should be a wonderful event. In addition to fabulous wines, 20something will also be featuring culinary treats from some of Seattle’s hottest chefs. And what I think will be the best feature at this year’s event for those of you eager to learn more about wine, in general…the education stations. 20something attendees will: learn how to spot a flawed wine; understand more about the textures, flavors, and aromas of wine; and participate in interactive activities throughout the evening.

And if you aren’t exactly 20-something anymore, don’t be deterred. Those over 30 and “young at heart” are more than welcome. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the 20something—the new vintage website. And, if you purchase 20something tickets by today, November 16, you will be entered to win two tickets to “White Christmas,” playing at The 5th Avenue Theatre from November 28th through December 30th.

Here are the wines I tasted during the 20something TweetUp, listed in my personal order of preference, with my Twitter-style notes as well as Quality and QPR ratings:

2005 Côte Bonneville Carriage House DuBrul Vineyard (Yakima Valley, Washington): Bordeaux-style blend. Best of the bunch. Blackberry, black cherry, smooth, well-balanced. Yum!
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $50

2008 Syncline Subduction Red (Columbia Valley, Washington): Southern Rhone-style blend. Red fruits and floral notes. Smooth, well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $18

2006 Five Star Cellars Merlot (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): A big, bold, Cab-like Merlot. I like it.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $32

2008 Barnard Griffin Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark fruits, pepper, and a little earth. A little Australian Shiraz-esque.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $17

2008 O*S Winery Riesling Champoux Vineyards (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Slightly corked. Good acidity. Peach on nose and palate.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $20

2008 COR Cellars Alba Cor (Columbia Gorge, Washington): Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer. Fresh, lemon zest, crisp acidity, long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $18

2005 Northstar Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): Another big, bold Merlot. Some earth and barnyard on this one.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $40

2008 Doyenne Roussanne Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (Red Mountain, Washington): Produced by DeLille Cellars. Floral, crisp, fresh. A nice surprise.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $30

2006 Robert Karl Cellars Claret (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Bordeaux-style blend. Black fruits, a little pepper and spice, and some heat on the finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $20

2008 Sparkman Cellars Lumiere Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington): Classic Chardonnay. Oak, vanilla, butter.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $25

2008 Bergevin Lane Calico White (Columbia Valley, Washington): Viognier, Roussanne, and Chardonnay. Dried apricots and floral notes on the nose. Crisp but slightly bitter finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $16

2007 Boomtown Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley, Washington): Produced by Dusted Valley Vintners. Hay aromas but a bit plain up front. Opens up on mid-palate, medium finish.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Suggested Retail Price: $13

2008 L’Ecole No. 41 Semillon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Love the L’Ecole label, schoolhouse drawn by a third grader. Tight nose, very dry.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Suggested Retail Price: $16

2006 Seven Hills Winery Malbec (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Usually love Malbec but not feeling this one tonight. Too jammy.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Suggested Retail Price: $28

2006 Baer Ursa (Columbia Valley, Washington): Bordeaux-style blend. Lots of red fruits up front. Finish trails off though.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Suggested Retail Price: $35

To try these wines for yourself, make plans to attend the 20something—the new vintage event this Saturday at Fremont Studios.

Cheers!

20something—the new vintage: This Saturday, November 21 was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Canadian Wine Country: A Weekend in the Okanagan Valley

Kori — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:36:45 +0000

We recently spent a long weekend in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, relaxing, visiting family friends, and of course, wine tasting. The Okanagan Valley is Canada’s most well-known wine region. Located about 100 miles east of Vancouver, B.C., it is about a six hour drive from Seattle. The Okanagan Valley stretches over 100 kilometers from the United States-Canada border near Osoyoos north to Salmon Arm.

On this particular trip, we spent our time in the South Okanagan around the towns of Osoyoos, Oliver, Penticton, and Naramata. We visited a total of nine wineries and tasted 69 wines. Many of the area wineries boast gorgeous settings overlooking one of three lakes, Osoyoos Lake, Skaha Lake, and Okanagan Lake. For overall wine quality, our best stops were at Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs. Both Inniskillin and Jackson-Triggs are owned by Vincor Canada, a division of Constellation Brands.

Inniskillin Okanagan was acquired in 1996 by Inniskillin Niagara. Except for the same ownership, Inniskillin Okanagan and Inniskillin Niagara are run as separate entities with their own winemakers and own vineyards. Inniskillin Okanagan uses all B.C. grown grapes and produces about 25,000 cases per year. They make good wines across the board but are particularly well-known for their icewines.

Jackson-Triggs is arguably Canada’s most celebrated winery. Founded in the 1980s by Allan Jackson and Don Triggs, Jackson-Triggs produces between 100,000 and 120,000 cases per year. We would easily recommend all nine of their wines that we tasted but were particularly impressed with their icewines and Shirazes.

The countryside is beautiful, the locals are extremely nice folks, and all nine wineries we visited had well-equipped tasting rooms. Every winery provided a take-home tasting sheet with their wine information on it, most provided water and crackers to cleanse your palate, and a few even provided personal spit cups in addition to dump buckets. In addition to the tasting room amenities, the region itself is very visitor-friendly with excellent wine route signage that points travelers to the local wineries.

The only downside is that many of the wineries in the Okanagan Valley do not export their wines to the United States. Obviously, you can buy the wine when you visit and bring it home with you (you’ll have to pay some taxes depending on how much you bring back), but you won’t be able to go down the street to your local wine shop and pick up a bottle of your favorite Okanagan Valley wine on a regular basis.

For those of you who live in the Pacific Northwest or are planning to visit, make time to venture north to visit wineries in the Okanagan Valley. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted in the Okanagan Valley. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Riesling Icewine, Okanagan Valley, $60 [375ml], QPR: 4
2007 Inniskillin Tempranillo Icewine Discovery Series, Okanagan Valley, $99.99 [375ml], QPR: 2

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Township 7 Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $24.99, QPR: 5
2006 Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Shiraz, Okanagan Valley, $25.99, QPR: 5
2005 Hester Creek Reserve Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $25.99, QPR: 5
2006 Mistral Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, $29.90, QPR: 5
2006 Lang Vineyards Riesling Farm Reserve, Okanagan Valley, $19.90, QPR: 4
2006 Inniskillin Malbec Discovery Series, Okanagan Valley, $24.99, QPR: 4
2006 Hester Creek Reserve Cabernet Franc, Okanagan Valley, $25.99, QPR: 4
2006 Jackson-Triggs SunRock Vineyard Shiraz, Okanagan Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2008 Gehringer Brothers Minus 9 Ehrenfelser Icewine, Okanagan Valley, $46.99 [375ml], QPR: 4
2007 Inniskillin Vidal Icewine, Okanagan Valley, $52.99 [375ml], QPR: 3
2006 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Riesling Icewine, Okanagan Valley, $52.99 [375ml], QPR: 3

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Tinhorn Creek Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $18.99, QPR: 5
2007 Tinhorn Creek Kerner Icewine, Okanagan Valley, $24.99 [375ml], QPR: 5
2006 Township 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, $25.99, QPR: 5
2007 Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Franc, Okanagan Valley, $17.99, QPR: 4
2006 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Shiraz, Okanagan Valley, $19.99, QPR: 4
2006 Township 7 Syrah, Okanagan Valley, $24.99, QPR: 4
2005 Hester Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, $34.99, QPR: 4
2008 Hester Creek Late Harvest Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, $14.99, QPR: 3
2008 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Rosé, Okanagan Valley, $14.99, QPR: 3
2007 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Viognier, Okanagan Valley, $15.99, QPR: 3
2008 Hester Creek Semillon Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, $15.99, QPR: 3
2008 Gehringer Brothers Dry Rock Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, $15.99, QPR: 3
2006 Inniskillin Chenin Blanc Discovery Series, Okanagan Valley, $16.99, QPR: 3
2007 Lang Vineyards Grand Pinot White, British Columbia, $18.90, QPR: 3
2006 Inniskillin Meritage Single Vineyard Series Dark Horse Estate Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, $24.99, QPR: 3
2007 Gehringer Brothers Riesling Icewine, Okanagan Valley, $46.99 [375ml], QPR: 3
2005 Mistral Grand Reserve, Okanagan Valley, $39.90, QPR: 2
2007 Mistral Gamay Icewine, Similkameen Valley, $54.90 [375ml], QPR: 2

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 Gehringer Brothers Late Harvest Riesling, Okanagan Valley, $17.99, QPR: 5
2007 Hester Creek Chardonnay, British Columbia, $13.99, QPR: 4
2007 Gehringer Brothers Dry Rock Vineyard Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $14.99, QPR: 4
2007 Gehringer Brothers Dry Rock Vineyard Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $14.99, QPR: 4
2007 Hester Creek Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $16.99, QPR: 4
2006 Lang Vineyards Grand Pinot Red, Okanagan Valley, $19.90, QPR: 4
2008 Gehringer Brothers Optimum Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, $20.99, QPR: 4
2006 Inniskillin Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard Series Dark Horse Estate Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, $24.99, QPR: 4
2007 Jackson-Triggs Proprietors’ Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, $13.99, QPR: 3
2008 Gehringer Brothers Private Reserve Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $14.99, QPR: 3
2008 Tinhorn Creek Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, $17.99, QPR: 3
2007 Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve White Meritage, Okanagan Valley, $21.99, QPR: 3
2008 Gehringer Brothers Cabernet Franc Icewine, Okanagan Valley, $47.99 [375ml], QPR: 3
2007 Township 7 Rosé, British Columbia, $15.99, QPR: 2
2008 Hester Creek Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $16.99, QPR: 2
2006 Mistral Cabernet Franc, British Columbia, $26.90, QPR: 2
2004 Mistral Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $29.90, QPR: 2
2007 Burrowing Owl Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $30, QPR: 2
2008 Lang Vineyards Marechal Foch, Okanagan Valley, $17.90, QPR: 1
2008 Hester Creek Trebbiano, Okanagan Valley, $18.99, QPR: 1
2007 Township 7 Sauvignon Blanc, Okanagan Valley, $18.99, QPR: 1
2007 Township 7 Gewurztraminer, Okanagan Valley, $18.99, QPR: 1
2006 Lang Vineyards Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, Okanagan Valley, $19.90, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Gehringer Brothers Dry Riesling, Okanagan Valley, $13.99, QPR: NR
2008 Gehringer Brothers Auxerrois, Okanagan Valley, $13.99, QPR: NR
2007 Hester Creek Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $15.99, QPR: NR
2008 Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $16.50, QPR: NR
2008 Tinhorn Creek Gewurztraminer, Okanagan Valley, $16.50, QPR: NR
2007 Gehringer Brothers Late Harvest Cabernet Franc, Okanagan Valley, $16.99, QPR: NR
2007 Mistral Viognier, British Columbia, $17.90, QPR: NR
2008 Township 7 Unoaked Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, $17.99, QPR: NR
2006 Tinhorn Creek Cabernet Merlot, Okanagan Valley, $17.99, QPR: NR
2007 Lang Vineyards Gewurztraminer, British Columbia, $18.90, QPR: NR
2008 Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2006 Lang Vineyards Signature Series Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley, $22.90, QPR: NR
2007 Inniskillin Marsanne Roussanne Discovery Series, Okanagan Valley, $24.99, QPR: NR
2007 Burrowing Owl Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley, $25, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2007 Tinhorn Creek Pinot Noir, Okanagan Valley, $18.99, QPR: NR

Canadian Wine Country: A Weekend in the Okanagan Valley was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Weekend in Washington Wine Country: Red Mountain, Tri-Cities, Yakima Valley

Kori — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:00:55 +0000

We recently spent a wonderful weekend in Washington wine country. We visited vineyards and wineries on Red Mountain, in the Yakima Valley, and near the Tri-Cities. We met some wonderful people, tasted some great wines, and spent time in some of the state’s best vineyards.

On the way from Seattle to our hotel in the Tri-Cities, our first stop was at Chandler Reach Vineyards in Benton City, founded in 1997 by Len and Jane Parris. Built to look like a Tuscan villa, the winery has a beautiful setting overlooking their estate vineyards with a view of neighboring Red Mountain. My favorite of the wines we tasted was their 2004 Syrah.

Next we had the pleasure to visit with owner Patricia Gelles, affectionately known as the “Baroness of the Mountain,” at the famed Klipsun Vineyard on Red Mountain. We met Patricia at Taste Washington in April and were glad to have the opportunity to interview her again and tour the vineyard in person. Patricia and her husband David founded Klipsun Vineyard in 1984. Klipsun means “sunset” in Chinook Indian jargon and is an appropriate name because the vineyard faces west.

The next morning we drove back to Yakima to meet with Sean Gilbert at Gilbert Cellars in Yakima. We tasted through barrels of both the soon-to-be-bottled 2007’s and the 2008’s. We had tasted the 2007’s in barrel last summer so it was great to be able to taste them again with another year of barrel age. I am really looking forward to their 2007 releases, particularly the Syrah, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. The Cab Franc was the biggest surprise for me; it was fabulous and I haven’t been able to say that about many Cab Francs. The grapes were sourced from Indian Wells Vineyard from 1985 vines. The bad news is that they will never be able to make this same wine again as the vines were ripped out after they bought these grapes.

We spent the afternoon with Hugh and Kathy Shiels at their DuBrul Vineyard and Côte Bonneville Winery. We had been quite impressed with their wines at Taste Washington this year so we were anxious to visit and learn more about their operations. The Shiels planted their first wine grapes in 1992 and started their own winery in 2001 after their last child left home. They are running a first class operation: amazing fruit, amazing wines, and amazing people.

The following day we visited five wineries that we had not previously visited. We visited Airfield Estates, Tasawik, and Masquerade in Prosser, Sandhill on Red Mountain, and Tagaris in Richland. Tasawik and Sandhill were exciting discoveries. We tasted all four Tasawik wines from their first vintage, 2005. Our favorite was their Reserve which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. We found some great QPR wines at Sandhill Winery on Red Mountain. Our favorites were their 2003 Merlot and 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. On top of having some excellent wines at great prices, the folks working in the tasting room were very nice too. Sandhill was purchased by Corliss Estates earlier this year.

We wrapped up our trip by spending the following morning on Red Mountain with vineyard manager Ryan Johnson touring Grand Rêve, Cara Mia, and Ciel du Cheval. In addition to being vineyard manager, Ryan is also a partner in Grand Rêve. The Grand Rêve estate vineyard is planted on the upper slopes of Red Mountain, and their first harvest is planned for next year. Meaning Great Dream in French, Grand Rêve boasts a revolutionary and exciting concept of focusing on the fruit first and then selecting Washington winemakers whom they feel can get the best expression of that fruit. (For more info on Grand Rêve, please refer back to my Grand Rêve: New Washington State Winery Bursts onto the Scene post.) Cara Mia is the estate vineyard of Cadence Winery, owned by talented winemaker Ben Smith. The first vines on this 10.5 acre vineyard were planted in 2004, and their first harvest was in 2006. Our final stop was at Ciel du Cheval, one of the premier vineyards in the state. Planted in 1975, Ciel du Cheval is owned and operated by Jim Holmes, Ryan’s mentor. We learned a ton from Ryan during our tours of these three vineyards. He is a knowledgeable guy and his enthusiasm for his work is evident. These traits are already paying off for Cara Mia and Ciel du Cheval, and I expect that his own Grand Rêve project will be a success as well.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted on this trip. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Côte Bonneville Carriage House DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 5
2004 Côte Bonneville DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $120, QPR: 2

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2003 Sandhill Merlot, Red Mountain, $25, QPR: 5
2004 Sandhill Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $25, QPR: 5
2004 Chandler Reach Syrah, Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2005 Tasawik Reserve Barrel Select Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $34, QPR: 4
2007 Côte Bonneville Chardonnay DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 3
2005 Côte Bonneville Syrah DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $65, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Tasawik Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $26, QPR: 5
2007 Tagaris Rhon-za Syrah Rosé, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 4
2006 Chandler Reach Corella (Sangio/Cab/Merlot), Yakima Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2007 Airfield Chardonnay, Yakima Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2005 Tasawik Merlot, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2008 Airfield Late Harvest Riesling, Yakima Valley, $28 [375ml], QPR: 4
2007 Airfield Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, $32, QPR: 4
2007 Airfield Aviator Red (Bordeaux-style blend), Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2004 Chandler Reach Estate Parris Reserve Sangiovese, Yakima Valley, $36, QPR: 3

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Sandhill Ridgefield Cinnamon Teal (Cab blend), Columbia Valley, $14, QPR: 4
2007 Airfield Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, $22, QPR: 4
2007 Sandhill Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 3
2006 Chandler Reach Merlot, Yakima Valley, $18, QPR: 3
2007 Airfield Merlot, Yakima Valley, $22, QPR: 3
2005 Tasawik Groovy Red Blend (Syrah-based), Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: 3
2008 Airfield Pinot Gris, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: 2
2004 Masquerade Merlot, Red Mountain, $28, QPR: 2
2002 Tagaris Merlot, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2006 Tagaris BoarDoe (Bordeaux-style blend), Wahluke Slope, $30, QPR: 2

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Airfield Riesling, Yakima Valley, $14, QPR: NR
2003 Tagaris Syrah, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: NR
2006 Chandler Reach Viognier, Yakima Valley, $18, QPR: NR
2003 Tagaris Kokkino RTW (Merlot/Cab), Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2005 Masquerade Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: NR
2006 Tagaris Red Roan (Rhone-style blend), Wahluke Slope, $30, QPR: NR
2007 Masquerade “Effervescing Elephant” Sparkling Wine, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2007 Airfield Thunderbolt (Sauv Blanc/Sem), Yakima Valley, $12, QPR: NR
2008 Airfield Gewurztraminer, Yakima Valley, $14, QPR: NR
2008 Airfield Foot-Stomped Syrah Rosé, Yakima Valley, $14, QPR: NR

Weekend in Washington Wine Country: Red Mountain, Tri-Cities, Yakima Valley was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Vintage Walla Walla 2009

Kori — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:07 +0000

Last weekend, we traveled to Walla Walla, Washington, to attend Vintage Walla Walla, an annual event considered to be one of the nation’s premier regional wine tasting events. It is a two-day event featuring seminars, tours, and winemaker dinners in addition to the two marquee tastings, the Vintage Pour and the Grand Pavilion Tasting.

On Friday evening, Dad (John) attended the Vintage Pour at The Marcus Whitman Hotel where 34 wineries dipped into their libraries to pour a total of 53 wines from the 2002 vintage and older. This tasting truly showcased the aging potential of Washington State wines. Dad was completely blown away by the oldest wine in the tasting, the 1994 L’Ecole Cabernet Sauvignon.

Colby and I attended the Grand Pavilion Tasting on the lawn at Whitman College on Saturday afternoon. We focused on wineries that were new to us. In all, we tasted 45 wines from 21 wineries. Our most exciting discoveries were Kontos Cellars, Couvillion Winery, and Walla Walla Vintners.

Interspersed throughout the Vintage Walla Walla festivities, we took the opportunity to visit some wineries that I had not previously visited: Bergevin Lane, Forgeron, Sleight of Hand, Tamarack, K Vintners, àMaurice, and Stephenson. Luckily, Forgeron winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla happened to be in when we stopped by so we were able to tour the winery with her. Visiting with Marie was a highlight of the weekend for me, and my daughter Sydney absolutely loved Marie’s dog, Salsa. We also had the pleasure to interview Dave Stephenson of Stephenson Cellars and will share that video in a future post. Stephenson makes stellar Syrah; his 2006 Syrah topped our list for the weekend in terms of Quality (4.5/5) and QPR (5/5).

We made a point to stop at a couple of our favorite wineries, Saviah and Watermill, as well. Saviah owner/winemaker Rich Funk took us through a vertical tasting of his Saviah Red Mountain Syrah from the 2003 through the 2007 vintage. Look for a future post on that tasting.

And on our way out of town, we stopped at the new Waterbrook tasting room whose Grand Opening coincided with Vintage Walla Walla weekend. Waterbrook is the flagship brand for the new Walla Walla Wine Works, owned by Precept Wine Brands, whose new facility is on the same property just across a little pond.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted during the Vintage Walla Walla weekend. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Since the older wines tasted at the Vintage Pour are not available for purchase, their price and QPR is listed as NA. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Stephenson Cellars Syrah, Washington State, $32, QPR: 5
2007 K Vintners Syrah Pheasant, Wahluke Slope, $35, QPR: 5
1994 L’Ecole Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2008 Sleight of Hand “The Curtain Call” Late Harvest Riesling, Walla Walla Valley, $15 [375ml], QPR: 5
2008 Watermill Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, Walla Walla Valley, $18 [375ml], QPR: 5
2006 Forgeron Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 5
2006 Bergevin Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $26, QPR: 5
2006 Kontos Cellars Merlot, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 5
2007 Walla Walla Vintners Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 5
2005 Stephenson Cellars Merlot, Washington State, $28, QPR: 5
2006 Stephenson Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $32, QPR: 5
2003 Forgeron Cabernet Sauvignon Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $46, QPR: 5
2008 K Vintners Syrah Rosé, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2006 Couvillion ‘Equilibre’ Red Wine Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah Cellars Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2007 Saviah Cellars Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2006 Forgeron Barbera, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2007 Bergevin Lane Pinot Noir, Walla Walla Valley, $38, QPR: 4
2006 Feather [Long Shadows] Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $60, QPR: 4
2008 Bergevin Lane Viognier, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2006 àMaurice Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2006 Stephenson Cellars Patina Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $45, QPR: 3
2007 Tamarack Cellars DuBrul Vineyard Reserve, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 2
2006 Bergevin Lane Intuition Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $55, QPR: 2
2005 Pirouette [Long Shadows], Columbia Valley, $55, QPR: 2
2002 Beresan Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2000 Canoe Ridge Vineyard Merlot, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Cougar Crest Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon VII, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Five Star Cellars Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 Forgeron Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 K Vintners “Morrison Lane” Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2000 K Vintners “End of the Road” Syrah, Red Mountain, $NA, QPR: NA
2000 L’Ecole Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 Leonetti Cellar Reserve, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Lowden Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Pepper Bridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Russell Creek Winemakers Select Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
1998 Seven Hills Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 SYZYGY Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 Tamarack Cellars DuBrul Vineyard Reserve, Yakima Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Tamarack Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Waterbrook Sangiovese Rosé, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 4
2007 Saviah Cellars “The Jack” Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
NV Stephenson Cellars Red Wine, Washington State, $20, QPR: 4
2007 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2007 K Vintners Syrah Milbrandt, Wahluke Slope, $25, QPR: 4
2003 Forgeron Merlot, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2006 SYZYGY Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $36, QPR: 4
2006 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $42, QPR: 4
2009 Watermill Rosé Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $14, QPR: 3
2008 Bergevin Lane Calico White, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: 3
2006 Tertulia Cellars Sobra Red, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 3
2007 Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2006 Fort Walla Walla Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Tamarack Cellars Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope, $28, QPR: 3
2005 Forgeron Zinfandel, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2005 Bergevin Lane Oui Deux Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $32, QPR: 3
2006 SYZYGY Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $34, QPR: 3
2008 Buty Rosé of the Stones (Malbec), Walla Walla Valley, $19, QPR: 2
2007 Stephenson Cellars Viognier, Washington State, $20, QPR: 2
2008 K Vintners Viognier, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 2
2008 Dowsett Family Winery Gewurztraminer, Columbia Gorge, $20, QPR: 2
2007 Kontos Cellars Gossamer White, Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: 2
2006 Kontos Cellars Alatus Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 2
2006 àMaurice Red Blend “Tsutakawa”, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 2
2007 Abeja Chardonnay, Washington State, $36, QPR: 2
2007 Sleight of Hand “Levitation” Syrah, Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 2
2006 Saggi [Long Shadows], Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 2
2008 Forgeron Roussanne, Columbia Valley, $23, QPR: 1
2007 K Vintners “The Boy” Grenache, Walla Walla Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2006 Browne Family Vineyards Red Bordeaux-style Blend, Columbia Valley, $50, QPR: 1
2002 Amavi Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Beresan Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Buty Merlot & Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Cayuse En Chamberlin Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Five Star Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Five Star Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 James Leigh Cellars Syrah, Spofford Station, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Chester Kidder [Long Shadows], Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Morrison Lane Reserve Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
1999 Northstar Merlot, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
1999 Patrick M. Paul Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2000 Reininger Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Russell Creek Winemakers Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 SYZYGY Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
1999 Walla Walla Vintners Cuvee, Washington State, $NA, QPR: NA
1996 Woodward Canyon “Artist Series” Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2006 Bergevin Lane Calico Red, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: 4
NV Forgeron Walldeaux Smithie Red, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: 4
2006 Sleight of Hand “The Spellbinder” Red, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: 4
2006 Adamant Cellars Red Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot), Columbia Valley, $23, QPR: 4
2006 Couvillion Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2007 Waterbrook Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 3
2007 Watermill Viognier, Columbia Valley, $14, QPR: 3
2007 Watermill Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $14, QPR: 3
2007 Tamarack Cellars Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 3
2007 Waterbrook Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: 3
2007 Tamarack Cellars Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2006 Couvillion Merlot, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2005 Tamarack Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 3
2006 Tertulia Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $34, QPR: 3
2006 The Beast [Buty] Phinny Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $35, QPR: 3
2007 Waterbrook Melange Blanc, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 2
2008 Ardenvoir [Chateau Rollat] Rosé, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: 2
2008 Sleight of Hand “The Magician’s Assistant” Cabernet Franc Rosé, Walla Walla Valley, $17, QPR: 2
2008 Couvillion Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2006 Tamarack Cellars Merlot, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2005 428 Boulevard Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Dowsett Family Winery Devotion (Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache), Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2005 Tamarack Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2003 Forgeron Syrah, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 2
2007 Abeja Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $32, QPR: 2
2006 Flying Trout Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $33, QPR: 2
2007 Tertulia Cellars Viognier, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: 1
2008 Flying Trout Torrontes, Argentina, $19, QPR: 1
2008 Adamant Cellars Bliss (Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon), Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2007 Buty Semillon, Sauvignon & Muscadelle, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 1
2006 àMaurice Syrah, Columbia Valley, $34, QPR: 1
2007 Adamant Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2001 Forgeron Merlot, Columbia Valley, $37, QPR: 1
2006 K Vintners “Guido” Sangiovese, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 1
NV Ensemble Cellars Red, Washington State, $48, QPR: 1
2002 Basel Cellars Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Cayuse Bionic Frog Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 Forgeron Zinfandel, Alder Ridge Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 James Leigh Cellars Syrah, Spofford Station, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Lowden Hills Merlot, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Morrison Lane Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Nicholas Cole Cellars “Camille”, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Patit Creek Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2000 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2001 Seven Hills Winery Pentad, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2000 Waterbrook Syrah, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Zerba Cellars Merlot, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Zerba Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NA
2002 Zerba Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NA

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Renegade Wine Thieves [Sleight of Hand] Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $15, QPR: NR
2008 Gifford Hirlinger Pinot Gris, Walla Walla Valley, $16, QPR: NR
2007 Sleight of Hand “The Magician” Gewurztraminer, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: NR
2008 Couvillion Riesling, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: NR
2006 Waterbrook Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: NR
2008 Cadaretta SBS White, Columbia Valley, $23, QPR: NR
2006 àMaurice Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: NR
2006 Fort Walla Walla Cellars Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $32, QPR: NR
2006 Cadaretta Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $39, QPR: NR
2002 Russell Creek Winery Merlot, Columbia Valley, $50, QPR: NR
2002 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Bottling One, Columbia Valley, $NA, QPR: NR
2002 Whitman Cellars Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $NA, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2007 Gifford Hirlinger Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $26, QPR: NR
2002 Russell Creek Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: NR

Vintage Walla Walla 2009 was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Tiptoe through the Tulips at Carpenter Creek Winery

Kori — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:00:21 +0000

Carpenter Creek Winery, located in Mount Vernon, Washington, was founded in 2001 by owner/winemaker Jeff Hammer and his wife Tara. They opened their tasting room in 2003 and did an extensive remodel in 2006. Their remodeled tasting room is very nice and quaintly situated off the road among fir and cedar trees. Currently, Carpenter Creek produces 2,300 cases per year.

We visited Carpenter Creek in January during their Sinful Syrah Weekend. Their 2005 Syrah debuted during the event and was poured alongside their 2004 and 2002 vintages. They pulled the 2002 Syrah out of their library vault just for that weekend. At the time of our visit, they only had one case of the 2002 left which is really a shame since it was our favorite. In addition to tasting their three Syrahs, we also tried eight of their other wines. Carpenter Creek primarily sources their grapes from eastern Washington vineyards, but they do have a small estate vineyard just across the lane from the tasting room. They blend estate-grown Siegerrebe, a lesser known variety that does well in the cooler, damp climate of the Puget Sound AVA, into their Rose wine.

You may be wondering…If you visited Carpenter Creek in January, why are you just writing about them now? The answer is very simple. I highly recommend that you visit Carpenter Creek Winery…in April. And given that Wednesday is April 1st, I thought today would be a good time to tell you about them. For those who are not familiar with Washington State, Mount Vernon is located in the Skagit Valley, and the Skagit Valley is famous for its beautiful tulip fields which bloom in April each year. Not to mention the fact that the weather should be much better in April than the blustery, freezing rain we encountered in January.

In fact, for the month of April, Carpenter Creek is hosting their 5th annual Spring Wine and Tulips Festival. During the event, they will be open Thursday through Monday from 11am to 6pm. They will be pouring their wines as well as offering samples of gourmet products like dipping sauces, infused olive oils, and shortbreads. For those of you needing more than a few bites during your visit, they will be serving burgers and brats on the weekends. Just as they did during the Sinful Syrah weekend, they will be pouring some of their limited edition and reserve wines as well.

Here’s a complete listing of the wines we tasted at Carpenter Creek Winery. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2002 Carpenter Creek Syrah, Washington State, $55, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Carpenter Creek Signature Series Riesling, Washington State, $12.50, QPR: 5
2006 Carpenter Creek Semillon Ice Wine, Washington State, $24, QPR: 5
2004 Carpenter Creek Cabernet Franc Port, Washington State, $28, QPR: 4
2007 Carpenter Creek Rose, Washington State, $17.50, QPR: 3

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Carpenter Creek Syrah, Washington State, $24, QPR: 3
2006 Carpenter Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, $32, QPR: 3
2005 Carpenter Creek Sauvignon Blanc, Washington State, $14.99, QPR: 2
2005 Carpenter Creek Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley, $26, QPR: 2

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2004 Carpenter Creek Meritage, Washington State, $9.50, QPR: NR
2004 Carpenter Creek Syrah, Washington State, $18, QPR: NR

Tiptoe through the Tulips at Carpenter Creek Winery was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.