We recently spent a long weekend in the Columbia Valley visiting a number of wineries, some we had visited years ago and others we had not previously visited. The Columbia Valley, established in 1984, is Washington State’s largest AVA (American Viticultural Area). Six other AVAs are located within the borders of the Columbia Valley AVA, including Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, and Rattlesnake Hills.

In our three days there, we visited eight wineries and tasted 65 different wines. We rated 16 wines as being 4-star quality or higher. Five wineries had two or more wines that received a 4-star or higher rating. Those top five wineries are, in alphabetical order: Alexandria Nicole, Barnard Griffin, Columbia Crest, Fidelitas, and Gilbert. You will find a complete list of all the wines we tasted at the end of this post.

In addition to tasting at the eight wineries, we had the pleasure to tour the facilities at Gilbert and take a vineyard tour at Columbia Crest.

Our first stop took us to the brand-new tasting room for Gilbert Cellars located in downtown Yakima. Sean Gilbert, the General Manager for Gilbert Cellars, was our host. We first met Sean in March at a tasting at Esquin Wine Merchants in Seattle. I have been impressed with what Sean and the folks at Gilbert Cellars are doing since that first meeting. Their tasting room opened in July and is different from many other tasting rooms. In addition to offering tastings, they offer their wines for purchase by the bottle or the glass to enjoy in their beautifully appointed wine bar and lounge atmosphere. They also have plans to offer hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment in the future. This tasting room is sure to become a popular spot in Yakima, for tourists and locals alike. After our visit to the tasting room, Sean took us out to the family’s winery near Wiley City for a tour of their production facilities and treated us to numerous barrel samples. Based on these samples, look for good things to continue from Gilbert Cellars. I’m looking forward to tasting some of these again when they are released in a year or two.

In stark contrast to our wonderful experience at Gilbert, our next stop was at Sheridan Vineyard. We had recently had the Sheridan Syrah in a blind tasting and were looking forward to trying some of their other wines. However, you will notice that there are no Sheridan wines in the complete list of wines we tasted. That is because they were not serving any of the Sheridan wines in the Sheridan Vineyard tasting room. That’s right, zero! Instead, they were serving five wines from their second label, Kamiakin. To me, this is an example of a “bait and switch” tasting room policy. They get you in the door based on their Sheridan label wines but then serve you something else, a much lesser product. And as you will see from my ratings below, the Kamiakin wines are terrible. So if you plan to be in the Columbia Valley wine tasting, don’t bother going to Sheridan.

On a better note, we had an opportunity to take a vineyard tour at Columbia Crest in Paterson, Washington, which is near the Washington-Oregon border. We have long been fans of Columbia Crest wines and continue to be amazed at the quality they are able to produce in such large quantities. It was nice to get to see some of their estate vineyards; however, I must admit that this visit was a bit disappointing in terms of their customer service. We, along with about eight others, had made reservations and paid in advance for the vineyard tour. I’ll spare you the long story but the bottom line is that the tour started late and was disorganized. It would be one thing if it had been complimentary but we definitely did not get our money’s worth out of the tour. We did, however, enjoy a nice tasting outside on their patio afterwards and then went into their tasting room for a Walter Clore vertical tasting.

One tip to keep in mind when you are visiting wine country: If there is a winery/tasting room that you really want to visit, be sure to call ahead and verify their hours. We have learned the hard way that in some cases you cannot even trust the information on a winery’s website. Case in point on this trip was Chandler Reach Vineyards. After Colby and I discovered their wines at the Toast to the Northwest in May, we had been looking forward to visiting their winery this summer. When we planned our itinerary for this trip, I verified hours on each winery’s website knowing that the information in books, magazines, and brochures can be outdated. I expected a winery’s website to provide the most up-to-date information. According to Chandler Reach’s site, they are open on Mondays. However, when we arrived on Monday afternoon, they were closed and had a sign posted that indicated that they are never open on Mondays. Very disappointing and certainly not a smart way to run a business.

Even though we had a few visits that did not go as we had hoped, all in all this was a great weekend in wine country.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted. 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 Gilbert Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $26, QPR: 5
2002 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 5
2000 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 4
2001 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 4

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2007 Barnard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 5
2007 Barnard Griffin Late Harvest Muscat Canelli, Columbia Valley, $25 (375 ml), QPR: 5
2005 Barnard Griffin Reserve Merlot, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 5
2005 Alexandria Nicole Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $35, QPR: 5
2005 Fidelitas Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 5
2005 Barnard Griffin Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 5
2005 Gilbert Malbec, Columbia Valley, $26, QPR: 4
2004 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2004 Barnard Griffin Ciel du Cheval Merlot, Red Mountain, $35, QPR: 4
2003 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2005 Alexandria Nicole Block 17 Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $42, QPR: 3
2005 Fidelitas Boushey Vineyard Red Wine, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Columbia Crest Two Vines Gewurztraminer, Columbia Valley, $8, QPR: 5
2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $13, QPR: 5
2006 Barnard Griffin Syrah, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 5
2005 Barnard Griffin Syrah Port, Columbia Valley, $17 (500 ml), QPR: 5
2005 Gilbert Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $26, QPR: 5
2007 Gilbert Riesling, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: 4
2006 Desert Wind Ruah (Red Blend), Wahluke Slope, $20, QPR: 4
2005 Barnard Griffin Reserve Zinfandel, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2005 Goose Ridge Merlot, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2004 Fidelitas Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Barnard Griffin Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2004 Goose Ridge Vireo (Red Blend), Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2005 Fidelitas Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $60, QPR: 2
2007 Barnard Griffin Reserve Viognier, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 1
2005 Barnard Griffin Reserve Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2006 Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 5
2006 Barnard Griffin Fume Blanc, Columbia Valley, $9, QPR: 4
2006 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $13, QPR: 4
2007 Barnard Griffin Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $14, QPR: 4
2005 Columbia Crest H3 Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills, $15, QPR: 4
2005 Goose Ridge Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2006 Gilbert Claret, Wahluke Slope, $20, QPR: 4
2005 Alexandria Nicole Quarry Butte (Red Blend), Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 4
2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 3
2006 Desert Wind Viognier, Wahluke Slope, $15, QPR: 2
2006 Barnard Griffin Reserve Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 2
2007 Alexandria Nicole Steel Horse Sauvignon Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills, $18, QPR: 2
2005 Fidelitas Merlot, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 2
2004 Goose Ridge Syrah, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2005 Desert Wind Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Alexandria Nicole Shepherd’s Mark (Rhone Style White Blend), Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 1
2007 Alexandria Nicole Crawford Viognier, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2005 Barnard Griffin Reserve Barbera, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Gilbert Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, $17, QPR: NR
2005 Desert Wind Bare Naked Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, $15, QPR: NR
2006 Columbia Crest Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: NR
2004 Barnard Griffin Vino Rosso Red Table Wine, Columbia Valley, $13, QPR: NR
2006 Barnard Griffin Merlot, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: NR
2007 Goose Ridge Riesling, Columbia Valley, $14, QPR: NR
2006 Kamiakin Merlot, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2007 Desert Wind Sauvignon Blanc, Wahluke Slope, $15, QPR: NR
2007 Alexandria Nicole Back Room Rose, Horse Heaven Hills, $14, QPR: NR
2007 Goose Ridge Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: NR
2006 Fidelitas Semillon, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2006 Kamiakin Red, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: NR
2006 Kamiakin Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley, $18, QPR: NR
2005 Kamiakin Syrah, Yakima Valley, $18, QPR: NR

Quality: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Kamiakin White, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: NR

In a blind tasting of six excellent Washington State Syrahs, we tasted what we rated as a “Wow!” wine, the first Washington Syrah we’ve ever given a 5-star (out of 5) Quality Rating, the 2005 Fielding Hills Syrah. We had heard good things about Fielding Hills but had never tasted one of their wines until this tasting.

Fielding Hills Winery is a small producer based in Wenatchee, Washington, owned and operated by Mike and Karen Wade. They began planting their vineyards in 1998 and 2005 marked their sixth vintage.

“This winery [Fielding Hills] is a superstar in the making.” –Paul Gregutt, Washington Wines and Wineries

While we have only tasted their Syrah so far, we have heard positive things about their other reds as well and are looking forward to tasting them in the not-too-distant future. The Wades are longtime apple and cherry growers who have turned a middle portion of their orchard near Mattawa into a vineyard. Their Riverbend Vineyard is a sandy site with some rocks, gently sloping to the south in the warm Wahluke Slope AVA.

The other five wines in this tasting were no slouches either. In fact, all six wines received a Quality Rating of at least 4 stars (out of 5). You can’t go wrong with any of these. Here’s a rundown of the six wines, in order of our preference in this tasting:

2005 Fielding Hills Syrah (Wahluke Slope): Best Washington Syrah I’ve had. Amazing, pleasant aroma that makes me relax when I smell it. Luscious black fruits and black pepper on the palate. Extremely smooth and well-balanced with just the right amount of fruit, acidity, and tannins. Excellent finish.
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Avalon Wine (Oregon), $39.95; Winery, $40

2005 Waters Pepper Bridge Syrah (Walla Walla Valley): Very pleasant nose with hints of buttered popcorn and green bell peppers. Black fruits and black pepper come through on the palate. Smooth and well-balanced with good acidity and tannins.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Avalon Wine (Oregon), $37.95; Bedford Wine Merchants (New York), $38.99

2004 Dunham Cellars Syrah (Columbia Valley): Aromas of vanilla latte and blackberries. Lots of black pepper and black fruits. Bold tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $34 to $48

2005 Stephenson Cellars Syrah (Washington State): Black cherry, baker’s chocolate, and chocolate-covered cherries come through on both the nose and the palate. Smooth tannins and a nice long finish. Improves the longer the bottle is open.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $32; Compass Wines (Washington), $31.99

2006 Mark Ryan Winery Wild Eyed Syrah (Red Mountain): Aromas of buttered popcorn and black fruits. Bitter tannins and a medium-plus finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Avalon Wine (Oregon), $45.95; Available elsewhere, $45 to $48

2006 Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley): Very fragrant with aromas of Andes chocolate mints. Blackberry and pomegranate dominate the palate. Smooth with a medium-plus finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $24; Available elsewhere, $22 to $28

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is palate.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Palate is a term used when describing tasting as a process and an ability. It is generally used to describe the combined human tasting faculties in the mouth and, sometimes, nose. The impact of a wine on the mouth may be divided chronologically, and somewhat loosely, into its impact on the front, middle, and back palate. The word may also be used more generally as in describing a good taster as ‘having a fine palate.’

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Palate is an oft used term that can mean several different things.

1. Describes flavors identified in your mouth when tasting a wine; i.e. “Citrus fruits come through on the palate.”
2. Describes one’s wine preferences; i.e. “Trust your palate. You may prefer sweet wines while someone else prefers dry wines.”
3. Describes a good taster; i.e. “She has a good palate.”

Watermill Winery is located in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, in the heart of the Walla Walla Valley AVA just 10 miles from downtown Walla Walla, Washington. Watermill Winery was founded in 2006 by the Brown family, a third generation apple-growing family and the owners of Blue Mountain Cider. Before launching their own winery, grapes grown by the Brown family were used for other prestigious wines from Northstar Winery, Seven Hills Winery, and Saviah Cellars. The Brown family owns some prized land in an area called “The Rocks” by the locals. They have pulled up some of their apple orchards to plant vineyards there, and there is potential for even more vineyards to be planted on their land in the future.

“The Brown family is well known in the area for producing ultra-premium fruit and their wine grapes are no exception.” –Rich Funk, winemaker

Even though Watermill is a new winery, the Browns are veterans when it comes to producing the highest-quality fruit. When you take the Browns’ superb fruit and pair it with the winemaking talents of Rich Funk, Watermill’s winemaker and also the owner and winemaker for Saviah Cellars, the results are outstanding. We have had the pleasure to taste Watermill’s wines on two recent trips to the Walla Walla Valley as well as had them in several blind tastings at home. Our favorite of their current releases is the 2005 Reserve Syrah, closely followed by the 2005 Syrah and the just-released 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. Watermill’s expected production for 2008 is 4,500 cases.

With the facilities and infrastructure already in place with their cider business, Watermill is already a leg up on many other new wineries. They have stainless steel tanks, a high-end bottling/labeling machine, and a spacious barrel room. Their tasting room, located in the historic Watermill Building on the same property as their production facilities, also has a beautiful dining room, library, and kitchen which can be used for winery functions as well as rented for special occasions. They are also adding on a patio at the back of the building for entertaining and have plans to plant some vines adjacent to the building.

As if it is not enough that they produce great fruit, excellent wines, and have nice facilities, they are also wonderful people. Nancy (Brown) Kezele and daughter-in-law Kelli Kezele are the “faces” of Watermill Winery. They run the tasting room and oversee the facilities. Both ladies are so nice and welcoming. If you are in the Walla Walla Valley, be sure to stop by Watermill Winery for a truly memorable visit. And regardless of whether you are able to visit or not, try to get your hands on a bottle or two of Watermill wine and enjoy.

Three of Washington State’s largest and most opulent winery facilities are located in Woodinville, a suburb of Seattle. Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, and Novelty Hill/Januik make excellent stops on anyone’s wine tasting adventure.

In addition to the “Big Three,” Woodinville is also home to a number of small, garagiste wineries. But instead of being located in someone’s garage, most of these mom-and-pop operations are located in local business parks or storage facilities. While over 30 wineries currently have production facilities or tasting rooms in Woodinville, almost all of them actually get their grapes from vineyards in eastern Washington.

One Saturday afternoon last month, the Wine Peeps made the 20 mile trek to Woodinville for a bit of wine tasting. Since we have been to the “Big Three” numerous times, we decided to check out a few of the smaller wineries that we had not previously visited.

Our first stop was at Chatter Creek. During our visit, we had the pleasure to meet Gordy Rawson, winemaker/owner, who founded Chatter Creek in 1996. Chatter Creek’s annual production is approximately 2000 cases and is focused on the Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. We tasted five of their wines and especially liked the 2005 Clifton Hill Syrah.

Just down the street from Chatter Creek is Stevens Winery. Tim and Paige Stevens opened Stevens Winery in 2002. Tim is also an artist and designs an original label for each Stevens wine. Their yearly production is about 2000 cases. Of the three wines we tasted, their 2007 Divio Viognier was our favorite.

Our next stop took us to Matthews Estate. Matt Loso founded Matthews Estate in 1993. His wines have received numerous accolades. However, earlier this summer, Matt sold his interest in the winery to his partners. We, unfortunately, did not have a very pleasant experience at Matthews Estate. The four wines we tasted were okay, but not great, and certainly not worth the money. And the tasting room staff was a bit snooty. The lady serving us even made a snide comment to me about the fact that I was spitting and taking notes. I wonder if Matthews Estate has always been this way or if things have changed since Matt left.

Darby Winery was our final visit of the afternoon. Darby Winery is a fairly new winery founded by Darby English, winemaker/owner. Even though they are located in a business park, Darby has done an excellent job creating a nice ambience in the tasting room. Of the three wines we tasted, we liked their latest release, the 2006 Chaos, the best.

For information and a listing of other wineries in the area, visit the Woodinville Wine Country website.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted in Woodinville. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating.

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2005 Chatter Creek Syrah, Clifton Hill Vineyard (Wahluke Slope), $38, QPR: 4
2006 Darby Chaos Red Wine (Columbia Valley), $28, QPR: 4

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Chatter Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Alder Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills), $30, QPR: 4
2007 Chatter Creek Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley), $15, QPR: 3
2007 Stevens Divio Viognier (Yakima Valley), $22, QPR: 2
2001 Matthews Columbia Valley Red Wine (Columbia Valley), $70, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2006 Stevens YES Red Wine (Yakima Valley), $16, QPR: 4
2006 Chatter Creek Cabernet Franc, Alder Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills), $24, QPR: 2
2006 Darby Syrah, Destiny Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills), $30, QPR: 2
2004 Matthews Columbia Valley Claret (Columbia Valley), $30, QPR: 2
2007 Stevens A Second Thought Sauvignon Blanc (Yakima Valley), $19, QPR: 1
2007 Darby Le Deuce Viognier/Roussanne (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 1
2005 Matthews Red Mountain Syrah (Red Mountain), $55, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Chatter Creek Grenache (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: NR
2007 Matthews Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley), $30, QPR: NR

It all began on April 8th of this year; a road trip through 23 states covering 12,360 miles. Since then, I’ve posted 16 times from the road as we visited almost too many wineries to count in search of that next great bottle. Obviously, I hope that you have read all of my posts from the road and that they have helped you find some new wines to try. But in case you haven’t read all of them yet, you will find links at the end of this post.

Along the way, we made some discoveries I’d like to recap.

Best new type of wine for us:
Port. We found good Ports in California, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, but our favorite was the NV Mount Pleasant Tawny Library Port from Missouri of all places.

Most promising of the newer wine states:
Texas, Kentucky, Missouri, Colorado, and Idaho.

Best of the wine regions we were visiting for the first time:
Central Coast of California and Lake Chelan County in Washington State.

Top Winery Discoveries (wineries we didn’t know before this trip):
Lincourt Vineyards—Solvang, CA
Mount Pleasant Winery—Augusta, MO
Watermill Winery—Milton-Freewater, OR
Stephenson Cellars—Walla Walla, WA

Honorable Mention Winery Discoveries (wineries we didn’t know before this trip):
Siduri/Novy Wines—Santa Rosa, CA
Andrew Murray Vineyards—Los Olivos, CA
Williamson Vineyard—Caldwell, ID
Nefarious Cellars—Chelan, WA

I hope you have enjoyed traveling with us by reading our posts during our road trip. If you are curious about any of the sights we saw in addition to our wine stops, leave a comment and I would be happy to share those highlights with you as well.

Previous Road Trip posts:
Sonoma and Napa (April 14)
Central Coast, California (April 18)
Arizona (April 25)
New Mexico (May 2)
Texas (May 9)
Tennessee and Kentucky (May 16)
Mid-America (May 23)
Ballpark Wine (May 30)
South Dakota (June 6)
Colorado (June 13)
Idaho (June 20)
Eastern Oregon (June 27)
Walla Walla, Day 1 (July 4)
Walla Walla, Day 2 (July 11)
Spokane (July 18)
Chelan (July 25)

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is legs (sometimes referred to as tears).

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Tears is a tasting term used to describe the behavior of the surface liquid layer that is observable in a glass of relatively strong wine. The wine wets the inside of a clean glass and climbs up a few millimeters. At the upper edge of the thin layer on the inside wall patches of the film thicken, become more drop-like, and eventually roll back down the inside wall to the liquid surface. These traces of what look like particularly viscous droplets are also sometimes called ‘legs,’ and may give some indication of a wine’s alcoholic strength.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
When you swirl a glass of wine or take a sip and then hold the glass upright and still, the residual “clear” liquid that you notice slowly dripping down the inside of the glass is called legs. Legs are simply an indication of alcohol. They are not an indicator of a wine’s quality.

At the conclusion of our recent visit to Red Willow Vineyard, our hosts Mike and Jonathan Sauer treated us to a sample tasting of four Syrahs made with grapes from Red Willow Vineyard: a 1991 Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard Syrah, a 2003 Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard Syrah, a 2005 Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard South Chapel Syrah which is co-fermented with Viognier (92.5% Syrah, 7.5% Viognier), and a 2006 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah.

While all four wines gave us a good sampling of Red Willow’s Syrah grapes, we thought the two best wines were the 1991 Library Wine which was great for a 17 year-old Washington Syrah and the 2005 South Chapel Syrah which we believe will be even better with a little more age.

Here are our ratings for each of the four wines, in the order we tasted them:

1991 Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard Syrah
Vineyard: 100% Red Willow Vineyard
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: Not Available
Price: Not Available

2003 Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard Syrah
Vineyard: 100% Red Willow Vineyard
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

2005 Columbia Winery Red Willow Vineyard South Chapel Syrah
Vineyard: 100% Red Willow Vineyard
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

2006 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah
Vineyards: Erickson Road Vineyard, Red Willow Vineyard, Elephant Mountain Vineyard, Lewis Vineyard, Alder Ridge Vineyard
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $22

As we will outline further in a subsequent post, Red Willow Vineyard has had a close working relationship with Columbia Winery for over 30 years. The Owen Roe offering we tasted is one of the first of many you will see in the next few years from different producers that use Red Willow grapes. It is an exciting time at Red Willow, and we are looking forward to sharing some of that excitement with you. Stay tuned!

Even though Mom (LaGayle) and Dad (John) were recently in Walla Walla as a part of their two month cross-country road trip (see Dad’s previous Walla Walla posts: Day 1 and Day 2), all of us Wine Peeps recently spent a weekend in the Walla Walla Valley visiting some wineries that Mom and Dad missed and getting tours of a few as well.

In our three days there, we visited 14 wineries and tasted 70 different wines. We rated 17 wines as being 4-star quality or higher. Six wineries had two or more wines that received a 4-star or higher rating. Those top six wineries are, in alphabetical order: Cougar Crest, Dunham, Dusted Valley, Long Shadows, Saviah, and Watermill. You will find a complete list of all the wines we tasted at the end of this post.

We had the pleasure of touring three wineries on this visit—Long Shadows, Watermill, and Saviah.

Long Shadows does not have a retail tasting room and is not open to the public. Tours are handled on an appointment only basis. They have a state-of-the-art facility where some of the most highly acclaimed winemakers from around the world come to make world-class wines from Washington grapes that are comparable to the wines they make in their native wine regions.

When Mom and Dad were in Eastern Oregon on their road trip, they visited and absolutely loved Watermill Winery in Milton-Freewater which is located just across the Oregon border, only 10 miles from downtown Walla Walla, Washington. After their rave reviews about the Watermill wines and the people behind the wines, Colby and I were excited to visit. Watermill did not disappoint; they are making excellent wines and are truly wonderful people. We had a fabulous visit with Kelli and Nancy in the tasting room and then Nancy took us on a tour of their barrel room and production facility.

Our third tour was of Saviah Cellars. If you read Dad’s Day 1 post from their previous Walla Walla visit, you may remember that Mom and Dad’s first attempt to visit Saviah did not work out as they had hoped. However, Rich Funk (owner/winemaker) contacted us to apologize and ask if we would consider revisiting Saviah. Since we were already planning to be in the Walla Walla area soon, we agreed. And I am very thankful that we did. Rich is an extremely nice guy and that initial experience is definitely not indicative of how he runs his business. We had the pleasure of having Rich personally pour our tasting and share with us his winemaking philosophy. Incidentally, Rich is also the winemaker for Watermill Winery. After the standard tasting, Rich gave us a tour of Saviah’s facilities and treated us to numerous barrel samples. He is already making great wines and has some exciting projects in the works.

In coming weeks, we will be doing some “Spotlight On” posts to feature wineries that we believe are doing some exciting things.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted. 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 Watermill Reserve Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $35, QPR: 5
2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon XI (Columbia Valley), $45, QPR: 5
2004 Dunham Cellars Syrah (Columbia Valley), $45, QPR: 5
2005 Sequel Syrah [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $55, QPR: 5
2005 Dunham Cellars Lewis Vineyard Merlot (Columbia Valley), $75, QPR: 2

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Watermill Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 5
2006 Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 5
2007 Cougar Crest Estate Grown Grenache Rose (Walla Walla Valley), $18, QPR: 4
2007 Poet’s Leap Riesling [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 4
2007 Amavi Semillon (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 4
2006 Seven Hills Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 4
2005 Watermill Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $30, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah Une Vallee Red Wine (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 4
2006 Dusted Valley Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley), $35, QPR: 4
2005 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc (Walla Walla Valley), $36, QPR: 3
2005 Dunham Cellars Lewis Vineyard Syrah (Columbia Valley), $75, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Seven Hills Riesling (Columbia Valley), $12, QPR: 5
2005 Three Rivers Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $21, QPR: 5
2005 Waterbrook Reserve Merlot (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 4
2006 Waterbrook Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah Chardonnay, Stillwater Creek Vineyard (Columbia Valley), $25, QPR: 4
2005 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Seven Hills Vineyard (Walla Walla Valley), $30, QPR: 4
2007 Seven Hills Pinot Gris (Oregon), $16, QPR: 3
2006 Dusted Valley Walla Walla Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 3
2005 Beresan Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $29, QPR: 3
2005 Watermill Estate Midnight Red (Walla Walla Valley), $30, QPR: 3
2005 Saviah Syrah (Red Mountain), $30, QPR: 3
2005 Waterbrook 1st and Main Petit Verdot (Columbia Valley), $30, QPR: 3
2005 Cougar Crest Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 3
2005 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley), $55, QPR: 3
2007 Saviah Star Meadows White Wine (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 2
2007 Va Piano Semillon (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 2
2007 Dunham Cellars Lewis Vineyard Riesling (Columbia Valley), $26, QPR: 2
2005 Morrison Lane Cinsault (Walla Walla Valley), $27, QPR: 2
2006 Three Rivers Tempranillo (Columbia Valley), $29, QPR: 2
2005 Beresan Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $29, QPR: 2
2005 Cougar Crest Anniversary Cuvee (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 2
2005 Beresan Stone River (Walla Walla Valley), $35, QPR: 2
2005 Saviah Big Sky Cuvee (Columbia Valley), $35, QPR: 2
2006 Va Piano Syrah (Columbia Valley), $38, QPR: 2
2007 Dusted Valley Viognier (Yakima Valley), $24, QPR: 1
2006 Dusted Valley Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 1
2004 Chester-Kidder [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $50, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Watermill Chances R (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah The Jack Red Wine (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: 4
2005 Waterbrook Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 4
2006 Dusted Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $26, QPR: 4
2006 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 4
2005 Three Rivers Syrah (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 3
2005 Dunham Cellars Trutina (Columbia Valley), $26, QPR: 3
2006 Seven Hills Merlot, Seven Hills Vineyard (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 3
2006 Waterbrook Melange Blanc (Columbia Valley), $15, QPR: 2
2007 Seven Hills Viognier (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: 2
2006 Beresan Semillon (Walla Walla Valley), $18, QPR: 2
2007 Poet’s Leap Carmina Burana Casked Riesling [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 2
2006 Dusted Valley Chardonnay (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 2
2005 Seven Hills Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 2
2006 Amavi Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 2
2006 Three Rivers Malbec (Columbia Valley), $29, QPR: 2
2004 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $50, QPR: 2
2005 Morrison Lane Carmenere (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 1
2003 Morrison Lane Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Three Rivers Estate Rose (Walla Walla Valley), $10, QPR: NR
2005 Waterbrook Melange (Columbia Valley), $15, QPR: NR
2006 Watermill Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley), $16, QPR: NR
2005 Pepper Bridge Merlot (Walla Walla Valley), $50, QPR: NR
2006 Dusted Valley Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley), $32, QPR: NR
2006 Morrison Lane Viognier (Walla Walla Valley), $23 QPR: NR
2006 Dunham Cellars Four Legged White (Columbia Valley), $16, QPR: NR

The wine industry around Chelan, Washington, is relatively new, with a mixture of what I call “foo-foo” wineries and serious winemakers. The tourist industry in the area will probably keep the former in business, while I’m interested to see how the serious winemakers progress as their vineyards mature and they see what works and doesn’t work.

Our first stop was at Chelan Estate Winery, a relatively new winery owned by Bob Broderick and Rich Nestor and their wives. Chelan Estate produces about 2,200 cases per year. Linda Nestor was our friendly and energetic hostess as we tasted five of their wines. Chelan Estate charges a $4 tasting fee, which is refundable with the purchase of wine. Our favorite Chelan Estate wine was the 2003 Chelan Estate Merlot, Stillwater Creek Vineyard.

Our next stop was at Karma Vineyards, a brand-new winery, tasting room, café, and real-estate development. There is obviously big-money behind this operation, but they have a ways to go in the wine department. We tasted a flight of three wines at Karma for a non-refundable tasting fee of $5. None of the three wines knocked my socks off but two were decent, the 2005 Karma Estate Pinot Noir and the 2005 Karma Estate BadKarma “oopsy Daisy” Syrah.

Our third stop at Nefarious Cellars brought a smile to our faces. These are the kind of folks we root for in the wine business. Heather, Dean, their son George, and their dog Lucy are the friendly crew at Nefarious. They have a gorgeous setting for their practical 2,000 case per year operation overlooking Lake Chelan. Dean is a third generation farmer who still owns an orchard operation. You can see how that agricultural experience is paying off in their winery. Nefarious does not charge a tasting fee. Of the four wines that we tasted, our favorite was the 2005 Nefarious Syrah Windy Ridge Vineyard.

Our final stop of the day was at the beautiful Tuscan-style winery, Tsillan Cellars. Tsillan has been in operation since 2000 on a slope overlooking Lake Chelan. Tsillan is owned by dentist/inventor Bob Jankelson and produces about 8,000 cases per year. Tsillan charges a non-refundable tasting fee of $5, although Shane the assistant winemaker waited on us and was kind enough to waive the tasting fee. Of the five wines we tasted, our favorite was the 2005 Tsillan Merlot.

As I said up front, we plan to keep in touch with the wine industry progress in the Chelan area over the next few years, as their vineyards mature and they figure out what grows best. I believe that there are at least several wineries here that will be doing some really good things.

Here’s a breakdown of the Chelan wines that we tasted. Under each Quality heading, the wine name 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)
2003 Chelan Estate Merlot, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, $20, QPR: 5
2005 Tsillan Merlot, $28, QPR: 5
2005 Nefarious Syrah Windy Ridge Vineyard, $27, QPR: 4
2006 Nefarious Cabernet Franc, $28, QPR: 4

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2003 Chelan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, $25, QPR: 5
2005 Tsillan Syrah, $29, QPR: 3
2004 Chelan Estate Reserve Red Wine, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, $35, QPR: 2
2007 Nefarious Viognier, Defiance Vineyard, $19, QPR: 2
2007 Tsillan Pinot Grigio, $23, QPR: 2

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Karma Estate Pinot Noir, $25, QPR: 4
2005 Karma Estate BadKarma “oopsy Daisy” Syrah, $17, QPR: 4
2004 Chelan Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, $30, QPR: 3
2007 Nefarious Consequence (White blend), $17, QPR: 3
2004 Tsillan Cabernet Sauvignon, $31, QPR: 3
2005 Chelan Estate Syrah, $30, QPR: 2

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Karma Estate Syrah, $23, QPR: NR
2006 Tsillan Estate Dry Riesling, $20, QPR: NR

Have you ever been to Chelan? If so, did you visit any wineries while you were there? What was your favorite?