Our Wine Peeps Tasting Group includes what we think is an excellent peer group of knowledgeable wine lovers to taste, share, and learn more about wine together. Unlike our monthly wine tasting dinners in which the guests rotate, this tasting group includes people who are committed to getting together once a month which we believe benefits all of us.

Since we live in Washington State and often drink wines from Washington State, most of our tasting group themes are purposefully non-Washington wines so that we can continue to hone our knowledge of the entire world of wine and maintain well-rounded palates. This month, however, we made an exception for a very special tasting of Washington wines.

Dad (John) generously provided wines from his personal collection so that we could do a Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon vertical tasting of twelve wines from the 1997 through the 2008 vintage.

Alex Golitzin and his wife Jeannette founded Quilceda Creek, located in Snohomish, Washington, in 1978. Generally considered the premier winery in Washington State, Quilceda Creek remains a small, family-owned and operated winery that is dedicated exclusively to the production of world-class Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon. Paul Golitzin joined his parents in the winery in 1992 and was named head winemaker in 2000.

Quilceda Creek is no stranger to high accolades for their wines. Their flagship wine, the Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that we explored in this tasting, has received four 100-point ratings from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate for the 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007 vintages.

Quilceda Creek sources their grapes from vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley. The vineyard sources for the wines in this tasting are included in the tasting notes below. As you will see, the two constants in every vintage were Champoux and Klipsun with the majority of the fruit coming from Block 1 at Champoux Vineyards. Quilceda Creek became a partner in Champoux Vineyards in 1997 along with Paul and Judy Champoux and three other winery partners, Andrew Will, Powers, and Woodward Canyon.

While our tastings are usually blind, we decided not to taste these blind. We simply wanted to enjoy the wines and taste them in a logical order. We started with the oldest and worked our way to the youngest.

All of the wines were excellent, and some absolutely “wow-ed” us! It was remarkable how fresh the wines were, especially the 1998 vintage, which is 13 years old. The consensus favorite of the evening was the 2003 vintage. Other stars of the tasting were the 1998, 2005, 2007, and 2008 vintages. While the 2008, their current release, is still a young wine, it is already drinking extremely well and shows great potential to only improve with some age. I look forward to trying it again in a few years, if I have the opportunity.

Wines from Quilceda Creek can be hard to come by. Their wines are only offered to members of their private mailing list, which is currently full. The winery is open one weekend each year when mailing list customers can pick up their pre-purchased wines.

From oldest to youngest:

1997 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Merlot. Vineyards: Champoux, Klipsun, Ciel du Cheval, and Tapteil. Deep ruby red. Aromatic with black currant, licorice, earth, and herbal notes on the nose. More black currant, licorice, and earth, as well as dry forest floor come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and smooth with medium, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $54

1998 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. Vineyards: Champoux, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Dark red garnet. Gorgeous nose with black currant, black cherry, and smoke aromas. Black cherry, smoked meat, and licorice flavors on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and smooth with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good mouthfeel and a long, lingering finish. Drinking beautifully right now.
Quality: 5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $62

1999 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Vineyards: Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Deep, dark red. Nice nose with black fruit, earth, and vegetal aromas. Black currant, black cherry, earth, and slight vegetal notes come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $75

2000 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.5% Cabernet Franc. Vineyards: Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Unfortunately, this particular bottle was corked; therefore, it was not rated.
Quality: NR (not rated)
QPR:  N/A
Winery Release: $70

2001 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. Vineyards: Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Dark purplish red. Aromatic with bright black fruit, especially blackberry and black cherry, and cinnamon on the nose. Blackberry, spice, and a hint of black pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $85

2002 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Vineyards: Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with black cherry, cloves, and earthy aromas. Black cherry, black plum, spice box, and chocolate come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced and good complexity with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $85

2003 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Vineyards: Champoux, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Deep, dark purplish red. Very aromatic with black cherry, earth, and smoke on the nose. Black cherry, black currant, licorice, and chocolate come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with good complexity and a long, lingering finish. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $95

2004 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Vineyards: Champoux, Tapteil, and Klipsun. Deep, dark red. Nice nose with black cherry, black currant, and licorice aromas that lead to flavors of black fruit, earth, licorice, and a hint of spice. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $100

2005 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Vineyards: Champoux, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fruit-forward with fresh black fruit, spice rack, licorice, and a hint of earth on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long, silky finish. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $115

2006 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Vineyards: Champoux, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Dark red. Aromatic with black fruit and spice on the nose. Black currant, black cherry, spice, black pepper, and a hint of espresso come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $125

2007 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Vineyards: Champoux, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Deep, dark red. Aromatic with black cherry, floral, and vegetal notes on the nose. Black cherry, blackberry, game, and a hint of earth come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish. Still young; should open up even more with time.
Quality: 5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $125

2008 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. Vineyards: Champoux, Klipsun, and Tapteil. Dark purple. Nice nose with black cherry and earthy aromas. Black cherry, earth, licorice, spice box, and espresso come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long, lingering finish. Very young but headed for greatness. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Winery Release: $130

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Brut is a French word meaning ‘crude’ or ‘raw’, adapted by the champagne industry for wines made without (much) added sweetening or dosage. It has come to be used widely for any sparkling wine to indicate one that tastes bone dry. Technically a brut champagne should contain fewer than 15 g/l residual sugar, a maximum level which, in less naturally acidic wines, would seem medium dry.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Brut is the most common style of sparkling wine. A brut sparkling wine contains less than 1.5% residual sugar and is considered dry.

Northstar Winery, located in Walla Walla, Washington, is a merlot specialist. Founded in 1994 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Northstar strives to produce world-class Merlots from Washington’s Walla Walla and Columbia Valleys.

Merlot is a wonderful variety, and Washington State makes outstanding Merlot. Washington Merlot is bigger, more complex, and has higher acidity than most Merlot produced elsewhere. Northstar’s singular focus on this noble grape variety allows them to explore how good Washington Merlot can really be. Sourcing fruit from two dozen vineyard blocks throughout the state that are farmed to low-yield specifications, Northstar selects what they believe is the top 2% of the Merlot available each harvest and brings it into the winery. Each vineyard lot is then fermented separately and aged 14 to 18 months before it is incorporated into the final blend.

Winemaker David “Merf” Merfeld blends other traditional Bordeaux varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc into the Merlot to produce a right bank style wine. Merf moved to Washington State in 1990 to pursue a career in craft brewing but soon switched gears after being introduced to Washington wines. He joined the winemaking team at Northstar in 2001 as enologist and assistant winemaker. In 2005, Merf was named head winemaker.

Northstar’s portfolio includes four wines, their flagship Columbia Valley Merlot, the limited production Walla Walla Merlot, a Columbia Valley red blend called Stella Maris, and one white wine, the Stella Blanca Semillon. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the current release of their flagship wine, the 2007 Columbia Valley Merlot, in a blind samples tasting. It is excellent and a great representation of the quality Merlot that Washington State produces.

2007 Northstar Columbia Valley Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep, dark red in color. Nice nose with black plum and perfumey aromas. Black cherry, black plums, leather, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $41; Available elsewhere, $30 to $42

This past weekend, the Washington wine industry hosted its 24th annual Auction of Washington Wines. The Auction has raised more than $24 million since its inception in 1988 to benefit the uncompensated care program at Seattle Children’s Hospital and since 2001, the Washington Wine Education Foundation, funding viticultural and enological research across the state. This year’s Auction raised over $1.5 million.

The three-day event included a Picnic and Barrel Auction, winemaker dinners, the Covey Run 5K and 10K Run/Walk, and The Wine Gala. Dad (John) and I attended the Picnic and Barrel Auction on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. This was the second year that we have had the pleasure to attend, and it truly is an outstanding event for a great cause.

The highlight of the Picnic is the Barrel Auction itself in which bidders have the chance to win future, limited-release wines from twenty-five participating wineries. All attendees have the opportunity to taste wines from those participating wineries to determine whether or not they want to bid. While we did not taste them all, our favorites of the ones we did taste were the 2010 Sparkman Cellars Darkness Syrah, the 2008 Adams Bench Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Boudreaux Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2009 Woodward Canyon Estate Reserve. The picnic also featured a silent auction and picnic games including a Restaurant Balloon Pop, Wheel of Wine, Wine Pull, and Ring Toss.

In addition to outstanding wines, Picnic attendees were also served wonderful food prepared by the talented chefs from Tulalip Resort Casino. I was very impressed with the food last year so I made sure to make the rounds at the food tents this year. Once again, their culinary creations were amazing.

If you weren’t able to attend this year’s Auction, I encourage you to go ahead make plans to attend in 2012. It truly is a great weekend for both Washington wine and charity.

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 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling from the Columbia Valley in 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

Washington is the largest Riesling producing state in the United States. And, Washington State’s own Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest Riesling producer in the world. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery with its roots dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. In 1976, Ste. Michelle built a French-style chateau in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, all of their white wines, including this Riesling, are made in Woodinville.

“Our Columbia Valley Riesling is a blend of Riesling from throughout Washington’s Columbia Valley. We craft it to be a refreshing, off-dry Riesling vintage after vintage. The wine delivers flavors of ripe peach and juicy pear with subtle mineral notes. This is our ‘every day Riesling’ that is easy to match with a variety of foods.” –Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow in color. Aromatic with floral notes, honey, and dried apricot on the nose. More white peach as well as pear and a hint of minerality come through on the palate. Off-dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish. Residual Sugar: 2.29%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $9; Widely available elsewhere, $8 to $12

Summer has finally arrived in Seattle. When the sun is shining, we tend to turn our attention to white wines. Last Friday, we hosted our 98th wine tasting dinner and featured Washington Chardonnay. While we have had tasting dinners that featured Washington Chardonnay in the past, we realized that we had been remiss in having one since we started this blog in 2008.

It was another fabulous evening of good wine, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. The wines paired extremely well with our dinner of curried squash soup, spinach and mango salad, chicken tapenade, long grain and wild rice, sautéed haricot verts, and peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream. In fact, one of the wonderful things about Chardonnay is how food-friendly it is. All of the wines in this tasting improved with food.

The consensus favorite was the 2010 Sparkman Lumière Chardonnay. It was followed closely by the 2010 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay and the 2008 Phelps Creek Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay. These are three of the best Washington Chardonnays I’ve ever tasted. Five out of the six wines in this tasting were excellent and received a Quality rating of 4 stars or higher (out of 5), and those five wines also received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Even though these wines are not inexpensive, they are well worth the money.

If you consider yourself a member of the “ABC” (Anything but Chardonnay) crowd, I encourage you to give these a try. I have a feeling they just might change your mind. And for you Chardonnay lovers, you just might find a new favorite in this group.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2010 Sparkman Lumière Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with pear and lemon on the nose. More pear and lemon as well as orange peel, Granny Smith apple, and a hint of minerality and vanilla come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $25; Available elsewhere, $21 to $26

2010 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay (Washington State): Pale to medium, golden yellow. Very aromatic with pear, apple, nectarine, and vanilla on the nose. More pear, nectarine, and vanilla as well as mineral notes and a hint of lemon come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $38; Available elsewhere, $33 to $41

2008 Phelps Creek Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay (Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, Washington): Pale to medium yellow in color. Gorgeous nose with green apple, pear, lemon peel, and vanilla aromas. More apple, pear, citrus fruit, and a hint of spice comes through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, beautiful finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $24; Available elsewhere, $24

2009 Dunham Cellars Shirley Mays Chardonnay (Lewis Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Nice nose with apple, pear, and floral aromas. More apple, floral notes, and a touch of oak come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long, creamy finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $24; Available elsewhere, $21 to $25

2009 Baer Shard (Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% unoaked Chardonnay. Pale straw yellow. Aromatic with apple, pear, lemon zest, pineapple, and floral notes on both the nose and palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $22; Available elsewhere, $23

2008 Boudreaux Cellars Chardonnay (Bishops and Celilo Vineyards, Columbia Valley, Washington): Unfiltered. Medium golden yellow. Aromatic with lemon, butterscotch, and vanilla on the nose. Lemon, tropical fruit, apple, butterscotch, and vanilla come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $33; Available elsewhere, $27 to $34

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is right bank.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Right bank is an expression much used of that part of the Bordeaux wine region that is on the right bank, or north, of the river Dordogne. It includes, travelling down river, Cotes de Castillon, Cotes de Francs, St-Emilion and its satellite appellations, Pomerol and Lalande-de-Pomerol, Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac, Bourg, and Blaye. The most obvious characteristic shared by these appellations, and distinct from left bank appellations, is that the dominant grape varieties are Merlot and Cabernet Franc rather than Cabernet Sauvignon. In recent years, much has been made of the rivalry between the established large estates of the left bank and the much smaller properties of the right bank (including many microchateaux) with their more recent reputations.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Right bank refers to the part of the Bordeaux region of France on the “right bank” or north side of the Dordogne River and Gironde estuary. Oftentimes, right bank wines are either Merlot-based or Cabernet Franc-based blends.

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 2009 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 White Wine 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

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

This 2009 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 White Wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc. It is a great “house white” for parties and other large groups because it is good, inexpensive (often found in local grocery stores for under $5), and appeals to a wide range of white wine lovers.

“This medium-bodied white wine showcases intense aromas of fresh sliced peaches and fresh cut grass. Upfront flavors of peach and melons give way to a juicy and refreshing finish.” –Columbia Crest

2009 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 White Wine (Washington State): Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, and other aromatic white varieties. Pale straw yellow with green tinges. Nice nose with fresh pear and peach aromas. Pear, apple, lemon, melon, and faint mineral notes come through on the palate. Light to medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long, fresh finish. A smooth, refreshing sipper.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $4.99; Widely available

Founded in 1995, the Luce della Vite wine estate is now a part of Tenute di Toscana, a holding company controlled by Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi. Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi is one of the most famous wine producers in Italy. The Frescobaldi family has been making wine for over 700 years, spanning 30 generations.

Luce della Vite was a project originally launched by Vittorio Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi. Today, Vittorio’s son Lamberto Frescobaldi serves as winemaker. Located in the viticultural region of Montalcino, the Luce della Vite estate comprises 192 hectares. While their oldest vines were planted in 1977, the majority of the vineyards have been planted since 1997.

Lucente Toscana is a wine that was launched by Luce della Vite in 1998. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the 2007 Lucente Toscana in a blind samples tasting, which we found to be excellent. It is a Super Tuscan blend of Merlot, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

2007 Marchesi de Frescobaldi Luce della Vite Lucente Toscana (Toscana IGT, Italy): 50% Merlot, 35% Sangiovese, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red in color. Very aromatic with chocolate, black fruits, and oak on the nose. Fruit-forward with black fruits, spice, and chocolate on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $30; Available elsewhere, $20 to $34

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is left bank.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Left bank is an expression for that part of the Bordeaux wine region that is on the left bank of the river Garonne. It includes, travelling down river, Graves, Sauternes, Barsac, Pessac-Leognan, Medoc, and all the appellations of the Medoc. The most obvious characteristic shared by the red wines of these appellations, as distinct from right bank appellations, is that the dominant grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon rather than Merlot and Cabernet Franc, although there are many other distinctions.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Left bank refers to the part of the Bordeaux region of France on the “left bank” or west side of the Garonne River and Gironde estuary. Oftentimes, left bank wines are Cabernet Sauvignon-based blends.