This month’s wine tasting dinner featured red blends from the 2007 vintage from Washington State. It was another fabulous evening of great wines, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. All six wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tomato basil soup, arugula peach salad, grilled steaks, sautéed mushrooms, cilantro lime mashed sweet potatoes, braised kale, and German chocolate dessert with whipped topping and garnished with dark chocolate.

The wines in this tasting, all of which sell for over $25, are premium quality Bordeaux-style blends. The consensus favorite was the 2007 Saviah Cellars Une Vallée Red Wine. Saviah Cellars is a family-owned winery located south of downtown Walla Walla, Washington, near the Oregon state line. Founded in 2000 by winemaker Rich Funk and his wife Anita, Saviah Cellars currently produces about 9,500 cases per year. The name Saviah is a family name from Anita’s great-grandmother. This classic Left Bank Bordeaux-style red blend is a consistent performer for Saviah Cellars from vintage to vintage.

The Saviah Une Vallée was followed closely by the 2007 Andrew Will Sorella and the 2007 Seven Hills Winery Ciel du Cheval Vintage Red Wine. As you will see from the quality ratings below, we felt that all six wines were excellent. In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with any of these. Not only did all six wines receive a Quality rating of 4 stars or higher (out of 5), but all six also received a QPR rating of either 4 or 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Even though these wines are not inexpensive, they are well worth the money.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Saviah Cellars Une Vallée Red Wine (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc. Dark red in color. Aromatic with black currant, black cherry, spice, earth, and a hint of barnyard on the nose. More black fruits and earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $32

2007 Andrew Will Sorella (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Dark red. Nice nose with black cherry, cinnamon, and licorice aromas. Flavors of black cherry, black currant, licorice, and a hint of earth. Full-bodied and crisp with high, drying tannins, and a very long finish. Big and bold yet well-balanced.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $62; Available elsewhere, $57 to $80

2007 Seven Hills Winery Ciel du Cheval Vintage Red Wine (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 14% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. Dark red. Aromatic with black currant, blackberry, black cherry, spice, and a hint of licorice on the nose. Black fruits, spice, and hint of earth on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long finish. Well-balanced and smooth with good complexity.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $26; Available elsewhere, $28 to $30

2007 Chateau Rollat Sophie (Columbia Valley, Washington): 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark red in color. Black fruits, chocolate, and a hint of petrol on the nose; black fruits, earth, and leather on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium, drying 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: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $26; Available elsewhere, $23

2007 Mark Ryan The Dissident Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 39% Merlot, 34% Syrah, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot. Dark red. Nose is a bit tight at first but opens up with nice black fruit aromas. Black cherry, licorice, and leather come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with medium to high, drying 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: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $27

2007 Quilceda Creek Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec. Dark red in color. Aromatic with black fruit, leather, and pencil lead aromas. Flavors of black fruit, leather, cocoa, earth, and a hint of smoke. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high, drying 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: Winery, $35; Available elsewhere, $59 to $60

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Solera is a system of fractional blending used most commonly in Jerez for maintaining the consistency of a style of sherry, which takes its name from those barrels closest to the suelo, or floor, from which the final blend was customarily drawn. The system was created for commercial reasons in the second half of the 19th century. Previously, sherry was vintage-dated just like claret.

The system is designed to smooth out the differences between vintage years and is effectively a more subtle, and very much more labour-intensive, version of the blending of inexpensive table wines between one vintage and another, although the solera system concerns barrel-aged liquids and is made up of several different scales. ….

If a product is labeled ‘Solera 1880’, for example, it should come from a solera established in 1880.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Solera is the fractional blending system used to make sherry, which maintains a house style and consistency of product. During the aging process, some older wine is withdrawn and replaced with the same wine from a younger vintage so the younger wine is assimilated into the old and picks up characteristics of the older wine.

Owner/winemaker David Larsen founded Soos Creek Wine Cellars in 1989. One of a number of Washington winemakers who are “graduates” of the Boeing Wine Club, Larsen worked at Boeing for 29 years before leaving in 2004 to pursue his passion for wine full-time. Located in Kent, Washington, Soos Creek produces only red wine from Bordeaux grape varieties. Larsen believes strongly in blending wines from different grape varieties and, often, different vineyards. He works with some of the best vineyards in Washington State, and some of his wines are vineyard-designated blends. Soos Creek produces about 1,600 cases annually.

We recently had the opportunity to taste two Soos Creek wines in a blind samples tasting, the 2008 Artist Series #8 Red Wine and the 2008 Champoux Vineyard Red Wine. A Cabernet Franc-based wine, the 2008 Artist Series #8 Red Wine features label art titled “Crush Jumps” that was created by Seattle artist TS Heckler. The 2008 Champoux Vineyard Red Wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine from one of the best Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the state.

In 2009, Soos Creek moved into a new winery building near the Larsen’s home. The winery is only open once a year for an open house for mailing list members.

2008 Soos Creek Artist Series #8 Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 55% Cabernet Franc, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Merlot. Deep, purplish red. Nice nose with gorgeous smoke, licorice, and black fruit aromas. More black fruit, smoke, licorice, and a hint of game come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and 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, $26 to $33

2008 Soos Creek Champoux Vineyard Red Wine (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot. Deep red in color. Aromatic with oak, spice, black fruits, and a hint of bell pepper on the nose. Black fruits, spice, and vegetal notes come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $33; Available elsewhere, $27 to $36

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 Saviah Cellars The Jack Riesling from the Columbia Valley of 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

Saviah Cellars is a family-owned winery located south of downtown Walla Walla, Washington, near the Oregon state line in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Owner/winemaker Richard Funk and his wife Anita, both natives of Montana, moved to Walla Walla in 1991. Rich became acquainted with a number of the area wineries while working as an Environmental Health Specialist with the Walla Walla County Health Department. Through his work at the Health Department on water quality and wastewater issues, he got a firsthand look at the vineyards in the area and developed a relationship with a number of local winemakers who helped him get his start in the industry. Saviah Cellars was founded in 2000 and currently produces about 9,500 cases per year. The name Saviah is a family name from Anita’s great-grandmother. Saviah Cellars consistently produces high-quality wines. The Jack is a value line in the Saviah portfolio produced with declassified fruit.

“Finally, we have completed The Jack family with this very aromatic Riesling. This food friendly wine…think Chinese, Indian, Thai, Middle Eastern or New Mexican cuisine…shows delicious notes of apricot and peach. It is perfectly balanced with crisp acidity and subtle sweetness one would taste in a perfectly ripe Washington State Gala apple.” –Owner/winemaker Rich Funk

2010 Saviah Cellars The Jack Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with white peach, honeysuckle, and orange peel on both the nose and palate. Off-dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish. Residual Sugar: 1.79%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15; Available elsewhere, $11 to $18

Last month in Wine Reviews: What Kind Do You Prefer? (Part I), I listed four expert reviews and two ratings for the same wine, which I can tell you now was the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the Wine Spectator #1 wine for 2009; and asked you to share whether you preferred detailed notes that test the English language skills of the critic, only a quick and dirty points (or stars) rating, or something in between.

The responses came via comments to that post as well as on Facebook, Twitter, and through direct messages. Thanks for your candid thoughts and opinions. After reading and compiling the results, it was apparent that most of our readers who commented preferred something in between very detailed notes and just a rating.

The review that was preferred by the most commenters was #2, which was written here on Wine Peeps on November 30, 2009 by Kori. I thought Gary best summed up this review in his comment: “I appreciate the descriptive but brief style of note number 2. I also like its sequencing (sight, smell, flavor/texture), which parallels what we do with a glass.” I suppose one could conclude that if one didn’t like this style of tasting note, they wouldn’t be reading this blog.

Review #4 was a close second, although very different in style and length to #2. Interestingly, Reviews #1 and #3 were not the preferred review by any of the commenters.

Those that liked a points-type rating preferred #6, the five-star Quality rating system with QPR that we use here on Wine Peeps. Again, I recognize that this survey is of our readers so there may be bias toward our system.

In summary, it appears that our readers prefer something a little more than just a “Yum” or “Yuck” rating, but not so detailed and esoteric that they need a dictionary at their side. It also appears that Kori’s sight/smell/taste/finish sequence to her tasting notes resonates with readers as being what they do when tasting and that our 5-star ratings with QPRs add value to our readers.

To refresh your memory when reading references to the reviews on the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon above, here they are again:

1. Ripe in flavor, with a vivid array of black currant, blackberry, violet, black tea and black pepper aromas and flavors that zoom through to a long, expressive finish. Shows subtlety in the layers of complex flavor against a refined structure. Tannins are present but nicely contained. Best from 2010 through 2015.
2. Deep, dark purple in color and very aromatic. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, oak, spice, and a hint of cayenne pepper lead to flavors of blackberry, black currant, and chocolate. Full-bodied with good acidity, high tannins, and a very long finish. Well-balanced and extremely smooth.
3. Scents of tobacco enhance the ripe, lush black fruits, which amply demonstrate the power of Washington grapes. The winemaking is polished, the barrel aging adds vanilla and smoke, and at this new, lower price, it’s a good value as well.
4. The nose is less fruit forward … and has more of a spice component, particularly cigar box and black licorice. The fruit, particularly blackberry, is layered under the spice. The nose shows light coffee grounds as the wine opens up. This wine, at least initially, has a much bigger body … with black licorice on the taste and beautifully refined tannins that glide across the tongue. Overall, this is a much more tannin driven wine. Needs 2+ years to be at its best. 14.2% alcohol. 5,500 cases produced. After a couple hours of decanting, lots of blackberry and coffee grounds come through. This is a pretty big wine. The finish doesn’t have quite as much as I want which is its only detraction.
5. 95 points.
6. Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5), QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Flight is the name for a series of different but related servings of wine, served in a bar or restaurant by the glass or as part of a tasting.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Flight is a term used to describe a series of wines served for the purpose of comparison. Each wine in the flight is different but has something in common with the other wines. For example, judges in a wine competition may evaluate a flight of Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State. Or a restaurant may serve a flight of sparkling wines, with one from France, one from Spain, one from Italy, and one from California.

Brothers Jeff and Bill Gordon founded Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards, located in Pasco, Washington, in 1985. Their family-owned winery produces wines exclusively with estate grown fruit. Their vineyards were planted in 1980 on a south-facing slope overlooking the Snake River. Prior to planting the vineyard, Jeff consulted with Walter Clore, the father of Washington wine, who gave them his approval of their site. Today, the majority of the 100-acre estate vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewürztraminer, as well as small lots of Tempranillo and Malbec.

In 1998, Bill Gordon retired. Jeff’s daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Marc Nelson, joined the family business in 2001. While the Gordon Brothers vineyards and winery are located in eastern Washington, they opened a tasting room in Woodinville’s warehouse district in 2008.

We recently had the opportunity to taste a number of Gordon Brothers wines in a blind samples tasting. We especially enjoyed the 2008 SIX Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Gewurztraminer Ice Wine, and the 2005 Tradition Red Wine. I must admit that I have found their wines to be a bit inconsistent in the past. However, if these wines are any indication, Gordon Brothers is on the way up.

2008 Gordon Brothers SIX Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with black fruit and floral aromas with a hint of leather. More black fruit, leather, and floral notes come through on the palate. Full-bodied with good acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $50; Available elsewhere, $42

2009 Gordon Brothers Gewurztraminer Ice Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Medium-deep gold in color. Beautiful nose with honey and dried apricot aromas. More honey and dried apricot as well as Asian pear and caramel come through on the palate. Very sweet but not sickeningly sweet. Medium-bodied and lively with a long finish. Well-balanced with a lot going on. Residual Sugar: 38.1%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $37 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $36 to $42

2005 Gordon Brothers Tradition Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 8% Syrah. Deep, dark brownish red. Nice nose with red fruit and cinnamon aromas. Flavors of red fruit, cinnamon, Red Vines, red plum, and a hint of leather. Medium to full-bodied with good 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, $29 to $30

2006 Gordon Brothers Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark brownish red. Aromatic with black fruit, vegetal, earth, and spice aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied and lively with soft tannins and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $16 to $17

2007 Gordon Brothers Tempranillo (Columbia Valley, Washington): 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red. Black fruits, black plum, licorice, and spice aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium, smooth tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $65

2008 Gordon Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, and 3% Merlot. Deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with black fruit, spice, and vegetal notes on the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $23; Available elsewhere, $18 to $23

2008 Gordon Brothers Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, golden yellow with green tinges. Aromatic with oak and butter on the nose. Apple, pear, and oak come through on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied, and lively with a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $16; Available elsewhere, $10 to $14

2007 Gordon Brothers Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): 93% Merlot, 5% Syrah, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium-deep ruby red. Moderately aromatic with cherry, plum, and oak on the nose. Red fruits come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $16 to $24

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 NV Lunetta Prosecco Brut from the Trentino region in Italy.

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

Lunetta, which means “little moon” in Italian, is produced from grapes that are handpicked and vinified at Cavit’s state-of-the-art sparkling wine facility in the northern Italian region of Trentino. Anselmo Martini, one of northern Italy’s top enologists, is the lead winemaker at Cavit.

“Enticing aromas of apple and peach give way to a palate that is refreshing, and harmonious, with crisp fruit flavors and a clean finish. Lunetta Prosecco is delightful as an aperitif or enjoyed with antipasti, hors d’oeuvres, sushi, shellfish and seafood.” –The Cavit Collection

NV Lunetta Prosecco Brut (Trentino, Italy): Italian sparkling wine. Very pale straw yellow. Small, fairly fast bead of bubbles. Aromatic with white peach and apple on the nose; more apple, white peach, and a hint of lemon on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $9.99; Available elsewhere, $10 to $13

Recently, I had a meal with blackened rockfish and enjoyed it very much. So I decided to plan a challenging wine pairing with this fish. If you are not familiar with rockfish, here are the descriptions of halibut, cod, and rockfish for comparison. Halibut has a firm-fleshed texture and mild flavor, cod has a flakey texture and a sweet, mild flavor, and rockfish is lean, delicate meat with a medium to firm texture and a sweet, nutty flavor.

While I love blackened fish of any kind, I wanted to try something different for this pairing. I grilled the fish, topped it with zydeco sauce, and then garnished it with crawfish tails and baby shrimp. Zydeco sauce is a creamy sauce made with mayonnaise, prepared horseradish, Worcestershire, dry mustard, Tabasco sauce, and red pepper flakes. It is spicy but can be prepared to your desired level of spiciness.

The full menu for this meal included a spinach salad with a white balsamic dressing, the rockfish with sauce and toppings, dirty rice, and steamed broccoli.

We decided to try the meal with a white and a red wine and selected a Pinot Gris and a Pinot Noir. We enjoyed the 2009 Adelsheim Pinot Gris and the 2008 Siduri Pinot Noir, both from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We enjoyed both wines very much; however, the consensus favorite prior to the meal and paired with the food was the Pinot Gris.

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

Bon Appétit!

2009 Adelsheim Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon): Pale, greenish yellow. Aromatic with green apple, pear, and a hint of lemon on the nose. Apple, pear, lemon, and lime come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp 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: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $13.99; Available elsewhere, $10 to $21

2008 Siduri Pinot Noir (Chehalem Mountains, Willamette Valley, Oregon): Medium-deep red. Moderately aromatic with cherry, earth, and bacon on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied and lively with medium, soft tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $26.99; Available elsewhere, $24 to $30

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Blend is any product of blending but specifically a wine deliberately made from more than one grape variety rather than a single varietal (which may contain only a small proportion of other varieties).

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Blend is a wine made from more than one grape variety. In the United States, a blend that does not have enough of a single variety to be varietally-labelled, or the winemaker chooses not to varietally-label it, is often labeled as “red wine”, “meritage”, “white wine”, or a proprietary name.