Foxen

There are few better places in Santa Barbara to taste wine. Set in the countryside roughly an hour outside of Santa Barbara, Foxen has two lines of wines – one that focuses on Bordeaux style wines and another that produces Burgundian styles, along with an impressive single vineyard Syrah. With its gorgeous setting, it is no surprise that the movie Sideways decided to film one of their big scenes here. While Foxen has developed considerable prestige for their Pinot Noir, I found their Bordeaux varietal wines to be just as compelling. Superstar winemaker Bill Wathen is absolutely on point with his recent releases. The fact that he can produce incredible Pinot and Bordeaux varietals is really a tribute to the winemaking ability.
Foxen’s winemaking team under Bill Wathen and David Whitehair has been creating incredibly high scoring wines for many years. I've been tasting wines there for more than ten years and I have never been disappointed with a bottling. There is wonderful care and attention to detail in each wine that Bill crafts. Bill's has strived to craft wines that feature the terroir of each vineyard site while having the least amount of intervention possible. The terroir found in the Chardonnays, Pinots and Syrahs is evident. If you are in the Santa Barbara area, a visit to Foxen winery is a must. Learn more about them at http://www.foxenvineyard.com/
Here are some of the fantastic new release wines from Foxen. ‪#‎foxen‬ ‪#‎foxenwinery‬

2014 Foxen Vogelzang Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc- The Sav Blanc is a blend of 70% Clone 1, 30% Musque. It was aged 3 months in neutral oak barrels. This wine has aromas of lychee, pear, and cut grass. There are flavors of pear, red delicious apple and wonderful minerality. A striking effort that is one of the best of its kind. Only 280 cases produced. Drink 2015-2022- 92

2012 Foxen Pajarito- The wine is a blend of Merlot (45%) from the Vogelzang Vineyard and Petit Verdot (55%), from the Grassini Family Vineyard. The wine was aged 22 months in American oak barrels (33% new). The blend has aromas of dill, red bell pepper, and red cherry. There are flavors of dill, sage, red cherry and raspberry. This feminine style wine is rich and has wonderful balance. Only 220 cases made. Drink 2015-2025- 91

2012 Foxen Vogelzang Vineyard Cabernet- The Cabernet was aged 22 months in French oak (Taransaud, 80% new). This polished wine opens with aromas of red cherry, dill and anise. There are flavors of blackberry, anise and great acid structure. The wine is a delight to drink right now but can also cellar for another decade. Drink 2015-2025- 91

2012 Foxen Range 30 West- This was aged 22 months in French oak (Taransaud and Nadalie) prior to bottling. The wine a blend of 60% Merlot with 40% Cab Franc. It opens with aromas of dill, red bell pepper and anise. There are flavors of dill, red bell pepper and red cherry. This is forward and delicious that is hard to resist right now. Drink 2015-2022- 90

2012 Foxen Guillermo Grosso- This is a blend of Sangiovese (50%) and Cabernet (50%). Lovely spicebox and red cherry aromas with oak. There are flavors of dill, raspberry and red cherry with mild tannins. Delicious and open style wine. Drink 2015-2025- 90

2012 Foxen Cabernet Franc- This comes from the Tinaquaic vineyard. This opens with aromas of sage, red bell pepper and red cherry. This has light tannins with flavors of red cherry, raspberry and dill. Delicious and lithe. Drink 2015-2024- 91

2013 Foxen Mission Barbarena Vineyard Port- This has 10.9 residual sugar. There are aromas of methane, red cherry and smoke. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry and has lovely acid structure. Very defined. Drink 2015-2022- 89

2013 Foxen Block UU Bien Naciedo Vineyard Chardonnay- The wine begins with aromas of cut grass, Meyer lemon, and poached pear. There are flavors of pear, golden delicious apple, Mushroom and lemon rind with lovely rich mouthfeel. This impresses with a long finish. Drink 2015-2022- 92

2013 Foxen Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard Chenin Blanc- This is 49 year old vine Chenin Blanc. This has aromas of nutmeg, buttered toast, and pear. Flavors of pear, red delicious apple and lovely minerality with a long cream finish. This has an impressive and rich mouthfeel. Drink 2015-2020- 91

2012 Foxen Tinaquaic Vineyard Chardonnay- This had 25% new French oak. There are intense aromas of toasted hazelnuts, pear and banana. Flavors of pear, Marcona almonds and brioche with a lovely saline streak. The minerality is pronounced and the finish is long and lingering. Drink 2015-2022- 92

2013 Foxen Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir- This comes from Bien Nacido, Riverbench and Solomon Hills vineyards. This has aromas of nutmeg, dill and red cherry. This leads to flavors of red cherry, dill and raspberry. This has a wonderful minerality. Drink 2015-2022- 92

2012 Foxen John Sebastiano Vineyard Pinot Noir-This has aromas of black cherry, mushroom and raspberry. This has flavors of mushroom, black raspberry, black cherry and black tea. This is rich and layered. Drink 2015-2024- 93

2012 Foxen Block 43 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir- Dijon clones 667 and 777. Perfumed aromas of rose petals, black cherry, and black truffle. Flavors of black cherry, pomegranate and mushroom. This is every bit outstanding with a rich and lovely mouthfeel. Drink 2015-2024- 93

2012 Foxen Block 8 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir- This comes from the highest point in the vineyard in the south section in the vineyard. It has aromas if rose petals, red cherry, dill and raspberry. There are flavors of raspberry, red cherry and dill in this feminine style wine. Fruity and delicious. The minerality and saline accents are wonderful. Drink 2015-2024- 92

2012 Foxen Solomon Hills Vineyard Pinot Noir- This was planted in 1997 and is on the far west side of the AVA that is a north to south facing vineyard. This has aromas of nutmeg, black cherry and raspberry. There are flavors of red cherry, pomegranate and wonderful acidity. This has good balance and richness. Drink 2015-2025- 93

2013 Foxen Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir- This vineyard designate is owned by Cambria. It is 100% Pommard clone. The Pinot has aromas of nutmeg, cherry cola and raspberry. This has flavors of red cherry, raspberry in this fruity and delicious effort. Drink 2015-2023- 92

2006 Foxen Pinot Noir- This is one of their library release wines. This wine has aromas of prune, red cherry and raspberry. This has flavors of red cherry, prune, raspberry and nutmeg. This is still alive and kicking. Drink 2015-2018- 92

2012 Foxen Timaquaic Vineyard Syrah- This was code emended w about 5% Viognier. It has aromas of smoked meats, orange rind, blackberry and creosote. Flavors of blackberry, orange rind, black cherry and anise. Drink 2015-2022- 92

Willamette Valley Vineyards

I have not previously had the opportunity to sample the entire lineup of these wines, and was very impressed. Founder, Jim Bernau, purchased the Estate site in 1983 and cleared the old plum orchard hidden in scotch broom and blackberry vines. Bernau planted Pinot Noir (Pommard and Wadenswil clones), Chardonnay (Dijon and Espiguette) as well as Pinot Gris. Because of the lack of water sources, he initially used a 75 foot garden hose to water the vines. Bernau took winemaking classes at UC Davis and finally started the winery full time in 1989. Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown considerably in the past 20 years, as they merged with Bill Fuller of Tualatin Vineyards (established in 1973), the O'Briens for Elton Vineyard (established in 1983) and Loeza Vineyard (planted in 2015). The winery now sources all of its Pinot Noir from its nearly 500 estate-grown vineyards.
There is a wonderful terroir with these wines. They have received considerable press in their past, primarily from their house bottling but their single vineyard bottlings were complex and lithe. In a vintage where many Oregon Pinots lacked power and finesse due to the rains at harvest, Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinots were all excellent. Their ‘Elton’ bottling was rich and Burgundian, having the wonderful combination of forest floor and rich fruit. I rated this one 93 points and one of the highest rated wines from this vintage. Here are the new releases from Willamette Valley Vineyards and check out their impressive lineup of Pinots at http://wvv.com ‪#‎wvv‬ ‪#‎willamettevalleyvineyards‬

2013 Willamette Valley Vineyards Tualitin Estate Pinot Noir- This wine is sourced from Dijon clones 114, 115, 667 and 777 as well as Pommard and Wadenwswil. The vineyard was planted in 1973 by Bill Fuller and vines are grown on Laurelwood soil. The wine was aged 15 months in 40% new French oak prior to bottling. The wine begins with aromas reminiscent of orange rind, pomegranate and red cherry. This has flavors of red cherry, guava, raspberry and is done in the open style. Drink 2015-2023- 90

2013 Willamette Valley Vineyards Elton Pinot Noir- This wine comes from a vineyard planted in 1983 that is set on Jory soil. The wine aged 10 months in 45% new French oak prior to bottling. The wine begins with aromas of nutmeg, thyme, black truffle and forest floor. The Pinot has flavors of cherry cola, spicebox, cran-apple and raspberry. This is absolutely delicious right out of the bottle, with a striking mineral streak. Drink 2015-2026- 93

2013 Willamette Valley Vineyards Hannah Pinot Noir- This wine is sourced from vines grown in the upper part of the Tualitin Estate vineyard where Dijon clones 667 and 777 are utilized. The Pinot Noir was aged 10 months in 60% new French oak prior to bottling. The wine begins with aromas of black truffe, forest floor and red cherry. This leads to flavors of orange rind, pomegranate seed and a lithe minerality. On the lighter side, but elegant wine that will be long aged. Drink 2015-2025-92

2013 Willamette Valley Vineyards Bernau Block Pinot Noir- Sourced from 15 acres of Pinot Noir from the first plantings at the Estate Vineyard in 1983, Founder Jim Bernau planted these vines using a Christmas tree planter pulled behind his 33 horsepower tractor. He grafted the French clones 667 and 777 on a portion of the vines when they became available. This wine has aromas of red currant, red raspberry and red cherry with thyme. There are flavors of Bing cherry preserves, shitake mushroom, pomegranate and cran-orange. Delicious and lithe effort, with a finish that lingers. Drink 2016-2026- 92

2013 Willamette Valley Vineyards Signature Cuvee Pinot Noir- This solid bottling comes from their estate vineyard as well as the Tualitin and Elton vineyards. The wine was aged 10 months in 50% new French oak and comes from a host of soils including Jory, Laurelwood and Nekia (shallow and volcanic). This Pinot begins with aromas of forest floor, red currant and red raspberry. This leads to flavors of cran-orange, pomegranate, guava and cremini mushroom. A delight to savor right now, with a lithe minerality. Drink 2015-2025- 91

2014 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Estate Pinot Noir- This wine comes from the estate vineyard as well as the Tualitin and Elton vineyards. This is one of their larger production wines with 380 barrels produced. This wine opens with aromas of Welch’s grape juice, red raspberry and stewed red cherry. This leads to flavors of black cherry, cherry cola, guava and cran-pomegranate. The Pinot is done in the ripe and forward style, meant for early consumption. A lovely effort by these guys. Drink 2015-2022- 89

Interview with Nina Buty, Owner of Buty Winery

Nina Buty is a Whitman College graduate that started Buty Winery, located in Walla Walla, in 2000 with Caleb Foster. Buty was born in 1998 when Nina and Caleb were on a backpacking trip in the Cascades. They created their business plan on a napkin to start a winery and focus on different style blends, such as their signature Bordeaux style white blend, sourcing from some of the best vineyards in the state, including Champoux and Conner Lee. Buty debuted in 2000 with five wines. They brought on Zelma Long to do consultant winemaking, and now Chris Dowsett serves as head winemaker. Nina, not only a owner but a mother with small children, continues to run the impressive boutique style of winery that has received accolades from innumerable wine publications. Talented head winemaker Chris Dowsett impressed with his new releases, as Buty are in very good hands with Chris. I recently had the chance to sit down with Nina Buty, owner of Buty Winery. She told me about her story in wine and I think you’ll find this interview as interesting and engaging as I did. Here is my interview with Nina Buty:

WWB: I visited Buty this fall and was very impressed with your overall lineup of wines. Can you talk a bit about the style of winemaking for your red and white wines?

NB: Our winery was founded on a belief in the artistry of the blend. In fact, with the exception of our Conner Lee Vineyard Chardonnay, all of our Buty wines are blends (and even our Conner Lee Chardonnay is approached much like a blend). While each wine has its own distinctive personality that reflects the varietals, the vintage and the vineyards the wines come from, there are certainly common threads that run through our wines, including beautiful aromatics and silky textures. To achieve this, our style of winemaking is very natural, but this does not mean that it is hands off. Though we apply gentle winemaking techniques such as minimal handling, and often uses little-or-no-new oak, every choice made about fermentation, extraction, cooperage, blending, racking and aging is intended to help achieve a stylistic vision. We also don’t do any enhancements, which means we don’t add acid, use dehydrators, concentrators, water additions, spinning cones, or other such “enhancement tools.” This ensures that the authentic character of the wines is rooted in the soil of the sites they come from.

WWB: The Rockgarden Estate vineyard produces some wonderful earthy and terroir-driven red wines. Can you talk more about the vineyard in terms of the soil and climate? What are the typical characters in the wines produced from this vineyard?

NB: In 2006, after years of searching for the ideal site to establish an estate vineyard, we purchased 10 acres of land in the Milton-Freewater Fan region of Walla Walla Valley. For over a hundred years, this region has been the valley’s most coveted farming land, and over the past two decades it has earned a reputation for being home to some of Walla Walla Valley’s greatest vineyards. In fact, this past year, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater earned official status as an American Viticultural Area—a process that we were actively involved in. Our own Rockgarden Estate is named in honor of the famous basalt cobblestones that help to make this section in the southeast part of the valley such renowned winegrowing land. These rocks amplify, and radiate back, heat from the sun. In addition, Rockgarden Estate is ideally situated in the highest part of the cobblestones. These factors, and others, contribute to wines that have beautiful lush fruit characteristics at relatively modest alcohol levels, but also wonderful savory qualities. Along with enticing lavender and violet aromas, Rockgarden yields these really fascinating beach smoke notes that hint at sea spray. As the vines evolve, these qualities are becoming more and more complex, and even more compelling.

WWB: Can you talk a bit about your background in wine and how you decided to start Buty in 2000?

NB: I was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in various parts of the state. I fell in love with the pace, climate and people of Eastern Washington early on, and attended Whitman College, where I earned a degree in art history, with minors in studio art and geology. While I wasn’t consciously aware of it at the time, what I was studying laid a really strong foundation for my future in wine. I was also developing a real love of wine, most significantly Washington wine, and its amazing potential. After several years of working in public service, I founded Buty in 2000. For me, the creation of wine was a natural extension of my background in art and geology. It also allowed me to combine my desire to work with nature in a creative way.
From the outset, our goal has been to make exceptional wines that showcase masterful blending, while being true to their Washington roots and the great vineyards they come from. Working with our longtime Winemaker Chris Dowsett, and our good friend Zelma Long, I think we’ve stayed very true to those ideals.

WWB: I am also a Whitman grad and I feel like the balance of education at Whitman prepared me well for my business life. Can you talk about how your educational background has influenced your ability to run a successful winery that has gained a very strong national reputation?

NB: To expand a bit on my last answer, I would just say that for me, I found incredible value in receiving a well-rounded liberal arts education from Whitman. Studying art history and geology, I spent most of my time in the arts building and the science building. What’s fascinating looking back is how much this foundation ended up being relevant to Buty. When it comes to wine, the arts and science are remarkably intertwined.

WWB: You must be an incredibly busy person. What are the challenges with owning a successful winery and raising children?

NB: When you run your own business, the boundaries between work and life are very porous—the business will expand to fill all the space you will allow it. Children are like that too. I’m always thinking of my children, and my business. Because of this, I approach life and making wine with a very similar philosophy. I see the two as deeply interwoven. My children have grown up playing in the vineyards. They have a deep understanding of the seasons, and a very developed awareness of a rural agricultural life, and how this life can be the foundation of a business. They know the difference between soil and dirt. They have that connection to the land and farming, which is a gift. They also see their mother working hard and fully investing herself doing something she loves, which I hope will set a positive example.

Buty

A Walla Walla mainstay that was first created in 2000, Buty’s strong lineup of wines continue to impress. A visit to their Walla Walla airport area tasting room impressed. Winery owner Nina Buty is a fellow Whitman grad and has taken 100% of the controlling ownership of Buty. Being a mother and a winery owner is not an easy task, but based on my recent tasting Nina is performing exceptionally well. The range of my scores given to the wines were 92-94, which is exceptionally rare for all of a winery’s releases to fall in that range. The biggest wine was a compelling blend from the rocks area, the 2012 ‘Redviva of the Stones.’ This impressive bottling was rich and viscous with great terroir, Walla Walla rocks character and minerality. The white wines from Buty also impressed, as they typically do each year. Bordeaux style white wines are sometimes difficult to masterfully craft in Washington, but Buty makes one of the state’s best in their ‘White.’ The wine is smooth and has a wonderful range of fruit and secondary flavors. A major theme with the Buty offerings is the terroir and structure. These wines have the structure to pair beautifully with a variety of foods. It is no surprise that many Buty bottlings are being poured at great Seattle area restaurants, as I have noticed an increase of these wines on top wine lists in the past five years. Check these great wines out at great Northwest wine shops like Esquin and Met Market, as well as Total Wines. ‪#‎buty‬

2014 Buty White- This Bordeaux style white wine begins with aromas of gardenia, lemongrass and pear. There is a lithe texture and mouthfeel to this smooth blend. This silky wine has flavors of cut grass, Meyer lemon and pear. This delicious blend is hard to resist right now. The structure suggests this will have a long life. Drink 2016-2025- 92

2014 Buty ‘Conor Lee Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This rich and viscous Chard begins with aromas of pear, golden delicious apple and oak. There is a rich and silky mouthfeel, leading to flavors of brioche, Japanese pear and minerals. Simply delicious wine that is one of the best of its kind in the state. Drink 2016-2023- 93

2013 Buty ‘Conor Lee Vineyard’ Merlot/Cabernet Franc- This wine is a blend of 61% Merlot with the rest Cabernet Franc. This has rich aromas of sagebrush, dill, red cherry and blackberry. This leads to flavors reminiscent of red cherry, anise, dill, and raspberry in this feminine style red wine. There is a wonderful structure here. Drink 2015-2025- 93

2013 Buty ‘Rockgarden Estate’ – This wine is a blend of 75% Mouvedre and the rest Syrah and Grenache, coming from their Rockgarden vineyard. This begins with aromas of gravel, red cherry and smoked meats with white pepper. There are flavors of red cherry, smoked meats, wet stone and cranberry in this lithe and mineral driven red. Drink 2015-2025- 92

2012 Buty ‘Columbia Valley Redviva’- This wine is a blend of 84% Cabernet with the rest Syrah. They mentioned that this is the highest percentage of Cab ever used in the blend. The wine has aromas of milk chocolate, black cherry and black olive. This leads to flavors of blackberry, mocha and anise. This is dense and delicious juice that is hard to resist right now. Drink 2015-2025- 93

2012 Buty ‘Redviva of the Stones’- This fascinating blend is comprised of 79% Syrah, 13% Cabernet and the rest Mouvedre. The wine has aroms of green olive, black pepper, smoked meats and blackberry. This leads to delicious flavors of wet stone, anise, blueberry and blackberry. There is a silky mouthfeel and a long finish. What a wonderful bottling. Drink 2015-2025- 94

Caymus Cabernet

One of the biggest players in Napa, Caymus has established themselves as superstar producers of Cabernet. Parker and other famous wine writers have talked about Caymus Cabernet for decades. If you haven’t had the chance to check out the past two vintages of Caymus Cabernet, you are in for an incredible treat. The 2012 bottlings of Cabernet celebrated Caymus’s 40th anniversary. Caymus has created rich and viscous efforts in the 2012 and 2013 vintages, working with near ideal growing conditions. Caymus also produces a reserve Cabernet wine, bottled as their ‘Special Selection.’ While I’ve only sampled a few previous vintages of this special wine, the 2012 Special Selection Cabernet was an incredible success.

I have been able to sample many vintages of Caymus Cabernet in the past but the past two bottlings have been the most impressive in terms of richness, viscosity and terroir. Both the 2012 and 2013 Cabernets had rich fruit structure. I rated the 2012 (WWB, 94) just in front of the 2013 (WWB, 93), as I liked the structure just marginally better in the ’12. The 2012 Special Selection Cabernet (WWB, 95) is even better than the 2012 Cabernet. This hedonistic and dense bottling is intense and memorable, carrying a much higher pricetag as well ($150.00 compared to $60.00). For a very special occasion, check out the 2012 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet (WWB, 95). This one is a heavyhitter of a wine, with mountains of fruit alongside wonderful graphite and mineral components. This is up there with the best Napa Cabernet bottlings that I have sampled this year. These Cabernets just marvelous special occasion wines that any California Cabernet drinker is sure to enjoy. These dense Cabernets are somewhat difficult to pair with dishes and are just a joy to drink on their own. I feel that these wines don’t need a rich ribeye steak and would be best suited to sip and enjoy, as they are a meal in themselves. Look for these wines at great Northwest area wine shops like Met Market, Esquin, Total Wines and Bev Mo. #caymus #caymusvineyards

2012 Caymus Cabernet- Iconic wine and iconic vintage that delivers. This dense wine has aromas of blackberry jam, cassis and violets, followed by flavors of creme de cassis, blackberry and mocha. Dense and round, this thing is ready to drink and expresses the best of this wonderful vintage. Drink 2015-2030. -94 $60.00

2013 Caymus Cabernet- This impressive follow up to the exquisite 2012 rendition comes from another great vintage. The 2013 is sourced from eight of the sixteen sub-appellations in Napa Valley. As the wine itself opens, it delivers aromas of blackberry, cassis, milk chocolate and anise. On the palate there are delicious flavors of black cherry, smoke, milk chocolate, anise and graphite through a rich and voluptuous body. The mouth coating finish is long and persistent, leaving behind layers of dark fruits. This will only get better with time, but will certainly be long-lived. Drink 2016-2030- 93 $60.00

2012 Caymus ‘Special Selection’ Cabernet- This opulent wine comes from the winery’s 40th anniversary and an outstanding vintage. Even more dense and intense than its outstanding sibling (Napa Valley Cabernet), the 2012 Special Selection Cabernet is an absolute joy to savor. The wine begins with aromas reminiscent of violets, graphite, crème de cassis, coffee grounds and lavender. The bouquet is intense and has a wonderful sense of terroir. There are flavors of mocha, blackberry preserves, graphite, blueberry and wonderful minerality. This showcases the exceptional vintage with fruit weight and structure. This has a long and lingering finish that persists for more than a half second. The texture and mouthfeel is intense with light tannins that make the wine impossible to resist right now. Drink 2015-2035- 95 $150.00

Le Cadeau

This boutique Willamette Valley winery was first introduced to me roughly a decade ago. I was impressed with what they did with the 2002 and 2003 vintages. There is a trademark Burgundian feel to this wine, as their fruit tends to pick up on mushroom and forest floor characteristics. I have found that regardless of vintage, hot or cold, Le Cadeau bottlings bring this character, which is due to the fantastic soil quality in their estate vineyard. If you are a fan of earthy Oregon Pinots, this estate is for you.

The property lies on a 28-acre parcel on the south slope of Parrett Mountain which is near Newberg in the Dundee Hills. The land was previously overgrown with poison oak, wild berries, and scrub oak before being removed. This 14-acre, high-elevation (610’ – 725’), vineyard was developed to only provide estate Pinot Noir for Le Cadeau. Le Cadeau is known as "the rockiest vineyard in Oregon." The volcanic soils of the estate provide excellent drainage for the sometimes rainy conditions. There is a wide variety of Pinot Noir clones planted in the vineyard, including Dijon, Heritage (Heirloom), Pommard, and Mariafeld. Winemaker Jim Sanders continues to produce with exceptional, Burgundian bottlings. I was particularly impressed with their 2012 ‘Merci’ reserve bottling which had wonderful terroir and rich fruit flavors. I rated it 93 points and up there with the best in the valley for the year. They also produced one of the best 2011 Pinots that I have sampled, their ‘Equinoxe’ which I rated 92 points. This bottling captured the essence of the vintage, creating a earthy profile wine that is drinking beautifully right now. The winery also produces second label, Aubichon, which was introduced in 2007 and is made from from non-estate fruit that carries a slightly lower price tag. Here are some of the wonderful new releases from Le Cadeau. #lecadeau

2013 Le Cadeau ‘Rocheaux’ Pinot Noir- This wine opens with aromas of mushroom, forest floor, raspberry and red cherry. This leads to flavors of raspberry, Bing cherry, provencale herbs and mushroom. An expressive effort with nice weight. Drink 2015-2022- 91

2012 Le Cadeau ‘Merci’ Reserve Pinot Noir-This wine begins with aromas reminiscent of mushroom, forest floor, wild blackberry and raspberry. There are flavors of cherry pie, raspberry and sage. Layered and rich effort with a striking mineral edge. The mouthfeel is silky throughout, leading to a long and lingering finish. Drink 2015-2023- 93

2011 Le Cadeau ‘Equinoxe’ Pinot Noir- Taken from a cool vintage, this wine opens with aromas of smoke, anise, raspberry and sage. There are flavors of raspberry, cran-cherry, orange rind and mushroom. This is delicious and open considering the coolness of the vintage and has come into its own right now. There is nice richness and texture on the mouthfeel. Drink 2015-2022- 92

2013 Aubichon Pinot Noir-This is a blend of 3 vineyards with 70% Estate fruit and the rest coming from the Armstrong and the Riverside vineyard, which is a two acre vineyard near McMinneville. The wine has aromas of oak, red cherry and raspberry with light white pepper bodes. There are flavors of raspberry, red cherry and guava. Light but tasty effort. Drink 2015-2022- 91

2011 Aubichon Pinot Noir- This wine is made from 35% estate fruit and the rest comes from the Vista Hills vineyard. This reticent and Burgundian style wine opens with aromas of mushroom, forest floor, raspberry and oak. There are flavors of cran-raspberry, red cherry and orange rind. This has lovely terroir and a silky mouthfeel. The winemaking here is evident. Drink 2015-2022- 91

2011 Aubichon "Armstrong Vineyard" Pinot Noir- The Armstrong vineyard utilizes organic farming. This is is the first single vineyard bottling Aubichon has done. There are aromas of red cherry, orange rind, cranberry and is almost Riojaesque. Leading to flavors of red cherry, raspberry and citrus notes. This is novel and delicious now. Drink 2015-2023- 92

Liquid Farm

One of the premier boutique producers of Chardonnay in Santa Barbara, Liquid Farm has impressed with their old world style of winemaking. The winemaker sought to produce Chardonnay that is terroir and mineral driven from cool climates with little or no new oak intervention. To achieve these qualities the owners were drawn to one of the coolest of all California AVA's, Sta. Rita Hills. These Chardonnays are sourced from some of the region’s most exceptional vineyards such as the Bien Naciedo vineyard and the Clos Pepe vineyard. I recently had the chance to sit down with one of the owners, Jeff Nelson, and he shared their recent successes, starting with 4 barrels of wine in 2009 to their current much larger production. Jeff has been in the wine business for the past 20+ years, working for some of the top Champagne and Burgundy houses and had some incredible stories about the wine business. Liquid Farms wines do not stay on wine lists and shelves very long. They have incredible balance and minerality, as I was very impressed with their fantastic new lineup of wines.. Most of these exceptional Chardonnay releases would seriously pass for something out of Burgundy. Learn more at http://www.liquidfarm.com ‪#‎liquidfarm‬

2014 Liquid Farm Rose- This is made from 95% Mouvedre and 5% Grenache. The wine begins with aromas of smoked meats, mushroom, gala apple and cut grass. This leads to flavors of watermelon, Gravenstein apple, Meyer lemon and orange rind. This is a complex Rose that has a wonderful acid structure. Drink 2015-2020- 91

2014 Liquid Farm ‘White Hill’ Chardonnay- This wine is sourced from 10 vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills and is done in a Chablis style of winemaking. 90% of this was aged one year in neutral oak while 10% was aged in stainless steel prior to bottling. The winemaker is a proponent of blending the vineyards. This has aromas of Meyer lemon, poached pear, in the somewhat subdued nose. There are flavors of pear, golden delicious apple, with a long and lingering finish. This is done in the refreshing style with a nice minerality and saline streak. Drink 2015-2025- 92

2013 Liquid Farm 'Golden Slope' Chardonnay- The owner notes that this wine is made in the Mersault style. It is a blend of six Santa Rita Hills vineyards including Bent rock, Clos Pepe, Rita's Crown, Zotovich, Kessler-Haak and Esperanza. This Chardonnay had 10% new oak with the rest neutral oak. The wine has butter, hazelnut, and golden delicious apple. There are flavors of pineapple, golden delicious apple, and mushroom with a long finish of vanilla cream. This has wonderful texture and depth. Drink 2015-2025- 93

2014 Liquid Farm' La Hermana' Chardonnay- This is a blend of Bien Naciedo and Solomon Hills Chardonnay. This has aromas of lemon meringue, banana and golden delicious apple. There are flavors of red delicious apple, nutmeg with a long finish. There is nice weight and richness to this wine. This is very terroir driven and Burgundian. Drink 2015-2025- 93

2014 Liquid Farm 'Bien Bien' Chardonnay- This is a blend of Bien Naciedo and Solomon Hills Chardonnay. This has aromas of lemon meringue, banana and golden delicious apple. There are flavors of red delicious apple, nutmeg with a long finish. There is nice weight and richness to this wine. This is very terroir driven and Burgundian. Drink 2015-2025- 93

Top 100 Domestic Wines of 2015

Top 100 Domestic Wines of 2015

I wanted to offer my warmest holiday greetings from Washington Wine Blog. I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful holiday season. It has been an absolutely fantastic year here at Washington Wine Blog. I want to wish you all of my deepest thanks for supporting the blog. A lot has happened for me professionally this year. I am now the associate editor at International Wine Report, reviewing wines for them primarily from Washington, Oregon and California. This has brought a lot of excitement to Washington Wine Blog. In 2015 I was able to meet and interview some incredible people in the wine industry and feature them on my blog. I have also been fortunate to review some exceptional wines this year from our incredible nation. This year I have chosen 100 exceptional domestic wines, as I have been able to sample many more exceptional wines and visit many more tasting rooms. Value wines are considered in my Top 100, and there are several incredible well-priced selections that I simply could not leave out.

The wines from Washington continue to impress and rise to the top of the list. At the top of the Top 100 is the 2012 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet. This exotic, intense and rich treat was an absolute delight to sip and savor in the glass. Hats off to the Golitzin family for producing an absolute stunner. The 2012 Quilceda Creek Cabernet is up there with the absolute best that estate has produced, including the incredible 2005 and 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernets. Thank you again for your support of Washington Wine Blog. Here’s to an even better 2016 for every one of you!

 

1)     2012 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet- The 2012 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from 97% Champoux Vineyard along with 3% Wallula Vineyard fruit. This displays a dark, opaque appearance, followed by lovely aromas of dark fruits, crème de cassis, anise and mocha folding in some graphite and hints of fresh bell pepper notes. This continues to impress on the palate with its rich and viscous mouthfeel backed by a remarkable silky texture which expands beautifully onto the long, layered finish. This level of Cabernet Sauvignon that is unparalleled in Washington, and although just about impossible to resist today, it is certain to improve even further with bottle age. This is Washington State Cabernet at its finest, as this wine is up there with the 2005 and 2006 in terms of the best Quilceda Creek Cabs I’ve had.  Best 2017-2030. – 99 $150.00

2)     2013 DeLille Cellars ‘Chaleur Estate’ Blanc- This impressive wine is a blend of 65% Sav Blanc and 35% Semillon. The rich aromatics include lemongrass, cantaloupe and mushroom with forest floor. The palate has bright acidity with flavors of Meyer lemon, cantaloupe, lemon lime flavors and incredible balance. Finish lingers. Drink 2015-2025. -95 $45.00

3)     2012 Woodward Canyon ‘Artists Series’ Cabernet- This is a wine that has 76% cabernet sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Peitit Verdot and 4% Syrah. It is sourced from the Woodward Canyon Estate, Champoux, Spring Creek, Mirage, Discovery, Sagemoor, Andrews, Summit View and Les Collines vineyards. There is a wonderful rich nose with graphite and cassis aromas. Dense wine with creme de cassis, blackberry and mocha. Incredible depth. Best 2015-2030. -95 $50.00

4)     2012 Horsepower Vineyards ‘Sur Echelas Vineyard’ Grenache- The 2012 is the second release of this wine from the esteemed Sur Echalas Vineyard, which has the highest density planting in the Walla Walla Valley. As this begins to unwind it releases incredibly rich aromas of smoke, wet stone, tarragon, lavender and bing cherry which are simply intoxicating. On the palate this leads to lush flavors of raspberry, cherry cola, essence of lavender, Mandarin orange rind and a wonderful effervescence. This continues to impress as the fruit just glides effortlessly onto the finish where it lingers on. This is a completely compelling and very memorable wine from Christophe Baron who is on top of his A game, as this represents the best of its kind that I have tried this year. Drink 2015-2030- 97 $90.00

5)     2014 Long Shadows Julia’s Dazzle- This is a Pinot Grigio rose with a splash of Sangiovese in there. Nose has strawberry, guava and white peach. Palate has vibrant minerality with flavors of strawberry, guava, pear and a long finish. Up there with the best rose in the state. Drink 2015-2018. -93 $15.00

6)     2012 Darioush Merlot- This wine combines 5% Cabernet and 5% Cabernet Franc for the blend. It is a monster of a Merlot, having aromas of cherry tomato, dill, and red cherry. There is a wonderful rich and smooth mouthfeel with flavors of black cherry, anise, and blackberry jam alongside moderate tannins. This is an opulent wine that will drink well for many decades to come. Drink 2015-2030. -95 $50.00

7)     2013 Chateau St. Michelle 'Cold Creek' Riesling- This aromatic wine begins with aromas of orange blossom, jasmine and pear in this perfumed nose. The palate has great minerality with flavors reminiscent of pear, starfruit and red delicious apple. Tasty wine that is an astonishing value. Drink 2015-2018.-92 $12.00

8)     2014 Long Shadows Poets Leap Riesling- Made famous by German winemaker Armin Diel. The wine opens with aromas of pear and red delicious apple followed by gravel on the aromatic nose. Delicious and lovely mineralogy through the mid-palate. Flavors of green apple, cantaloupe and green papaya. Lithe and expressive, one of the best made Washington Rieslings out there. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $20.00

9)     2012 Reynvaan ‘In The Hills’ Syrah- The 2012 'In the Hills' is a striking effort, made from 90% Syrah and 10% Viognier, a blend which is typical of the winemaking style in Côte-Rôtie. This incredible wine opens with rich and complex aromas of provencale herbs, gravel, green bell pepper, tar and blackberry which all take shape in the glass. It possesses wonderful minerality and elegance to the mouthfeel, combining fruit and citrus flavors, having cassis, blackberry, anise, raspberry alongside orange rind. This is a stunning wine that is one of the best from this stellar vintage. Best 2015-2025.- 96 $70.00

10) 2012 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ Cabernet- Another stellar showing from Quilceda Creek in 2012 is the Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the gravel soils and one of the hottest micro-climates in Red Mountain. As this opens in the glass it releases beautifully perfumed aromas and flavors of dark cherries, cassis, raspberry compote along with mocha, graphite, anise and pretty floral accents of rose petals. The viscous mouthfeel is rich and concentrated, backed by moderate tannins, ending with a long, mouth coating finish. This is an absolutely incredible Cabernet that is already absolutely delicious and also shows wonderful aging potential. This is the best Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet that I have tried since they first offered this bottling many years back. Drink 2017-2030. -98 $125.00

11) 2013 Leonetti Cellar Merlot- This wine comes from Loess vineyard, Mill Creek vineyard, Upland vineyard as well as Leonetti Old Block. This is a blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, with a higher percentage of Cab Franc than I have ever seen being used for this blend, as Cab Franc was most recently used in this blend from 2001-2003 and then in 2009. The wine saw 15 months in new and once filled French oak. The nose begins with aromas of black cherry, prune, cassis, and dill with lightly herbaceous aromatics. The palate has silky texture and wonderful weight. There are flavors of blackberry, red cherry, dill and black plum in this tremendous effort. Chris Figgins has created some serious juice is hard to resist now. Drink 2015-2030- 95 $80.00

12) 2013 Dunham Cellars ‘Shirley Mays’ Chardonnay- This excellent bottling is made from Lewis Vineyard fruit. The wine begins with aromas reminiscent of pear and honeysuckle on the nose. There is pear, golden delicious and oak with nice richness on the palate. This has a silky texture and is their best one yet. This impresses at this price point. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $25.00

13) 2012 Col Solare- The 2012 is a monster of a wine that will take some time to develop in the bottle. Composed of 85% Cabernet, 7% Cab Franc, 4% Merlot and 4% Syrah, this wine has rich aromas of cassis, anise and some oak. It possesses a velvety mouthfeel with flavors of mocha, creme de cassis and black cherry. Persistent, savory and rich wine that's drinking beautifully now but will also age gracefully. One of the best Bordeaux style wines from a great vintage. (Best 2016-2030)- 94 $75.00

14) 2012 Rasa ‘Creative Impulse’- This outstanding Bordeaux style red is a heavyhitter. Unlike the 2011 which was slightly Merlot dominant, this one is comprised of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot. The wine opens with a complex nose with red bell pepper, cherry pie and dill with sagebrush in this herbaceous and terroir driven nose. There are flavors of red cherry, cherry tomato, raspberry, blackberry and anise. This is a rockstar wine that is balanced, rich and has an incredible mouthfeel. This long ager has 152 cases made so grab some before it sells out. Drink 2015-2035-96 $95.00

15) 2014 L'Ecole No. 41 Chenin Blanc- This represents a tremendous value in Washington wine. The wine begins with pear, baked apple and cinnamon on the nose. Palate has red delicious, starfruit, pear and vibrant acidity. Delicious, as one of the best Washington value whites out there. Drink 2015-2019. -90 $15.00

16) 2012 Kosta Browne 'Keefer Ranch' Pinot Noir- The Keefer Ranch Vineyard spans 50 acres and was planted in 1988 by Marcy Keefer and her husband Robert. There are some Chardonnay plantings but the vineyard is mostly devoted to Pinot Noir. The vineyard is particularly known for early morning fog and Goldridge soils. Kosta Browne has absolutely nailed this wine from Keefer. The Pinot begins with dill, red cherry and red currant. This leads to rich flavors of cherry pie, raspberry and cranberry. There is lovely weight to the mouthfeel and the right amount of acid backbone. This strikes an absolutely delicious balance and is extremely hard to resist right now. Drink 2015-2030.- 94 $100.00

17) 2012 Novelty Hill ‘Stillwater Creek Vineyard’ Syrah – This lovely wine opens with aromas of black cherry, blackberry and blueberry. The palate has flavors of black olive, blackberry, black cherry and is open and delicious. This represents a wonderful value that combines fruit and terroir. Drink 2015-2022. -92 $28.00

18) 2013 Delmas Syrah- The wine is a blend of 91.9% Syrah and 8.1% Viognier from SJR Vineyard in the rocks region of Walla Walla. This was aged 14 months in French oak (65% new), prior to bottling. This compelling wine opens with aromas of wet stone, smoked meats, creosote and oak. There are rich flavors of milk chocolate, blackberry, cedar and smoked pork shoulder. This is mineral driven and is special wine made in this hot vintage. Aerate this for an hour before enjoying. Drink 2015-2025- 95 $70.00

19) 2012 White Rose ‘Winemakers Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- This Pinot comes from 5 vineyards and the winemaker thinks this is the best of the vineyards. Rich nose with pomegranate, red cherry, strawberry and mushroom. Palate has red cherry, pomegranate, mushroom, forest floor and raspberry. Delicious and layered wine that represents the best of the great vintage. Drink 2015-2030. -95 $100.00

20) 2012 Paul Hobbs ‘Nathan Coombs Estate’ Cabernet- This rich colored wine has wonderful aromatics on the nose, including anise and blackberry. The richness obtained is profound. There are flavors of milk chocolate, anise and blackberry with moderate tannins. Very serious. Drink 2018-2035. -95$250.00

21) 2012 Foxen Winery ‘Melville Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This wine begins with aromatics of mushroom, black cherry and black tea. This leads to flavors of black cherry, cola, raspberry, and vanilla. Nice weight and viscosity with the lingering finish. 125 cases made of this exceptional Pinot. Best 2015-2025. -94 $64.00

22) 2012 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet- This is an intense blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot comes from the Seven Hills vineyard, the Loess vineyard, Mill Creek vineyard, Upland vineyard and Leonetti Old Block. It saw 22 months in new and once used French oak barrels. The winemaker says this wine reminds him of the 2008 Cabernet. In the glass the wine explodes with ripe flavors of Turkish coffee, cassis, black olive and black cherry. There are flavors of anise, crème de cassis, blackberry and moderate tannin structure. The richness and mouthfeel is there. This seamless wine glides on with a long finish. This is a memorable wine. Drink 2015-2035-95 $100.00

23) 2012 Sixto ‘Rosa Hills’ Chardonnay- The Rosa Hills vineyard stands at 1350 feet and is a southern sloping bowl that sits on the southern slope of Rattlesnake Hills. There are aromas of brioche, lemon zest and pear. The wine has nice richness on the mouthfeel with flavors of creme brûlée, pear, golden delicious and a long, lingering finish that lasts for half a minute. This is an impressive bottling. Drink 2015-2025. -94 $45.00

24) 2012 Chalk Hill ‘William P. Foley’ Cabernet- This is Chalk Hill's most esteemed Cabernet wine. This is a dense Cabernet that will need a ton of time to fully come together. There are wonderful aromas of graphite and blackberry with creme de cassis. The depth and richness is there. Flavors reminscent of blackberry, graphite and creme de cassis persist. A sleeping giant. Drink 2019-2030 -95 $160.00

25) 2013 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay- This pale yellow colored wine has a bright and effusive nose. This spent 14 months in French oak (20% new). There are lovely aromas of tangerine, grapefruit and honeydew melon with a slight cut grass element. The palate is lithe and mineral driven. There are bright flavors of pear, white peach, pink grapefruit and Granny Smith apple. The finish is long and lingering. Serene is on top of their game with their last few years of Chard releases. Best 2015-2024- 94 $55.00

26) 2013 K Vintners ‘The Boy’ Grenache- This wine was sourced from Walla Walla Valley fruit (Northridge and River Rock vineyards) and they utilized 12% Syrah into the blend. This warm vintage wine stands in at 14.5% alcohol, as this wine was Charles Smith’s first non-Syrah wine that he made. Lovely aromatics with aromas of dill, gravel, orange peel, raspberry and red cherry. The mouthfeel is smooth as this seamlessly glides along. There are flavors of red cherry, Mandarin orange, gravel and raspberry. This is novel, terroir driven and simply delicious. Drink 2015-2028. -94 $50.00

27) 2012 La Jota ‘Howell Mountain’ Cabernet Franc- This wine comes from a very small vineyard, the Winery Block Vineyard, planted next to the winery on Howell Mountain. It spent 20 months in French Oak (81% new) prior to bottling. The wine has intense aromas of red bell pepper, dill, red cherry and raspberry. There are flavors of red bell pepper, anise, red cherry and black olive. The minerality and acid scripture is impressive. This is very hard to resist right now but try to cellar this one for another year. Drink 2016-2030 -94 $80.00

28) 2014 Dunham Cellars Late Harvest Lewis Vineyard Riesling-Aged in stainless steel, the wine was released in May 2015 and weighs in at only 7% alcohol. This has lovely aromas of orange marmalade, Lemoncello, and jasmine in this compelling nose. This wine has 30% residual sugar and there is wonderful richness and balance. There are ripe aromas of pineapple, golden delicious apple, white raisin and creme brûlée. This is ripe, concentrated and delicious. Drink 2015-2030- 95 $25.00 (.187L)

29) 2012 Rasa Vox Populi ‘Monette’s Vineyard’ Mouvedre- This 100% Mouvedere wine opens with ripe fruit nose with blackberry, cassis and black olive alongside smoked meats. This is a rich and viscous palate, reminiscent of a great vintage. Wonderful depth with flavors of blackberry pie, creme de cassis, anise, cherry cola and red currant with a long, 20 plus second finish. This is the best WA Mouvedre I've had. Drink 2015-2030. -95 $55.00

30) 2012 Chalk Hill ‘Clone 17’ Chardonnay-This one is a winery only bottling that has a different, more earthy, nose than the Estate bottling. The aromas are reminiscent of has mushroom, and forest floor, alongside golden delicious and pear. Exceptional brightness in this mineral driven effort. Nice richness on the mouthfeel, leading to flavors of golden delicious, pear and a long cream finish. This is one of the best Sonoma Chardonnay bottlings I’ve sampled this year. Drink 2015-2022. -94 $75.00

31) 2013 Avennia ‘Arnaut’ Syrah- This is a Bouchey Vineyard Syrah with no blending involved, sourced from old blocks of the vineyard. 15% whole cluster fermentation which adds to the complexity of the wine. Perfumed nose of rose petals, bacon fat and smoked pork shoulder. Incredible mouthfeel, smooth and silky texture that glides into flavors of black cherry, black olive, raspberry and smoke. You can tell this comes from a very warm vintage. This has a long finish that lingers, as this is one of the best 2013 Washington Syrah's I've sampled this year. Hard to resist now but could improve with another year in the bottle. Drink 2015-2025. -95 $50.00

32) 2012 Ridge ‘Home Ranch’ Cabernet- Ridge is known for beautifully balanced wines, and year after year the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is an overachiever. There is certainly no exception in 2012. Ridge sources the 76% Cabernet Sauvignon along with 24% Merlot from the esteemed Monte Bello vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wine itself offers gorgeous perfumed aromas of freshly crushed blackberry and raspberry woven together with graphite and anise. On the palate this is well balanced with wonderful polish and acidity which lead to the flat-out delicious finish. Overall this is a sensational effort from legendary winemaker Paul Draper along with Eric Baugher and the winemaking team at Ridge Vineyards. Drink 2015-2030 – 93 $50.00

33) 2012 Gramercy Cellars ‘The Deuce’ Syrah- This Syrah wine is blended from two sources in the Walla Walla Valley and sees 100% French oak with only 14% new. Deep, glass staining purple color. The wine opens up with aromas of smoked meats, bacon fat and black plum with black tea. Delicious and lithe on the mouth, with rich viscosity. There are flavors of crème de cassis, blackberry, anise, black cherry and nice minerality. This has an intriguing combination of being a rich and mineral driven wine. An excellent effort, one of the best of its kinds and this thing begs for a slow roasted shortrib. Drink 2015-2025. -94 $66.00

34) 2012 Long Shadows Pedestal-Famed wine consultant Michel Rolland makes one of the best Washington Merlots in the country. Made of 81% Merlot with the rest Cab, Cab Franc and Petite Verdot. Nose has black cherry, dill and black olive. Rich and viscous wine with flavors of mocha, black cherry, black olive and wonderful mouthfeel throughout. This is delicious wine for a special occasion. Drinking incredibly now but will have a long life. Drink 2015-2030 -94 $75.00

35) 2012 B. Leighton Syrah- This has a dark and inky color. The wine begins with  impressive aromas of smoked meats, white pepper and blackberry. There is a rich mouthfeel with flavors of blackberry, black cherry, mint, black olive and vibrant minerality. This generous wine is simply delicious. Drink 2015-2030. -95 $45.00

36) 2013 Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay- This value white wine begins with aromas of butter with mushroom and cut grass. Light and lithe palate with green apple, pear, minerals and limited oak flavors. The new Washington style Chard. One of the best value whites from WA out there. Drink 2015-2020. -90 $12.00

37) 2013 Abeja Chardonnay- This wine impresses each year. The Chard opens in the glass with aromas reminiscent of mushroom golden delicious and pear. There are flavors persistent of butter, pear, red delicious and star fruit. The mouthfeel is full and fat. The winemaker talks about the attention to detail with the pressing of this wine. You can really taste the richness and choicest fruit selected into this wine. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $40.00

38) 2013 Woodward Canyon ‘Washington State’ Chardonnay- Woodward Canyon has crafted another wonderful and dense Chard, following up their excellent 2012 effort. The Washington State bottling has has bright and rich aromas of banana and oak, followed by flavors of vanilla, red delicious and starfruit. There is a long finish that lingers. One of the best Chards in the state. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $40.00

39) 2013 Fidelitas 'Klipsun Vineyard Optu White'- This wine was made from Klipsun Vineyard fruit. It opens in the glass with aromas of butter, pear, honeysuckle, and cantaloupe. Lovely fruit and structure. Palate has white peach, pear, red delicious, butter, and vanilla. The finish lingers. This is up there with the best Optu Blanc that Fidelitas has made in the past 10 years. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $32.00

40) 2013 Airfield Estates Late Harvest Riesling- This impressive bottling is made from frozen grapes and has 20% Residual sugar and only 9.6% alcohol. This wine required twice the typical amount of yeast, due to the high sugar levels. There are rich aromas of pineapple, golden delicious and ripe Bartlett pear. This has a wonderful texture and richness, leading to flavors of white raisin, nectarine, golden delicious apple and honey. Viscous and mineral driven wine that's serious. I would easily pay double the price for this. Drink 2015-2025-94 $15.00 (.187L)

41) 2012 Michael David Petite Petite- This value wine is a blend of 75% Petite Sirah and 25% Petite Verdot. The wine begins with a perfumed nose of blueberry pie, nutmeg and oak. This leads to dense flavors of blueberry, coffee, blackberry and tar. The wine has nice richness and concentration, as this hedonistic wine represents a tremendous bargain in California red wine. Drink 2015-2020. -91 $15.00

42) 2013 Dutton-Goldfield 'Dutton Ranch' Chardonnay- Dutton Ranch farms over 80 vineyards in Sonoma. The vineyards selected for this wine include 75% of old vine Chardonnay, over 30 years of age and includes the Mill Station, Walker Hill and Rued vineyards. The wine opens with aromas of buttered popcorn and mango with pear on the nose. Palate has mushroom, pear, golden delicious and vibrant minerality. This is classic Dutton Ranch in the hedonistic style. Drink 2015-2022. -92 $40.00

43) 2012 Amavi Syrah- This is the follow up to the impressive 2011 bottling. There is a rich nose with mocha, blackberry, and cigar box. Lovely mouthfeel with flavors of boysenberry, smoked meats, black cherry and black olive. Rich and layered, as this wine represents a wonderful value in Washington Syrah. Drink 2015-2022- 92 $25.00

44) 2009 Cote Bonneville ‘Carriage House’- One of my perennial favorite red blends, this year follows up the excellent 2008 bottling. This wine has rich aromas of boysenberry preserves, strawberry and red cherry.  This leads to dense flavors of red cherry, blackberry, anise, Christmas spice and is open and polished. Nice weight and balance to this elegant and rich wine. Drink 2015-2025. -93 $50.00

45) 2012 Januik Reserve Red Blend- This wine has a rich mouthfeel and has dense aromas of blackberry, anise and black cherry. Palate has nice richness with blackberry, anise, black olive and tar. Mike Januik has been hitting his stride. Drink 2015-2030. -94 $80.00

46) 2012 Stags' Leap Petite Sirah-This is a unique blend of 75% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah, 8% Grenache, 2% both Carignane and Mouvedre with a splash of Viognier. This spent 12 months in American oak (25% new) prior to bottling. This opens with aromas of milk chocolate, roasted figs, and black pepper with coffee grounds. Leading to flavors of blueberry, anise, cassis, in this mineral driven effort. Not for the weary. Drink 2015-2025- 92 $42.00

47) 2012 Rasa ‘Principia’ Reserve Syrah- This beautiful Syrah was sourced from the Les Collines, and Seven Hills vineyards, weighing in at 15.1% alcohol – but you wouldn’t know it from the mid-palate. It opens with a smoky nose with smoked meats, bacon fat, blackberry, in this expressively aromatic wine. This is amazing acid structure and has flavors of black olive, blackberry, black cherry and anise. Wonderful terroir and balance. Drink 2015-2025-95 $75.00

48) 2012 Evening Land ‘Sonoma Coast’ Pinot Noir- This is fruit taken from the esteemed Gap’s Crown vineyard. The wine opens with a perfumed nose of raspberry, red cherry, and strawberry. The palate has great acid structure, leading to flavors of cherry cola, raspberry, and guava. The finish keeps going. The wine really needs two plus years for fruit to integrate. Drink 2017-2025.-93 $45.00

49) 2012 Baer Star- This wine saw 22 months in French oak and is a blend of 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc. A softer style of wine with a plush mouthfeel. Flavors of black cherry, black tea and black olive. Deep and rich with a long life ahead of it. Drinking nicely now but can improve. Drink 2017-2028. -93$30.00

50) 2012 Foley-Johnson ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet- This Cabernet wine is sourced from two Rutherford vineyards, the the Peral Vineyard, having heavier soils and gravel and the Main Vineyard which is more loamy soil of gravel, clay and sand. It weighs in at 14.6% alcohol and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. After 19 months of aging in French Oak barrels (35% new) the wine was bottled July 2014. This wine opens with aromas of anise, black plums, red bell pepper and cassis. There are flavors of creme de cassis, anise, black cherry, mocha and graphite. Lovely weight on the mouthfeel, this dense and delicious Cabernet that improves with an hour of aeration. Hard to resist now but this beauty for two more years. Drink 2017-2035.- 93 $75.00

51) 2013 Tenet ‘The Pundit’-The wine is made from 94% Syrah, 3% Grenache, 2% Mourvèdre, 1% Viognier that’s cofermented with Viognier. The wine was aged 12 months in 61% neutral oak with 23% new French oak and 16% new American oak. The resultant Columbia Valley Syrah has an super dark color. There are lovely aromatics of smoked meats, tar, black olive and black cherry. Flavors of blackberry, cloves, black olive and smoked meats. Lovely smooth finish as this one glides. This open and polished dense wine is one to pair with a juicy ribeye and is strikingly familiar to the Ethos style of Syrah. Drink 2015-2022. -92 $20.00

52) 2012 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Rouge- The wine opens with a lovely bouquet of red cherry and red currant with oak in the nose. Palate has ripe layers of red cherry, cherry tomato, blackberry and anise. This is incredible juice now and can benefit from 2-5 years of cellaring. This special occasion wine is one of the best DeLille red wines, if not the best that I’ve had in 10 years. Drink 2017-2040. -95 $80.00

53) 2012 Spring Valley ‘Fredrich’- This wine is a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot. The wine opens with an herbaceous nose with blackberry, anise and oak. The palate brings flavors of blackberry, anise, oak and mocha flavors. This is serious and masculine, yet balanced. Drink 2015-2028. -93 $45.00

54) 2012 Chimney Rock Elevage Blanc- Weighing in at 14.2% alcohol, the grapes saw 6 months in French oak (33% new, 33% used) and stainless (33%).  This wine has been bottled for more than two years and it is showing beautifully. This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (57%) and Sauvignon Gris (43%). There are aromas of pear and cut grass, as well as red delicious apple. The palate is smooth and viscous, as the wine offers a silky mouthfeel. There are flavors of ripe pear, star fruit and red delicious with vibrant minerality. This is a very serious Bordeaux style white wine. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $45.00

55) 2012 Chateau St Michelle 'Indian Wells' Cabernet- This value wine impresses for the price. The nose begins with anise, smoke and oak. The palate is viscous with flavors of anise, blackberry liqueur, black cherry and a long finish. This is the rockstar out of the 15 and under Cabernet category. Run to the store and grab a case of this juice. Drink 2015-2022. -92

56) 2012 Stolpman Vineyards ‘Orignals’ Syrah- This wine has a rich and smoky nose. There is bacon fat, Provencale herbs, and lavender aromatics. The palate has incredible depth, richness and terroir with flavors of smoked meats, minerals, blackberry, anise and black cherry and black olive. This wine is delicious now but will also have a long life in the cellar. Drink 2015-2030.-94 $40.00

57) 2013 Gard ‘Freyja’- Made from 81% Viognier and 19% Rousanne. The nose opens with aromas reminiscent of lychee and jasmine. This leads to flavors of pear, red delicious and starfruit. The wine represents incredible complexity for the price. Drink 2015-2018. -90 $12.00

58) 2013 Chateau St. Michelle Gewürztraminer- This is one of the best value white wines out there. The wine opens with aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom on the nose. The palate has ginger, lemon zest and starfruit flavors. Excellent wine for an incredible price, hats off to Bob Bertheau and the St. Michelle winemaking team on this one. Drink 2015-2017. -89 $8.00

59) 2012 Caymus Cabernet- Iconic wine and iconic vintage that delivers. This dense wine has aromas of blackberry jam, cassis and violets, followed by flavors of creme de cassis , blackberry and mocha. Dense and round, this thing is ready to drink and expresses the best of this wonderful vintage. Drink 2015-2030. -94 $60.00

60) 2012 Colene Clemens 'Margo' Pinot Noir- This wine opens with lovely rich aromas of strawberry and raspberry. Cherry pie, raspberry and cola on the palate. This wine is drinking somewhat more Cali than Willamette in terms of fruit flavor profiles. Delicious juice that is meant for enjoyment now. Drink 2015-2025. -93 $35.00

61) 2012 Tranche Slice of Pape Blanc- This effort follows up the highly impressive 2011 bottling. Nose has honeydew, pear and red delicious. Palate has pear, red delicious and star fruit. Nice richness and density. One of the best new world Rhone style whites out there. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $35.00

62) 2013 Melville Pinot Noir ‘Block M’- Classic nose that is more on the earthy side with cranberry, mushroom, and red cherry. This yields flavors of raspberry, cherry cola and minerals with mushroom. The Pint is a rich and layered wine that will have a long life but is hard not to drink now. Drink 2015-2025- 93 $60.00

63) 2012 Doubleback Cabernet- This wine is made by Chris Figgins and follows up the impressive 2011 bottling. The wine opens with an herbaceous nose with red bell pepper and anise. The palate has nice density with mocha, blackberry flavors, alongside heavy tannins. This will need a few years for the fruit to fully integrate. Drink 2017- 2030. -94 $100.00

64) 2012 La Rata- Elizabeth Bourcier, Cayuse’s assistant vigneronne, was inspired by Clos Erasmus wines and crafted this blend. She chose to use Grenache from Armada Vineyard and Cabernet from En Cerise Vineyard. The wine was named “The Rat.” And then Spanglish-cized:  La Rata. The name connects with Elizabeth, as her zodiac sign is the rat and despite being assistant winemaker at Cayuse, she still considers herself a cellar rat. The wine opens with prototypical Walla Walla rocks aromas of wet stone, smoke, provencale herbs, red currant, dill and blackberry. There is wonderful balance and texture to this wine. The blend has flavors of blackberry, anise, blueberry, red currant and prune. This is just a delicious and vibrant wine with a strong minerality. Kudos to Bourcier. Drink 2015-2025- 94 $75.00

65) 2012 Figgins Estate Red- This wine is sourced from the Figgins Estate vineyard and is a mystery blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. 70% was aged in few French oak (22 months), while 30% was aged in second fill French oak (also for 22 Months) prior to bottling. This wine was released in September 2015 and is showing beautifully right now. Speaking to winemaker, Chris Figgins, at the release, he mentions the purity of fruit from this fantastic vintage. This wine is considerably more open than the '11 Figgins Red upon release. The wine begins with aromas of blackberry, mocha, roasted figs and cassis. There are flavors reminiscent of blackberry, mocha, smoked meats, black olive and black plum. This is a rich and open wine with a lively mouthfeel. This wine gets better and better with every sip. A tremendous effort from a great vintage.- 94 $85.00

66) 2009 Boudeaux Cellars Merlot- This ripe wine opens with aromas reminiscent of rose petals, black cherry, anise and raspberry preserves. This is a rich and full bodied wine with flavors of black cherry, boysenberry and mocha. Delicious, seductive and impressive rendition of Merlot. Drink 2015-2025- 92 $50.00

67) 2014 Liquid Farm 'Bien Bien' Chardonnay- This is a blend of Bien Naciedo and Soloman Hills Chardonnay. This has aromas of lemon meringue, banana and golden delicious apple. There are flavors of red delicious apple, nutmeg with a long finish. There is nice weight and richness to this wine. This is very terroir driven and Burgundian. Drink 2015-2025- 93 $65.00

68) 2013 Acacia Pinot Noir- Made from Carneros fruit. Strawberry and rapsberry on the palate with dried herbs. Palate has cherry pie, raspberry, strawberry and guava flavors. Balanced, with nice minerality. This is an impressive value for the price. Drink 2015-2020. -91 $20.00

69) 2012 Lauren Ashton Rousanne- This wine impresses for the price. The wine begins with aromas of honeydew melon and pear on the nose. This leads to flavors of cut grass, stardust and pear. Viscous and tasty wine that has a wonderful mineral streak. -92 $25.00

70) 2012 Seven Hills ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet- This is a wine that has been impressing for the price. This 2012 version picks up where it left off with the fantastic ’11 release. The nose has aromas of cherry cough syrup, anise and blackberry. The palate has blackberry, black cherry and anise with mocha. Delicious and rich wine that needs a bit more time to develop in the bottle. Drink 2016-2025. -92 $21.00

71) 2013 DeLille Cellars Rousanne- The wine has aromas of cantaloupe and pear with light spice on the nose. The palate has flavors of pear, starfruit, honeydew and vanilla. Nice balance of flavors and structure here. This is up there with the best Washington Rousanne I’ve tried this year. Drink 2015-2019. -93 $35.00

72) 2013 Alexandria Nicole ‘Crawford Vineyard’ Viognier- The wine opens with a perfumed nose of orange blossoms, white peach, and honeysuckle. Almost like enjoying the aromatics of a gardenia on the nose. The palate has good structure and light saccharin flavors with ripe pear and red delicious apple. Drink 2015-2019. -90 $20.00

73) 2012 Belle Pente ‘Belle Pente Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This wine comes from the east side of the estate. There are ripe aromas reminiscent of red cherry, raspberry and cinnamon. The palate is ripe with flavors of red cherry, raspberry, guava and a long finish. This will drink better in a few years. Drink 2017-2025. -92 $44.00

74) 2011 Zaca Mesa ‘Mesa Reserve’ Syrah- This rich wine has a smoky nose with red currant, black olive, blackberry and black cherry. This leads to flavors reminiscent of blueberry, blackberry, and dried herbs. Nice minerality. This is a solid and sturdy effort that is meant for short term consumption. Drink 2015-2020. -92 $50.00

75) 2012 HALL ‘Jack’s Masterpiece’ Cabernet- This wine has a somewhat subdued nose of blackberry and black olive. There is nice viscosity and richness, indicative of the fantastic vintage. The palate has rich flavors of black olive, blackberry and coffee. This is one for the cellar and the patient wine drinker. Drink 2018-2040- 94 $100.00

76) 2012 Merry Edwards ‘Sonoma Coast’ Pinot Noir- Merry has taken this Pinot from the coolest vineyards she sources from. Powerful nose with red cherry and cranberry with cinnamon. Palate has ripe cherry, cranberry, raspberry and black tea. Very impressive from this wonderful vintage. Drink 2015-2028. -93 $42.00

77) 2013 Tensley Syrah- This Syrah is made from a blend of 5 vineyards. There is a rich, smoky nose with smoked meats, blackberry, anise and oak. Palate has blackberry, cran-cherry, coffee and blueberry. This is a balanced Syrah that will drink nicely for many years. Drink 2015-2025. -93 $30.00

78) 2011 Northstar 'Premier' Columbia Valley Merlot- This colder vintage Merlot needs a one hour decant to open up. In the glass there are aromas of milk chocolate, roasted figs, stewed prune and anise. Lovely minerallity and rich mouthfeel that is very right bank Bordelaise. There are flavors of black cherry, black olive, mocha and cassis. This delicious and dense effort begs for another sip as its of the best Merlots from this vintage. Drink 2015-2028. -93 $75.00

79) 2012 Lancaster ‘Nicole's Red’- This is a special cuvee made by the winemaker. There is a herbaceous nose with dill and red bell pepper. The palate has nice richness and viscosity. Blackberry, blueberry and crème de cassis flavors, with striking minerality. Drink 2017-2030. -93 $115.00

80) 2009 Cougar Crest Anniversary Cuvée- This winery has the nice tendency to hold their wines back. This release comes from an exceptional year. The wine begins with anise, spice box and red cherry on the nose. The palate has anise, red bell pepper, red cherry and light tannins. Drink 2015-2022.-92 $25.00

81)  2012 Cristom ‘Matriarch Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- This high end bottling has a wonderful dark color which leads to flavors of clove, black cherry, raspberry and oak. There are flavors of blackberry, black cherry, raspberry and guava, with nice minerality and balance. The dark fruit profiles are novel, but this will improve with a year in the bottle. Drink 2016-2025. -94 $75.00

82) 2009 Bunnell Family Cellars ‘Alex’ Syrah- These guys have the wonderful ability to hold their wines back. This wine has a perfumed nose of blackberry, anise, black cherry and oak. There are wonderful ripe and dense fruit flavors on the palate, alongside wonderful mineral backbone. Flavors of black cherry, anise, crème de cassis and mocha persist. This wine is drinking beautifully now. Drink 2015-2022. -94 $48.00

83) 2012 JM Cellars ‘Klipsun Vineyard’ Syrah- This rich wine opens with aromas of smoked meats, black cherry and blackberry on the nose. This leads to flavors of blackberry, anise, black cherry and black olive. This is a dense and delicious wine that is hard to resist right now. Drink 2016-2025.  -93 $50.00

84) 2010 Five Star Merlot-This winery has a lovely tendency to hold back their releases. The Merlot wine is blended with 4% Malbec. This has a highly perfumed nose of red cherry and red tomato. The Merlot has dense flavors of red cherry, raspberry and blackberry. Harmonious and smooth wine that is nearly impossible to resist right now. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $25.00

85) 2012 Barnard Griffin Cabernet- This tremendous value wine opens with violets, oak and blackberry on the nose. Palate has nice minerality with blackberry, black olive, black cherry and anise. Excellent juice for the price. Drink 2015-2020. -90 $10.00

86) 2012 Chateau Montelena- The 2012 Montelena Cabernet is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine was aged 14 months in French & Eastern European Oak (16% new). It opens with aromas of red bell pepper, dill, blackberry and milk chocolate. This leads to flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black olive and cloves. Lovely mouthfeel and mineral backbone. Done in the open style, this is approachable right now and is delicious right out of the bottle. (Drink 2015-2025)- 91 $50.00

87) 2013 Stonestreet 'Estate' Chardonnay- The Chard had monthly lees stirring and was aged 10 months in 47% new French oak prior to bottling. This wine opens with aromas of brioche, pear and golden delicious apple. There are flavors of nutmeg, ripe pear, and creme brulee. Delicious and rich wine that is impossible to resist right now. Drink 2015-2022- 92 $35.00

88) 2012 Pendulum Red- This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Grenache, Petit Verdot, and Mourvedre. The wine begins with aromas of stewed strawberry and blackberry on the nose with some oak. Palate has blackberry, anise, plum and Christmas spice. Delicious now, this represents a well-balanced effort. Drink 2015-2018. -90 $10.00

89) 2013 Les Trouves Red- This is an unknown blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre that the winery leaves as a mystery to the consumer. Based on my testing, I’d speculate a higher percentage of Grenache, rather than Syrah, as this has lovely finesse and is slightly on the feminine side. Made from declassified barrels from around the state, this wine has a light red color with a brownish hue. Lovely nose with provencale herbs, anise and raspberry. The mid palate offers a polished mouthfeel that asks for another glass. The flavors of raspberry, spicecake, and vanilla cherry. The winery owner views as a crack and pour. Delicious now, drink-2015-2021- 91 $20.00

90) 2013 Archery Summit ‘Arcus Estate’ Pinot Noir- This vineyard site is 39 acres and name of this wine translates to 'bow' in Latin. There are many microclimates to this vineyard, as there's a 400 foot elevation change in the vineyard. Some of the vines predate to 1973. Aged 19 months in French oak (50% new) prior to being bottled in August 2014. This has aromas of black truffle, red raspberry and oak. There are flavors reminiscent of cran-raspberry, Tangerine rind, Bing cherry and vanilla. This has tremendous weight and texture. Drink 2017-2030- 94 $100.00

91) 2013 Etude ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- This wine is sourced from Grace Benoist Ranch fruit that saw 12 months in French oak (25% new). This wine has aromas of black cherry, pomegranate, forest floor and raspberry. This delicious and open style wine has flavors of cherry cola, mushroom, orange peel, and a long and lingering finish. This is a rock solid entry level bottling. Over 22,000 cases made. (Best 2015-2025)- 92 $40.00

92) 2012 Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay- This is a rich and layered Chard that is one of the best of its kind out there. It opens with aromas of buttered toast and creme brûlée on the nose. The palate has flavors of banana, golden delicious and butter. Delicious and complex Chard that is hard to put down now. Drink 2015-2025. -93 $40.00

93) 2012 Willakenzie Estate ‘Emery’ Pinot Noir-The Pinot Noir is named after the owner’s grandfather. This is a perennial value wine out of Oregon. There are lovely soft aromas of raspberry, nutmeg and red cherry. Palate has raspberry, red cherry, guava and vibrant minerality with a long finish. Drink 2016-2025. -92 $30.00

94) 2012 Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc- This Sav Blanc is blended with 17% Semillon. The wine begins with aromas of cut grass, lemongrass and dried herbs on the nose. Palate is bright and acidic. Gooseberry, pear, minerals, and light cream finish. The finish lingers. Drink 2015-2018 -92 $30.00

95) 2012 Maison Bleue ‘Voyageur’ Syrah- 100% Syrah wine that impresses for the price. The wine opens with aromas of smoked meats, tar and black cherry. The palate has nice depth, as well as a nice mineral streak. Black cherry, anise, smoked meats in this plush wine. Layered. Drink 2015-2022. -93 $55.00

96) 2012 Groth Reserve Cabernet- This rich wine, coming from the 28 acre Reserve Block at the Estate vineyard, was aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak, utilizing Vernou, Sylvain, Quintessence coopers. This also had over a year of bottle-aging prior to its recent release. The impressive bouquet opens with aromas of mocha, cassis and blackberry. There are boysenberry preserves, mocha, figs, graphite, and creme de cassis. Drinking beautifully now but this will be a long-ager. Try to resist popping the cork on this one for at least another year. Drink 2016-2035-94 $125.00

97) 2012 Merryvale Malbec- This impressive wine was sourced from a high elevation vineyard on the Mayacamas Mountains. This is the first Merryvale Malbec ever made. Fruit was hand picked and double sorted before going under cold soak. The wine opens with a dense nose of dark chocolate and blackberry. Palate has nice density with blackberry, mocha and graphite. Very impressive wine and one of the best pure Napa Malbecs I’ve had this year. Drink 2015-2027 -93 $75.00

98) 2012 Le Cadeau ‘Merci’ Reserve Pinot Noir-This winery is known for earthy and terroir driven Pinots. They absolutely nailed this effort from a fantastic vintage. The wine begins with aromas reminiscent of mushroom, forest floor, wild blackberry and raspberry. There are flavors of cherry pie, raspberry and sage. Layered and rich effort with a striking mineral edge. The mouthfeel is silky throughout, leading to a long and lingering finish. Drink 2015-2023- 93 $80.00

99) 2012 Buty ‘Redviva of the Stones’- This fascinating blend is comprised of 79% Syrah, 13% Cabernet and the rest Mouvedre. The wine has aroms of green olive, black pepper, smoked meats and blackberry. This leads to delicious flavors of wet stone, anise, blueberry and blackberry. There is a silky mouthfeel and a long finish. What a wonderful bottling. Drink 2015-2025- 94 $50.00

100) 2013 Argyle 'Nuthouse' Pinot Noir- Southeast facing, at 250-400 ft. elevation, the Lone Star vineyard is known for producing some of the best Pinot in the valley. On September 18th, the crew at Argyle picked the best blocks of Lone Star Pinot Noir fruit prior to the torrential rains, which was hugely important in capturing the rich fruit flavors of this wine. This impressive Pinot begins with aromas of black truffle, black cherry and raspberry. Flavors of cran-cherry, pomegranate, crimini mushroom and blackberry combine for this silky textured treat. This is absolutely beautiful Burgundian style Pinot. Drink 2015-2025- 93 $50.00

 

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Wine Pairings For Persian Cuisine

I recently had the great opportunity to indulge in a fantastic dinner, hosted by friends. The Persian couple created a potluck in which individuals brought their own Persian dishes to share. Little has been written on wine pairings for Persian food. However, eminent Persian chef, Najmieh Batmanglij , has written four Persian cookbooks and also wrote a book discussing the history of winemaking in Persia (http://www.najmieh.com/cookbooks/book-reviews/from-persia-to-napa-wine-at-the-persian-table/) and modern wine pairings for classic Persian dishes. With our Persian Potluck I wanted to find great wine pairings for famous Persian dishes.

Now for a brief history lesson -- drinking wine is currently illegal in Iran, despite Iran being one of the birthplaces of wine. The city of Shiraz in Iran once was one of the world centers for wine but now sadly is filled with many unattended grape vines. Shiraz is known as the city of poets, wine, literature, and flowers. The city was perfectly primed for growing grapes, being at a high elevation, more than 1500 meters, which led to some excellent growing conditions. The Shirazi wine produced was white, available in both dry and sweet varieties.

Shirazi wine has nothing to do with the Shiraz grape. Unlike the white Shirazi wine, the Shiraz, or Syrah grape makes some of the darkest wine around. The Shiraz grape has French – not Persian – ancestry. Shirazi wine had such a strong reputation that it even received a British seal of approval in the 9th century. While the post-Iranian revolution rules disallows any wine consumption, Shirazi grapes can still be consumed both fresh and as raisins. So while we did not have any Shirazi grapes at our gathering, there were many dishes that seemed to pair well with the aromatic whites that were once grown in Shiraz. For instance, a number of dishes need a higher acidity aromatic white to cut through the food. For instance, the dish Khoresh Karafs, a celery stew, paired beautifully with the 2014 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc (WWB, 90). This combined the citrus and grassy components of the wine and dishes. Another nice pairing was the Olovieh Salad, a chicken and potato salad with a rich mayonnaise type sauce. The wine pairing was the 2013 Etude Chardonnay (WWB, 92), a wine that had nice richness and butter components to connect with the dense sauce of the dish but didn’t overpower the dish, as the wine has strong mineral streak. Finally, probably the most difficult challenge of all was the Fesenjoon, a pomegranate stew made with chicken. This was a rich and thick sauce that needed something to compliment the flavors. I considered many options but ended up pairing the 2013 Stoller Estate Pinot Noir (WWB, 90), a wine that has tremendous balance but also has nice earthy characteristics with some pomegranate and red cherry flavors that matched the flavor profiles of the Fesenjoon. That one turned out to be hugely challenging but worked better than anticipated. Look for these wines at wine shops such as Total Wines or BevMo.

Here are my wine pairings for these tricky dishes. Be sure to try them out during this busy holiday season. Be sure to let me know what you think about the pairings!

Shirazi Salad:

2014 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 91)

Alternate pairing: 2014 Poet’s Leap Riesling (WWB, 93)

The 2014 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc is a rich and intense white with a strong mineral structure. Due to the high acidity of the Shirazi salad, you want a wine that also matches the high acidity. New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs fit the bill here. A second choice would be the 2014 Poet’s Leap Riesling by Longshadows, one of the premier producers of Washington wine. The 2014 Poet’s Leap also has a wonderful acid structure and is only slightly sweet. That touch of sweetness will not detract from this astringent dish, but adds to it, with flavors of pear and red delicious apple that work well with the salad. The structure and minerality of these wine selections are outstanding and compliment this refreshing salad well.

Ghormeh Sabzi:

2012 E’ Guigal Cotes du Rhone (WWB, 90) or 2012 Delas Cotes du Rhone (WWB, 89)

The idea behind this wine is I wanted to utilize some better, more fruit driven vintages in the Cotes du Rhone, which would still also provide earthy and mineral characteristics of the wine, as the dish itself has earthy and spice components. While 2013 was not the best vintage in this area, 2012 was a richer vintage and is recommended. The Cotes du Rhone region is known for its Provençale herb profile, which I thought would pair nicely to this herbaceous dish. These recommended producers will give you a lot of bang for the buck. I have had more than 5 previous vintages of E Guigal Cotes du Rhone in the past and they have all impressed for the price.

Kotlet:

2012 Januik Cabernet (WWB, 91) or 2012 Novelty Hill Cabernet (WWB, 91)

Mike Januik crafts both of these Cabernets and was former winemaker at Chateau St. Michelle before starting his own winery. He is a superstar winemaker that makes wines of tremendous value. The reasoning behind this pairing is the Cabernet is a great pairing for a fatty style meat. These particular Washington Cabernets have a wonderful acid structure that will cut nicely through the fat of the Cotlet. There is also earthy and herbaceous tones to these wines are they have nice fruit but are far from purely fruit driven Cabernets. There is a nice spice and herb component to the Cotlet with the Tumeric and Advieh spices, so this balanced Cabernet will connect with that nicely.

Tahcheen:

2013 Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay (WWB, 90)

Alternate pairing, 2013 Darioush Chardonnay (WWB, 92)

The 2013 Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay is one of the world’s best value white wines. It easily could be price twice what it retails for. The wine has a wonderful creamy texture and minerality that makes it balance the Tahcheen nicely. The idea is you don’t want something that will overpower the saffron and yoghurt components of this dish. The creamy connection between food and wine and the classic pairing of Chardonnay and chicken seems to work nicely. Some Chardonnays can be heavy and too extracted, or if their balance of oak is too much, then you will not be able to fully enjoy the saffron components of this dish. The H3 Chardonnay has nice fruit and oak, but not too much to overpower the saffron. Finally, Darioush, founded and currently owned by a Persian businessman, is known for making some of the best Chardonnay in Napa Valley. This is a style of Chard that is mineral driven, food friendly but still has richness to stand alone. The structure of this vibrant wine is superb, making it a lovely Persian compliment to the Tasheen. While the price point of the Darioush Chardonnay is considerably higher than the H3 Chardonnay, the Darioush is a perfect wine for a special occasion.

Khoresh Karafs:

2014 Chateau St. Michelle 'Horse Heaven Hills Vineyard' Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 90)

Alternate pairing: 2014 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc (WWB, 90)

Here you have the celery stew dish that makes this a perplexing pairing for most sommeliers. The earthiness of this dish necessitates a wine that has some earthy elements. The 2014 Chateau St. Michelle ‘Horse Heaven Hills Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc has a wonderful minerality and a cut grass element that combines some nice citrus elements and high acid structure and citrus components that cuts through the richness of the stew. One of the best values in white wine out there is the 2014 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc. This is a very versatile wine that has a rich tropical fruit flavor profile but also has secondary flavors of cut grass and jalapeno pepper. The structure of this wine is superb, making it a nice pairing alongside the Khoresh Karafs.

Loobia Polo:

2012 Chateau Beaucastel ‘Cadoulet du Beaucastel’ (WWB, 90)

Alternate pairing: 2012 Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone (WWB, 90)

The 2012 ‘Cadoulet du Beaucastel’ comes from one of the most famous wineries in Chateauneuf du Pape, Chateau Beaucastel. There is a lovely earthy and terroir driven side to this wine that makes it a great choice for the herbs in the dish. This wine is balanced and has excellent structure and rich fruit. The Loobia Polo has a beef component that makes it need a wine that has some stuffing but the dish is also delicate, so too much fruit and the dish will not be well-complimented. This becomes a complicated pairing because you want a wine to connect with the saffron and rice flavors, and not overpower them. The 2012 vintage in the Cotes du Rhone produced some impressive and fruit driven wines. The 2012 Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone delivers some serious fruit with a lovely acid structure that cuts through the fat of the beef. It is also a wonderful pairing and does not break the bank, weighing in at around 20 dollars.

Olovieh Salad:

2013 Etude ‘Estate’ Chardonnay (WWB, 92);

Alternate pairing: 2014 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay (WWB, 93).  

Due to the richness of this dish and the components of chicken and potato, you need a white wine that is rich. When you add the mayonnaise to the salad, this makes the dish even richer. The Etude Chardonnay is a rich and powerful wine that will connect to the richness of the salad. There are also citrus elements in the wine that complement the salad well. Finally, the structure and acidity of the wine is marvelous and will cut through the fatty mayonnaise components of the dish. The alternate pairing comes from Woodward Canyon, who has been crafting some of the best Washington Chardonnay for decades. The 2014 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay comes from a warm vintage. This wine has gobs of ripe fruit to the wine, including pear and golden delicious apple flavors, alongside buttery components. Woodward brings a wonderful minerality and structure to this wine that will compliment, rather than overpower the Olovieh salad.

Kashk Bademjoon:

2013 DeLille Cellars ‘Chaleur Estate Blanc’ (WWB, 95)

Alternate pairing: 2013 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 92); 2014 Groth Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 91).

This is absolutely one of my favorite Persian dishes and is nearly an impossible dish to pair, so I am going to go with some guesswork here. Merry Edwards is known for making some of the best Sauvignon Blanc in North America. Similarly, DeLille Cellars makes some of the best Bordeaux style white wine in the country. If you don’t want to pay their $45.00 price tags, then consider the 2014 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc ($12.00). Kashk Bademjoon is one of my favorite Persian dishes. The richness and flavors of the eggplant, combined with the Persian spice flavors are impossible to resist. The pairing with this rich dish is a wine that can cut through the acid, which is where the Sauvignon Blanc comes in. While Chardonnay could possibly work as well, Sauvignon Blanc tends to have a higher minerality. The 2013 DeLille Cellars is one of my top domestic wines for this year. The wine is an absolute stunner, made of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. It has aromas of lemongrass and cantaloupe with flavors of Meyer lemon, cantaloupe, butter lemon lime flavors and incredible balance. The smooth components of the wine as well as the buttery components really connect with the richness of the wine, while having the acid structure to stand up to the richness of the Bademjoon. Groth makes an excellent Sauvignon Blanc. I recently had the chance to review their portfolio of wines and the 2014 Groth Sauvignon Blanc is a lovely and layered blend of 91% Sav Blanc and 9% Semillon. The Semillon component of the wine give it a creamier texture and make it less sharp, so Fume Blanc works nicely with this pairing. Many of the classic pairings for Mediterranean style food that involve eggplant are higher acid wines. Sauvignon Blanc definitely fits the bill there, so try this pairing out.

Fesenjoon:

Pairing: 2013 Stoller ‘Estate’ Oregon Pinot Noir (WWB, 90)

Alternate pairing: 2013 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93).

I wanted to choose something that will connect with the pomegranate aspect of this dish. The dish is heavy and rich, so you need a higher acid wine to cut through the richness of the dish. Pinot Noir is a high acid red wine that pairs nicely with the chicken and does not overpower the dish. Oregon Pinots are known for their Burgundian or lighter, more restrained, style. They have fruit components but pair beautifully with a variety of foods due to their balance and structure. The 2013 Stoller Pinot Noir is a balanced wine that has nice fruit and mineral components. This pairing worked beautifully. The alternate pairing is the 2013 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir. While this commands a higher price point, the wine is elegant, rich and has a wonderful minerality that pairs beautifully with the Fesenjoon. This wine also has some pomegranate components in the fruit structure that will pair nicely with the Persian dish.

Quinta do Crasto

I don't have the opportunity to write about the great wines of Portugal very often, but I wanted to diversify from the United States on this one. One of the most famed properties in the Duoro region of Portugal is Quinta Do Crasto. Crasto has roots from the 1600s and has received more recent acclaim for their dry wines out of Duoro. As one of the biggest names in dry Portugese wines, they have helped establish Portugal as one of the major world players in rich and balanced red wines. They have achieved some remarkably high scores from some major publications and after sampling their new releases, the scores make sense.
I recently had the opportunity to try some of the excellent selections from Quinta Do Crasto. One of the most remarkable things that Crasto does is create incredible wines that are priced below market. For instance, their 2012 Flor Do Crasto impressed with its rich flavors and balance that drinks wonderfully straight out of the bottle. The most impressive release was their 2012 Duoro Reserva, which is a blend of 20-30 varietals from 70+ year old vines. I was first introduced to this wine at a large tasting event in Las Vegas this year, as I sampled the 2011 version which has received serious acclaim. While the 2011 needed a lot of time and was somewhat shut down at the time of tasting, the 2012 was quite different. The 2012 was a monster that is reminiscent of a wonderful Left Bank Bordeaux and had wonderful richness, finesse and terroir. The winemaking on this project is absolutely exquisite, as I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to blend 20-30 varietals into a high end bottling. Hats off to the Crasto winemaking team in this effort. I think the 2012 Reserva would be the Washington equivalent of the new vintage (2012) Col Solare. For those who love rich and terroir driven bottlings, the Reserva is right up your alley. These wines are somewhat difficult to find in the Northwest, but there are some specialty wine shops that carry them like Total Wines and Esquin in Seattle. Here are the new fantastic releases from Quinta Do Crasto. Check them out at www.quintadocrasto.pt ‪#‎quintadocrasto‬

2012 Quinta Do Crasto ‘Flor Do Crasto’- This rich and impressive effort has a dense core which leads to aromas of violets, blackberry preseves, and blueberry. There are flavors of smoke, mocha, blueberry pie and black cherry. This is just fantastic right out of the bottle and is approachable young. A wonderful value out of Duoro. Drink 2015-2022- 90

2013 Quinta Do Crasto Duoro ‘Superior’- This dense colored wine has aromas of smoke, violets, crème de cassis and oak. The palate brings flavors of blueberry compote, anise, violets and has nice density. The minerality and finish are outstanding. This wine improves after an hour of aeration. Drink 2015-2027- 92

2011 Quinta Do Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Port- This new release port comes from a declared vintage. I think it might be hard to distinguish this from some house’s vintage port bottlings. The wine has aromas remisniscent of creosote, anise, cherry cough syrup and tar. This leads to rich and viscous flavors of dark chocolate, blackberry cobbler, Turkish coffee and black cherry. There is wonderful concentraton here as this offers serious value. Drink 2015-2025- 91

2012 Quinta Do Crasto Duoro 'Reserva'- This famed property dates back to 1615, more than 100 years before Duoro became a declared region. The Roquette family assumed ownership of the property in 1981 and have worked hard to expand their vineyard holdings. This blend was aged 18 months in 85% French oak prior to bottling and is a blend of 20-30 varietals. It begins with aromas reminiscent of black cherry, sandalwood, black olive and anise. There are flavors of loganberry, crème de cassis, black olive, black cherry and Turkish coffee. This Bordelaise style red absolutely a delight to sip and savor. The richness and viscosity is there and this blend is wonderful right out of the bottle, not needing any aeration. Drink 2015-2030- 94

Somm Focus on with Christopher Chan, Advanced Sommelier, co-founder of Coral Wines and Host of AM 570 KVI’s Happy Hour Radio

Christopher Chan is an Advanced Sommelier (Level 3) through the Master Court of Sommeliers. To give you an idea of how difficult it is to pass the Level 3 sommelier exam right now, recent stats have showed that typically under 20% of applicants pass the exam. Chan has extensive history working in the food and beverage industry, including previously working at Chandler’s Crabhouse and being the director of wine and spirits for the Ranier Club until 2013. Chan hosts a radio show, Happy Hour Radio, on AM radio 570 KVI (www.happyhourradio.net) each week that discusses new topics in the beverage industry. Happy Hour Radio airs on KVI from 6-7 each Saturday, so definitely check it out. He has hosted wine powers like Charles Smith and even Krug Champagne.
Chan has been hosting the Seattle Wine Awards and even launched Coral Wines, a winery that focuses on producing Provence style Rose, with a business partner, Peggy Reddy. With Coral, Chan uses Yakima Valley and Red Mountain fruit in producing food friendly wines that offer good value. Chan was recently able to share his wealth of knowledge of the wine industry with Washington Wine Blog. Here is my interview with Christopher Chan, Advanced Sommelier.

WWB: Can you talk about your background as a sommelier?

CC: My parents are very big into wine – so I was exposed as early as 12 years old. I took French in High School and had the chance to visit Burgundy when I was 18 with the family…it was then that I found my love for French Food, French Girls and French Wine. My first job was server assistant at the (then new) Alexis Hotel and having access to great food, international wine and of course tip$ launched my career in hospitality. I’ve since been working in several top spots including the City Club of WA DC, Columbia Tower Club, Casa U-Betcha, Chandler’s Crab House, Triples and finally the Director of Wine & Spirits at the Rainier Club since 1997 – 2013.

WWB: What were some of your first jobs in the food and beverage industry?

CC: I washed dishes when I was 15 years old, but was “let-go” and vowed never to wash dishes again (vow was broken because many times when the place was “in the weeds”) but moved to the Front of the House positions. (See #1)

WWB: You put on the Seattle wine awards each year. Can you talk about some of the big winners this year and some of your favorite wines that you've samples this year?

CC: The Seattle Wine Awards was first held in 1996 and we have just celebrated our 10th Annual wine precognition program. It is and has been by far the largest and most comprehensive wine evaluation in the state and I’m honored to have such fantastic support from our industry. I’m always intrigued by how many new wineries do well and am pleased to see the continued level of high-quality wines from many of the wineries pre-1999. Of course, I’m proud of our methodology and tasting panel members who make the SWA a world-class collection of experience and expertise. I actually noticed a jump in quality starting with the 2010 results with more Gold & Double Gold award recipients each year. It makes sense as the level of interest, passion, professionals, dedication, education, cognoscente and academic illuminati has bolstered and propelled our viticulture and vinification knowledge exponentially which has in turn resulted in the “rising of all boats”. Plus our wine & sommelier community has been generous with knowledge and support from day one making the dissemination of critical information free-flowing.

WWB: You're the founder of Coral Wines. Can you talk about your winemaking style, fruit and structure of the wines, and some of the vineyards that you use for your wines?

CC: Coral Wines was born on the patio porch of our family’s Walla Walla estate in 2012 while sipping cold French Rosé in the heavy heat of July. I asked my-self, why can’t we (WA State) do this (make beautiful dry rosé)? Many of the then pink wines in the market were run-off from red ferments and passed off as fun summer quenchers sold cheap and never intended to be anything more. Those wines served the purpose of getting people to buy & drink pink but the quality level and integrity of the wines were as low as the price-point. I decided that if I ever got into the industry, I would dedicate myself to filling this niche and am pleased to have produced a world-class Provence style rosé with the help of my partner Peggy Reddy and Chan family. My winemaking style is a reflection of what I enjoy drinking and what my Sommelier studies has shown world-class wines to be. In this case with Pink Coral – fresh, dry, delicious, smooth. Balanced and complex. I believe we are the only WA winery to use solely Mourvedre (Blackrock Vineyard, Benton City) and Cinsault (Strand Vineyard, Naches Heights).

WWB: What were some of your biggest challenges in completing your advanced sommelier exam?

CC: I took my first ADV exam in Las Vegas and missed passing by 1.5 points in the theory section while passing Blind Tasting & Service – and after all that study and time, I was disappointed. I see the greatest challenge in getting back into the saddle and regaining your drive, determination and confidence. The next year’s exam was in Aspen, CO…and being a sea-level guy – going to 9000’ feet affected my game. My heart ran wild all week – no sleep, worn out, I passed Theory & Service but on the last day, I failed Blind Tasting. The next year was in Seattle and I was determined to pass…that was in 2011 and I once again passed Blind Tasting & Service but raced through the written exam in about 25 minutes and didn’t check my work (no pass.) Finally, coming full circle – back to Vegas I passed all three portions (and with the popularity of the Court of MS – each year’s test was more and more difficult) I am actually very happy that it took me 4 years…I was fortunate to forge many great relationships with the Master Sommeliers…I mean they saw me work my tail off four-years straight and finally succeed. It also allowed me to better mentor and support other Sommeliers here in Seattle and at the exams.

WWB: What are some of the big differences between the level 2 somm exam and the level 3 somm exam?

CC: Level 2 is Certified Sommelier meaning you’ve passed a three-part exam which includes Theory, Blind Tasting and Service. This level (like all levels in the CMS) is always being elevated in the exam expectations…but for Certified, it is the first solid step and not as demanding or critical as ADV. Many sommeliers would say the ADV level 3 exam is the toughest because you have to pass all three parts at once to pass, where in Master Exam you can keep any part you pass for 2 years and retake the parts you missed. Advanced means you know a lot of stuff…crazy kinda things about the world of wine and that you can pretty much run a beverage program / business.

WWB: You are also the host of Happy Hour radio on KVI. Can you talk about some of the most interesting guests you've had on and what you have learned by hosting the show?

CC: I had an idea for a wine radio show several years ago and a few of the cats I play hoops with worked in radio so I always bounced the idea off them. Finally, the timing was right and I was able to audition and develop the show. One of the cool things about that audition was when the General Sales manager and Producers were impressed and asked me how long I was doing radio…I had no experience until that day. The radio show is great because it allows me to connect with so many great wine, beer, spirits, bar and food professionals. Seldom in any business do we have time to just sit, talk, and listen and it’s been super-cool hearing the stories of pioneers like Tom Hedges, Greg Lill, Emile Ninaud (first Seattle wine shop owner Champions), Charles Smith, Krug Champagne, Aldo Vacca of Produtorri del Barbaresco, Wine Bible author Karen Mcneil so many others. I loved learning their initial inspirations in how they fell in love with their profession.

Figgins

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to attend the Figgins Family Winery release party for the 2012 Figgins Red Wine at Aqua by El Gaucho. This spectacular event had some of the best appetizers I’ve had in a long time. But the real star of the show was the 2012 Figgins Red Wine, made by Chris Figgins, head winemaker at Figgins but also Leonetti Cellars. I was impressed with what Figgins did in 2011 with their Red Wine (WWB, 91) but the ’11 Red Wine is not approachable now and will need time (meaning more than two years) for the fruit to integrate.
Kudos to Chris Figgins for absolutely nailing his 2012 Red Wine. The wine is a single vineyard blend that comes from the Figgins Estate Vineyard in Walla Walla. I had a chance to talk to Chris about the wine at his wine release event. This blend is a secret, as he doesn’t say the precise components. He simply states that it is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot from his estate vineyard. He was tremendously happy with the resultant blend and stated that the 2012 growing season was wonderful to work with, with near perfect conditions. Chris mentioned that wonderful acid structure in the wine was obtained through the balance in temperatures during the year. The 2012 Red Wine sings with wonderful dark fruit flavors and striking minerality. The 2012 releases from Figgins have been absolutely on point, whether it is the 2012 Doubleback bottlings, this wine or the 2012 Leonetti bottlings. Figgins also makes a wonderful and refreshing Kabinette style Riesling that has wonderful pear and green apple flavors and delivers with racy acidity. Chris Figgins is absolutely up there with the best winemakers in the state. Check out these fantastic wines at Figgins.com ‪#‎figgins‬ ‪#‎figginsestate‬

2012 Figgins Estate Red- This wine is sourced from the Figgins Estate vineyard and is a mystery blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. 70% was aged in few French oak (22 months), while 30% was aged in second fill French oak (also for 22 Months) prior to bottling. This wine was released in September 2015 and is showing beautifully right now. Speaking to winemaker, Chris Figgins, at the release, he mentions the purity of fruit from this fantastic vintage. This wine is considerably more open than the '11 Figgins Red upon release. The wine begins with aromas of blackberry, mocha, roasted figs and cassis There are flavors reminiscent of blackberry, mocha, smoked meats, black olive and black plum. This is a rich and open wine with a lively mouthfeel. This wine gets better and better with every sip. A tremendous effort from a great vintage. Drink 2015-2030- 94

2014 Figgins Riesling- This Kabinett style Riesling has bright aromatics of pear and golden delicious apple as well as a petrol element. The palate has flavors of green apple, cantaloupe and pear. There is a lush and impressive mouthfeel to this wine and a racy acid structure. This is a fresh and delicious style wine that would be well-suited for sushi. Drink 2015-2021. -90

Interview with Marcus Miller, Head Winemaker at Airfield Estates

Marcus Miller crafts the wines at Airfield. Marcus earned a degree from Walla Walla Community College’s enology and viticulture program, and has worked at other Washington wineries, including Canoe Ridge in Walla Walla, before being head winemaker at Airfield. The Miller family has been growing premium grapes in Washington since 1960 and one of his grandfathers was even friends with Walter Clore, who is generally known as the father of Washington wine. After many years of solely growing grapes, Airfield Estates was founded by the Millers in 2007. Since that time they have achieved some incredible success and have even started a second, less expensive label of wine called Lone Birch. Airfield expanded from roughly 2000 cases in 2007 to 20,000 cases by 2012. Despite this expansion, the quality of winemaking is evident. Here is my interview with Marcus Miller, head winemaker at Airfield Estates:

WWB: Can you talk about your background as a winemaker?

MM: I was raised on the vineyard and when I was growing up it was more the diversified farm. We had asparagus, mint, grew corn and grapes. In the 90’s, during high school and college we began planting more and more grapes and now today that is all we grow. My dad was a farmer and didn’t really bring the wine culture into our house so growing up I saw grapes as another crop and had no real sense of the culture and the industry. I wasn’t all that interested in was into business and got my bachelor’s degree in business. I went into finance and worked in Plano Texas in finance. After high school I decided to attend Principia College in Illinois and traveled away for school. I ended up getting a master’s degree in finance from University of North Texas. My dad was saying that I was his only son and wanted to know if I was interested in the 1200 acre family farm. Out of courtesy to my dad I decided to come home and I told him that was going to take six months to make my decision. I came home after grad school so it is January and was having a miserable time working with the crew pruning wine and concord grapes in sub freezing temperatures and not loving it at all. When you get out on the cold it is on the tractor and that is not my cup of tea either. At the end of January my dad sent me to the annual conference WAWGG, the association of wine grape growers. The CEO of St. Michelle, Ted Baseler, was speaking on the fact that that year the Wine Spectator had 12 of the top 100 wines as Washington wines and he was saying that we were only .3 percent of acreage in the world. Being a finance guy it was easy for me to see that this was more than a commodity crop that we were growing on my family farm and grapes in Washington had potential to be world class.
My eyes were now open to what I had at my fingertips. I still wasn’t thrilled with the vineyard life but I got to know some of the winemakers and what they were doing. This would mean that I would be artist, part chemist and part businessman as well. I would be travelling around the country and sometimes around the world. I was thinking that the wine world was way cooler than I ever thought and I saw myself starting a winery with my father in about 8 years once I had worked for 2 or 3 established winemakers and learned their secrets. My plan for 8 years of winemaking experience would turn into 15 months as my Dad saw the time to begin making wine in fall of 2005. In the New Year I took spring classes at WSU Tri Cities and quickly learned that the best program in the state was the Walla Walla community college program. They built a 6 million dollar facility and there were just ton of internship opportunities. I appreciated the intensive science component of WSU but at that time they didn’t have any lab classes and you would learn how to make wine in a book. I consider winemaking an artisanal craft and you have to learn from a master winemakers, pick their brains and harness their best practices. In 2003 the only place to get an experience like that was at the WWCC program. So I really loved the opportunity that was going to be provided there.
I left attended Walla Walla Comity College’s enology program and worked harvest at Canoe Ridge. I worked under Kendall Mix the head winemaker there. I had a great opportunity to learn from him and get my feet wet for the first time with a true harvest experience. At school, everyone I know graduated in two years but thanks to my growing up in the vineyard family and having worked internships at Columbia Crest all through college my instructor Stan Clarke allowed me to get out of the viticulture classes and all of the general prerequisites and I was able to get through the program in nine months. Fortunately I found a job right away with Tsillian Cellars and worked there for two years, first vintage being the assistant winemaker for Katie Perry and then she left to have her own winemaker. I was given the title of winemaker after that and brought my roommate Peter Devison to help make the wine in 2005. That was when my dad said the time was right and with our contracts up we could make some fruit available and we should start making wine. Halloween was my last day at Tsillian and then I started the Airfield Project and been making wine here since 2005.

WWB: Talk about the diversity of terroir with this huge estate vineyard?

MM: Talking about the diversity of the ground, most of the estate vineyard has a moderate slope facing southwest and a nice balance throughout the day on the fruit. The soil structure is fairly similar and our soil is silt loam (Warden Silt Loam) and that is the predominant soil and similar structure in most of the grapes. Our farm is almost continuous and it is large but it is a short distance from one side to the other. Our farm is alpha numerical and it is about 60 blocks but having it alpha numerical a good way to manage the vineyard blocks. Our highest elevation vineyard site is 1250 feet range and most of our vineyards are from 930-1100 and the higher it gets the soil becomes more sandy. In terms of how the terroir affects the fruit is we are one of the cooler sites in the state. Yakima tends to have some of the coolest nights in wine country which leads to great acidity in our reds and whites. Our reds and white wines probably have 10-15% more titratable acidity then the average wines from Washington State.

Flavor wise, we have great purity of fruit from varietal to varietal. This is also very distinct from vineyard to vineyard. An Airfield Pinot Gris tastes nothing like the Airfield Chard or Viognier. A lot of stone fruit from peach to pear and the Riesling has the green apple, that spectrum in flavor profiles. Tannin structure wise, tannins are there but not too heavy. Other regions like Red Mountain have more tannin than we do and our biggest wines tend to be our Merlots. That is the wine that I have to watch the tannin structure on. Obviously growing practices is another thing that makes the terroir different. I do some pretty unique stuff with vineyard management and one of the things that I do is use a product called Extend-day and that is a product that is primarily used in the orchard industry. Extend-day works by getting more light into the canopy. It has been scientifically proven that with more light intensity you see an enhancement in Anthocyanins (color) as well as tannin concentration. Just tasting berry’s in the vineyard you can notice the difference between the extend-day and non extend-day fruit. The extend-day fruit has more turgidity really popping in your mouth. I have always felt that the skins feel thicker in the extend-day fruit. The extend-day is not cheap, costing over $3000 an acre, but is felt to be well worth the investment in helping craft concentrated high end wines. Basically the concept is you are trying to get more light into the canopy to get intensity of fruit and you do that by putting this cloth like thing that is extended to the vineyard row. That bounces the sun and that sees the orientation of the leaves changing. There is so much radiating and that sunlight has three effects and the least as which you see more ripeness and higher brix but three really cool thing is the skins. You taste the berry with Extendday and the skins are thicker. What you see in the glass that is different the color will be darker and the structure is bigger and the tannins are just more color and more tannins. You can make a bigger, bolder wine by using this product and we use that on Cab, Merlot and Syrah in the estate vineyard.

WWB: What are some of the more unusual varietals that grow well in the vineyard?

MM: That all dates back to Chelan. It is 2005 and I had just got done making my second vintage and I am working with Malbec, Sangiovese and Viognier and a lot of varietals that we weren’t growing on our farm. At the time we were growing Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet. As we were headed down the road wanting to use exclusively estate fruit what I decided is we don’t know what grows best because this is all we have grown. Secondly, I am going to have to get complexity from my one vineyard sites and I am going to get that complexity from bringing the varietals together and blending. I guess my timing was right and red blends have gone crazy in the past decade and I definitely love the experimental aspect of that. I love to experiment with the varietals. Our family ended up growing all 5 Bordeaux varietals and Counties, Barbara, Dolchetto, Sangiovese, Zinfandel and all kinds of whites like Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier. We even planted Moscato and it has been really fun to try these grapes and get to know them and see what they are capable of in the Yakima Valley. I had this plan to whittle down them and there was no way that they were going to be doing well on our property. I get close to eliminating one and Coinoise didn’t ripen and didn’t produce and then 2008 and 2009 gets back to back gold in the San Francisco wine competition. As soon as I get discouraged with a varietal it does well. We haven’t really changed the landscape much and pretty much what was planted in 2006 we still have. That makes it really fun and I think out club members really enjoy these obscure varietals.

All of our varieties (27):

Bordeaux Reds (5): Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

Rhone Reds (5): Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Cinsault, Counoise

Sparkling Reds (2): Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier (I have never used this variety, sold to CSM)

Spanish (1): Tempranillo

Italian (3): Dolcetto, Barbera, Sangiovese

USA (1): Zinfandel (or Croatia)

Bordeaux Whites (2): Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc

Rhone Whites (3): Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne

Burgundy (1): Chardonnay

Alsace (4): Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Riesling

Aviation Series (6): Tradition blends that have been time tested from around the world

Aviator: Left Bank Bordeaux Blend

Dauntless: Right Bank Bordeaux Blend

Mustang: Rhone Blend

Spitfire: Super Tuscan

Hellcat: Tempranillo based blends with Syrah and Grenache (like what is done in Australia)

Rhone White: Lightning

Vineyard Salute (2): Non traditional blends meant to represent the flavors of the vineyard.

Bombshell red: Merlot, Syrah based with other bdx varietals and sometimes Sangiovese.

Flygirl: Pinot Gris and Viognier based blend that bring 10-20% barrel of (Viognier, Roussanne, or Chardonnay) sometimes Gewurztraminer is added.

WWB: I was hugely impressed with the level of richness and acid structure obtained in your 2013 Late Harvest Riesling. Can you talk about the winemaking for that exceptional wine?

MM: I will tell you that I can’t take a lot of credit and I think that the purity of the fruit and when it gets concentrated through the process of freezing in the vine, something magical happens. The wine that you tried and loved, I haven’t gotten a lot of huge scores but when I have it has gotten for that wine. I don’t take a lot of love to making it because you are just exhausted from this long harvest and you are putting these to press and the normal press cycle might take two days. It is a long process to try to extract that rich and intense fruit and juice inside the barriers and you have to be patient and take your time. The fermenting process for this wine is really slow and we are just watching it every day and you are just kind of waiting. There is nothing really special with how we process it but it is the fruit, our Riesling in particular, has resonated with the late harvest style. I would say that we have made three or four exceptional late harvest and I am always amazed by the reception from our customers and the press.

WWB: How did you decide to start the Lone Birch label?

MM: We started out with Airfield and been doing that since ’05 and then I think that it has been an evolution and since our first vintage in 2009. We saw an opportunity in the marketplace at a lower price point and wanted to capitalize on that. We did a red blend and a white blend originally. When we were coming up with the label, we wanted something that was not aviation themed. We didn’t want some spin off with Airfield and something that would be a standalone brand that didn’t have a lot of connection. So then to be able to sell it in the marketplace with two different distributors.

We did a red and a white and the story comes from the land of my great grandfather and this is now a 4th generation farming operation. Washington State has, the Airfield story. My brother in law came up with the Lone Birch idea. The founding father of our business, he had planted a series of Birch trees, some at his house and some at the farm, but there is one birch tree that sits at the main intersection that takes you to the farm. I have to think about the logic about planting the tree was kind of a directional side. You want to get out to us, you know you have arrived when you have gotten to the Birch tree. We didn’t have Google maps back then and growing up the Birch Tree was how you got there. I think about the brand today, you have for generation and each person is tending to these trees today. Just like the Lone Birch tree guides you to the property, we are guided by the farming legacy of our fathers. This tradition that is guiding us and now we are farming it and stewarding it. Hopefully this means leaving the land at a better place for our kids. I think about all these different aspects. If you come out Lone Birch tree is just right like it is on the label.

WWB: What are some of your favorite Washington wines and wineries?

MM: We are always trying to get better and we are changing our packaging and always tweaking our winemaking. I love how young our industry is and how vibrant it is. There are so many new people entering the wine industry right now. There are some great and strong graduates and it is a really fun time to be in the industry. Talking about wineries, we do comparative tastings and we are trying things from Washington and beyond. I have two small kids at home and going to the neighbors and tasting their wines isn’t happening a ton right now. Back in the day when I was in Walla Walla, a guy that I looked up to was Chuck Reininger, I liked his wines. Got to know Chris Figgins well, we were leaders in the state church group and Chris was a cool guy and a guy to talk to when I was getting started in the industry, so those were two men that I looked up to.

Today, being a Chateau St. Michelle grower, Chateau St. Michelle and Bob Bertheau. Our job at Airfield is to produce the best wines in Washington at every price point that we work at and what Chateau St. Michelle is able to do is just awesome. They are making some great wines. One of my favorite wines was the Tenet project. I was really impressed with that. I was sitting at the table next to Bob and each table had a bottle of Tenet and some of their other wines. I told him, this juice is killer and I shared it with everyone at my table. It was some of the inspiration that we use to do our GSM blend this year. We are really excited about what we have done and we really like our 2015 wines. My wine budget tends to be more in the moderate range. I have had Quilceda Creek Red Wine a few times and I really love Bob Betz and what he does and the textural elements that he brings with Syrahs. I am trying to assemble my team and so I have a lot of people that I look to in helping me in craft our style of winemaking. I don’t know if you have ever had Lobo Hills and the head winemaker there makes his wins at my facility. The original agreement was that he could work as my assistant winemaker and helps me make decisions. Tony has helped me.

My Wine Team:

Marcus Miller - Winemaker, 11 vintages crafting Airfield

Lori Miller - My sister, Wine Business Masters, University of Adelaide - great pallet.

Pamela Solis - Assistant Winemaker, VE Degree from Argentina, 4 vintages in Argentina, and 4 vintages in US at 3 different wineries. Started with us February 2015

Erica Orr - Consultant, UC Davis, Multiple Woodinville clients projects, comes over twice a year for blending. Is on speed dial if I ever have a question. Started with us Spring 2014.

Tony Dollar - Winemaker, Lobo Hills. Has made his wine at our facility since 2011 and has always has offered me his pallet and his help.

Not to leave any one out, three great cellar workers: Carlos, Fernando, and Juan.

This year we hired an assistant manager, Camila Solice. She is from Argentina, Mendoza. My dad passed away this last year and now I am not only winemaker but CEO of the farm and working on international distribution and I head that and the accounting office and it is just too much work. Airfield Estates is now at 40,000 cases and I needed to hire someone. I put out the application and I got 63 really qualified applicants. The three finalists that we had, we had her and the two others blend our 2014 Chardonnay. Hers was awesome and we knew that she had the knowledge and skill set but she also had the plate. She has been great to work with. We are also working with Erica Orr and she is great and she is down to earth and super cool. I don’t think I have had a bad wine that she has made. The way I look at it is get a good team together and together are going to make some pretty cool wines. I definitely bring an experimental approach.

Archery Summit

Archery Summit

Located in the Red Hills alongside neighbors Domaine Serene, Domaine Drouhin, White Rose and other Willamette Valley greats, Archery Summit has a picturesque setting and some stunning new Pinots. Started by the Pine Ridge baron Gary Andrus, this estate relies on a variety of vineyards across the valley, as well as estate fruit. The winery itself is stunning and has an absolutely gorgeous cave setting for tasting.  We were able to try the 2013 new releases from Archery in this reserve room that was recently remodeled and served as a gorgeous setting. The winery has six estate vineyards totaling 120 acres, with 5 vineyards in the red volcanic soil of the Dundee Hills AVA and 1 vineyard in the ancient sea bed of the adjacent Ribbon Ridge AVA. The vineyards are densely planted and meticulously tended to, implementing organic practices, as well as a biodynamic approach at one site. Moises Sotelo, the foreman who planted the estate vineyard in 1994, amazingly still tends to the vines. Winemaker Chris Mazepink came to the winery in 2013 and also currently serves as the general manager. Mazepink has a wealth of experience in the valley, starting at Lemelson Vineyards as assistant winemaker. He spent four years at Shea Wine Cellars before joining Benton Lane Winery as Director of Winemaking and Viticulture.

While I had not tasted at Archery for a few years, but having tried one of their 2012 releases, the most recent efforts were rich and impressive considering the vintage. There were many factors for their successes in 2013 but most notably their picking before the torrential rains served as a major factor. Overall the level of richness achieved in their wines reflected the warm summer of 2013. Their 2014 Pinot Gris offering was particularly enticing, considering the price point. That is a perfect summer wine for shellfish. The 2013 Arcus Estate was fantastic and rich, one of the best wines from 2013 that I have sampled this year. This layered and polished effort will age gracefully for decades. Similarly the Archery Summit estate has a high price point ($150.00) but is one of the best bottlings I’ve tried from the 2013 vintage. It has a silky texture and a wonderful range of fruit flavors, alongside serious terroir. You can find these expressive new release wines at archerysummit.com or Total Wines. #archerysummit

2014 Archery Summit Pinot Gris- This is sourced from the Eola Springs and Winters Hill vineyards. The Gris was whole cluster pressed before being transferred to stainless tanks. It has aromas of cut grass, cantaloupe and Bartlett pear. There are flavors of red delicious apple, Meyer lemon, and cantaloupe. This is lithe and refreshing with nice rich fruit flavors. Nice minerality that would pair beautifully with raw oysters. Drink 2015-2020- 91

 2013 Archery Summit ‘Looney Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Pinot comes from Ribbon Ridge, located roughly six miles from the winery. The Looney Vineyard is from a 19 acre property from Ed and Darlene Looney. This is known for the Willakenzie soil, a marine, loose and gravely soil. Pommard, Wadenswil and Dijon clones 777, 667 and 115 are planted at the vineyard. The wine begins with aromas reminiscent of raspberry and blackberry with mushroom and forest floor on the nose. There are flavors of cran-cherry, Tangerine rind, mushroom, and a long and lingering finish. Lovely minerality, this needs time for the fruit to integrate. Drink 2017-2030- 92

 2013 Archery Summit ‘Renegade Ridge Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This vineyard selection is a 980 case production wine. The vineyard itself is located on the right side of Archery Summit road, an 11 acre, Eastern facing vineyard. They have Dijon clones 777, 667, 14 and 115 planted there, as well as their own clone ASW2. The Pinot Noir was aged 9 months in 54% new French oak before being bottled in August 2014. The wine opens with aromas has of raspberry, cherry pie, mushroom and forest floor. There are flavors of cherry pie, raspberry, mushroom and wild blackberry. Delicious and lithe with nice stuffing. This is hard to resist right now but can improve with another year in the bottle. Drink 2016-2030- 93

 2013 Archery Summit ‘Archer's Edge’ Pinot Noir- The fruit is taken from a small, 7 acre vineyard near the estate that was planted in 2007. The wine was aged 9 months in 44% new French oak prior to bottling in August 2014. The wine utilizes Dijon clones 667, 777 and 115. The Pinot opens with aromas of roasted figs, mushroom, forest floor and red cherry. There are flavors of cherry pie, cran-raspberry, cremini mushroom and a lovely long finish. This has lovely weight on the palate. This was harvested before the torrential rain during harvest and you can tell, considering the weight. This needs time for the fruit to fully integrate. Drink 2017-2030- 93

 2013 Archery Summit ‘Archery Summit Estate’ Pinot Noir-This is the first planting here in 1991. There were preexisting vines at the vineyard that were torn down by the owner. This was also harvested before the rains of the 2013 harvest and utilizes Dijon clones 115 and 667 as well as Pommard clones. This was aged 8 months in 42% new French oak prior to being bottled in August 2014. This has aromas of oak, red cherry, nutmeg, raspberry and vanilla. There are flavors of cherry pie, mushroom, cran-raspberry, with lovely texture and weight. This is one of the best I’ve had from this vintage, as this utilizes the wonderful interplay between fruit and terroir. This is drinking nicely now but will improve with a couple of years in the bottle. Drink 2017-2030- 94

 2013 Archery Summit ‘Arcus Estate’ Pinot Noir- This comes from a 39 acre vineyard. The name of this wine translates to 'bow' in Latin. There are many microclimates to this vineyard, as there's a 400 foot elevation change in the vineyard. Some of the vines predate to 1973. Aged 19 months in French oak (50% new) prior to being bottled in August 2014. This has aromas of black truffle, red raspberry and oak. There are flavors reminiscent of cran-raspberry, Tangerine rind, Bing cherry and vanilla. This has tremendous weight and texture. Try to resist this for a few more years. Drink 2017-2030- 94

 2013 Archery Summit ‘Red Hills Estate’ Pinot Noir- This comes from a vineyard that neighbors Arcus, a 16 acre property. The wine was aged 10 months in 45% new French oak prior to being bottled in August 2014. The Pinot Noir from this estate ripens a bit later than Arcus and they lost 20% of the fruit from this estate in 2013 due to torrential rains during harvest. The wine opens with aromas of cherry pie, raspberry, vanilla and oak. There are flavors of raspberry, cran-orange, with a lovely mouthfeel and texture. Not quite the weight of the Arcus and Archery Summit Estate bottlings but lovely mouthfeel and minerality. Drink 2017-2030- 92

Horsepower Vineyards

Christophe Baron has done it again. With his talent, he seems to have a wonderful knack for boutique wine projects. Horsepower is no exception. More than 100 years ago draft horses had changed farming practices in Europe for the better. Soon after in the United States thousands of horses were working on American farms. Baron has two horses that he uses for his vineyards, named Red and Zeppo. The horses are from a famous breed that was first domesticated in ancient Egypt. Red and Zeppo help cultivate vineyards ranging from 3,555 to 4,840 vines per acre with as little as 3' x 3' spacing—planted 1 vine per stake, or “sur echalas” in French. Which is where the Sur Echalas vineyard comes into play. This vineyard is the source for the remarkably good 2012 Horsepower ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache. This vineyard is a 3-foot by 3-foot spacing and 4,840 vines per acre. Horsepower winery says that the 2 acre vineyard of Syrah and Grenache is the highest density planting in the Walla Walla Valley and one of the highest in North America!
Baron has been making the Sur Echalas Vineyard Grenache since 2011. This past vintage he was blessed with near perfect growing conditions. The 2012 version of this wine is a knockout with beautiful aromatics and an incredible array of ripe fruit flavors alongside incredible minerality. It is the best of its kind that I have reviewed this year. Here is my review for the 2012 Horsepower ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache. Check out more about Horsepower at https://horsepowervineyards.com/horsepowervineyards/
Here is my review for International Wine Report: http://internationalwinereport.com/…/5042-horsepower-vineya… ‪#‎horsepowervineyards‬ ‪#‎horsepower‬

2012 Horsepower ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache- This wine comes from the esteemed ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ which has the highest density planting in the Walla Walla Valley. This is the second release of this wine. There are incredibly rich aromas of smoke, wet stone, tarragon, lavender and Bing cherry. The intense aromatics make you want to smell this wine for days. This leads to lush flavors of raspberry, cherry cola, essence of lavender, Mandarin orange rind and a wonderful effervescence. This is an incredible and memorable wine. The palate just glides and the finish lingers. Christophe Baron is on top of his A game. Drink 2015-2030- 97

Stags' Leap

Head winemaker at Stags' Leap, Christophe Paubert, has a compelling background in wine.

Stags’ Leap

A winery that focuses their program on Cabernet and Petite Sirah, Stags’ Leap has been one of the nation’s premier producers of Petite Sirah for more than a decade. The new releases of Petite Sirah were no exception. The 240 acre estate includes 90 acres of vineyard plantings and is located 7 miles north of Napa, on the eastern side of Stags Leap Palisades. In this area grapes have grown here continuously since the 1880s. Stags’ Leap estate has had three major family groups until the creation of a modern winery in the 1970s. The grapes rely on a volcanic and maritime influence that you can taste in the wines. The vineyards contain alluvial Bale Loams on top, with volcanic ash from eroded sediment; underneath: sandy loam laced with gravel and cobbles which have good drainage.

Winemaker Christophe Paubert, formerly from Canoe Ridge in Washington, has an extensive resume and a family background in wine. Christophe grew up just outside of Sauternes in Bordeaux, where his grandfather was a Cellar Master. He spent his childhood immersed in the culture of wine, and followed his love for wine and science to the Institut d'Înologie in Bordeaux. He graduated in 1983 and spent three years working for a negociant in Bordeaux before returning to complete a two-year graduate course in sales and marketing. He has previously worked in Chile, Reuda, Ribera del Duero, Rioja the Medoc in Bordeaux and even New Zealand. Previous wineries include Canoe Ridge and even previously at Chateau D’ Yquem in Sauternes. Paubert’s wines were impressive, particularly his Cabernet and Petite Sirah bottlings. These wines are not only rich and extracted but are balanced and terroir driven. His style of winemaking is showing the fruit character of the wines but not heavy manipulation from the winemaker. Check out their 2012 Petite Sirah release. This is a rich wine that is one of the best of its kind. The 2012 'Ne Ce Malis' Petite Sirah has a high price point ($115.00) but is the best Petite Sirah release that I’ve sampled this year. The 2012 Cabernet bottling also impresses with its rich flavors and balance. Look for these wines releases at Total Wines, as well as Wine World and Esquin in Seattle. You can also find them at http://stagsleap.com/store #stags’leap

2014 Stags' Leap Viognier- This begins with aromas of honeysuckle, banana and poached pear. There are flavors of golden delicious apple, minerals, starfruit and apricot. There is a rich mouthfeel and a slight sweetness, not in a cloying way. Delicious and lithe wine that is perfect for shellfish. Drink 2015-2020- 91

2013 Stags' Leap Chardonnay- This begins with aromas of banana, golden delicious apple and pineapple. There are flavors of pear, kumquat, Meyer lemon and minerals. This is balanced in the Napa style. Drink 2015-2020- 89

2012 Stags Leap Cabernet- There are aromas of black olive, blackberry, anise and coffee. There's lovely flavors of anise, cassis, mocha and graphite with the acid backbone that begs for another sip. This solid bottling will be a heavy steakhouse player and pairs beautifully with a juicy ribeye. Drink 2015-2028- -92 

2012 Stags' Leap 'The Investor'- This wine has rich and ripe fruit flavors of blueberry, stewed prune and pomegranate. There are flavors of blueberry compote, blackberry, mocha and mild to moderate tannins. This improves after an hour of aeration. Intriguing and rich blend that is a novel effort, I love this style of new world blend. Drink 2015-2025- 92

2012 Stags' Leap 'Ne Ce Malis' Petite Sirah-This originates from an older block in the estate that includes Grenache, Mouvedre, Carignan, Syrah and Peloursin into the 85% Petite Sirah wine. This spent 12 months in American oak (25% new). There are aromas of green peppercorn, black olive, black tea and anise. There are flavors of Turkish coffee, dark chocolate, blueberry compote, anise and cassis in a mineral driven style. Rich and viscous, this will have a long life in the cellar. Drink 2016-2026- 93

2012 Stags' Leap Petite Sirah-This is a unique blend of 75% Petite Sirah, 12% Syrah, 8% Grenache, 2% both Carignane and Mouvedre with a splash of Viognier. This spent 12 months in American oak (25% new) prior to bottling. This opens with aromas of milk chocolate, roasted figs, and black pepper with coffee grounds. Leading to flavors of blueberry, anise, cassis, in this mineral driven effort. Not for the weary. Drink 2015-2025-

2012 Stags' Leap 'The Leap' Cabernet- This 100% Cabernet wine was aged 20 months in French oak barrels (50% new) prior to bottling. Winemaker Christophe Paubert selected the best of the blocks of estate Cabernet for this blend. The nose opens with aromas of milk chocolate, blackberry and anise with dried provencale herbs. There is a lovely balance and acid structure to this wine with wonderful richness indicative of this great vintage. Yielding flavors of mocha, blackberry and black olive. This is delicious and impressive. Drink 2015-2030- 93

Chateau St. Michelle

One of Washington’s most historic wineries, the story of Chateau St. Michelle starts in 1912 in which the property was owned by a lumber baron Fredrick Stimson. As the 8th bonded winery in Washington, the hiring of Andre Tchelistcheff in the 1970s as head winemaker introduced a higher grade of wines called Ste. Michelle Vintners. The chateau itself was built in 1976 and St. Michelle established themselves as having two separate production facilities for red and white wine, with reds being made at their Canoe Ridge facility and their whites being made in Woodinville.
An expansive tour takes you by the huge production facility. The grounds are so gorgeous that people travel from all corners of the world to see the winery. They even host a ton of concerts on their grounds, from everything from Gypsy Kings to Huey Lewis and the News. I was able to taste some of the limited production new release wines from St. Michelle and was very impressed. Winemaker Bob Bertheau has been at St. Michelle since 2003. He has a master’s degree in enology from UC Davis and trained under some big names in wine, including Bob Sessions at Hanzell Vineyards and David Ramey at Chalk Hill.
Bertheau partners with Dr. Ernst Loosen in their Eroica project that impresses each year. I was so enamored by their 2013 Eroica Riesling that I put it on my 2014 Top 20 domestic wines list last year. The 2013 Eroica is a bright, mineral driven and flavorful quaff that is sure to satisfy anyone who enjoys Washington Riesling. The 2013 Eroica Gold also was highly impressive with its rich fruit flavors and wonderful acidity that begs for another sip. The Artist series lineup by Bertheau has been a huge hit for many years. The beautiful labeling is a sight to be seen but it what’s inside the bottle that impresses. I was able to sample a vertical including the 2010 (WWB, 93), 2011 (WWB, 91) and 2012 (WWB, 93) vintages. The Artist series wines are special occasion wines to cellar now and savor in years to come. Check out their wines at https://www.ste-michelle.com or look for the Eroica release, as well as the Artist series wines at Costco. ‪#‎chateaustmichelle‬ ‪#‎stmichelle‬ ‪#‎wawine‬

2010 Chateau St. Michelle ‘Luxe’- The Cuvee was bottled (tirage) on 03/14/12. Secondary Fermentation in the bottle was completed about twenty weeks later. The wine was aged sur lie in the bottle for over 3 years prior to release. This delicious sparkling wine opens with aromas of toasted oak, brioche and pear. There are flavors of pear, red delicious apple and starfruit. Delicious and lithe effort with a lovely mousse. With its lovely effervescence, it is hard to believe this wine is over five years of age. Drink 2015-2022- 92

2013 Chateau St. Michelle Eroica- This is project first started in 1999 between Dr. Ernst Loosen and Chateau St. Michelle. Loosen and St. Michelle head winemaker Bob Bertheau utilized dozens of small lots, each reflecting a slight difference in character in the final blend of this warm vintage wine. 1.5% Residual sugar on this one, a Kabinette style Riesling. Lemon zest and golden delicious on the nose. Palate has great minerality. Lemon-lime flavors with red delicious, cantaloupe and slate. Outstanding effort, the best Eroica I've had in 10 years. -93

2013 Chateau St. Michelle ‘Ethos’ Chardonnay- Primarily Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek vineyard fruit, the wine was 100% sur lie aged for 9 months in 100% French oak (36% new, 60% 1-year-old and 4% 2-year-old barrels). This has lovely oak aromas of toasted oak, poached pear, butter and nutmeg. There are flavors of pear, crème brûlée, golden delicious and a long and lingering finish. This is rock solid. 1800 cases produced. Drink 2015-2022- 92

2012 Chateau St. Michelle Mouvedre- This limited release and tasting room only wine wine was blended with 15% Syrah. It spent16 months in 18% New French, 18% New American and 64% Neutral oak barrels. Lovely nose of smoked meats, spicebox, leather and oak. This leads to rich flavors of black olive, blackberry, smoked meats and green bell pepper. This is an impressive release, with a strong acid backbone. 1,106 cases made. Drink 2015-2024- 92

2012 Chateau St. Michelle ‘Cold Creek Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc- Originally planted in 1973, the Cold Creek vineyard is south facing, dry and warm site. This wine opens with aromas of blueberry, blackberry and oak. There are flavors of blueberry, blackberry, prune and red cherry. Delicious and open style. Tons of this made, 13,500 cases, so this should be easy to find. Drink 2015-2024- 92

2012 Chateau St. Michelle Malbec- This is limited release Malbec. 65% of the fruit was sourced from the Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard while 22% of the fruit was sourced from the Cold Creek Vineyard, with the remainder Indian Wells vineyard fruit. This wine opens with aromas of chocolate, white pepper, smoked meats and blackberry. There are flavors of blackberry, dark chocolate, prune and black olive. This is deep and delicious with lovely texture. Drink 2015-2025- 92

2012 Chateau St. Michelle 'Druthers' Cabernet- This is a pet project for the winemaker and comes from the Cold Creek vineyard, first planted in 1973. The wine opens with lovely aromas of milk chocolate, heavy oak and anise. There are flavors of blackberry, anise, creme de cassis and vanilla in this rich and muscular Cabernet. This is delicious right out of the bottle, not needing any aeration. Drink 2015-2025- 93

2012 Chateau St. Michelle Artist Series Meritage- The wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Malbec. This is primarily from Canoe Ridge Estate (72%) but is also from smaller percentages of the Cold Creek vineyard (16%), the Zephyr Ridge Vineyard (10%) and the Indian Wells Vineyard (2%). Aged for 22 months in French oak (69% new), there is a prominent oak feature to this wine but not in a detracting style. This wine opens with aromas of milk chocolate, black here and cassis alongside oak. There are flavors of blackberry, anise, coffee and milk chocolate. Lovely depth and mouthfeel. This needs another year of cellaring. Nice density to this modern style wine. Drink 2016-2029-93

2011 Chateau St. Michelle Artist Series Meritage – Primarily Cold Creek Vineyard fruit (69%), there are also smaller percentages of fruit from Horse Heaven Hills (25%) and Wahluke Slope (6%). The wine is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon 25% Merlot 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. It was aged 20 months in French oak (66% new) prior to bottling. This wine opens with aromas of green bell pepper, black cherry and blackberry. There are flavors of anise, blackberry, red bell pepper, black cherry as this lithe wine lacks the depth of other artist series. Impressive effort considering the coldness of the vintage. Drink 2015-2025-91

2010 Chateau St. Michelle Artist Series Meritage- This highly impressive blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon with 18% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec. It was primarily sourced from the Cold Creek vineyard, one of Washington’s oldest vineyards, first planted in 1973. It also features Canoe Ridge vineyard fruit. This saw 20 months in 57% new French oak, with 4% new American oak. The wine opens with aromas of heavy oak and prune on the nose with spicebox and blackberry. There are flavors of blackberry, black cherry, anise and milk chocolate. This is simply delicious wine that is hard to lay down right now. Drink 2015-2024-93

 2013 Chateau St. Michelle Eroica Gold- This is sourced primarily from the Viewcrest Vineyard in the Yakima Valley (62%) as well as the 30-year-old Horse Heaven Vineyard (38%), located adjacent to the Columbia River. This semi-sweet Riesling utilizes 7.5% residual sugar. It opens with aromas of petrol, pear and wet stone with honey. There are flavors of pear, golden delicious apple, minerals and nice richness. This open and lithe wine is drinking deliciously now. Drink 2015-2021- -92

Foley-Johnson

Bill Foley and his wife, Carol Johnson Foley launched Foley-Johnson in 2012. Located in Rutherford, Foley-Johnson prides itself for making high quality Napa Cabernet. Their hospitality center is housed in an old converted redwood barn built in the 1920s. The winery produces two tiers of wines: Napa Valley and Handmade. The Napa Valley tier focuses on Bordeaux varieties from the nearly 50 acres of estate vineyards around the winery in Rutherford. Their Handmade series utilizes winemakers from other Foley estate wineries, such as Dave Lattin of Kuleto, Leslie Renaud of Lincourt, Paul Warson of Firestone, Mark Lyon of Sebastiani and Lisa Bishop Forbes of Chalk Hill.
Foley-Johnson head winemaker Brad Warner previously worked as a cellar worker for Charles Krug Winery. Three years later he moved to Robert Mondavi Winery to become their cellar foreman. During his 30 year career at Mondavi, Brad completed courses in winemaking and business management at Napa Valley College, UC Davis and Stanford University before being hired at Foley-Johnson David Ramey also works as consulting winemaker and has previously worked at Chateau Petrus and famed California estates, Dominus and Rudd. Needless to say, David Ramey is one of the premier winemakers in California.
In terms of estate vineyards, Foley-Johnson utilizes the Main Vineyard and the Peral vineyard. The Main vineyard (nearly 40 acres) is divided into 29 blocks based on soils, exposure and aspect. Until 1984, when the first vines were introduced by Bill and Lila Jaeger, the original estate was planted to plum and walnut orchards. Today the site features 14.4 acres Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.3 acres Merlot, 1.3 acres Petite Sirah, 1.7 acres Petit Verdot, 1.6 acres Cabernet Franc, 1.1 acres Malbec, 3.4 acres Sauvignon Blanc, and 1.5 acres Sauvignon Musque. The Peral vineyard is a neighboring, 10-acre estate parcel, devoted to Cabernet that is just south of the original vineyard, and offers similar soil and growing conditions. I recently had the chance to taste four wines out of the portfolio and was impressed with the Cabernet offerings. The 2012 ‘Rutherford’ bottling was a rich and opulent wine that will have a very long life. I was also particularly impressed with the 2012 Meritage, which captures the art of blending.
Here are the fantastic new releases from Foley-Johnson. Look for them online at http://www.foleyjohnsonwines.com/ ‪#‎foleyjohnson‬

2013 Foley-Johnson Sauvignon Blanc- Vines for this Sauvignon Blanc are planted in sandy soils along the Napa River at their estate vineyard in Rutherford. This wine was aged 4.5 months in 100% new French oak with no battonage prior to bottling in July 2014. This wine opens with aromas of cut grass, lychee and jalepenjo pepper. There are flavors reminiscent of pear, grapefruit and Gala apple with a wonderful minerality. A bit on the lean side, but tasty. Drink 2015-2020- 88

2012 Foley-Johnson ‘Napa’ Cabernet- This wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc. It was stored 19 months in French oak barrels (20% new) prior to bottling in July 2014. The wine opens with aromas of sage, anise and creme de cassis. This leads to flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cassis, and anise. This has nice weight on the mouthfeel, indicative of this superlative vintage. Drink 2015-2028- 91

2012 Foley-Johnson ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet- This Cabernet wine is sourced from two Rutherford vineyards, the the Peral Vineyard, having heavier soils and gravel and the Main Vineyard which is more loamy soil of gravel, clay and sand. It weighs in at 14.6% alcohol and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. After 19 months of aging in French Oak barrels (35% new) the wine was bottled July 2014. This wine opens with aromas of anise, black plums, red bell pepper and cassis. There are flavors of creme de cassis, anise, black cherry, mocha and graphite. Lovely weight on the mouthfeel, this dense and delicious Cabernet that improves with an hour of aeration. Hard to resist now but this beauty for two more years. Drink 2017-2035.- 93

2012 Foley-Johnson ‘Rutherford’ Meritage- This is a blend of 68% Cabernet, 23% Merlot, 6% Petite Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The blend was bottled in July 2014 and spent 18 months in French oak (30% new) This comes from the Foley-Johnson Estate vineyard, which is primarily loamy soil of gravel, clay and sand. The wine opens with aromas reminiscent of prune, black tea and anise. There are rich flavors of black cherry, blackberry, spice cake and creme de cassis. Lovely balance and richness on the mouthfeel. You can taste the varietals beautifully working together in this blend. Drink 2015-2028- 92

No Girls

More than 10 years ago a Frenchman, Christophe Baron, decended on a relatively unknown subregion outside of Walla Walla that is today known as ‘The Rocks.’ But the story starts at Christophe’s life, as a child, walking in his family vineyard with his father and grandfather. Christophe was the youngest of the centuries-old Champagne house, Baron Albert, and his ancestors had worked the land since 1677. As he grew older, Christophe studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne and was drawn to the Willamette Valley, with its closeness to the terroir driven Pinots of Burgundy. Christophe spent some time traveling the world before purchasing some land outside of Walla Walla and planting in 1997.

At the time no one had planted Syrah grapes in this Rocks region, characterized by small stones that reminded Christophe of Chateauneuf du Pape in the southern Rhone region of France. He first vineyard planted, called the Cailloux Vineyard, a10-acre plot in the stones of Milton Freewater. A year later he planted the Coccinelle Vineyard a 4.5-acre plot in which the Bionic Frog Syrah is produced from. The same year saw Christophe plant the En Cerise Vineyard which is the source for the Flying Pig and Camaspelo Bordeaux blends. Christophe continued planting vineyards in 2000, planting the En Chamberlin Vineyard, set on 10 stony acres and the source of The Widowmaker Cabernet-Sauvignon, Impulsivo Tempranillo and En Chamberlin Syrah. Finally, in 2001 the last vineyard was planted, the Armada Vineyard, which is the source for the Armada Vineyard Syrah, God Only Knows Grenache and Edith Grenache Rosé.

No Girls Winery is an offshoot of Cayuse, created by Christophe Baron and Elizabeth Bourcier, who have worked together since the first release of No Girls in 2008. The style of winemaking that is attempts to focus on the unique terroir of the La Paciencia Vineyard. The La Paciencia (patience) vineyard was planted between 2003 and 2005, near the Armada vineyard, and the first couple of vintages of wine were declassified. The name ‘No Girls’ is connected with the history of Walla Walla. Christophe purchased a building in 2002 that was a former brothel. In his new building, Christohe noticed the words ‘No Girls’ painted on the wall— and the wine label is an actual photograph.

No Girls wines are very difficult to find but recently my good friend and famous Seattle oral surgeon, Dr. Jae Hong, recently granted me and some others the opportunity to try the 2010 No Girls ‘La Paciencia Vineyard’ Grenache. I was hugely impressed with these terroir driven examples of Rhone varietals. There is a wonderful sense of terroir with these wines as they would almost pass for a fantastic mineral driven Chateauneuf du Pape with the wine’s minerality and weight.

No Girls wines are wine club only but sometimes you can find them at specialty shops. You can also find them online at wine.com and klwines.com. Here is my review for the 2010 No Girls ‘La Paciencia Vineyard’ Grenache:

2010 No Girls ‘La Paciencia Vineyard’ Grenache- The La Paciencia (patience) vineyard vines are tightly spaced and planted on an angle. Originally planted between 2003 and 2005, near the Armada vineyard, the first few vintages of grapes from this vineyard were declassified. This cool vintage wine opens with prototypical Walla Walla rocks aromas of wet stone, mushroom, lavender and orange peel. There are flavors of red raspberry garrigue, Bing cherry, cran-orange and provencale herbs. This mineral driven wine has exquisite texture and a finish that lingers. This is drinking in its sweet spot. Drink 2015-2028-  95

Airfield Estates

You can’t help but love the character of this place. Set in a hangar like setting, Airfield Estates is a memorable place to visit if you are in the Yakima valley. This expansive tasting room holds the strong lineup of Airfield wines. Airfield Estates uses 100% estate grown fruit.  Their vines were planted in 1968 by Don Miller and today the estate vineyard spans over 860 acres and includes 27 different varieties. I was particularly impressed with the incredible values that Airfield offers. Having not visited the tasting room in a few years, there were several wines that definitely impressed.

If you have not tried their 2013 Late Harvest Riesling, this is one to grab by the case. The richness, acid structure and viscosity of the wine is a huge accomplishment, considering the $15.00 price tag of the wine. Kudos to the Marcus Miller, head winemaker, on that one. Airfield’s red and white wines also impressed in their 2012 and 2013 releases. The 2014 Viognier was excellent and had wonderful lychee and pear flavors, with nice richness and depth. Their 2012 ‘Estate’ Merlot also impressed for the price and had wonderful red fruit flavors. That is another one to pick up by the case, as it has a wonderful silky texture. Winemaker Marcus Miller shows his skill with these new releases. Check out the strong lineup of Airfield Estates wines at airfieldestates.com #airfieldestates

2014 Airfield Estates Sauvignon Blanc- This is 100% stainless steel fermented and is estate fruit that was bottled in May 2015. There is gooseberry and lemongrass as well as white peach on the nose. There is nice minerality on the palate and a smooth mouthfeel. Flavors of grapefruit, red delicious apple and pear on the palate with a slight astringency. This would be a lovely pair for oysters. Drink 2015-2019-89

2014 Airfield Estates Fly Girl- This is a 100% stainless fermented wine that was bottled in May 2015. This value wine is a blend of 53% Pinot Gris, 22% Viognier, 13% Gewürztraminer and 12% Rousanne. This wine opens with aromas of honeysuckle, pear and lychee. There are flavors of vanilla, pear, red delicious and a nice clean finish. Drink 2015-2020. -89

2014 Airfield Estates Moscato-This is made with 1.4 residual sugar. Aromas of pear, golden delicious apple and lychee. There are flavors of pear, red delicious and cantaloupe. Smooth mouthfeel and a nice minerality. This is a tremendous value. Drink 2015-2020- 89

2014 Airfield Estates Dry Moscato- This interesting wine opens with aromas of jasmine, pear and cardamom. There are flavors of pear, cantaloupe, and Granny Smith Apple. Nice astringency and acid structure. I haven’t seen any value Washington wines quite like this. Drink 2015-2019-88

2014 Airfield Estates Viognier- This is 90% unoaked and the rest was in neutral barrels. This wine opens with aromas of white peach, banana and pear. There are flavors of lychee, pear and vanilla cream with a full mouthfeel. This has lovely texture and offers tremendous value. Drink 2015-2020-90

2014 Airfield Estates Chardonnay- This wine saw 30% neutral oak fermentation, with the rest fermented in stainless steel. There are aromas of pear, Gala apple, and starfruit with subtle oak. This leads to flavors of oak, pear and golden delicious apple. Beautiful texture to this wine that is velvety and buttery. Drink 2015-2022. -90

2013 Airfield Estates Lightning- This is a blend of 59% Viognier, 35% Roussane and 6% Marsanne. There are aromas of buttered toast, pear and honeydew. There are flavors of red delicious apple, pear and a long buttery finish. This forward style wine is delicious. Drink 2015-2019-89

2013 Airfield Estates Reserve Chardonnay- The fruit comes from the County Line vineyard that is primarily sandy loam soil and sits at a steep 10% grade, 1100 feet above sea level. This is 100% oaked Chard and spent 16 months in neutral French oak before being bottled in January 2015. The wine opens with aromas of oak, pear and golden delicious. This has pear, golden delicious and heavy whipping cream with a long cream finish. Delicious now. Drink 2015-2022-90

2013 Lone Birch Chardonnay- Airfield’s second label wine here impresses with aromas of pear, green apple and a touch of oak. There are flavors of pear, cantaloupe and green apple. Impressive effort considering the price point. Drink 2015-2019-88

2014 Lone Birch Pinot Gris- This was formerly the Airfield Pinot Gris and they now bottle this with Lone Birch. There are aromas of pear, Gala apple and lychee. There are flavors of red delicious apple, pear, nutmeg and a strong minerality. Delicious summer wine. Drink 2015-2019-89

2013 Lone Birch Red Blend- There are aromas of red cherry, prune and oak. Flavors of red cherry, guava and a bit saccharin driven. Drink 2015-2017-85

2013 Lone Birch Syrah- This is all estate fruit from the Airfield vineyard. There are open aromas of oak, red cherry, cherry tomato and blackberry. There are flavors of blackberry, red cherry and raspberry. Nice richness for the price point. Excellent value wine that will drink nicely over the next few years. Drink 2015-2019-88

2013 Lone Birch Cabernet- This delicious value wine opens with aromas of blackberry, red cherry and oak. There are nice rich flavors of blackberry, anise, red cherry and raspberry. Tasty and open wine for the price. Drink 2015-2020-89

2013 Airfield Estates Merlot- Slightly muted nose with dill, red cherry and raspberry. There are flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, dill and milk chocolate. Silky texture with good balance. Drink 2015-2022-90

2012 Airfield Estates Estate Merlot- This wine comes from the D-2 block in the Miller Vineyard that was planted in 1996 and is primarily silty loam over broken basalt. This was aged 19 months in 60% French, 30% American and 10% Eastern European oak (30% new), prior to bottling in September 2014. The wine opens with a rich nose with red cherry, dill and oak. There are flavors of black cherry, dill, raspberry and black olive. Delicious and excellent richness in this layered effort. Drink 2015-2022-91

2012 Airfield Estates ‘Runway’ Merlot-This 2200 case production wine comes from a Merlot block from the estate vineyard that was first planted in 1996. It has aromas of black cherry, blackberry and black olive. There are flavors of red cherry, raspberry and vanilla in this fruit driven wine. Drink 2015-2020-89

2012 Airfield Estates ‘Runway’ Cabernet-This wine comes from a block first planted in 1989 and is 100% estate fruit that was bottled in August 2013. It opens with aromas of raspberry, black cherry and black olive. There are flavors of blackberry, black olive and mocha. This is rock solid. Drink 2015-2022. -90

2013 Airfield Estates Cabernet- This warm vintage wine opens with aromas of blackberry, anise and coffee. There are flavors of blackberry, anise, black cherry and elegant acid backbone. Impressive effort for the price. Drink 2015-2023-91

2012 Airfield Estates Aviator- The vines for this wine come from the D-2 Merlot block and the E-5 Cabernet block, as well as the Black Rock site for the other varietals. This is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec. It begins with aromas of black cherry, oak and anise. There are flavors blackberry, anise and black cherry alongside moderate tannins. This has nice balance and moderate richness, with a nice acid backbone. Drink 2015-2022-89

2013 Airfield Estates Cabernet Franc- This 40 case production wine begins with aromas of dill, rosemary and sagebrush with red cherry. There are flavors of red cherry, raspberry and polished structure. Delicious red fruit character and brings out its feminine side. Drink 2015-2022-90

2012 Airfield Estates Dauntless- This Merlot dominant blend with aromas of blackberry, mocha and black cherry. There are flavors of blackberry, black cherry and anise. Delicious effort. Drink 2015-2020-89

2013 Airfield Estates Runway Syrah-This Syrah comes from a block of the estate vineyard that was planted in 2002, situated right below the Roza canal at the headquarters of Black Rock Creek. There are aromas of black olive, black cherry and nutmeg. There are flavors of black cherry, blackberry and coffee. Delicious and polished effort that impresses considering the price. Drink 2015-2022-90

2012 Airfield Estates Spitfire- This is a blend of 60% Sangiovese with 30% Cabernet and 10% Merlot. There are aromas of red cherry, raspberry and blackberry. Flavors of blackberry, red cherry and cranberry flavors. This has nice balance. 495 cases made. Drink 2015-2020. -89

2013 Airfield Estates Late Harvest Riesling- This impressive bottling is made from frozen grapes and has 20% Residual sugar and only 9.6% alcohol. This wine required twice the typical amount of yeast, due to the high sugar levels. There are rich aromas of pineapple, golden delicious and ripe Bartlett pear. This has a wonderful texture and richness, leading to flavors of white raisin, nectarine, golden delicious apple and honey. Viscous and mineral driven wine that's serious. I would easily pay double the price for this. Drink 2015-2025-94