This past Sunday I was able to taste of the best wines from Washington at the Taste of Washington (http://tastewashington.org/), the biggest Washington wine event of the year. Some of Washington's most esteemed wineries were represented at the Taste -- wineries like Dunham, Andrew Will and Woodward Canyon. Many of the wineries were pouring their best wines. The food was so excellent that I could easily create another blog just on the food items, ranging from crab cakes to raw oysters.
Here are a few of my favorite Washington red and white wines that I was able to sample at this great event:
2011 Andrew Will Sorrella- Rich cassis and vanilla oak on the nose. Palate is rich for the vintage and surprisingly ready to drink. Blackberry and cassis dominate the palate with goo depth. Decant for an hour or two before drinking. Delicious. -93
2011 Andrew Will Two Blondes- Rich and perfumed nose with black fruits and red bell pepper. Smooth and ready to drink but will also reward w a few years of cellaring. Rich for the vintage. -92
2010 Baer Winery Arctos- This is one of their Bordeaux blends. Blackberry and oak on the nose. 59 cab 29 cab franc and 12 Merlot. Really great acidity. Not ready but has tons of potential needing 2-3 years of cellaring. -92
2008 Boudreaux Cellars Cabernet- Anise and blackberry on the nose. Palate has fig and red cherry. Delicious now with some light tannins. Drinking well now but could also cellar for a few years. -92
2009 Brian Carter Cellars Tuttorosso Red Blend-68 Sangiovese. Earthy nose with cherry and oak. Palate has red cherry and raspberry with some mushroom. Delightful earthiness with light
tannins. Ready to drink now.- 91
2012 Buty Sémillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle- 62 Semillon and 21 Sav Blanc, with the rest Muscadelle. Light oak nose. Palate is rich
and has butter, cantaloupe, pear and minerals. Nice finish. -92
2011 Doubleback Cabernet- 90 percent Cabernet. Oak and red fruits on the nose. Palate has moderate concentration and richness with both red and dark fruits with chocolate and coffee. Very Bordeaux like. Excellent. Will need to be decanted for more than two hours. -93
2013 Chateau St Michelle Cold Creek Riesling- Excellent aromatics, getting lime and lemon. This is serious stuff for the price. Off dry with a little bit of sweetness. Pear and lemon with great minerality on the palate. Drink now.-92
2011 Chateau St. Michelle Cold Creek Chardonnay- Pear and apple with light oak on the nose. Nice oak integration on the
palate with green apple, butter and pear. Drink now. -91
2010 Chateau St. Michelle Cold Creek Merlot- Rich color with spice, prune and oak. Palate also has a nice spice component with the red cherry and pomegranate. Drink now. -91
2012 Dunham Lewis Vineyard Riesling-pear and lemon on the nose. Lime and slate great acid. Nice richness and fantastic value. Drink now.- 92
2010 Dunham Cabernet-Rich nose and black fruits with some spice cake. Blackberry and strong minerality with light tannins on the palate. Nice finish. This one will have a long life but needs 2-3 more years to ripen and become more expressive. -92
2009 L'Ecole Number 41 Merlot (Walla Walla Valley)-Vanilla and oak on the nose with some raspberry and spice. Ripe cherries, plum, fig and raspberry on the palate. Very rich. Another year or two years of cellaring will help this open up even more. -93
2009 Northstar Winery Merlot (Walla Walla Valley)-Vanilla and oak on the nose. Ripe cherries plum fig and raspberry on the palate. Very rich. Needs 2 plus years of cellaring . -93
2010 Northstar Merlot (Columbia Valley). 78 percent Merlot. Rich and smooth w fig and cherry with dates. Can taste the Cabernet, giving the Merlot and extra backbone. Drink this excellent stuff now.- 92
2010 Northstar Premier Merlot- This 100 percent Merlot was sourced from Northstar's best vineyards (Cold Creek, Beverly and
Stone Tree). Chocolate cherry with oak on the nose. Rich cherry cough syrup with boysenberry flavors. Novel stuff. Cellar for 2-3 but also good right out of the bottle -93
2012 Patterson Cellars Late Harvest Rousanne - Has 14 percent Viognier and 10 percent Chenin Blanc blended with the Rousanne. Rich concentrated golden hue. Nice depth and has peach, tangerine and grapefruit with vibrant minerality. Drink now. -92
2012 Rotie Cellars Southern White- 100 percent Marsanne. Orange peel and lemon on the nose. Palate is slightly sour w fantastic minerality. Expressive and novel. Green melon and peach. Maybe lime too. Drink now. -92
2012 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay. I was told this was voted best in show for 40 bucks and above at the San Fran wine competition. Very light oak. Wonderful smoothness with golden delicious pear and cantaloupe. Excellent and drinking well now. -92
2011 Woodward Canyon Artists Series Cabernet- 83 Cabernet and the rest Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot with Syrah. I was told that this is the first year that they have ever used some Syrah for this blend. Fruity and perfumed nose. Palate has nice viscosity considering the vintage with blackberry and plum flavors. This one needs time, drink in 2-3 years. Well balanced. -93