Avennia
One of the premier boutique Washington wineries out there, Avennia hit a high standard with their recent release of wines. Superstar winemaker Chris Peterson, was winemaker at DeLille Cellars and was hired by Avennia owner Marty Taucher to be head winemaker at Avennia. The wine at Avennia is so good that it always sells out. It was not an easy beginning for Avennia, as their first vintages were during difficult, colder growing seasons of 2010 and 2011 -- yet the wines still impressed. Their recent releases from 2012 are rich and balanced, coming from an exceptional vintage. I was particularly impressed with their new wine from 2013 called Les Trouves, made from declassified wine from around the state. Considering the price point of under 20 bucks, this thing is going to be a huge hit with Northwest wine lists. Check out their new releases at avennia.com. Here are the stellar new wines from Avennia:
2014 Avennia ‘Oliane’ Sauvignon Blanc-They elected to store some in concrete and this is their first year they have incorporated new oak, neutral oak and concrete. Aromas of honeydew, cantaloupe and beeswax. Rich mouthfeel with vibrant acidity. Flavors of green papaya, cantaloupe, Meyer lemon, and cut grass, almost like they added a touch of Semillon. The finish lingers. Drink 2015-2019. -91
2013 Avennia 'Justine' GSM Blend- Grenache domainant wine with 47% Grenache, 38% Mouvedre and 15% Syrah. Lovely aromatics of rose petals, provencale herbs, raspberry and smoked meats. Lovely mouthfeel with flavors of black cherry, tar, raspberry and raspberry ganache flavors. A feminine Rhone blend that finishes long with vanilla cherry. Nice viscosity, and ripeness reminiscent of a hot vintage. Drink 2015-2025. -93
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. Hard to resist now but could improve with another year in the bottle. Drink 2015-2025. -95
2012 Avennia ‘Gravura’- This is a stylish Bordeaux style wine with close to equal parts of Cabernet and Merlot. The name originates from the soil character in the wine. Nose has anise and mocha with oak. Rich and dense mouthfeel in this wine with lovely texture. The palate explodes with rich flavors of blackberry, anise, cassis and has nice depth. This has the acid structure for many years in the bottle but gives great pleasure now Drink 2015-2025 -92
2012 Avennia Sestina- This is a Cabernet heavy blend with 19% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc added. They’ve used Red Willow 85 block Cabernet showing through. Perfumed nose of gravel, blackberry and dried herbs as well as slight vegetal quality. Rich mouthfeel with light dusty tannins. Flavors of blackberry, black olive, black cherry and a long finish that lingers. Viscosity and richness is there. Cellar for a year or two more. Drink 2017-2030 on. -93
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 fineness and this is on the more 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 2015-2020. -91