A few weeks back I had the opportunity to taste at Corliss Estates. A stunning facility located in Walla Walla, Corliss focuses on Bordeaux varietals and they are currently showcasing the 2011 vintage, a cooler year in Washington. The new release wines were some of the best wines that I have sampled from that vintage, so kudos to head winemaker Alexander Trio and winemaking consultant Philippe Melka. I had the chance to chat with Trio during the tasting and he was pretty happy about what the ’11 vintage brought to him, despite obvious warmth issues. I was particularly impressed with how Trio crafted his 2011 Corliss Estates Cabernet (WWB, 94), a wine that took the best earthy and herbaceous aspects of the vintage and combined that with nice richness and a silky mouthfeel. Most of these wines are challenging to obtain and can be found in some online stores. Learn more about Corliss Estates at http://corlissestates.com Here are the great new release wines from Corliss Estates.
2011 Corliss Estates Cabernet-The 2011 Corliss Estates Cabernet Sauvignon is a striking effort from this challenging vintage. This late release wine opens with aromatics of graphite, black olive, black cherry and sagebrush with hints of thyme and eucalyptus. A highly herbaceous aromatic profile, the palate has a deep core with earthy flavors of black cherry, graphite, coffee grounds, black olive, with chewy moderate tannins. The structure of this wine is gorgeous, having a great left bank Bordeaux feel. Give this wine another year in the bottle before enjoying. Drink 2017-2030- 94
2011 Corliss Estates Red Wine- 2011 Corliss Red Blend- Their flagship wine, this blend is a combination of Cabernet, Cab Franc and Merlot. The wine opens with aromas of creme de cassis, blackberry pie, anise, sage and hints of mulberry. There are deep flavors of creme de cassis, anise, graphite, sandalwood and red cherry. Like the '11 Cabernet bottling, the tangible Bordelaise feel is there. Tightly wound and intense, this needs another year at least in the bottle to develop. Drink 2017-2033- 93
2011 Corliss Estates Malbec- This intense wine begins with aromas of creme de cassis, mocha, anise, sandalwood and Turkish coffee. This Malbec has flavors of mocha, anise, black olive, creme de cassis and roasted figs. This will have an exceedingly long life and really deserves another year of bottle age prior to enjoying. Drink 2017-2030- 93