A winery founded by dentist, Dr. Kit Singh, Lauren Ashton Cellars is a must visit in Woodinville. Founded in 2009, this is a relatively new winery that is only getting better. Kit has previously worked at DeLille and has furthered his education from the illustrious University of California at Davis enology program. Lauren Ashton Cellars was named after Kit’s two children, Ashley Lauren and Ashton Troy. Kit is a science scholar that takes winemaking very seriously. You can tell Kit’s careful attention detail in the glass. I’ve been a fan of this estate for many years and I wanted to showcase their new releases.
It is worth noting that this is Kit’s second career. He has only been in winemaking until somewhat recently. Kit obviously has an extremely high ceiling, judging by his last two years of new release wines. His latest release wines were absolutely gorgeous. Look for the new 2015 Lauren Ashton Rose (WWB, 91) which has wonderful lithe minerality and nice density. Lauren Ashton has absolutely nailed this effort as this is one of the best Washington Rose wines that I have sampled in the past year. Another great new release wine is the 2012 Lauren Ashton ‘Cuvee Mirabelle’ (WWB, 92) which shows nice density and layered black fruit flavors. Finally, one of the better Washington Cabernet releases that I have sampled in the past few months is a rather late release, the 2012 Lauren Ashton Cabernet (WWB, 93). This wine has the classic Cabernet aromas and a dense mouthfeel that is really a gorgeous bottling. Learn more about Lauren Ashton wines at http://laurenashtoncellars.com/ Here are the great new release wines by Lauren Ashton Cellars.
2015 Lauren Ashton Rose- This is an intriguing blend of 50/50 Grenache and Mourvèdre. There are aromatics of Mandarin orange rind, grapefruit blossom, guava puree and Bing cherry. This wine delivers flavors of red raspberry, pomegranate, Bing cherry and watermelon. A delight to savor, hats off to Kit Singh in crafting this fantastic summer sipper. Drink 2016-2020- 91
2014 Lauren Ashton Rousanne- This wine starts with aromatics reminiscent of cut grass, beeswax, cantaloupe and lemon blossoms. The wine yields bright flavors of cantaloupe, Pazzaz apple, kumquat and hints of orange marmalade. There is lovely weight and texture to this impressive Rousanne. Head winemaker has an impressive handle on this Rhone varietal. Drink 2016-2022- 92
2014 Lauren Ashton Semillon- This wine has aromas of brioche, Pazzaz apple, starfruit and suggestions of nutmeg. There are flavors of green papaya, Granny Smith apple, lemon zest and cantaloupe. There is a nice plush mouthfeel with wonderful smoothness. Drink 2016-2020- 90
2012 Lauren Ashton 'Cuvée Mirabelle' Red Wine- This wine is a blend of 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah and 33% Mourvèdre that has seen a good deal of bottle age upon release. The blend begins with aromatics of smoked meats, lavender, thyme, black cherry and black olive. On the palate there are rich flavors of mocha, pencil shavings, smoked duck, black olive and blackberry cobbler. Open and polished right now, give this at least 30 minutes in the decanter for the flavors to fully amalgamate. This is another gorgeous effort by head winemaker Kit Singh. Drink 2016-2026- 92
2012 Lauren Ashton Cabernet- This dense colored wine begins with aromatics reminiscent of milk chocolate, sagebrush, coffee grounds and black olive with hints of cassis. There are flavors of red cherry, boysenberry preserves, mocha and black olive. Having a plush mouthfeel, this glides through the tongue. A delight to drink now, but this wine has great cellaring potential as well. Drink 2016-2028- 93