One of the standout Washington wineries, Corliss Estates focuses on premier red wines, sourced from some of the best vineyards in Washington state. A few days ago I had the great opportunity to taste at Corliss Estates. A stunning facility located in Walla Walla, Corliss focuses on Bordeaux varietals and they are currently showcasing the 2012 vintage, a textbook vintage. Corliss holds their wines considerably longer than most wineries. I met with head winemaker Alexander Trio and winemaking consultant Philippe Melka as they were doing some blending. They were both super happy with their 2012 wines — and I was equally impressed. Trio crafted some killer new wines including the 2012 Corliss Estates Malbec (WWB, 94), an insanely deep and intoxicating wine that shows wonderful dark fruits and herbaceous aspects. The mouthfeel of this wine is exquisite. Even better was the 2012 Corliss Syrah (WWB, 95) which is one of the best Syrah wines that I have sampled in the past year. This wine is deep, layered and simply intoxicating. 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.
2012 Corliss Syrah-The 2012 Syrah has 3% Viognier blended in. This gorgeous, deep colored wine begins with aromatics of blackberry cobbler, coffee grounds, dark chocolate shavings and black cherry cough syrup. The aromatics are very intense and downright intoxicating. The mouthfeel is absolutely gorgeous. There are layered flavors of Black Forest cake, spicebox, mocha and black plum. This is plush and absolutely delicious as the minerality is dazzling. This is just an awesome wine crafted by superstar winemaker Andrew Trio and famed winemaking consultant Philippe Melka. Drink 2017-2030- 95
2012 Corliss Malbec- This wine is sourced from the Black Rock Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA. This has deep and layered aromatics of black tea, mint, violets and blackberry jam. These are dense aromas that bring you back to the glass for more. Milk chocolate, blackberry cobbler, black tea, roasted figs and mint flavors impress. This shows incredible intensity and minerality. I can see this cellaring brilliantly for a decade or more. Drink 2017-2030- 94