Avennia

Avennia

When you have superstar winemaker Chris Peterson at the helm, good things happen. Avennia is one of the best boutique Washington wineries. Their wines always sell out and are typically pretty difficult to find. Head winemaker Chris Peterson served as DeLille Cellars winemaker prior to teaming up with Avennia co-founder Marty Taucher for a winning combination. The new releases from the outstanding 2014 vintage are rich and balanced. While I was hugely impressed with the 2013 releases, these wines are up here with the best wines ever made at this great winery. Look for the 2014 Avennia ‘Justine’ Red Wine (WWB, 94) which is silky, elegant and rich. Even better was the 2014 Avennia ‘Arnaut’ Syrah (WWB, 95) which shows insane range and is downright impossible to resist. Check out their new releases at avennia.com. Here are the stellar new wines from Avennia:

2014 Avennia ‘Justine’ Red Wine- The 2014 Avennia ‘Justine’ Red Wine is a sterling blend of 45% Grenache, 36% Mourvedre, and 19% Syrah. This wine has heady aromatics of black tar, black cherry, cigar box and provencal herbs. The herbaceousness is just lovely and gives this wine extra character. This wine is silky and shows the wonderful push between feminine and masculine, as dark and red fruit flavors emerge alongside excellent structure. Juicy and downright delicious, this is an outstanding wine made by the talented hands of Chris Peterson. Drink 2017-2027- 94

2014 Avennia ‘Arnaut’ Syrah- Sourced from the esteemed Boushey Vineyard, this wine is the follow up from one of my top wines of 2016, the absolutely compelling and downright awesome 2013 ‘Arnaut’ Syrah. Showing a deep core, this Syrah wine opens with aromatics reminiscent of smoked brisket, dried sage, black olive and black cherry cough syrup. The aromatic range is hugely compelling. Dense and masculine, this wine is currently showing off flavors reminiscent of milk chocolate, black forest cake, black olive and suggestions of smoked pork shoulder. I can’t help thinking what an outstanding pairing this would be for a juicy ribeye steak. Showing a wonderful minerality, this deep wine will cellar well past the next decade. This is a true heavyhitter of a SyrahDrink 2017-2030- 95

2014 Avennia ‘Gravura’ Red Wine- The 2014 Avennia ‘Gravura’ Red Wine is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon with 37% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc. At this time, the dark fruits show more than red fruit aromatics, as do spicebox and Hoisin sauce accents. This has really nice poise and showcases superstar winemaker Chris Peterson’s classic structured style. Black plum, black cherry, black olive and suggestions of baking spices round out these delicious flavors. The weight and mouthfeel is lovely. Be sure to give this a one hour plus decant if enjoying in its nascent phase. Drink 2017-2027- 92

2014 Avennia ‘Sestina’ Red Wine- The 2014 ‘Sestina’ by Avennia is another gorgeous wine made by Chris Peterson. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this wine opens with a rich bouquet of graphite, creme de cassis, coffee grounds and suggestions of sweet pipe tobacco. The aromatics of this wine are simply intoxicating. The texture and mouthfeel deliver here. Cigar box, black cherry, mocha, black olive and creme de cassis flavors entice and sit alongside some mouth-watering acidity. If enjoying young, be sure to give this wine at least a two hour decant, as this wine becomes even more brooding and dark. Give this gorgeous Cabernet wine at least one more year in the bottle to fully settle. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2014 Avennia ‘Vallery’ Red Wine-The 2014 ‘Vallery’ by Avennia is blend of 60% Boushey Vineyard Merlot and 40% Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc. They make some magic together. After spending an hour in the decanter, mint, creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, black cherry and black olive tapenade aromatics emerge from the glass. Chris Peterson has crafted his signature silky mouthfeel in this wine. Black cherry, red raspberry liquor, smoke, sagebrush and milk chocolate flavors impress. This has wonderful aromatic and flavor range. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2014 Avennia ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This absolutely outstanding wine is sourced from old vine Cabernet which was first planted in 1985. There is a wonderful purity of fruit that emerges from the glass, as aromatics of black cherry, eucalyptus, crushed mint, blackberry cobbler and milk chocolate show their presence. There is an awesome interplay between dark and red fruits on the mid-palate, as the structure is primary and fruits secondary at this juncture. This is massive and needs time in the bottle to fully show off its potential. Drink 2019-2033- 94