One of the great lineups of Washington wine, Sleight of Hand was founded in 2007 by Trey Busch and Jerry and Sandy Solomon. The winery focuses on both estate and non-estate fruit and has slowly been increasing production since the winery’s inception. Trey (a fellow Pearl Jam fan) is a downright awesome, down to earth guy that has attained great success in a relatively short amount of time. Their production winemaker, Keith Johnson, is highly talented and he also produces great wine under his Devium label.
Look for the 2016 Sleight of Hand ‘The Enchantress’ Chardonnay (WWB, 93) which has a great combination of range on the palate. It is a delicious Chardonnay that has some nice aging potential. I was absolutely blown away with the 20167 Sleight of Hand ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah (WWB, 95) sourced from the esteemed Stoney Vine Vineyard. The wine is the best ‘The Psychadelic’ release that I have sampled and it shows insane range and a marvelous texture. This is a stony, terroir driven Syrah that is not to be missed. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://www.sofhcellars.com Here are the awesome new release wines from Sleight of Hand.
2016 Sleight of Hand ‘The Enchantress’ Chardonnay- This beautiful wine shows a bright aromatic profile of toasty brioche, poached pear, and Meyer lemon cream. The palate shows a wonderful mouthfeel and texture. I absolutely love the viscosity here. Vanilla creme brulee, green apple and nutmeg flavors all beautifully combine. The freshness and energy here is seriously good especially considering the obvious heat of the vintage. A complete wine, this will cellar well for a decade. Drink 2018-2026- 93
2016 Sleight of Hand ‘The Sorceress’ Grenache- This enticing Grenache was sourced from three different sites: The Upland, French Creek and Ziggy Stardust Vineyards. The nose delivers some wonderful wet stone character with rose petal and red cherry candy aromatics connecting nicely. The palate is downright sexy, showing delicate red fruits with a silky mouthfeel. Delicious and nicely poised, considering the heat of the vintage, this wine will be best enjoyed over the next six plus years. Drink 2018-2026- 93
2016 Sleight of Hand ‘The Spellbinder’ Red Wine- The ‘Spellbinder’ is largely comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot all sourced from the Columbia Valley. The nose is forward, delivering copious dark fruits and chocolate aromatics. The mouthfeel is soft as toasty oak wraps around dark fruits and mocha flavors. This is delicious in its youth. Drink 2018-2024- 90
2015 Sleight of Hand ‘The Illusionist’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A terrific new release, ‘The Illusionist’ is a silky blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5%Petit Verdot. The wine spent 20 months in 65% new French oak prior to bottling. On the nose this reveals nice herbal tones from the Cabernet Franc, while black fruits dance with milk chocolate. The palate has a silky mouthfeel, unveiling coffee grounds, blackberry cobbler and sagebrush with cigar ash flavors. Drink 2018-2026- 91
2016 Sleight of Hand ‘The Conjurer’ Red Wine- This wine is a compelling blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with a touch of Petit Verdot. The nose shows some toasty oak with black fruits and lighter green herbal tones. The mouthfeel is soft as the wine shows a good combination of mid-palate weight and tension. Blackberry cobbler, crushed mint, spice box and anise flavors all mingle nicely together. Drink 2018-2026- 91
2015 Sleight of Hand ‘The Archimage’ Red Wine- The Sleight of Hand winemaking team has sourced this wine from a host of AVAs, as this is a left bank style blend of 57% Cabernet Franc and 43% Merlot. The nose shows lighter herbal tones with red and dark fruits playing in the foreground. The wine shows wonderful varietal character and tons of mouth-watering acidity. Seriously good, the wine is best enjoyed over the next six to eight years while this wonderful tension remains. Drink 2018-2026- 92
2016 Sleight of Hand ‘Levitation’ Syrah- The ‘Levitation’ Syrah was largely sourced from the Lewis Vineyard as well as smaller portions from the Les Collines and Ziggy Stardust Vineyards. The nose is sensational, showing wonderful range from dark fruits to creosote to lighter citrus and herbal tones. The palate is plush and shows off a gorgeous and round mouthfeel. Copious dark fruits mingle with chocolate and earthy terroir flavors on the palate. A stunning wine, this will cellar well for the next eight plus years. Drink 2018-2026- 93
2016 Sleight of Hand ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah- The best wine in the new outstanding Sleight of Hand lineup, ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah is a head-turning wine sourced from the esteemed Stoney Vine Vineyard in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA. The Syrah was aged in 25% new French oak for 16 months prior to bottling. The terroir on the nose is evident, ranging from wild blackberry to orange zest and green olive tapenade to smoked brisket and wet stone. The silky mouthfeel invites you to take the next delicious sip. There is a wonderful energy and tension to this wine as well that impresses. Blackberry pie, cigar ash, wet stone, Mandarin orange rind and Hoisin sauce all combine marvelously on the palate. Given an hour of air the flavors become even more impressive as the texture evolves to be wonderfully mouth-coating. While this is delicious now, the wine will continue to evolve over the next decade — but it is nearly impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2026- 95