One of the great young talents in Washington wine, Latta Wines was started by winemaker and owner Andrew Latta in 2011. Andrew previously worked at Charles Smith for many years before starting his own winery, located in the SoDo district of Seattle. Andrew was born and raised in Kentucky. He began working in restaurants at a young age, starting as a busser and moving upwards to a prestigious Sommelier position at a high end resort in Thailand. It was at that job that Andrew was exposed to the great wines of the world, and the rest was history. Andrew spoke to me last year in an interview about his first important experiences in the Washington wine industry, from working as a cellar rat at Dunham Cellars, to his position with Charles Smith in 2006, where he became winemaker. He is a humble, downright awesome to chat wine with. He is the kind of guy that messages me back about another interview on his honeymoon!
Andrew’s new releases were beautiful across the board. His new rose release, the 2016 Kind Stranger Rose (WWB, 90) has wonderful poise and astringency. This is a wonderful wine for the summer. Check out his gorgeous 2014 Latta Wines ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache (WWB, 92) which is wonderfully feminine and soft, with a silky mouthfeel. Learn more about this outstanding lineup of wines at http://www.lattawines.com/
2016 Kind Stranger Rose- The Rose is a blend of 42% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, 27% Cinsault. The nose reminds me of rose petals, orange blossom and wild strawberry. Bright guava, lemon zest and watermelon flavors mark this great Rose. Drink 2018-2020- 90
2014 Latta Wines ‘Lawrence Vineyard’ Roussanne- This wine starts off with aromas of green apple, pear and sage. This has wonderful astringency with a warm, creamy finish that lingers. The beautiful mouthfeel really makes this wine. Drink 2018-2022- 92
2013 Latta Wines ‘Upland Vineyard’ Mourvèdre- This translucent colored wine begins with red cherry preserves, loganberry and Asian spices. There is ice balance on the mid-palate as the wine shows off black tea, cola and red cherry flavors. Drink 2018-2028- 91
2014 Latta Wines ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache- This light colored Grenache opens with a bouquet of red cherry, rose petals and guava. The texture here is really nice. Red cherry, dill, and a touch of orange rind impress, as the feminine side is beauituflly expressed. Drink 2018-2026- 92
2013 Latta Wines ‘Northridge Vineyard’ Malbec- This deep colored wine has chocolate, coffee grounds and blueberry jelly aromatics. The palate is plush as this delivers wild blackberry pie, sage and mocha flavors that connect with nice tension. Drink 2018-2026- 91