I admire wineries that show good consistency. Such is true with Ambassador Wines of Washington who have been crafting bold, nicely textured wines from their Red Mountain estate since 2004. Under the expert eye of Dick Boushey, the Ambassador Vineyard is a warm site planted to a host of varietals, from Grenache to Cabernet Sauvignon. Ambassador has a tasting room in the Woodinville Warehouse District which is a wonderful spot to try their awesome range of wines. Ambassador utilizes famed winemaking consultant Tom Rinaldi, formerly with Provenance and Hewitt wineries in Napa.
Ambassador is developing a strong reputation for their red wines and I really enjoyed the 2017 Ambassador ‘Plentipotentiary’ Syrah (OB, 91) which is smoky, savory and shows a really soft mouthfeel. I was impressed with the quality of the 2017 Ambassador ‘Envoy’ Red Wine (OB, 91), a proprietary blend which shows great milk chocolate tones that will impress over the next decade. Learn more about this great lineup of wines at http://www.ambassadorwinery.com Here are the new wines by Ambassador Wines of Washington
2019 Ambassador ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- This shows great acidity with gooseberry and green apple tones on the palate. Fresh, not geared as much towards weight, enjoy over the next several years. Drink 2020-2023- 89
2017 Ambassador ‘Plentipotentiary’ Syrah- Smoky tones with bacon fat and roasted figs fill the nose with chocolate undertones. The palate is nicely structured with a dense mouthfeel and plush texture. Layers of ripe dark fruits collide with minerals and smoky undertones. This is really good stuff. Drink 2020-2027- 91
2017 Ambassador ‘Envoy’ Red Wine- The ‘Envoy’ shows dark chocolate shavings and blackberry cordial tones on the nose with toasty oak. The palate is nicely textured, soft and layered with inviting dark fruits that mingle with milk chocolate and sagebrush undertones. Great in its youth, this will cellar well for another eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 91
2017 Ambassador ‘Minister’ Red Wine- The 2017 ‘Minister’ shows ripe dark plum tones alongside smoke and scorched earth on this evocative bouquet. The palate is ripe, round and generous, showing layers of toasty oak that wrap around the core of dark fruits, sagebrush and chocolate fudge tones. This is solid stuff that has another decade ahead of it. Drink 2020-2028- 91
2017 Ambassador ‘Diplomat’ Red Wine- The 2017 ‘Diplomat’ shows sagebrush and dark chocolate covered cherry tones alongside some toasty oak on the nose. The palate is plush and well-structured with good acidity. The combination of weight and length is really nice here as this beautiful new wine will cellar well over the next ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 91
2017 Ambassador ‘Plentipotentiary’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 Ambassador ‘Plentipotentiary’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a really good new bottling by famed consultant winemaker Tom Rinaldi and winemaker Mike Macmorran. Rich and layered on the mouth, tobacco leaf tones mingle with shades of dark raspberry cordial and smoky undertones. Complex and delicious rot enjoy in its youth, this will cellar well over the next ten years. Drink 2020-2030- 91