On rare occasion I find it imperative to write about wines right after I try then. Such is the case with the new wines by Sleight of Hand — truly one of the great overall lineups of Washington wine. Originally a small production winery, Sleight of Hand was first 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. Keith Johnson joined the team in 2011 and has been doing an incredible job as the production winemaker. Keith oversees the winery on a daily basis, and during harvest, while Trey and Jerry are in the vineyards making picking decisions, he is managing the harvest team, making sure everything is being taken care of in the cellar. Keith also makes some great wines under his Devium label.
I absolutely love the new 2019 Sleight of Hand ‘The Magician’ Riesling (OB, 92) which is fresh, vibrant and just has a touch of sweetness. This is a must buy for any Washington Riesling lover. I was absolutely blown away with the 2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah (OB, 95) sourced from the esteemed Stoney Vine Vineyard. The wine is simply fabulous so young and has tremendous tension and range. Check out the 2018 Sleight of Hand ‘Light Years’ Syrah (OB, 95) for its immense purity of fruit and soft texture. This is a dense treat that is a wonderful tribute to Trey’s mentor Eric Dunham. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://www.sofhcellars.com Here are the awesome new release wines from Sleight of Hand.
2019 Sleight of Hand ‘The Magician’ Riesling- Entirely sourced from the ‘Evergreen Vineyard’ in the Ancient Lakes AVA, this shows nice Granny Smith apple and petrol aromatic tones immediately that burst out of the glass, with Meyer lemon zest playing second fiddle. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with just a touch of sweetness. This is exceedingly good stuff for the price. Enjoy over the next several years while the wonderful sense of minerality remains intact. Drink 2020-2025- 92
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Enchantress’ Chardonnay- The 2018 ‘The Enchantress’ Chardonnay shows off its marvelously golden color as this was sourced from the ‘French Creek Vineyard’ in the eastern part of the Yakima Valley AVA. More geared towards freshness and finesse than other vintages, this shows lighter buttered brioche tones that mingle with honeydew melon, wet stone and lemon rind tones on the palate. Drink 2020-2025- 90
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Sourceress Reserve’ Grenache- Sleight of Hand have steadily been building a west coast reputation for top notch Grenache and the 2018 ‘The Sourceress Reserve’ continues that great streak. The wine has seriously good aromatic range, from blood orange to charcuterie and pretty red rose petals that combine with red cherry candy on this complex bouquet. The palate is fresh and vibrant with great acidity. Layers of bright pomegranate seed and rose water combine with orange rind, summer sausage and cran-pomegranate tones. I love the sense of elegance here as this beautiful effort will cellar well for another decade — but is nearly impossible to resist in its youth. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘Spiders From Mars’ Syrah- This outstanding, one of a kind Syrah bottling is sourced from the Ziggy Stardust Block of the Elevation Vineyard which is set on broken basalt. Aged on the lees for 26 months in entirely used French oak this underweight 100% whole cluster fermentation. Showing off a deep core, this opens with shades of iodine and green peppercorns that mingle with Umami, creosote and cigar ash. The complex and novel aromatics bring you back to the glass for more delight. The soft mouthfeel here really entices as a deep core of dark fruits mingle with crushed wet gravel, blood orange zest, scorched earth, fresh thyme and smoky minerals. With more air the dark fruits become more rich and pronounced. The length is exceedingly gratifying. Spectacular to enjoy in its youth, this is the best ‘Spiders From Mars’ Syrah to date that is highly novel, complex and delicious to savor in its youth. Drink 2020-2030- 94
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah- The thrilling 2018 ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah is another impressive wine made by the superstar winemaking team of Trey Busch, Keith Johnson and Jerry Solomon. Sourced from the ‘Stoney Vine Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA, the stem included wine spent 16 months in 23% new French oak prior to bottling. Once on the nose this takes on layers of green olive tapenade and bacon fat that combine with iron, bulls blood and high-toned red fruits, providing a wonderful range of complexity. The soft and silky mouthfeel offers an err of elegance here as the wine effortlessly glides across the mid-palate. Charcuterie and green olives are woven together with wild blackberry, Umami and satsuma orange on the palate. Fresh and vibrant, yet beautifully textured, with great length, this is one of the great bottling of ‘The Psychedelic’ that has been made. While glorious in its youth, this has another decade of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2028- 95
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Funkadelic’ Syrah- Sourced from ‘The Funk Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Rocks District, this incredible new Syrah is another thrilling wine from Sleight of Hand. Elegant and pillowy once on the mouth, this reveals quite a different flavor profile than its cousin ‘The Psychedelic.’ Roasted dates and black currant jelly mingle with wet stone, Texas style BBQ beef ribs and gobs of Umami tones all brilliantly combine on the palate. The weight, texture and elegance of the wine is truly outstanding. Glorious in its youth, the gorgeous 2018 ‘The Funkadelic’ Syrah will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 95
2017 Sleight of Hand ‘The Conjurer’ Red Wine- A blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Cabernet Franc with smaller portions Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot, this shows off ripe dark currents that mingle with graphite and blackberry compote tones on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, this is a harmonious effort that will cellar well over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 91
2017 Sleight of Hand ‘The Achimage Reserve’ Red Wine- A blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, this is their homage to the great wines of the Right Bank. The bell pepper tones entice aromatically as baking spices and milk chocolate tones that meld in the glass. The palate is very elegant with tons of mouth-watering acidity and freshness that intermingle with the minerals, Black Forest Cake and blackberry pie flavors. Seriously good in its youth, this has more than a decade to go. Drink 2020-2035- 93
2017 Sleight of Hand ‘The Illusionist Reserve’ Red Wine- Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (91%) with. A small portion of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this outstanding Left Bank style wine shows sagebrush and milk chocolate cake tones that collide with boysenberry liquor and shades of black licorice that all take shape in the glass. The palate shows a seamless texture and wonderful length. Rich dark fruits collide with minerals, sagebrush, mocha and smoky undertones. Fantastic to savor even now this fantastic wine has more than a decade of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2035- 93
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘Levitation Reserve’ Syrah- The 2018 ‘Levitation’ Syrah is sourced from both the ‘Lewis’ and ‘Les Collines’ Vineyards — truly two of the great sites for Syrah in the state. I’m quite honestly floored with the bouquet, as once you dip into this wine you get an incredible sense of terroir that is difficult to describe. A huge range of fresh herbs deftly combine with tar, black currants and shades of dark chocolate shavings. The mouthfeel here is plush and inviting as minerals mingle with creosote, smoked pork shoulder, milk chocolate and shades of sagebrush that all come together in unison. Savory and salty, with great length, this is nothing short of a sensational bottling by Sleight of Hand that will provide drinking enjoyment for another decade or more. Drink 2020-2033- 94
2017 Sleight of Hand ‘Force of Nature’ Syrah- The sensational ‘Force of Nature’ was sourced from the ‘Les Collines Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Valley. Stony, earthy and showing gobs of dried herbs, the ‘Force of Nature’ takes on a very Hermitage bouquet with the core of dark fruits that play with iodine, fresh herbs, tangerine rind and bulls blood accents. The palate shows a sensational purity of fruit. Violets collide with the densely packed dark currants, loganberries and creosote tones. The length and weight of the wine is really great, as stony minerals and menthol tones play second fiddle. Deep and intense to enjoy in its youth, be sure to give this beautiful wine at least a one hour decant if savoring now. Drink 2020-2035- 95
2017 Sleight of Hand ‘Light Years’ Syrah- The 2017 ‘Light Years’ is a tribute to the late Eric Dunham, former mentor to Trey Busch. Sourced from the ‘Lewis Vineyard’ in the Columbia Valley, this inky colored wine shows violets and potpourri tones that mingle with black currants and smoked brisket tones on the nose. The palate reveals a fantastic sense of freshness and purity of fruit. Seamless throughout, pretty layers of dark fruits collide with minerals, tar and pipe tobacco on the palate. The elegance of this wine, as well as the great veil of salinity, adds to the complexity here. Sinfully good in its youth, the 2017 ‘Light Years’ will cellar well for another decade or more. Drink 2020-2033- 95