I love the great boutique wineries of Walla Walla. Kontos Cellars is the project between brothers Cameron and Chris Kontos who are Walla Walla natives and have a longstanding history in not only agriculture but the wine industry. Their father, Cliff Kontos, was the founder of Fort Walla Walla Cellars, and helped mentor Cameron in his own winemaking journey. In 2002 Cameron joined Forgeron Cellars, and quickly was promoted assistant winemaker under eminent Walla Walla wine pioneer, Marie-Eve Gilla. Cameron trained under Marie and worked at Forgeron for eight years before starting Kontos with his brother.
I love the wines that Cameron produces which are well-structured but show dense fruits. He is now making a killer sparkling wine out of Oregon, the 2015 ‘Fysalides’ (OB, 91) which is fresh and energetic with good range. I loved the new 2016 Kontos Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 93) which shows really good viscosity and a long finish. Learn more about this great winery at https://kontoscellars.com Here are the great new releases by Kontos Cellars.
2015 Kontos Cellars ‘Fysalides’ Sparkling Wine- Sourced from the Willamette Valley, this warm vintage bubbles shows bright green apple tones alongside brioche and lemon rind that all mingle with the wonderful effervescence. This is seriously thirst quenching with its bright acidity and sour notes. Drink 2020-2027- 91
2017 Kontos Cellars Merlot- The nose is quite decadent with ripe dark currants that mingle with cigar box, red cherry cordial and shades of black tea and exotic spices on this great bouquet. The palate has a soft mouthfeel and great length with rich dark fruits that mingle with minerals and smoky undertones. This is sturdy Merlot that should cellar well for another ten plus years. Drink 2020-2030- 92
2017 Kontos Cellars ‘Alatus’ Red Wine- Named after a family boat, the ‘Alatus’ is an awesome blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon with 36% Merlot and smaller portions Malbec and Syrah. The palate is sinfully good but also very elegant. Layers of dark currants and mocha combine with minerals, sagebrush and lighter red bell pepper accents. This finishes extremely long as the 2017 ‘Alatus’ will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2032- 93
2016 Kontos Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon- Dense, powerful and downright hedonistic, the 2016 Kontos Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon shows layers of black cherry cordial, blackberry compote, mocha and tar on this exotic bouquet. The palate is rich and viscous with ripe dark currants that mingle with creme de cassis, anise and Asian spices. The mouthfeel and long finish really entices, as this beautiful wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2020-2033- 93
2017 Kontos Cellars ‘Dorsey’ Red Wine- The 2017 ‘Dorsey’ is an intriguing blend of 38% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Malbec with the reminder Petit Verdot. Wonderfully balanced, this has a great core of red and dark fruits with chocolate and sagebrush tones. Drink 2020-2030- 92