Our local wineries need your help right now, and please consider supporting your favorite local wineries that have been financially impacted by the pandemic. Winemaker and owner of Kerloo Cellars Ryan Crane crafts some absolutely gorgeous wines. For my palate I feel like these wines are becoming more and more precise, as his latest lineup is really one of the best I have tasted through. Ryan now has been in the Washington wine scene a long time. He began his winemaking career at Animale Cellars in Seattle, and then later trained under Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron Cellars while completing his degree in Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.
I absolutely love the 2019 SoDo Cellars ‘Deadbird’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 91) which is one of the best value Cabernet Sauvignon wines out of Washington that you will find. This one will set you back a mere 18 bucks! Ryan has one of the best handles on Washington Grenache, crafting consistently beautiful, sexy wines with finesse and outstanding aromatic and flavor range. His 2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache (OB, 95) is one of the great Grenache wines that I have tried over the past year. Don’t just take my word for it — try it for yourself and see the soft mouthfeel, the pretty red fruits and insanely good texture. Learn more about this great SoDo winery at www.kerloocellars.com. Here are the great new releases by the talented Ryan Crane and his Kerloo Cellars.
2019 SoDo Cellars ‘GSM’ Red Wine- A sensational value at a mere $15.00, this shows pretty red fruits that dance with red rose water and smoky undertones and light tannins bringing everything together on the palate. The purity of fruit from the Grenache (56%) is really nice. Drink 2020-2025- 90
2018 SoDo Cellars ‘Deadbird Washington State’ Cabernet Sauvignon- You would be hard-pressed to find Washington Cabernet Sauvignon this good at this price. Scorched earth with Black Forest Cake, sagebrush and coffees grounds all fill the nose. The palate is nicely textured with bright minerality and a good core of dark fruits that parade with chocolate and coffee ground flavors. Grab this beautiful wine while you can. Drink 2020-2025- 91
2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘Celilio Vineyard’ Chardonnay- For many years the ‘Celilo Vineyard’ has been one of my favorite sites for Chardonnay in Washington State. This 2018 edition of this wine is a knockout, showing pretty white peach with cantaloupe, green apple and vanilla cream on the nose. The palate has a killer combination of weight and freshness, with tremendous verve and length. A complete wine, this has both the acidity and weight to cellar well for another decade. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache- Truly one of the outstanding sites for Grenache, over the years Ryan Crane’s single vineyard bottlings from this site have helped make cement this reputation. The 2018 edition, which is a downright steal at $32.00, shows gorgeous red florals that mingle with Hoisin sauce, smoked pork shoulder and red cherry candy on this exotic bouquet. The palate is fresh, elegant and beautifully textured. A bit more on the weight side than the 2017 bottling, this offers a generous core of red fruits woven together with smoke, salted charcuterie and a dusting of white pepper on this outstanding palate. Fantastic now at the two year mark, this will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another ten years. Drink 2020-2030- 95
2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘Lonesome Spring Ranch Vineyard’ Grenache- Located in the Yakima Valley AVA, the ‘Lonesome Spring Ranch Vineyard’ has steadily been building a reputation for Grenache wines. Bright Bing cherry with orange rind, and tobacco tones all fill the nose. The texture of the wine really impresses as a core of pretty red fruits and red florals mingle with blood orange, bubblegum and stony undertones on the palate. Gorgeous to enjoy now, this beautiful Grenache will cellar well over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 93
2016 Kerloo Cellars ‘Stone Tree Vineyard’ Tempranillo- Kerloo winemaker Ryan Crane admitted that he wanted to experiment with extra barrel age for this Tempranillo bottling, a bit akin to the beautiful wines of Ribera del Duero. Once on the nose this takes on baking spices and chocolate tones that mingle with roasted dates and dried herbal tones that all take shape in the glass. The palate is dense with a polished mouthfeel. Silky tannins line the core of blackberry compote, black plum, dusty soils and black tea with exotic spices on the palate. This is delicious wine that has another decade or more to go. Drink 2020-2030- 92
2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘Dionysus Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘Dionysus Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon is another compelling wine from this great Seattle based house. Earl Grey tea and dried herbs combine with loganberry preserves, mocha and tar on this beautiful bouquet. The palate is soft and round, with a beautiful purity of fruit and a sensational texture. The seamless quality to this wine is really impressive. Blackberry and huckleberry flavors mingle with sagebrush, creosote and milk chocolate flavors all marvelously connect on the palate. Delightful to savor in its youth, this has another fifteen years or more ahead of it. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘The General’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A new wine in the Kerloo lineup, ‘The General’ blends old block Bacchus Vineyard and Dionysus Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Once on the mouth the pillowy texture really entices. Cocoa powder and black raspberry flavors mingle with minerals, dried herbs and blackberry compote march in order on the palate. This finishes extremely long, as the wine deftly walks the tightrope between freshness and weight. Gorgeous to savor now, the 2018 ‘The General’ will command your attention for the next fifteen years. Drink 2020-2035- 94
2018 Kerloo Cellars ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Malbec- Sourced from this famed site in the Yakima Valley, the 2018 ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Malbec shows blueberry compote with pipe tobacco and espresso bean tones on this gorgeous bouquet. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a great err of tension. Layers of blackberry, blueberry and boysenberry cover serious range with stony, chocolate and smoky undertones all meld well on the palate. This is just gorgeous typicity for Washington Malbec. Drink 2020-2033- 93