AniChe Cellars

As we bid adieu to what was highly unusual but also great Washington Wine Month we share to you one of the more unique houses in the state, AniChe Cellars. A small family winery located in the Columbia River Gorge, AniChe focuses on varietal blends that include rarely planted Italian varietals like Dolcetto, Barbera and Zinfandel (Primativo). The wines all have good richness and a really good tension that runs through their veins. I first tried these wines several years ago at a London wine event and was really impressed with how Zinfandel can be expressed in our state. AniChe sources from a host of Washington AVAs including their home Columbia Gorge AVA.

Anais Mera, Rachael Horn and Lisa Wiseman all form a killer winemaking team. They have crafted some beautiful new wines which were seriously good across the board. I loved the new 2018 AniChe Cellars ‘Cobweb’ Sparkling Wine (WWB, 90) made from Chenin Blanc grapes, as this carries a very old-world personality in this highly novel new bottling. Very Bordeaux Blanc, the 2017 AniChe Cellars ‘No. 5’ White Wine (WWB, 92) is one of the best Washington Bordeaux style white wines that I have sampled over the past year. This is a must buy for those who love great Bordeaux Blanc. Learn more about this exciting small Washington winery at 

2018 AniChe Cellars ‘Cobweb’ Sparkling Wine- Made from Chenin Blanc grapes, the ‘Cobweb’ spins lighter flinty and musty aromas that combine with bright pear and orang blossom tones that take shape in the glass. Once on the mouth you are greeted with a kiss of sweetness that mingles with the bright sense of minerality and light vein of salinity that runs through the core of orchard fruits. This is not only really novel but remarkably delicious stuff. Drink 2020-2025- 90

2017 AniChe Cellars ‘No. 5’ White Wine- Fermented in clay amphora, this Bordeaux style white wine is an equal blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Honeysuckle, beeswax and shades of ripe pear all enter the fray aromatically. The soft, creamy texture entices, as does the exceedingly long finish that lasts for nearly a minute long on the tongue. Showing a great combination of poise and weight, this gorgeous wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2020-2030- 92

2018 AniChe Cellars ‘Lizzy’ White Wine- The ‘Lizzy’ is a blend of mainly Roussanne (70%) with the reminder Marsanne both sourced from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Bright apricot with green papaya and shades of nutmeg infused Pazzaz apple all come together brilliantly on the nose. Slightly sweet, this has good acidity to back up the sweetened orchard fruit flavors. The soft texture and length really impresses. Drink 2020-2026- 90

2018 AniChe Cellars ‘Bombadil’ White Wine- The ‘Bombadil’ is a blend of 80% Grenache Blanc with a small portion of Picpoul blended in. Light Japanese pear and cut grass with white flowers all march in harmony aromatically. The freshness and verve of the wine is outstanding as bright green apple, sourdough bread and unripe honeydew melon flavors all collide with gobs of minerals backing things up. The flurry of freshness makes the drum beat faster. Drink 2020-2026- 91

2017 AniChe Cellars ‘Sirius’ Red Wine- A one of a kind Washington wine made from mostly Barbera with smaller parts Zinfandel and Dolcetto, this Horse Heaven Hills bottling opens with briar notes alongside wild strawberry and suggestions of brandy soaked red cherry that combine on the nose. Slightly sweet but well-balanced, the wine delivers straightforward red fruit flavors with hints of milk chocolate covered dates alongside a good acid backbone. Drink 2020-2025- 90

2016 AniChe Cellars ‘Moth Love’ Red Wine- The ‘Moth Love’ combines Syrah (57%) with Mourvedre (19%) and Grenache (24%), as this wine was sourced from the Rattlesnake Hills AVA. Sandalwood tones are woven together with smoked meats, leather and a core of dark fruits aromatically. The soft, generous texture is truly lovely. Black tea, blackberry cobbler and mocha flavors mingle with the smoky and earthy undertones. Showing good weight and minerality this wine will cellar well for another five to seven years. Drink 2020-2027- 91

2016 AniChe Cellars ‘The Artful Dodger’ Red Wine- A blend of mainly Syrah and Grenache, ‘The Artful Dodger’ shows lovely damp earth and bacon fat tones that collide with black tea and loganberry preserves on this expressive nose. The combination of verve and texture is gorgeous. Medium to full-bodied red fruits dance with the smoky and earthy undertones. Every bit outstanding, enjoy this fantastic, flat out delicious, Rhone style wine over the next seven to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 92

2015 AniChe Cellars ‘Persephone’ Red Wine- The ‘Persephone’ is an intriguing blend of Malbec (40%) and equal parts Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is full-bodied with wonderful richness and texture across generous red and dark fruits with hints of dark chocolate shavings. Showing a good combination of poise and viscosity, this great new Bordeaux style wine will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2028- 91

2015 AniChe Cellars ‘Goat Boy’ Red Wine- The ‘Goat Boy’ is a Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot heavy wine that shows deep chocolate and sagebrush aromatics that entice. Once on the mouth, generous layers of dark fruits invade as the chocolate cake tones offer an err of decadence. This generous, hedonistic Bordeaux style wine is seriously good in its youth and will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another eight to ten years. Drink 2020-2028- 92

2015 AniChe Cellars ‘Tyger Tyger’ Red Wine- The ‘Tyger Tyger’ red wine is named after a famed William Blake poem. Merlot and Petit Verdot dominant, the intense black fruits with chocolate, sagebrush and black olive tapenade tones really entice. Dense and intense, yet showing a good mineral backbone, the ‘Tyger Tyger’ is gorgeous in its youth and will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2020-2030- 92