There are not nearly enough female run and female owned wineries in the Pacific Northwest. It is my pleasure to write about one of the great ones out of the Walla Walla Valley. Ashley Trout, a fellow Whitman College graduate, continues to produce some really great wines. I would be remiss without taking about her other brand, Vital Winery, which partners with a host of other wine industry entities, from coopers to other wineries, and amazingly all of the Vital Wines profits go to the SOS Clinic, a free, non-profit health care clinic in the Walla Walla area dedicated to helping all people receive free healthcare. I can’t think of any other Pacific Northwest winery that focuses on giving to this level. This is not only a visionary project but the new wines are seriously good.
Ashley Trout got her start in the Washington wine industry at age 18. A fellow Whitman graduate, I had the chance to interview more than a year ago (http://www.washingtonwineblog.com/blog/2019/2/14/interview-with-ashley-trout-ownerwinemaker-of-vital-wines-and-brook-amp-bull) as she was a delight to speak with. In 2018 she was also named by Wine Enthusiast as one of ‘the top 40 under 40 tastemakers.’
She has crafted a beautiful range of wines for Brook and Bull. I love the 2019 Brook and Bull ‘Columbia Valley’ Chardonnay (OB, 91) which is fresh and vibrant with a long finish. Even bette is the 2018 Brook and Bull ‘The Silent Ode’ Red Wine (OB, 92) which is a glorious Bordeaux style wine that has really deep dark fruits, with marvelous tension and a nice kick from the Petit Verdot. This has at least another decade in front of it. Learn more about this great new project winery at www.brookandbull.com Here are the beautiful new wines by Brook and Bull Wines.
2019 Brook and Bull ‘Columbia Valley’ Chardonnay- The nose here is really nice with toasted brioche and apricot tones alongside green apple that all meld in the glass. The palate is well-balanced with good freshness, weight, finesse and poise. Wait for the really long finish! Drink 2020-2025- 91
2018 Brook and Bull ‘The Silent Ode’ Red Wine- The 2018 ‘The Silent Ode’ red wine is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 20% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot that was aged in largely neutral oak barrels (20%) new. Gorgeous violets and black cherry cordial tones combine with sagebrush and mint on this complex nose. The palate is deep and intense with plenty of freshness. Layers of deep dark fruits collide with minerals, dark chocolate shavings and sagebrush tones with firm tannins and espresso bean undertones on the palate. Gorgeous in youth, this will stand the test of time or at least another decade. Drink 2020-2030- 92
2017 Brook and Bull ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2017 ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon is an awesome new release by the talented Ashley Trout. Once on the nose this takes on good aromatic range from fresh mint and blackberry cobbler to mocha, tar and black licorice tones that all meld in the glass. The palate is round and generous with good length and a silky mouthfeel. Ripe dark currants and blackberries mingle with minerals, smoke and dried herbs, with good length and persistence. Drink 2020-2032- 91
2018 Brook and Bull Malbec- Inky, literally a glass-staining purple, this shows off good aromatic range from exotic spices and sage tones woven together with chocolate, Turkish coffee and rich dark fruits on this great bouquet. The palate shows good freshness and fruit density. Layers of rich dark cherry, blackberry compote and mocha collide with minerals and creosote tones on the palate. Great and seductive in its youth, this beautiful wine has more than a decade of life ahead of it. Drink 2020-2033- 92
2018 Brook and Bull Petit Verdot- Inky once in the glass, the 2018 Petit Verdot shows green bell pepper and gobs of dark fruits with chocolate fudge tones on the nose. The palate is deep and intense with violets and dark cherry tones woven together with smoky minerals, green bell pepper and tobacco leaf flavors. Intense and decadent, this is a gorgeous effort that will cellar well over the next fifteen years. Be sure to give this a long decant if enjoying now. Drink 2020-2033- 92