Sitting across from Ryan Crane, he had no qualms about his honest response to my question about the 2020 vintage. “2020 was tough with some smoke and freeze issues but we were really happy with the wines” he said. I have been consistently impressed with Ryan’s winemaking which has beautifully evolved since he began many years back. His boutique style of winemaking involves crafting very precise, small production, single vineyard bottlings that have an err of the old world.
Years back Ryan got his start 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. These are wines that show great finesse with rich fruit flavors and wonderful terroir. Ryan has a deft touch for Rose and white wines.I adored his 2020 Kerloo Cellars ‘Lonesome Springs Vineyard’ Rose (OB, 92) which is very geeky stuff, perfect for the somm crowd. This is highly nuanced Rose. As I wrote last year and even more this vintage this single vineyard bottling is very Bandol meets Washington. A downright killer value is his 2020 SoDo Cellars ‘Love Birds’ Rose (OB, 90) which is fresh and vibrant with beautiful acidity and soft red fruit flavors. At a mere 15 bucks you would be hard pressed to find another Rose that delivers this quality at this price. A tour de force, the 2019 Kerloo Cellars ‘Rockgarden Vineyard’ Syrah (OB, 95) is pure Rocks with incredible finesse and really good nuance. Don’t miss out on this silky, beautifully layered Syrah. 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.
2020 Kerloo Cellars ‘Lonesome Springs Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- This is the first 100% concrete aged Sauvignon blanc that Ryan Crane has made. Sourced from the Lonesome Springs Vineyard, this shows bright gooseberry and kiwi aromatic tones alongside white rose blossoms. The lovely wet stone character makes this particularly novel. The combination of mouth-watering acidity, finish and mouthfeel is really outstanding here. Drink this beautiful wine over the next few years Drink 2021-2025- 92
2020 Kerloo Cellars ‘Blue Mountain Vineyard’ Grenache Blanc- This Grenache Blanc wine was given 4 months of battonage and was 100 neutral barrel aged 6 months before bottling. Lemongrass and cantaloupe tones mingle with lighter nutty tones. The mouthfeel and wonderful sense of verve is outstanding here. Green papaya and lemon rind tones mingle with shades of Marcona almond on the palate. This is outstanding stuff that will be best enjoyed over the next several years. Drink 2021-2025- 91
2020 Kerloo Cellars ’Lonesome Springs. Vineyard’ Rose- The 2018 ‘Lonesome Springs Vineyard’ Rose is 60% Mourvedre with the remainder Grenache all sourced from the Lonesome Springs Vineyard. This was entirely aged in concrete and was left on the lees before a clean racking prior to bottling. This vintage contains slightly more Mourvedre and shows a nice aromatic range from pretty red fruits to kiwi and melon tones that all take shape in the glass. The palate is silky smooth with a marvelous sense of texture. This is really highly nuanced Rose with the wet stone and orange rind character alongside the lighter melon and strawberry tones. This has outstanding length, providing the resounding crecendo. Drink 2021-2026- 92
2020 SoDo Cellars ‘Love Birds’ Rose- The 2020 ‘Love Birds’ Rose is a serious value in Washington Rose. Pretty nectarine and Yakima cherry tones alongside guava and wet stone undertones all mark the nose. The palate shows just a hint of residual sugar alongside amazing freshness and bright red fruits with melon tones. This is amazing juice for the price. Drink 2021-2024- 90
2019 Kerloo Cellars ‘The Queen’ Red Wine- A blend of near equal parts Mourvedre and Grenache, this saw 100% neural barrel fermentation before bottling. Pretty red fruits mark then nose with the creosote and smoked meats and a dusting of white pepper. The palate is super fresh and vibrant with layers of pretty red fruits that mingle with black licorice, bubblegum and smoked pork shoulder wit salty tones. This finishes long. Drink 2021-2028- 92
2019 Kerloo Cellars ‘Rockgarden Estate’ Syrah- This is really unique wine made by Ryan Crane who was approached by Nina Buty to purchase a small amount of Syrah and Mourvedre (still in barrel). Right away this is pure Rocks with wet stone, green peppercorn, charcuterie and horse manure tones alongside green olive tapenade and Only two neutral puncheons made.The palate has incredible freshness and tension with a wonderful sense of mouthfeel. This is generous but also very seamless. Rich dark fruits collide with smoky and salty tones on the palate with seaweed, blood orange zest and wet stone. This is complex and delicious Syrah that will cellar well for another eight years. Drink 2021-2029- 95