Sitting across from Justin Wylie, I saw an air of confidence from him. ‘I think you are gonna really enjoy the ‘18s’ he said with with a grin. As I tasted through the new lineup, I thought to myself that these just might be the best Va Piano wines that I’ve ever had — or at least on-par with their great 2012s.
One of the great wineries on the south side of the Walla Walla Valley, Va Piano, or ‘go quietly’ in Italian, was started by Walla Walla native Justin Wylie. Va Piano has the luxury of sourcing from some of the top vineyards in the state including the DuBrul, Stoney Vine, and Les Collines Vineyards. Justin’s first first commercial crush in the fall of 2003 and soon later Va Piano was born. He has seen the valley grow and his winery production has expanded considerably as well.
Justin is down to earth and a downright awesome guy to chat wine with. I loved his 2018 vintage wines which have great depth and concentration, with firm tannins and good poise. An outstanding wine for the price, the 2018 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 92) has wonderful richness and a silky mouthfeel. This is seriously good stuff for the price. I adored the 2018 Va Piano ‘Stoney Vine Vineyard’ Syrah (OB, 94) which is pure Walla Walla Rocks AVA. Stony and really savory, this is one for any serious collector of Washington Syrah. Learn more about these fantastic wines at http://www.vapianovineyards.com Here are the great new release wines by Va Piano.
2018 Va Piano ‘The Ox’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Forward, juicy and delicious, the 2018 ‘The Ox’ delivers plenty of rich dark fruits with chocolate and tobacco undertones. Drink 2021-2025- 90
2018 Va Piano ‘The Ox’ Sauvignon Blanc- Gooseberry and honeydew melon mark the nose. The palate shows a soft texture with white grapefruit, unripe melon and gooseberry tones. Drink 2021-2023- 88
2018 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Dense and loaded with dark fruits on the nose, the 2018 ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows a soft mouthfeel with plenty of freshness and verve. Ripe dark currants march on with sweet pipe tobacco, mocha and tar tones on the palate. Great to savor now, this has some good cellaring potential. Drink 2021-2031- 92
2018 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Syrah- Smoky, savory and downright delicious, this Syrah shows rich cassis and blackberry compote flavors, alongside smoked meats and shades of green olive on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2021-2029- 91
2018 Va Piano ‘Uniti’ Red Wine- A blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with the remainder Merlot and Malbec, the 2018 ‘Uniti’ shows gorgeous Asian spices on the nose with red bell pepper, creme de violette and sagebrush tones on the nose. The palate is seamless, showing off a downright sumptuous texture. With great length and verve, this outstanding new Bordeaux style wine will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2035- 93
2018 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Merlot- This beautifully textured Merlot shows sandalwood with rich dark fruits, coffee grounds and pipe tobacco tones on the palate. This shows lots of finesse and length, as the 2018 Va Piano Merlot will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2021-2031- 91
2017 Va Piano ‘LImited Edition’ Petite Sirah- The 2017 Va Piano ‘Limited Edition’ Petite Sirah is one of the great wines of its kind in the state. Deep chocolate and blueberry coulis tones mingle with graphite, and Turkish coffee tones on the palate. Gorgeous now, this has some great cellaring potential ahead of it. Drink 2021-2031- 92
2018 Va Piano ‘Stoney Vine Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2018 ‘Stoney Vine Vineyard’ Syrah is a masterpiece by the talented Justin Wylie. Right away the green olive tones impress alongside charcuterie, blackberries and shades of orange rind with bulls blood on the nose. The palate is silky and elegant with ripe red fruits that dance with wet stone, Umami, blood orange zest and green olives. Complex and delicious now, enjoy this fantastic single vineyard bottling over the next seven years. Drink 2021-2028- 94
2018 Va Piano ‘Les Collines Vineyard’ Syrah- Ripe, focused and wonderfully textured, the 2018 ‘Les Collines Vineyard’ Syrah shows dried herbs with ripe dark currants and brisket tones. This is very classic Les Collines aromatically. The palate has a touch of wet stone with a good core of dark fruits and tobacco alongside. Fresh herbs. Drink 2021-2028- 92
2018 Va Piano ‘Eritage Vineyard’ Syrah- Ripe dark currants and smoky tones mark the nose. The palate shows plenty of finesse with a light dusting of white pepper and salinity that holds everything in check. A great core of dark fruits greet you with sagebrush and crushed mint undertones. Truly outstanding, this terroir-driven and elegant Syrah will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another eight years. Drink 2021-2029- 93
2018 Va Piano ‘Rosebud Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- An awesome new bottling, the 2018 ‘Rosebud Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its inky color in the glass. Creme de violette, mocha and tar tones all impress on the palate. Firm tannins hold everything in place. With great length, this has a long life ahead of it with its great core of dark fruits and superb minerality. Drink 2021-2035- 93
2018 Va Piano ‘DuBrul Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Downright massively inky in the glass, this superb new bottling from one of the state’s best vineyards for Cabernet Sauvignon shows baking spices, anise, scorched earth, dark currant cordial and shades of tar with exotic spices on this downright scintillating nose. The palate is heady, beautifully concentrated, yet has a great air of restraint. The seamless texture glides throughout the drinking experience. This is nothing short of a masterpiece by the talented Justin Wylie that will continue to evolve well for many decades to come. Drink 2021-2040- 95