A few weeks ago I had the chance to sit with Josh McDaniels, one of the great winemaking talents in Washington. McDaniels trained under eminent winemaker Chris Figgins at Leonetti before partnering with NFL legend Drew Bledsoe to start Doubleback. As much as Josh loved making outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon, he mentioned that he had always had a penchant for Oregon Pinot Noir. Over time he and Drew realized that they needed to start a new Oregon winery. Josh also had a chance to make Oregon Pinot while working for Figgins Family in 2011 and I was impressed with what he made in 2019 despite harvest conditions being less than perfect.
I was very impressed with the new wines and adored the 2019 Bledsoe | McDaniels ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is deeply concentrated with a soft mouthfeel and brilliant tension. Just as good is his Syrah from the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, the 2019 Bledsoe | McDaniels ‘Lefore Vineyard’ Syrah (OB, 95) is a marvelous wine showing great length and aromatic/flavor range. It is thrilling stuff to enjoy now and will cellar well for more than a decade. Josh also made a killer new release from the ‘Lefore Vineyard’ in the Walla Walla Rocks District AVA. The 2018 Bledsoe | McDaniels ‘Lefore Vineyard’ Syrah (OB, 95) which has as brilliant sense of finesse and amazing range that runs the spectrum. This is seriously good even right now. Learn more about this outstanding new winery project at http://bledsoemcdaniels.com/#top Here are the beautiful new wines by Bledsoe | McDaniels.
2019 Bledsoe | McDaniels ‘LFG Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘LFG Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir is a blend of Wind Ridge and Ellis Estate Vineyards. Aged in neutral oak, the ‘LFG’ shows pretty red florals with red currants and shades of red raspberry on the nose. The texture here is insanely good as beautiful guava, red cherry and pomegranate seed with orange rind all collect momentum on the palate. The minerality here is outstanding as this beautiful wine will cellar well for another decade. Drink 2021-2031- 93
2019 Bledsoe | McDaniels ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from old vine Pommard Clone from the Ridgecrest Vineyard as well as the Ellis Estate Vineyard, this shows off gorgeous toasty oak with pine needles, huckleberry and black tea tones. The palate is extremely pillowy and refined. This is very dense and intense wine considering the challenges presented at harvest. Gorgeous now, this has some seriously good aging potential. Drink 2021-2035- 95
2019 Bledsoe | McDaniels ‘Lefore Vineyards’ Syrah- Aged in roughly 20% new French oak puncheons, the ‘Lefore Vineyard’ dates back to 1998. The aromatics are astonishing good. Bacon fat, green olive tapenade, violets and shades of Hoisin sauce all mark the nose. The wine hits all the right boxes in texture, acid and mouthfeel, with an extremely long finish. The salty and savory tones of the wine are truly outstanding. Enjoy this beautiful wine in its finesse-driven youth after an hour of air. Drink 2021-2031- 95