Before I was a full time wine critic I have fond memories of visiting Baer Winery in Woodinville on the weekends and tasting their new wines. Sometimes Lisa would be there to chat about the vintages and what they had been doing at this small, exceptional, family-run winery. I have many of these wines in my cellar and have enjoyed opening the 2012s and 2013s over the past year — wines that are drinking exceptionally well right now. Baer was founded in 2000 by Lance Baer. Lance was known for crafting exceptional red wines as many of his wines were met with critical acclaim.
Erica Orr took over this program many years back and originally got her start in the wine industry back in 1998, working her first harvest with eminent winemaker Cathy Corison in the Napa Valley. She immediately caught the wine bug and enrolled in the enology master’s degree program at UC Davis where she completed her master’s degree in 2003. Erica also has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from UC Berkeley and three years of research experience as a biochemistry lab technician for 2009 Nobel Laureate Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn at UC San Francisco.
Her background in chemistry gives her a very precise, scientific winemaking style that I have noticed over the years. She crafts wines that show serious finesse as her reds deftly show off the potential of the Stillwater Creek Vineyard which is located in the Royal Slope AVA.
I adored her 2018 Baer ‘Star’ Merlot (OB, 93) which is soft, elegant and has gobs of finesse, with good flavor density. This one has wonderful aging potential. Just as good is their flat out delicious 2018 Baer ‘Ursa’ Red Wine (OB, 93) which is wonderfully herbal and captures the art of blending. Learn more about this great Woodinville winery at at baerwinery.com Here are the great new releases by Baer
2018 Baer ‘Star’ Merlot- The 100% varietal, 2018 ‘Star’ comes entirely from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard and spent 21 months in only 22% new French oak prior to bottling. Very smooth, with red plum, loganberry and baking spice flavors, this shows good viscosity and length. Fresh and lithe, enjoy this outstanding Merlot bottling over the next twelve plus years. Drink 2022-2035- 93
2018 Baer ‘Callisto’ Red Wine- Sourced entirely from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard, the 2018 ‘Callisto’ blends 41% Syrah with 37% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Petit Verdot. Stored in barrel for 18 months, this unveils aromas of black tea, blackberry compote and violet rose petals that all meld in the glass. The palate is soft and refined with a silky mouthfeel that makes this delicious wine glide throughout the drinking experience. Dense and chewy, this is delicious wine to consume now and over the next decade. Drink 2022-2032- 93
2018 Baer ‘Ursa’ Red Wine- The 2018 ‘Ursa’ is a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc with 22% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. This was aged for 21 months in roughly 50% new French oak barrels before bottling and unveils lovely bay leaf and red bell pepper aromatics from the Cabernet Franc. Vey soft and refined on the mouth, light tannins frame a core of chocolate cake, garrigue and rich dark fruit flavors. Finishing long, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next fifteen years. Drink 2022-2037- 93
2018 Baer Cabernet Franc- A blend of 80% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot, this was stored in oak barrels for 21 months before bottling in July 2020. Potpourri and allspice notes combine with heady red and dark fruits aromas on the nose. Beautifully textured, with a soft mouthfeel, this shows both good concentration and length, with a core of herbal-infused red and dark fruits, with cocoa powder accents. Drink 2022-2037- 93
2018 Baer Malbec- Also sourced from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard in the Royal Slope AVA, this was aged for 21 months in only 20% French oak prior to bottling. Very inky once in the glass, this unveils black currant cordial, creme de violette and Turkish coffee aromas that bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment. The palate is concentrated and shows off a lush mouthfeel, as this is loaded full of intense dark and blue fruit flavors. Enjoy this fantastic wine by Erica Orr over the next ten plus years. Drink 2022-2035- 93
2018 Baer ‘Arctos’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 ‘Arctos’ is a delicious and polished effort by Erica Orr that spent 21 months in a combination of Taransaud, Atelier and Sylvain oak barrels prior to bottling. Very smooth upon entry, this shows off black licorice, cigar ash and boysenberry preserve flavors alongside a great veil of tension and light dusting of salinity. Enjoy this refined style of Cabernet Sauvignon over the next twelve to fifteen years. Drink 2022-2035- 93