Sitting across from Peter Devison I couldn’t help but notice the twinkle in his eye. “I am thrilled with these wines” he said and I will fully admit that I was very excited while I tasted each wine as well. He has now been consulting winemaker at Goose Ridge and we tasted those new wines before his Devison label. Devison are wines of intension, ranging from very flinty and mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc to rich and inky Syrah. Peter Devison has a longstanding history in the Washington wine industry, having been head winemaker at EFESTE prior to moving to Walla Walla and eventually starting his own brand with his wife, Kelsey.
The new wines were truly stunning across the board. I was blown away with the geeky, very somm-friendly 2021 Devison ‘Pocket Full of Shells Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc (OB, 94) which has inspiration from the 90s Rage Against The Machine ballad. This wine is salty and quite intense with gobs of tension. It is unlike any Washington Sauvignon Blanc I have tasted over the past year. I loved the new 2021 Devison Rose (OB, 93) which is up there with the best in the Pacific Northwest and delivers brilliant flavor and aromatic range, with a soft mouthfeel. I adored once again his 2020 Devison ‘Phantom Lamb’ Syrah (OB, 95) which is hedonistic and intense — definitely not for the weary. Learn more about these beautiful wines at DevisonVintners.com and here are the new wines by Devison and Peter Devison.
2021 Devison Sauvignon Blanc- This saw a day of skin contact and comes from the Evergreen Vineyard. Aged in French oak, this reveals ripe cantaloupe and starfruit with freshly cut hay on the nose. Loads of mouth-watering acidity greet you with incredible tension, tension and salty undertones. Drink 2022-2028- 92
2021 Devison ‘Pocket Full of Shells Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2021 ‘Pocket Full of Shells’ Sauvignon Blanc was stored in French puncheons for 10 months before bottling. The texture is outstanding, showing great weight and gobs of lemon oil, salty crushed seashells and stony accents. This shows very distinctive terroir that finishes exceedingly long. Drink 2022-2029- 94
2021 Devison Rose- This is a field blend sourced from the Boushey Vineyard. Stored in all neutral oak barrels, the 2021 Devison Rose delivers a cornucopia of flavors. The combination of weight, finesse and texture really drives this wine, as it shows brilliant red fruits with citrus rind and wet stone, with tilled soil undercurrents. Drink 2022-2029- 93
2020 Devison ‘GPR’ Red Wine- The 2020 ‘GPR’ blends 48% Syrah with the remainder Mourvèdre and Grenache. White pepper dusted smoked meats with black olive tapenade, citrus rind and bulls blood all combine on the nose. The wine comes off clean with gobs of finesse and a soft texture. Drink this insanely good value over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2029- 93
2020 Devison ‘Above the Flood’ Red Wine- A Rhone inspired wine of 50% Grenache and 45% Syrah with the remainder Mourvèdre, this offers pink peppercorns with blackberry cobbler, and garrigue notes. The palate is soft with a sterling minerality. Rich dark fruits collide with stony minerals, soy sauce and dried herbs on the palate. This has a marvelous purity of dark fruits, as this is already beautifully evolved. Drink 2022-2032- 93
2020 Devison ‘Beneath The Stones’ Red Wine- This clean and very pretty 2020 ‘Beneath The Stones’ was aged in a combination of concrete and neutral puncheons. The texture is sensational with a wonderfully stony undertone. A rich core of boysenberry and dark currants combine with spearmint, citrus blossom water, with loads of mouth-watering acidity. This is refined and elegant Syrah that is best consumed over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2030- 95
2020 Devison ‘Phantom Lamb ‘ Syrah- This 100% Syrah was entirely sourced from the Scarline Vineyard. Stored in neutral oak, this inky colored wine offers violets with black olive tapenade, creme de cassis and white peppercorns. The plate shows opulent dark fruits, smoked brisket with gobs of finesse and beef dripping tones. This is sensational wine that is already beautifully evolved and will provide drinking enjoyment over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2022-2032- 95
2020 Devison Malbec- Entirely sourced from the Southward Vineyard, the 2020 Malbec by Peter Devison delivers a glass-staining color, with black rose petals, Welches grape juice concentrate, and mocha with wild herbs. The palate is very concentrated but shows outstanding finesse. The underlying freshness holds everything together brilliantly, as this combines rich black and blue fruits. Drink 2022-2037- 94
2020 Devison Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 Devison Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Southward Vineyard, as this was stored in second fill French oak before bottling. The nose shows off beautiful black florals with black olives, blackberry pie and shades of dark chocolate shavings. Refined tannins hold in place a massive core of dark fruits with tobacco leaf and baking spices. This is sensational wine to consume now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2022-2037- 94