Today it is my pleasure to introduce to you one of the truly exciting new brands in Washington wine. Founded by former NFL star Sidney Rice and businessman and fellow Whitman grad Tim Lenihan, Dossier utilizes the talents of Billo Naravane, one of Washington’s great winemakers. For many years I have written about the beautiful wines of Rasa Vineyards, Billo’s winery. Dossier has the same attention to detail in each bottle, with serious intension and precision throughout the lineup. They have hired longtime Washington wine industry veteran Brandon Kubrock to be their general manager, as Brandon has formerly had great success with his own label, Ardor.
I adored the new 2021 Dossier Rose (OB, 93) which is amongst the finest Rose wines from the Pacific Northwest that I have tried in the past year. This wine has a beautiful combination of weight, finesse and mouth-watering acidity, as it is highly nuanced stuff that is best consumed at a warmer temperature. Even better is the 2019 Dossier Syrah (OB, 94) which comes from the Rocks District and is already showing a wonderful melange of Umami notes alongside the stony undertones.
This winery will be mailing list only and the first three wines will be released later in the fall. Learn more about this exciting new project at dossierwine.com and here are my reviews of the new Dossier wines.
2021 Dossier Sauvignon Blanc- Coming from the Lonesome Spring Ranch in the Yakima Valley AVA, the 2020 Dossier Sauvignon Blanc was partially fermented in neutral oak barrels. Winemaker Billo Naravane fermented most of the wine in stainless, as this was given weekly battonage to add texture. Passion fruit and lime blossom combine with shades of salted Marcona almond on the nose. This comes off very texturally gratifying with good weight and finesse. This beautiful wine will continue to build for another five to seven years — and potentially more. Enjoy at a slightly warmer temperature. Drink 2022-2028- 92
2021 Dossier Viognier (Barrel Sample)- Mostly sourced from the Connor Lee Vineyard, the 2021 Dossier Viognier is made in the Condrieu style with some toasty oak influence. This will be bottled in December 2022, as this is very soft and approachable on the mouth with layers of honeysuckle water, ripe peach and apricot notes, with hints of baking spice dusted roasted pineapple. The texture from the battonage and oak treatment makes this really gratifying once on the attack. Finishing very long, this has at least another six to eight years to go in the cellar. Drink 2022-2029- 93
2021 Dossier Rose- The 2021 Dossier Rose is Syrah-based that sourced from the Weinbau Vineyard. This is a Bandol-inspired bottling that was stored in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel. This underwent partial malolactic fermentation, as this leads on the nose with bright cranberry, red florals and Yakima cherry alongside wild mushroom and damp earthy undertones. This is highly complex and nuanced Rose that not only gratifies in terms of finesse but also shows generous texture. Quite simply this one of the finest Rose wines from Washington that I have tasted in the past year — so don’t pass this one up and serve at a warmer temperature to take in the beautiful range of flavors. Drink 2022-2028- 93
2019 Dossier ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Syrah- This 2019 Syrah is sourced from the Rocks District, and was stored in 50% new French oak before bottling. This comes off super high-toned with honeysuckle and red florals that mingle well with tobacco leaf, wet stone, beef drippings and shades of soy sauce. The palate is soft and inviting with a smooth texture and wonderful salty undertones. With more air this continues to evolve. Exceedingly good now, the 2019 Dossier Syrah will continue to evolve for another seven plus years. Drink 2022-2029- 94
2021 Dossier Syrah (Barrel Sample) (94-96)