Justin Wylie loves Italy. “I just love it there and always want to be back” he said. Sitting outside in his luxurious vineyard location, we sipped on his delicious new 2021 Rose on a hot summer day. “When I did this” he said “I wanted people to feel like they are right up against the vineyards and in another realm” he explained. From our vantage point all we could see was the green canopies of grape vines. Wylie undertook a large restoration of his outdoor space, including importing a fountain from Marseilles. “I could have gotten this at Restoration Hardware” he said. “But I wanted to do it right.” He certainly did. Sitting in the patio you feel complete serenity.
Wylie sent me off with his new collection of wines, mainly coming from the 2019 vintage. 2019 for me was a mixed bag of great wines and some that are mediocre and lacking flavor density and flavor complexity. For sure 2019 is becoming a producer vintage, just as 2015 was. Wylie’s 2019 wines are deep, concentrated and show great varietal typicity. Do not miss out on his gorgeous new 2021 Va Piano ‘Chelle den Mille Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc (OB, 93) which is unabashedly bold and is best served on the warmer side. Complex and delicious, this has both the weight and finesse to cellar well over the next six plus years. Even better is the sinfully good 2019 Va Piano ‘DuBrul Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) which is deep and intense, showing amazing aging potential from this famed site in the Yakima Valley. Learn more about these beautiful new wines at vapianovineyards.com and here are my reviews of the new Va Piano wines by Justin Wylie.
2021 Va Piano ‘Chelle den Mille Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- Deftly textured and soft, the 2021 Va Piano ‘Chelle den Mille Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc offers seriously good range with rich papaya with lemon curd, cashew nut, sourdough bread and shades of baking spice dusted kumquat on the palate. Rich and viscous, enjoy at a warmer temperature to take in the heady flavors and aromatics. I can see this aging well for at least another six years, picking up more nutty and earthy tones as it lies in the cellar. Drink 2022-2028- 93
2019 Va Piano ‘Estate Grown’ Merlot- The outstanding 2019 Va Piano ‘Estate Grown’ Merlot delivers a silky texture with black olives, black tea and huckleberry compote flavors that combine with shades of pencil lead. Rich and layered, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next ten to twelve years. Drink 2022-2033- 93
2019 Va Piano ‘Estate Grown’ Syrah- The 2019 ‘Estate Grown’ Syrah is bursting with ripe red and dark fruits on the palate, with milk chocolate and shades of creme de violette. Fresh and medium to full-bodied, this is delicious Syrah to enjoy now and over the next decade. Drink 2022-2033- 92
2019 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Outstanding even to consume now in its youth, the 2019 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows off forward and juicy black fruit flavors with good structure and finesse. Medium-bodied, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2022-2029- 91
2019 Va Piano ‘Estate Grown’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This dense and well-structured Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Va Piano Estate Vineyard which is located not far from the Oregon border. Herbal undertones combine with coffee grounds and cassis tones with hints of beef drippings on the nose. The palate is rich and refined, with plenty of weight without being heavy. Intense dark fruits parade on with graphite and coffee ground flavors. Seriously good now, enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2022-2037- 94
2019 Va Piano ‘DuBrul Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from one of the great sites in the Yakima Valley, the 2019 Va Piano ‘DuBrul Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows off anise, dark currant jelly, cigar box and blackberry pie notes on the nose. The palate is very polished and juicy with a massive dark fruit core that collides with graphite and Turkish coffee flavors. Forward and intense, with a great mineral backbone, this could easily be a 20 year wine. Drink 2022-2038- 94
2019 Va Piano ‘Rosebud Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from this site in the Wahluke Slope AVA, the 2019 Va Piano ‘Rosebud Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon evokes tar and scorched earth notes that combine with violet rose and hedonistic dark fruits on the nose. Full-bodied and reveling in its silky texture, this is concentrated yet highly refined Cabernet Sauvignon that has both the weight and structure to go on for another twenty years. Drink 2022-2038- 94
2019 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Syrah- The 2019 2019 Va Piano ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Syrah shows off bulls blood and stony undertones on the nose with salted meats and ripe red currants. The beautiful aromatic range is quite striking. The palate is very soft and inviting with a great combination of red and black fruits, with salty and stony undertones. Enjoy over the next eight years. Drink 2022-2030- 92
2019 Va Piano ‘Eritage Vineyard’ Syrah- The ‘Eritage Vineyard’ is a younger site located on the northern side of the town of Walla Walla. The nose is very floral with black rose petals that combine with shades of smoked meats and freshly tilled loamy soils. The palate is soft and seamless, loaded with dense black fruits, Earl Grey tea and coffee ground flavors. Very pillowy and soft, this inviting Syrah is drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve for another decade or more. Drink 2022-2033- 93
2019 Va Piano ‘Les Collines Vineyard’ Syrah- Showing great site typicity, the 2019 Va Piano ‘Les Collines Vineyard’ Syrah offers garrigue and flinty notes on the nose with black florals, cedar and heady dark fruits. The palate is gratifying and soft with serious weight and underlying tension. Finishing long with black fruits, minerals and smoky accents, this is already beautifully evolved stuff that will surely survive for at least another decade. Drink 2022-2033- 94