As I sat across from winemaker Travis Allen, I was glowing with delight. This was now the second time they had made their famed ‘Minzunera’ bottling, using eight thousand dollar oak barrels that came from ancient Japanese forests. It is quite a remarkable journey for Allen and his wife Mario Allen. Over the last several years the Allens have taken the Washington wine scene by storm. A trained nurse-anesthetist, Allen crafts highly novel, single vineyard bottlings that are made in limited production. The wines have a wonderful harmony to them, showing wonderful poise, weight and structure.
Last night I tried the new Kobayashi wines and I had to write about them immediately. I am blown away with his new 2022 Kobayashi Marsanne-Roussane (OB, 97) which is amongst the finest white wines I have tasted in the past year from the Pacific Northwest. A wine that is nothing short of perfection in the bottle is the absolutely thrilling 2021 Kobayashi ‘Mizunara’ Cabernet Franc (OB, 100) which will blow your mind. One sip and you will see that there is nothing like this beauty in the world. It is not quite Biserno or Cheval Blanc — it is a wine all its own. Learn more at https://kobayashiwinery.com and here are my reviews of the sensational new wines by Kobayashi winery.
2021Kobayashi Viognier- This 2021 ‘WeatherEye Vineyard’ bottling took a bit more time to ferment and was released a bit later than typical. This also spent more time in the barrel, as this is the last vintage that utilized any new French oak. On the nose this takes on honeysuckle notes alongside shades of green papaya, star jasmine and starfruit notes. The palate is fresh and also very viscous with a silky texture and incredible length. The mouth-watering acidity is truly amazing here. Drink 2023-2031- 96
2022 Kobayashi Marsanne-Roussane- The 2022 Kobayashi Marsanne-Roussane comes from the WeatherEye Vineyard. A gorgeous combination of of 59% Marsanne with the remainder Roussanne, This saw a week on the skins in the cold room and then was aged in 40% new French cigar-shaped barrels prior to bottling. This also saw battonage at the beginning of oak aging. The nose really pops with aromas of ripe peach and apricot notes alongside allspice dusted pastry crust, and suggestions of Macadamia nut. The palate is seamless throughout the drinking experience. This comes off fat on the tongue, showing saline drenched peach and shortbread flavors. This is truly up there with the finest white wines of the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2023-2031- 97
2021 Kobayashi ‘Skin Contact’ Marsanne- This spent a whopping 41 days on the skins in stainless steel. The wine was just drained into a sandstone vessel. This has just a kiss of sweetness with a literal cornucopia of flavors. Nectarine, red currants, strawberry, and sweetened kiwi flavors with refined tannins all combine on the palate. Showing impressive viscosity, freshness and length, this beauty is not for the weary. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2023-2029- 96
2021 Kobayashi Cabernet Franc- Mostly sourced from the Blue Mountain Vineyard, the 2021 Kobayashi Cabernet Franc is the finest edition of this wine made yet. The wine was stored in 1200L oval foudre before bottling. This shows a touch of wintergreen on the nose with bright black fruits, alongside baking spices and suggestions of loamy soils. This is utterly seamless on the palate with refined tannins and underlying garrigue notes. Dark currants, creme de violette and baking spices all come together in unison on the palate. Give this at least an hour of air before consuming. Drink 2023-2031- 96
2022 Kobayashi ‘WeatherEye Vineyard Sans Soufre’ Syrah- The outrageously good 2022 Kobayashi ‘WeatherEye Vineyard Sans Soufre’ Syrah is a world-class wine that is drinking marvelously now. This was 100% whole cluster fermented and was stored in 100% neutral oak puncheons before bottling, with no punchdowns or pump-overs. Very dark in the glass, the wine is outrageously perfumed with white pepper dusted bacon, green olive tapenade, black currants, espresso grounds, purple rose petals and shades of pencil lead. This is seamless and elegant wine with sensational flavor range and viscosity. Round and generous on the palate, with fantastic length and underlying finesse, this is a total stunner that will drinking marvelously now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2023-2031- 98
2021 Kobayashi ‘WeatherEye Vineyard’ Syrah- Another incredible effort, the 2021 ‘WeatherEye Vineyard’ Syrah has a touch of Viognier (2-3%) added, as this was stored in almost all neutral oak prior to bottling. Immediately gratifying on the nose, this shows off creosote aromatics alongside beef drippings, green peppercorns and shades of blackberry pie, with light red florals from the Viognier. The palate is very fresh and shows tremendous viscosity, coming off fat on the mouth. This is just incredibly gratifying to drink right now in its heady youth. This has both the viscosity and underlying freshness to cellar well into the next decade. Drink 2023-2033- 97
2019 Kobayashi ‘Extended Barrel Age’ Syrah- This beautiful wine was stored for 41 months in new 500L puncheon barrels before bottling. Potpourri and plenty of freshly cracked white pepper combine with soy sauce, boysenberry torte, Korean short ribs and suggestions of exotic spices all meld together in the glass. The palate is seamless and heady with plenty of exotic appeal in its outstanding flavor range. Generous and broad-shouldered, this elegant and intense Syrah will cellar well over the next eight plus years. Drink 2023-2031- 98
2021 Kobayashi ‘Mizunara’ Cabernet Franc- This is now the second edition made of this wine following the incredible 2019 bottling. The 2021 ‘Mizunara’ is the only wine of its kind, as the barrel costs a whopping 8 thousand dollars including shipping. As one of the most expensive wines in Washington State, it is also one of the finest that you will find. Cedar and exotic spices combine in this downright explosive nose with red currants, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco and hints of fresh sage. Seamless and elegant, with serious savory notes, refined tannins and downright insane flavor range, you won’t find anything like this in the world. Try to procure a bottle if you can, as there are only 100 cases made. Drink 2023-2043- 100