Today we share an excellent producer in the Walla Walla Valley. Balboa was founded in 2005 as the winery has spent the past 20 years maintaining a small production, sourcing 95% of their grapes from our estate vineyards, located in the “Rocks District” of Milton Freewater.
Wines range from fresh Gruner Veltliner to concentrated Carmenere. Tyler Grennan serves as winemaker and has been at the helm since 2019. The wines were excellent. I really enjoyed the 2023 Balboa Gruner Veltliner (OB, 91) which is fresh and vibrant with a soft mouthfeel. Learn more at balboawinery.com and here are my reviews of the new Balboa wines.
2023 Balboa Gruner Veltliner- Lime zest and orange peel combine with shades of kiwi on the nose. The palate is neatly structured with a smooth mouthfeel. Juicy melon fruits dominate this mineral-laden bottling. Drink 2024-2030- 91
2023 Balboa Sauvignon Blanc- Coming from the Walla Walla Valley, this 2023 Sauvignon Blanc delivers freshly cut grass and lemon zest notes on the palate with a smooth texture. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 91
2021 Balboa Grenache- Red cherry candy and guava mark the nose on this 2023 Grenache. Juicy red fruits combine with orange zest on the palate and salty soils. Delicious now, enjoy over the next six plus years. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2021 Balboa Carmenere- A unique bottling for the Walla Walla Valley, this 2021 Carmenere delivers green bell pepper and rich dark fruits on the palate, with shades of graphite and dark chocolate shavings. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032-92
2021 Balboa ‘Reserve’ Syrah- The 2021 ‘Reserve’ Syrah is a limited production wine coming from the famed Stoney Vine Vineyard in the Walla Walla Rocks District. The wine screams terroir on the palate with smoldering cobblestones alongside Hoisin sauce and Umami alongside seaweed and wild blackberry notes. A complete wine, showing truly outstanding flavor range, enjoy over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 94
2020 Balba ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 ‘Reserve’ is sourced from the Walla Walla Valley and has only 148 cases made. Creosote and dense dark fruits combine with dark chocolate shavings on the palate. Despite the obvious challenges of the vintage, this is a really good effort. Enjoy over the next few years. Drink 2024-2029- 91