Greetings from sunny Miami! Today we share one of the outstanding producers of Bordeaux style wines in Washington State. Passing Time was founded by NFL legends Dan Marino and Damon Huard, utilizing the talents of famed winemaker Chris Peterson. The wines have been amazing since their first 2012 vintage. Chris Peterson was the first graduate of the Walla Walla Community College’s Enology and Viticulture program and working at DeLille for eight years under legendary winemaker Chris Upchurch. He makes wines that are very well-structured and are built for aging. These are big and bold wines that age so well.
2022 is a vintage that tends to be less consistent in terms of overall quality than ’21. Due to the coolness during the growing season, phenolic ripeness was sometimes a challenge for producers. Buyers can purchase the Passing Time wines with confidence, as ripeness and flavor density is not an issue with their reds.
I loved these 2021 wines and the 2022 wines are just as good. Do not miss out on the incredible 2022 Passing Time ‘Block 1311’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 99) flirts with perfection. Dense and chewy with a pillowy mouthfeel, this is a must-buy for any serious lover of Washington Cabernet. Learn more about this fantastic boutique winery at http://www.passingtime.com Here is my reviews of the new Passing Time wines.
2022 Passing Time ‘Champoux Vineyard’ Merlot- This beautiful 100% Merlot comes from the hallowed ‘Champoux Vineyard’ located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. This was stored in 65% New French oak for 20 months prior to bottling. Needing about twenty minutes in the decanter to get going, once aroused this evokes aromatics of roasted fig and dates, alongside freshly tilled loamy soils, cassis and shades of loganberry compote. The palate is smooth and silky with a refined texture and wonderful underlying tension. This might not be quite as dense as the ’21 but offers more in terms of structure. A joy to consume now, enjoy over the next fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 95
2022 Passing Time ‘Columbia Valley’ Red Wine- The 2022 Passing Time ‘Columbia Valley’ Red Wine is a brilliant wine that is already neatly evolved at the three year mark. Sweet cassis, sandalwood, and pipe tobacco notes combine with chocolate and dense dark fruits on the palate. Soft and elegant, evoking a silky mouthfeel, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2024-2032- 93
2022 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 2022 ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly sourced from the Discovery (65%) and Wallula (22%) vineyards. This 2022 edition is also nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (87%) with 9% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc. It is silky and refined wine that offers brilliant dark florals on the nose with espresso bean, black licorice and shades of sweet pipe tobacco. The palate is refined and elegant with great texture and sense of weight. Black Forest cake flavors mingle well with Arabica bean, freshly tilled stony soils and creme de violette notes. This is very seamless throughout the drinking experience. Exotic and lush on the mouth, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next fifteen to twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 97
2022 Passing Time ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon is nearly all sourced from the Klipsun, Heart of the Hill and Red Mountain Vineyards. Aged in 80% new French oak, the this begins with creosote aromatics alongside fresh thyme and sage, blackberry cordial and shades of anise that all meld in the glass. The palate is refined and elegant with good underlying verve. Viscous and delicious, showing a fabulous melange of black and blue fruit flavors on the palate, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2040- 96
2022 Passing Time ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 Passing Time ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge vineyards. Stored in 60% new French oak, this delivers aromatics of garrigue and huckleberry compote alongside stony soils and shades of graphite. The palate is soft and elegant, as this glides throughout the drinking experience. Firm tannins frame a generous core of black fruits, with chocolate and Turkish coffee accents. Decadent and delicious, watch this evolve over the next twenty years. Drink 2024-2044- 97
2022 Passing Time ‘Block 1311’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Consistently the finest wine in the Passing Time collection, the 2022 ‘Block 1311’ comes from a block in the Wallula Vineyard that combines proprietors Dan Marino and Damon Huard’s jersey numbers. This scenic vineyard is perched right above the Columbia River. Mesmerizing aromatics of Arabica bean and blueberry compote combine with black rose petals and suggestions of wild herbs all sing in unison. The palate is seamless and elegant with a voluptuous mouthfeel and weightless drinking experience mid-palate. A total heavyhitter, enjoy this beauty over the next twenty plus years. Be sure to give this an hour in the decanter if savoring in its heady youth. Drink 2024-2048- 99