A great way to spend a Friday, I walked into the French-inspired tasting room in Woodinville. I was excited to taste the latest by Kevin White, who founded his namesake winery fourteen years ago back in 2010. Inspired by the wines of the Rhone Valley, Kevin sought to learn more and more about wine, taking classes in chemistry, microbiology and enology. Kevin started making his wines at nearby Baer before opening his tasting room in the warehouse district of Woodinville.
Kevin is very bullish on the new vintage coming from 2022. This vintage could have been a disaster for red varietals if there was an October freeze. Fortunately for Washington producers the vintage saw warm fall temperatures which helped with ripening. I love the 2022 Kevin White ‘Memoire’ White Wine (OB, 93) which shows great underlying finesse with plenty of richness. Even better is the sensational 2022 Kevin White ‘Pionnier’ Grenache (OB, 94) which offers very pure red fruits with a silky texture. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.kevinwhitewinery.com Here are the great new wines by Kevin White.
2022 Kevin White ‘Memoire’ White Wine- The ‘Memoire’ is a southern Rhone-inspired blend of Roussanne (90%) and Grenache Blanc (10%) from the Boushey and Olsen Vineyard. Stored in 15% new French oak, this offers gooseberry, Japanese pear and cantaloupe notes alongside copious minerals and a smooth texture on the palate. Showing good finesse, this is a great showing from this cooler vintage. Drink 2024-2031- 93
2022 Kevin White ‘Pionnier Boushey Vineyard’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Pioneer’ blends 88% Grenache with 12% Mourvedre coming from the Boushey Vineyard. Stored in all neutral oak the nose shows off beautiful red rose petals alongside red currants, blood orange zest and black tea. The palate is plush and very fresh with a refined texture. Smooth throughout the drinking experience, with beautiful red fruits, this is drinking very well in its heady south. This saw a small amount of stem inclusion, as this should be enjoyed over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 94
2021 Kevin White ‘Les Terrasses Weathereye Vineyard’ Grenache- The 2021 ‘Les Terrasses’ Grenche is sourced from this south facing, high elevation northern slopes on Red Mountain which is managed by Ryan Johnson. Stored in neutral oak barrels, this offers yarrow notes that combine with red rose petals, anise, and red raspberry notes. The palate is soft and refined with silky tannins that frame a beautiful core of red fruits, with beef drippings and herbal accents. Drink 2024-2034- 94
2022 Kevin White ‘La Fraternite’ Red Wine- Sourced from the Boushey Vineyard, this combines 57% Grenache with smaller portions Mourvèdre and Syrah. The nose shows off Linzer torte with garrigue, sage, white pepper and shades of kumquat rind. The palate is soft and elegant with good texture and underlying verve. Drinking beautifully now, enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2022 Kevin White ‘La Paysanne’ Mourvedre- The 2022 ‘La Paysanne’ is a gorgeous 100% Mourvèdre bottling from the Boushey, Olsen, and WeatherEye Vineyards. Herbal accents combine with grilled venison, green peppercorns and middle eastern spices on the nose. The palate is soft and refined with a great sense of texture and bright acidity. Very savory and showing a brilliant core of red fruits, this is drinking well in its vibrant youth. Drink 2024-2036- 94
2021 Kevin White ‘En Hommage’ Syrah- Coming from the Olsen and Boushey Vineyards, this 2021 Syrah was stored in only 15% new French oak before bottling. Right away this opens with black pepper dusted bacon, Kalamata olives, menthol, beef drippings and shades of anise on the nose. The palate is dense and fresh with refined tannins that combine with rich blackberry and huckleberry flavors. This is beautiful stuff. Drink 2024-2042- 95
2020 Kevin White ‘Heritage DuBrul Vineyard’ Red Wine- Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (75%) with the remainder Merlot, the wine was stored in 50% new French oak before bottling. This offers sagebrush and dark currants with tar and tobacco leaf on the nose. The palate is soft and refined with silky tannins that frame a beautiful core of black fruits and chocolate. Drink 2024-2029- 93