EFESTE

Today we share one of the beautiful ranges of wine that you will find in Woodinville. I love wines that offer good value.  EFESTE makes a great range of wines that won’t break the bank. They also have some beautiful wine club events that I have enjoyed over the years. At the helm is winemaker Mark Fiore who has been crafting some consistently great wines that have a beginning, middle and an end. Mark is a shark on the golf course, a former PGA Professional who decided to work two harvest seasons at Beresan and Balboa wineries, eventually leading to a job at Charles Smith Wines in August of 2011. Mark began making wine for K Vintners and then worked on other projects such as Sixto, Latta Wines, Wines of Substance and B Leighton in Walla Walla and Seattle. 

Mark is a great guy to chat and drink wine with. I love his 2021 EFESTE ‘Lola’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is neatly textured and shows fantastic flavor density.  Even better is the fabulous 2021 EFESTĒ ‘James Vineyard’ Malbec (OB, 94) which is is already beautiful stuff to consume right now. Learn more about these outstanding new wines at https://efeste.com Here are the gorgeous new wines by EFESTĒ.

2023 EFESTE ‘Feral’ Sauvignon Blanc- Coming from the Evergreen Vineyard in the Ancient Lakes AVA, this was stored in stainless steel, concrete and oak before bottling. This shows kiwi and pear on the nose alongside shades of cardamom drenched French bread. The palate is refined and this shows good texture and bright underlying acidity. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2021 EFESTE ‘Lola’ Chardonnay- Coming from the Connor lee Vineyard, this is now the second vintage that ‘Lola’ is sourced from this site. Stored in 100% concrete, this offers good flavor density and weight with excellent underlying freshness. Toasty oak and pie crust combine with shades of pineapple, mango and buttercream. Full-bodied and delicious, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 93

2021 EFESTE ‘Estate’ Grenache- This 2021 EFESTE Grenache was fermented in concrete and small amount of new French oak before bottling. This offers juicy and delicious cranberry and red cherry flavors that combine with orange peel and baking spices. Plush and round on the mouth, enjoy now and over the next ten plus ears to come. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 EFESTE ‘Ceidleigh’ Syrah- This 2021 100% clone 194 Syrah coming from the EFESTE estate vineyard perched on Red Mountain. This saw about 40% stem inclusion and was fermented in stainless steel and stored in 33% new French oak before bottling. Hoisin sauce, green peppercorns and black raspberry compote all mark the nose. The palate is soft as this displays good length, balance and concentration. Showing brilliant flavor range, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 EFESTE ‘Knight Commander’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Knight Commander’ is almost all Syrah with 4% Viognier. Inky in the glass, this is sourced from their estate vineyard on Red Mountain. Stored in 50% new French oak before bottling, this shows a silky texture with loads of black fruits alongside black peppercorns, violets, and blueberry pie flavors. Delicious now, watch this evolve over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2020 EFESTE ‘Final Final’ Red Wine- The 2020 ‘Final Final’ is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Smokey tones combine with red currants, milk chocolate and pencil lead. This is very juicy and delicious with a smooth texture. Enjoy this excellent new value bottling now and over the next five to seven years — a killer wine from a tough vintage. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2021 EFESTE ‘Taylor Mag’ Red Wine- Coming from their estate vineyard, the 2021 ‘Taylor Mag’ is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain. This is nicely textured stuff with pipe tobacco, tar and black licorice alongside shades of mocha on the palate. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 91

2021 EFESTE ‘Estate’ Petit Verdot- One of the unique single vineyard and single varietal bottlings in Washington State, the 2021 ‘Estate’ Petit Verdot has granite and anise on the nose alongside violets and tar, with menthol notes. The palate is complex and soft — not overly tannic. Refined and elegant on the mouth, this is delicious, dense and well-structured stuff that is drinking beautifully right now. Drink 2024-2038- 94

2021 EFESTE ‘James Vineyard’ Malbec- The ‘James Vineyard’ is located in the Wahluke Slope AVA. Stored in 50% new French oak, this delivers black rose petals and blueberry compote on the nose alongside anise and exotic spices. The palate is soft and lively with bright underlying freshness and loads of mouth-watering acidity. A beautiful core of blue and black fruits greets you on the palate, with good length. Enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2038- 94

2020 EFESTE ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 2020 ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon was placed in all new French oak barrels before bottling (extended barrel age, 36 months). Round and generous on the mouth, this offers black tea and pipe tobacco flavors alongside dark chocolate shavings, graphite and loamy soils. Delicious to consume now, savor this over the next five to seven years. Drink 2024-2030- 94