Last night tasting with winemaker Travis Allen we chatted about vintages in Washington. “’22 was about perfect weather for white wines” he said. “The coolness really kept the freshness intact.” He has been one vintage behind in his Viognier bottling as his latest dazzling edition came from the 2022 vintage — one that has proved to be exceedingly good for whites.
Last time I tasted their famed ‘Minzunera’ bottling I scored the wine 100 points. It was a perfect, seamless wine that needs a lot of time but showed no rough edges. The Mizunera comes from eight thousand dollar oak barrels that were made from trees foraged from an ancient Japanese forest. Travis and Mario Allen run Kobayashi on their own and have bene making some of the most electric wines in the Pacific Northwest. The wines exude class in their combination of weight, finesse and aromatic/flavor range.
I was floored by the 2022 Kobayashi Viognier (OB, 96) which is easily one of the best wines of its kind made in North America. Even better is the stunning 2023 Kobayashi Roussanne (OB, 98) which will rival any VV wine in Chateauneuf du Pape. Learn more at https://kobayashiwinery.com and here are my reviews of the sensational new wines by Kobayashi winery.
20222 Kobayashi Viognier- The 2022 Kobayashi Viognier was aged in all neutral oak barrels and comes from two separate picks from the WeatherEye Vineyard. This is seamless throughout the drinking experience with mango, peach and lychee flavors that combine with copious minerals and shades of papaya. Big and rich, with serious flavor density and good underlying verve. Beautifully textured and weightless, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2025-2035- 96
2023 Kobayashi Roussanne- The brilliant 2023 Kobayashi Roussanne saw extended skin contact and comes from only one barrel. Golden in the glass, this was stored in a normal format barrel with all staves submerged under the ocean which led to more moisture in the wood. Peach and salted macadamia nut tones fill the nose alongside suggestions of cloves and apricot jelly. The palate is unctuous, rich and downright sensational in terms of texture, verve and underlying salinity. Oily and dense, with a seamless texture, this is a downright ethereal bottling that will be neck and neck with anything from Chateauneuf du Pape. Enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2025-2037- 98