Today we share a stalwart producer in the Lake Chelan AVA. I’ll fully admit that it has been many years since I have tasted the lineup at Tsillan Cellars. The winery has a beautiful setting with plenty of outdoor seating. The 127 acre estate is Chelan’s largest planted vineyard. They make an exceedingly long range of wines from Chardonnay to Syrah from this estate. Italian varietals are also planted at the estate vineyard.
At the helm is Garrett Grubbs who joined the team in 2021. It is exceedingly difficult to grow many of these estate varietals in the heat that is accumulated in Lake Chelan. Grubbs did an excellent job with this lineup. I really love the 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Bellissima Rossa Reserve’ Red Wine (OB, 92) which is deep and concentrated from this slightly cooler vintage. Learn more at https://tsillancellars.com/ and here are my reviews of the new releases by Tsillan Cellars.
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Gewurtztraminer- The 2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Gewurtztraminer is soft and round on the mouth, offering peach and lychee flavors that mingle well with a smooth texture and good sense of acidity. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Riesling- Made somewhat in the Trocken style, the 2023 ‘Estate’ Riesling delivers petrol and green apples on the nose alongside Meyer lemon rind. The palate is fresh and smooth on the tongue with good minerality. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Viognier- The 2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Viognier is a limited production wine that shows sweet peaches and pear notes on the palate with a smooth mouthfeel. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2029- 90
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Sempre Amore’ White Wine- The 2023 ‘Sempre Amore’ comes off a touch sweet and overripe with pear and kiwi flavors that mingle with light minerals. Drink 2025-2029- 88
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Dolce Donna’ White Wine- The 2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Dolce Donna’ White Wine shows off a smooth mouthfeel with star jasmine water and nectarine flavors that mingle well with pie crust notes. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- Sourced from the Estate vineyard, the 2023 ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay offers juicy pear and baked apple flavors with pastry crust and shades of custard on the palate. Enjoy this nicely textured wine now. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘McNary Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘McNary Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc offers plump gooseberry and kiwi flavors alongside shades of passion fruit on the palate. Rich and viscous, with a terrific texture, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2030- 91
2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Bocciolo di Rosa’ Rose- Coming from the Zillah Ranch Vineyard, this 2023 Rose offers good tension on the palate with damp earth notes that connect well with pretty cranberry and Yakima cherry fruit flavors. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Sangiovese- The 2022 ‘Estate’ Sangiovese offers dusty soils and strawberry notes on the nose alongside orange zest tones. Medium-bodied and soft, with firm tannins, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2021 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Dolcetto- The 2021 ‘Estate’ Dolcetto offers bright strawberry and red cherry flavors alongside toasty oak, orange zest and herbal accents. Generous and delicious, enjoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 91
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Dolcetto- Slightly less dense than the ’21, the ’22 ‘Estate’ Dolcetto shows pretty red fruits with candied orange and shades of salty soils on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Barbera- The excellent 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Barbera shows concentrated black and blue fruits with good freshness and refined tannins on the palate. Bright and mineral-laden, with citrus zest accents, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2030- 91
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Reserve’ Syrah- Smoke, bramble and dried herbs mark the nose of the ‘Reserve’ Syrah. The palate is loaded with juicy black fruits that collide with smoky minerals and herbal accents. This is drinking beautifully right now. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2021 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Syrah- The 2021 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Syrah offers slightly sweet black currants and black cherry flavors alongside faint herbal and chocolate notes. Drink 2025-2030- 89
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Syrah- The 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Syrah delivers a soft mouthfeel with light black fruits wth smoky undertones on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 89
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Heart of the Hill Vineyard’ Petit Verdot- The really good 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Heart of the Hill Vineyard’ Petit Verdot shows firm tannins and good grip and concentration from this slightly cooler vintage. Garrigue, tar and creme de cassis notes mingle well with dusty soils on the palate. Drink 2025-2032- 92
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Merlot- The 2022 ‘Estate’ Merlot offers medium bodied kirsch and dark currant flavors with sweet pipe tobacco on the palate. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2021 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon offers coffee grounds and dark currants on the nose with a graphite edge. The palate is powerful and concentrated as slightly sweet black fruits parade with dark chocolate shavings. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Cabernet Sauvignon shows a smooth mouthfeel on the palate with tobacco leaf, anise and shades of creme de violette, with tar accents. The salty nuances add to the intrigue. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Sinistra’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Sinistra’ combines mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (45%) with smaller portions Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. This is round and well-balanced on the palate, offering chocolate and coffee ground notes alongside green herbs and cassis accents. Drink 2025-2031- 92
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Bellissima Rossa Reserve’ Red Wine- The 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Bellissima Rossa Reserve’ Red Wine is a delicious and juicy effort that is hitting its stride now. Coffee grounds and dense dark fruits mingle well with sweet chocolate notes on the palate. Mostly Merlot, this varietal is definitely taking the lead now. Drink 2025-2031- 92
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Cabernet Franc- The 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Cabernet Franc shows off black tea and exotic spice notes on the nose alongside bing cherry. The palate offers slightly sweet red and dark fruits alongside herbal accents. Delicious now, enjoy over the next few years. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2021 Tsillan Cellars ‘Heart of The Hill Vineyard’ Petite Sirah- inky in the glass, the 2021 Tsillan Cellars ‘Heart of The Hill Vineyard’ Petite Sirah shows off chocolate and tar notes on the palate, with rocky soils and shades of baking spices. Dense and delicious, enjoy now. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Malbec- The 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Malbec delivers mocha and creosote notes on the palate with sweetened blackberry and boysenberry notes. Enoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Heart of The Hill Vineyard’ Petite Sirah- The excellent 2022 Tsillan Cellars ‘Heart of The Hill Vineyard’ Petite Sirah shows off black florals and shades of dark chocolate shavings on the nose with creme de cassis notes. The palate is plush and ripe with a smooth mouthfeel. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2031- 91