Today we share some of the outstanding wines in the Columbia Gorge. One of the unique, family-run wineries in Washington State, AniChe focuses on varietal blends that include rarely planted Italian varietals like Dolcetto, Barbera and Zinfandel (Primativo). I really enjoy the creativity behind these wines. Overall quality for this lineup is very good. Try for yourself and I think that your eyes will be opened by something completely new in Washington wine.
Anais Mera, and Rachael Horn make some beautiful wines together. I love the new 2024 AniChe ‘Estate Puck’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 91) which is loaded with salty nuance and texture. Even better is the 2024 AniChe ‘The Devil’ Gruner Veltliner (OB, 92) which has amazing weight and depth, as well as flavor complexity. Learn more about this exciting small Washington winery at http://anichecellars.com/ and here are my reviews of the new AniChe Cellars wines.
2024 AniChe Cellars ‘Estate Puck’ Sparkling Wine- The really good 2024 AniChe Cellars ‘Estate Puck’ Sparkling Wine is loaded with peaches and honeysuckle water notes alongside fresh kiwi and nutty nuances. Enjoy now. Riesling and Pinot Gris. Drink 2025-2030- 91
2024 AniChe Cellars ‘Serafina’ Riesling- The 2024 ‘Serafina’ Riesling offers petrol and white peach on the nose alongside lemon blossom notes. The palate is fresh and nervy with a great texture and plenty of crushed seashell character. This is really cool stuff. Drink 2025-2031- 92
2024 AniChe Cellars ‘Beatrix’ Chardonnay- Sourced from their estate vineyard, the 2024 ‘Beatrix’ Chardonnay offers juicy Japanese pear and star jasmine water notes on the palate alongside good tension and depth. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2024 AniChe Cellars ‘The Devil’ Gruner Veltliner- A terrific edition of this wine, the 2024 ‘The Devil’ offers nectarine skin and green apple notes alongside salted lemon and shades of walnut on the palate. Very complex, and neatly-textured, enjoy this fresh and viscous edition now and over the next eight years. Drink 2025-2033- 92
2024 AniChe Cellars ‘The Fool’ Gruner Veltliner- Made in a very fresh and nervy style, the 2024 AniChe Cellars ‘The Fool’ Gruner Veltliner delivers Granny Smith apple and kiwi notes alongside green papaya on the palate. Showing a smooth mouthfeel, with loads of finesse, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2024 AniChe Cellars ‘The World’ Gruner Veltliner- A beautiful wine from this warm vintage, the 2024 AniChe Cellars ‘The World’ Gruner Veltliner is dense and rich, showing plenty of stuffing. Honeydew melon, salted cashew nut and pastry crust notes combine with lush mandarin orange on the palate. You are going to love this dense bottling that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2025-2033- 92
2024 AniChe Cellars ‘Little Birds’ Rose- The 2024 ‘Little Birds’ is mainly Pinot Gris and Riesling. It is vibrant on the mouth with a smooth mouthfeel and loads of bright orchard fruits with light guava notes. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2022 AniChe Cellars ‘Sancho’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Sancho’ is a blend of nearly all Cabernet Franc (94%) with the remainder equal parts Merlot and Malbec coming from the Alder Ridge Vineyard. Beautiful red florals mark the nose with orange bell pepper, tobacco leaf and wild blackberry notes. The palate is soft and refined with good elegance and underlying verve, with salty minerals. This is already nicely defined stuff that will cellar well over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2034- 92
2022 AniChe Cellars ‘Barbariccia’ Red Wine- The 2022 AniChe Cellars ‘Barbariccia’ Red Wine is mainly Sangiovese (90%) with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon coming from the Boushey Vineyard. Pretty red fruits mingle well with dried herbs and orange zest notes on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2031- 91