Today we share the amazing wines of Swiss-born winemaker Jean-François Pellet. Pellet is a third-generation wine grower. He is an incredible talent that worked with his father before coming to the Walla Walla Valley back in 1999. Pepper Bridge founder Norm McKibbon saw the potential in Pellet and made him Pepper Bridge winemaker. The brand has been going strong ever since. In addition to being winemaker at both Pepper Bridge and Amavi, Pellet is a partner in Artifex, the largest custom crush facility in Walla Walla, as well as the Octave Vineyard.
In August I sat with Pellet and tasted his new wines which were amazing across the board. His Amavi brand continues to deliver good value. I love the 2024 Amavi Semillon (OB, 93) which is amongst the finest examples of this variety that you will taste in Washington. I love the 2024 Amavi Rose (OB, 93) which is another sterling example of this wine with amazing flavor range. Check out the incredible 2022 Pepper Bridge ‘Pepper Bridge Vineyard’ Red Wine (OB, 95) which is amazingly poised and shows great depth and concentration from this cooler vintage. Learn more at pepperbridge.com and here are the gorgeous new red wine releases by Pepper Bridge.
2024 Amavi Semillon- This 2024 Semillon wine has 16% Sauvignon Blanc blended in. This is marvelously nutty on the nose with apricot and pear notes. The palate is lithe and polished with a silky texture and refined sense of mouthfeel. This is seriously good, utilizing weight and acidity. Drink 2025-2031- 93
2024 Pepper Bridge Sauvignon Blanc- The 2024 Pepper Bridge Sauvignon has 6% Semillon blended in. Gooseberry and walnut mark the nose alongside shades of green apple all meld together. The palate is incredibly nervy and intense with heady finesse that meld together with citrus and orchard fruits. This is exceedingly well-done. Drink 2025-2032- 94
2024 Amavi Rose- A stunning new edition of this wine, the 2024 Amavi Rose is made from Cabernet Franc grapes and then was stored in stainless steel with some lees stirring before bottling. Damp earth collide with fresh strawberry, guava and shades of blood orange zest. This is ultra-fresh with a superb texture and great mouthfeel. Drink 2025-2031- 93
2022 Amavi ‘Walla Walla’ Syrah- This is an identical blend to the ’22, the 2023 Walla Walla Syrah is 89% Syrah with the remainder Grenache. The Walla Walla Rocks nose is really shining brightly here with the stony character alongside menthol and Hoisin sauce with bright black fruits. The palate is lithe and fresh with great texture and finesse. Drink 2025-2033- 93
2022 Amavi ‘Les Collines’ Syrah- The 2022 ‘Les Collines’ is a 100% varietal wine that comes from this location near the Blue Mountains. Dried herbs and blueberry pie mark the nose alongside pencil lead and bacon fat notes. The palate has amazing freshness and underlying tension that collides with copious stony minerals and dense dark fruits. Enjoy now and over the next decade. Drink 2025-2035- 95
2022 Amavi ‘Stone Valley’ Syrah- The 2022 ‘Stone Valley’ saw roughly half whole cluster fermentation. The wine was stored in only 17% new French oak before bottling. Seaweed and beef drippings mark the nose alongside black olive tapenade and charcuterie notes. This has really nice weight considering the vintage, as the flavor range really drives this beautiful wine. Drink 2025-2033- 95
2023 Amavi ‘Ceres’ Red Wine- The 2023 ‘Ceres’ combines Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Stored in 38% new French oak this delivers coffee grinds and dark currants on the nose alongside milk chocolate notes. This has a generous mouthfeel with fabulous texture and weight, as black and blue fruits combine with dark chocolate shavings and suggestions of dark fig. Drink 2025-2038- 94
2022 Amavi ‘Walla Walla’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 ‘Wallla Walla’ Cabernet Sauvignon has smaller portions of Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec blended in. This was entirely sourced from the Pepper Bridge and Summit View Vineyards. Anise and green herbs mark the nose alongside iodine and tar notes. The palate is refined and beautifully-textured with great flavor density and weight. Drink 2025-2035- 93
2022 Pepper Bridge ‘Walla Walla’ Merlot- The 2022 ‘Walla Walla’ Merlot has 12% Cabernet Franc and 6% Malbec blended in. Mainly coming from the Seven Hills vineyard, this offers a refined mouthfeel with great earthy elegance on the palate. Dark cherry and sagebrush tones combine with graphite and shades of loamy soils on the palate. Drink 2025-2042- 94
2022 Pepper Bridge ‘Pepper Bridge Vineyard’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Pepper Bridge Vineyard’ Red Wine is mainly Merlot with 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Malbec with a touch of Petit Verdot. Loads of dark chocolate fill the glass alongside violet rose petals, scorched earth and suggestions of bay leaf. The palate has fabulous weight and length with terrific viscosity. Drink 2025-2042- 95
2022 Pepper Bridge ‘Trine’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Trine’ combines 38% Cabernet Franc with 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The herbal notes are gorgeous here as violets, tar and Cuban cigar notes combine with heady dark fruits. The palate shows beautiful freshness and structure, with vibrant acidity and a killer core of dark fruits. Drink 2026-2044- 95
2022 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon has a small amount of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc blended in. Stored in 57% new French ask this delivers great volume and flavor density on the palate with gobs of finesse. Dark cherry and loganberry notes combine with shades of black licorice and tar on the palate. This is sophisticated, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that will live on for decades. Give this another year to develop. Drink 2026-2042- 94