Today we share one of the great wineries in Washington. Sleight of Hand has locations in Walla Walla, Woodinville and SoDo. It is an awesome environment to taste wines at. Initially started back in 2007 by Trey Busch and Jerry and Sandy Solomon they have focused on top vineyard spots like StoneyVine and Upland as well as WeatherEye and Lewis Vineyards. Keith Johnson has been with the team since 2011 and oversees wine production on a daily basis. Keith also makes some amazing wines under his Devium label that are incredible in their own right.
I adore the new wines and the lineup is super consistent across the board. Check out the thrilling 2024 Sleight of Hand ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah (OB, 96) which has world-class typicity, flavor and aromatic range. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://www.sofhcellars.com Here are the awesome new release wines from Sleight of Hand.
2024 Sleight of Hand ‘The Enchantress’ Chardonnay- The 2024 ‘The Enchantress’ comes from the French Creek Vineyard which has some of the most seasoned Chardonnay vines in Washington State. It is remarkably delicious once in the glass, offering mango, peach and freshly cut lime flavors that mingle well with hay and nutty nuance. Light on its feet, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next eight plus years to come. Drink 2026-2034- 93
2024 Sleight of Hand ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ Syrah- Exclusively made for restaurants, the 2024 Sleight of Hand ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ Syrah comes from the Walla Walla Rocks District. Dried herbs and charcuterie notes mingle well with orange zest and cardamom dusted black cherry on the palate. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2026-2033- 93
2023 Sleight of Hand ‘The Spellbinder’ Red Wine- Made from mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes, the 2023 ‘The Spellbinder’ offers medium-bodied chocolate, kirsch and red raspberry flavors that connect with faint garrigue notes on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2026-2031- 91
2023 Sleight of Hand ‘The Conjurer’ Red Wine- Inviting and open, the 2023 Sleight of Hand ‘The Conjurer’ Red Wine offers medium-bodied dark fruits that mingle with chocolate and herbal accents. Fresh and juicy with terrific texture, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2026-2034- 92
2023 Sleight of Hand ‘The Illusionist Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The brilliant 2023 Sleight of Hand ‘The Illusionist’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a few locations in the Columbia Valley. Stored in roughly half new French oak for 20 months, this opens with sagebrush and milk chocolate notes alongside Arabica bean and black florals that all meld in the glass. The palate is lively and fresh, with terrific texture and finesse. Gorgeous now, watch this evolve over the next fifteen years. Drink 2026-2041- 94
2023 Sleight of Hand ‘The Archimage Reserve’ Red Wine- An amazing edition of this wine, the 2023 ‘The Archimage Reserve’ is inspired by the great wines of the Right Bank of Bordeaux. Salty soils collide with red currants, sandalwood, mocha, orange bell pepper and tar notes on the palate. Complex and also very delicious, enjoy now and over the next fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2026-2041- 94
2024 Sleight of Hand ‘Badlands’ Syrah- The sensational 2024 ‘Badlands’ Syrah comes from this vineyard set on ancient cobblestone soils. Stored in natural oak barrels for 20 months, this shows off smoldering stones and potpourri on the nose alongside shades of black licorice and Parma ham. This is opulent, finesse-laden stuff with terrific depth and flavor range — while the stony essence rings true with each sip. Drink 2026-2034- 96
2024 Sleight of Hand ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah- I feel like I write this each year as I have now tasted every single vintage of this wine. The viscosity and texture reminds be a bit of the stunning ’21 bottling. The 2024 Sleight of Hand ‘The Psychedelic’ Syrah is a totally head-turning, mesmerizing wine sourced from the acclaimed Stoney Vine Vineyard in the Rocks District. This can really benefit from about an hour before consuming. The wine just builds with richness, tension and flavor/aromatic range, as the fabulous texture and mouth-watering stony minerality continues to impress. Black truffle crudo and dark currants combine with green peppercorns fresh sage combine with wet gravel and suggestions of Middle Eastern spices on the palate. Highly novel and complex, this can only come from one region in the world. Absolutely no reason to cellar this tension-filled beauty. Drink 2026-2033- 96
2024 Sleight of Hand ‘The Funkadelic’ Syrah- A generous, broad-shouldered rendition of this wine, the 2024 ‘The Funkadelic’ Syrah was sourced from the famed ‘The Funk Vineyard’ in the Rocks District — farmed for years by Richard Funk. This might be the finest edition of this wine that I have tasted. It is deep, powerful and brooding, with its intriguing iodine and black fruit core. Yet it comes off weightless on the mid-palate, as it effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. Chocolate pie, wet stone, and Turkish coffee notes emerge with more air, as this almost pushes blue fruit tones. Boisterous, full-bodied and absolutely dazzling, you will want to consume this now and over the next eight years to come. Uncork and give it an hour of air. Drink 2026-2034- 97