Dusted Valley

Last night I ran through the great new Dusted Valley lineup with fellow Washington Wine Blog editor, Dr. Stephen Lee. My goal was to try two new release Washington wine lineups and compare notes on wines from each winery. One thing was apparent — the Dusted Valley wines were consistently better than the other winery in terms of tension, viscosity, mouthfeel and range. Not only were they better, each wine in the lineup scored 1-3 points higher, so in some cases they were considerably better. Dusted Valley have cemented themselves as a serious, consistently good producer of red and white wines particularly over the past five plus years. 

Having been in the Washington wine industry for the past 13 years, Dusted Valley was founded by the Johnson and Braunel families who are originally from Wisconsin and have strong backgrounds in farming. They source from some of the great vineyards in Washington, including the Olsen Vineyard and Stoney Vine Vineyard. 

Their new lineup of wines showed beautifully. Dusted Valley is quietly gaining a reputation for fantastic Chardonnay. Their new release, the 2016 Dusted Valley ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 91) showed really good tension and a nice mouthfeel, with wonderful butterscotch flavors. I really enjoyed the 2015 Dusted Valley ‘BFM Dionysus Vineyard’ Red Wine (WWB, 92) which is soft and round from the large percentage of Merlot, as the wine shows really good mid-palate viscosity. One of the best Petite Sirah bottlings that I have sampled in the past year is their 2015 Dusted Valley ‘Stone Tree Vineyard’ Petite Sirah (WWB, 93). The wine is a massive beast that shows gobs of dark fruits with chocolate and blueberry tones being quite prominent. This wine is quite simply delicious. Learn more about these great wines at https://www.dustedvalley.com Here are the great new wines by Dusted Valley.

2016 Dusted Valley ‘Olsen Vineyard’’ Chardonnay- The Olsen Vineyard is an esteemed cooler site that grows great Chardonnay in the Yakima Valley. On the nose this turns heads with brioche, Meyer lemon creme brûlée and pineapple accents. The combination of mouthfeel and balance to the wine really impresses. Vanilla cream, butterscotch and Challah bread flavors all collide in the mouth, with good minerality. This has a really good sense of place as I can see this cellaring well over the next eight plus years. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2014 Dusted Valley ‘V.R. Special’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘V.R. Special’ Cabernet Sauvignon has a gorgeous nose with rose petal, brandy soaked cherry, roasted figs and mocha that builds in the glass. The mouthfeel is lovely here as the silky texture coats the mid-palate. Creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, black currant and black cherry cordial flavors show good viscosity. While this is a touch hot, the balance and range is there. Drink 2018-2026- 92

2015 Dusted Valley ‘BFM Dionysus Vineyard’ Red Wine- The ‘BFM’ is a blend of 79% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. This shows off an inky color and begins with aromas of red cherry candy, sagebrush, and cherry tomato. The palate reveals a wonderfully plush mouthfeel. There is a decadent feel to the wine, showing rich black tea, blackberry cobbler, and black cherry flavors. This has the weight to cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Dusted Valley Malbec- This wine has 9% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. The nose has lovely chocolate and white pepper tones with blackberry cobbler shining brightly as well. The texture of this wine is lovely as this reveals black tea, dark chocolate shavings, coffee grounds and blueberry compote flavors. With medium tannins, the Malbec will age gracefully over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Dusted Valley ‘Stone Tree Vineyard’ Petite Sirah- The Stone Tree Vineyard is gaining a serious reputation for this unusual varietal. This shows off an extremely deep core and opens with loganberry liquor, dark chocolate cake, and blueberry jelly flavors. The palate is deep, plush and downright seductive. There is not only a great tension in the wine but a thick and viscous voluptuous mouthfeel. While this is heady, the minerality to the wine provides good balance. This would make a monumental glass pour at a great steakhouse. Drink 2018-2030- 93

Interview with Gary Horner, Erath Winemaker

Gary Horner has a long winemaking tradition. He has some impressive stops on his resume before coming to Erath in 2003. Gary has an eminent career in the Oregon wine industry, with previous tenures at Bethel Heights (where he first met Dick Erath) as well as Benton Lane, before coming to Erath more than a decade ago. Gary has a very large job as senior winemaker at one of Oregon’s largest wineries. HIs entry level bottling, the 2015 Erath Pinot Noir (WWB, 89) was one of the best value Pinot Noirs that I sampled over the past year and he has crafted an exciting new 2017 Chardonnay that was just released. Down to earth and highly knowledgable, I think you will enjoy hearing Gary Homer’s story in wine. Here is my exclusive interview with Gary Horner, winemaker at Erath.

WWB: How does your background in science connect with being interested in winemaking?

GH: I was trained as a clinical scientist. At UC Davis I was taking short courses to gain information about enology and viticulture. This was back in 1987. I had a friend in college who was a French guy, a wine collector and he got me interested in wine when we were in college. I wanted to learn more and attended Seattle Enological Society events, as I was living in Seattle at the time. In 1987 I decided to leave clinical pharmacology behind and take a stab at winemaking. I quit my job and worked for six dollars an hour to work at Bethel Heights to get my foot in the door. With my science background I figured there had to be an explanation for everything, and my mentors at Bethel Heights knew that things were not black and white and all the things in between. I learned that there were many things that you can’t read in a book but you have to learn from through experience and intuition. It took me around five to ten years to settle into that and I am now comfortable with the scientific aspect of winemaking but am even more comfortable with the art of winemaking now. What is intriguing is I have somewhat toned down my scientific approach and am now relying more on intuition and experience.

WWB: Can you talk about how you first became so enchanted with Oregon Pinot Noir? How did you decide to first come to Oregon?

GH: I looked at Oregon from my background with the Seattle Enological Society and wanted to make appointments with a lot of Oregon wineries. I went on a three week trip and slept in the back of my car. There wasn’t a lot of Oregon wine in the market at the time. I thought that Pinot kind of had this mystique in my mind. I was talking to the Pinot Noir producers in Sonoma and talked to professors at UC Davis. After speaking with them and their department chairs I decided that I needed to understand the hands on part to winemaking. That is one thing that UC Davis couldn’t offer me at the time. Driving back from Sonoma I was driving up I-5 and I stopped by Bethel Heights. Terry Castillo was in charge of Bethel Heights and I showed up there just as he was counting the cash and we had a discussion. He said that he didn’t have any positions for me at the time. I followed up with Terry six months later and he said that all he had a part time job in the bottling line. Following that job Terry said that he had harvest positions open. Then I worked in the vineyard for Bethel Heights and that is how it all started. I was with them for four years and they really are the people that had the strongest winemaking influence on me. I am not sure that I would have been in the same spot today if I hadn’t been with Bethel Heights.

WWB: What intrigued you with taking the winemaker position at Erath in 2003?

GH: Dick Erath was one of the first people that I met down in Oregon. Working for Bethel Heights, this tall guy saunters up to me and we struck up a conversation. Dick was a really knowledgable man. As the years went by I knew that Dick was interested in new things on the winemaking side. As I progressed in my winemaking career I started working on unique ways to manage red wine fermentations. Dick caught wind of that and then in 2003 he came to me and said that he liked what I was doing and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I was the winemaker at Benton Lane at the time  and when Dick threw that up on the table I was hooked.

WWB: You have crafted a truly impressive entry level Pinot Noir bottling, the 2015 Erath Pinot Noir (WWB, 89) which is one of the great value Pinot Noirs out of Oregon. How challenging is it to make a well-made wine that is high production, particularly considering the winemaking challenges with Pinot Noir?

GH: It is a real challenge to make this Pinot Noir. We make sometimes more than 13 Pinot Noirs in a given vintage. The Oregon tiers Pinot Noir has to be good each year. You can’t miss a beat with the wine. That is one of the biggest challenges is making the Oregon tier Pinot Noir and keeping the price under 20 dollars. It is a huge challenge but we have been able to do that and continue to grow. I don’t want to say 2015 was an easy vintage and there are a lot of things behind the scenes in winemaking that made this vintage a bit more difficult. It was a warm vintage and the yields came in close to 20 to 25 percent above what we had anticipated. This is a challenge because there is only a fixed amount of winemaking capacity to accommodate the fruit that will come in. That creates a condition that you can only get so much wine through the pipeline at once. It cooled down towards the end in 2015 so that helped prevent some of the logjam which would have been more problematic had all of the harvest happened at once. The vintage saw excellent growing conditions and great weather. The fruit quality was really good. When you grow all around the Willamette Valley that really helps because all the fruit doesn’t all come in at the same time. The wine had good weight and good balance.

WWB: Can you talk about the new wine that you have made for the first time, sourced from your estate Willakia Vineyard, the 2017 Erath ‘Oregon’ Chardonnay?

GH: Dick Erath was making Chardonnay since he first started in Oregon. Chardonnay got off to a rough start and the clones that many producers were using at the time didn’t do so well in Oregon. Pinot Gris got some traction and left Chardonnay in the dust until people started working with the Dijon clones. Chardonnay is making an enormous comeback and quite frankly to get the best grapes you were paying the same amount of money for the top end Pinot Noir. In 2014 we purchased a vineyard around Amity, the Willakia Vineyard, that has 120 acres of planted vines including 19 acres of Chardonnay. The vineyard produces great Chardonnay. We started making the single vineyard ‘Willakia’ Chardonnay and we wanted to also produce a wine that wold be a good everyday Chardonnay. 2017 is the first vintage of our Erath ‘Oregon’ Chardonnay. The wine is entirely sourced from the Willakia property but we plan to expand its production the future as will look into sourcing from some other sites as well. The wine is roughly two-thirds stainless steel fermented and the balance is fermented in French oak barrels, (30% new) and then I assemble the blend and we bottle early to keep the freshness. I have a sweet tooth for Chablis and the Willakia Vineyard is very cool which faces the Van Duzer corridor so you don’t get overripe fruit and the site has a nice, long growing season. I am excited about the 2017 vintage for whites and reds. There is good acidity in the wine and we want to show good freshness but not get into that overripe cooked fruit profiles. It its a balance in the vineyard and I have some great people in the vineyard that work for me. 

WWB: What are some of your favorite producers of Oregon Pinot Noir and your favorite wines of the world? 

GH: Here in Oregon we tend to fall back to the old timers and some of the wineries of the second generation. Bethel Heights is insanely good Pinot and Chardonnay. Ponzi is really good and the kinds have taken over. Elk Cove are l long-timers and their kids have taken over. Chehalem and Sokol Blosser. Chehalem makes a great Riesling that I really enjoy. Adelsheim makes a variety of single vineyard Pinot Noirs that are very good. Domaine Drouhin ever since they have started they have been a very consistent producer and have contributed to the Oregon Wine industry. They have done a great job. There have been many large purchases in Oregon. When Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased Erath in 2006 some of my colleagues thought that the purchase would change everything at Erath. My buddies were worried and but Ste. Michelle told me specifically that they were going to help me make even better wine. They only focus on quality. Then, more recently, Jackson Family Wines has come in and bought up a lot of land creating a wave that has swept the industry. I know the Jackson Family people and they are as dedicated to Oregon as Ste. Michelle was and continues to be. There are really positive things going on in Oregon and there is a lot of attention on Oregon nationally. Coppola just bought a winery in the Dundee Hills. In terms of wines of the world my wife and I drink a fair amount of Washington Reds. We like to visit Walla Walla for a few days and I love the Ste. Michelle properties like Northstar and Spring Valley. Dusted Valley and Gramercy are both also  really good. In terms of wines of the world Burgundy is so complicated that I don’t claim to understand it. One thing that has turned me away from it was the price being hugely expensive for most of those and maybe the quality isn’t always consistent to the dollar figure. We have been to Burgundy a few times but I don’t typically seek out Burgundy wines. Jadot, I like their wines but in terms of whites we have discovered Chablis fifteen years ago which has become one of my favorite wines of the world. The William Fevre wines from Chablis are really great. 

Costco Kirkland Signature Wine Report

Search through your fridge right now; chances are, you have bottle of Kirkland Signature that awaits you after a long day at the office. Costco sells more wine than anyone in America. While they might not have the range of wines that other retailers can boast, you know that you won’t experience a large mark-up with wines from Costco.  With a carefully curated selection of wines of the world, most of the wines at Costco are sourced from wineries, rather than from a private label. However, a growing number off wines at Costco bear Costco’s private label, Kirkland Signature. Their wines, like all Kirkland Signature products, deliver serious value and have transformed the American wine market. We have been purchasing Kirkland Signature wines for more than ten years, and in general we have found these wines to show solid value and in some cases, good aging potential.

With Costco’s world headquarters located in our home state of Washington, it seemed appropriate to publish a wine report covering all available Kirkland Signature wines. Obtaining all of them is a nearly impossible feat, with different wines being sold at different stores, but we made a valiant attempt at securing over twenty different bottles.  We all made multiple visits to over a dozen Costco locations over the course of a few months in Washington and Oregon. All wines were purchased by WWB editors, as Costco did not submit wines for review. Editors Dr. Stephen Lee, Dr. Owen Bargreen and Scott Doleshel reviewed each Kirkland Signature wine. Certain wines yielded considerable disagreements but most of the reviews demonstrated reasonable inter-rater reliability. 

We all felt that for 20 dollars, the NV Kirkland Signature Champagne delivered some exceptional value, as we all scored the wine over 90 points. Similarly, we all felt that the NV Kirkland Signature ‘Asolo’ Prosecco delivered amazing value for a mere $6.99. We were all quite divergent on the 2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Pauillac’ as Scott and Owen were underwhelmed by the wine which displayed little weight, while Stephen appreciated the Bordeaux character. We all enjoyed the 2015 Kirkland Signature Malbec, which showed richness of fruit and good value, coming in under ten dollars. 

While we were generally impressed with the quality to price ratio of the wines, we found many of the back label descriptions of wines to be blustery, overstated, and struggling to make an eight dollar of bottle sound like a one hundred dollar bottle. Over the past few months we’ve been hard at work reviewing all the new Kirkland Signature wines. We think you will very much enjoy learning more about the Kirkland Signature new release wines.

Pictured is the incredibly broad range of wines that we reviewed for our Costco Wine Report.

NV Kirkland Signature Prosecco ‘Asolo’ Sparkling Wine ($6.99) 

Stephen Lee- According to the label, the grapes come from “Prime estate vineyards in the historic Veneto regions.” The wine starts off with aromas of apricot on the nose and offers bright peach flavors on the palate. The Prosecco has excellent texture for a wine of the price, though a bit one note for flavor. Slightly sweet but this Prosecco shows serious value. Drink 2018-2020- 89

Owen Bargreen- This wine weighs in at 11% alcohol. Toasty brioche and marzipan mark the nose with bright pear.  Slightly sweet, the wine delivers apricot, candied green apple and white flowers on the palate with good astringency. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- I really enjoyed the ‘Asolo’ Prosecco by Kirkland Signature. The wine is a great value. Bright, with appealing mouthfeel and medium bodied apple flavors. Slightly sweet, this would make a great aperitif. Drink 2018-2022- 89

NV Kirkland Signature Champagne ($19.99)

Stephen Lee- The NV Kirkland Signature Champagne was sourced from “the top Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vineyards in Verzenay of Manuel Janisson,” states the label. The bubbles display a powerful presence upon opening, which mildly distract and detracts from the experience.  Apples and yeast dominate the nose as the wine shows flavors of pears and sourdough bread. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- The ‘Brut’ Champagne by Kirkland Signature is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier sourced from vineyards located in Verzenay. The wine starts off with lovely diamateceous earth followed by lemon curd and brioche on the nose. The palate shows really nice citrus fruit with kumquat, lemon oil, sourdough bread and a light musty earth flavor. Dense and layered, this is a simply outstanding effort that is a one of kind value. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Scott Doleshel- Here we have a really good Champagne that is a killer value. I love the sense of effervescence with biscuit and bright apple flavors. This shows nice acidity and is drinking marvelously now. Drink 2018-2024- 90 

2017 Kirkland Signature ‘Grave’ Pinot Grigio ($5.99)

Stephen Lee- The wine barely offers a muted nose of ocean mist as there are limited aromatics at play here. The flavors remind me of  watered down limeade with a slightly floral note. The wine shows a bit flat and is clearly lacking the ‘bright acidity’ that the label claims it has. Drink 2018-2020- 84

Owen Bargreen- This pale colored Pinot Grigio starts off with delicate white flowers and citrus blossom aromatics that build in the glass. Refreshing and showing good acidity, the palate disappoints, nearly entirely devoid of any terroir or flavor. While not poorly made, this refreshing style Pinot Grigio is deeply lacking in complexity. Drink 2018-2020- 85

Scott Doleshel- I am really impressed with the ‘Grave’ Pinot Grigio by Kirkland Signature. It is surprisingly easy to drink with light fruit flavors and bright acidity. This is perfect for summer. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2018 Kirkland Signature ‘Ti Point’ Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99)

Stephen Lee- Vibrant nose of lemongrass and pineapple.  Bright fresh acidity, zesty sour apple on the palate. Great value. Drink now. 90

Owen Bargreen- This is slightly sweet on the palate and screams pyrazines on the nose. Bright and fresh, this is highly refreshing and satisfying. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Scott Doleshel- This has good brightness and acidity. I like the true character of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the kiwi and lemon zest flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2017 Kirkland Signature ‘Ti Point’ Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99)

Stephen Lee- I really enjoyed this wine. On the nose the wine has sharp notes of lemongrass. On the palate, an acidic zing is noted, as the wine displays a lot ripe green apple. The wine showcases the region well. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- Sourced from the ‘Ti Point Vineyard' in Marlborough, this excellent Sauvignon Blanc opens with a bouquet of green bell pepper, star jasmine, and white rose with gooseberry accents. The palate shows racy acidity with bright gooseberry, Japanese pear and citrus blossom flavors. This is a truly outstanding value. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Scott Doleshel- This wine initially comes off a bit astringent with solid acidity and limited mid-palate weight. The balance of the wine is good with gooseberry and green apple flavors dominating. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2017 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Pinot Grigio (1.5L) $7.99

Stephen Lee-  The 2017 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Pinot Grigio underwhelms. This simplistic and unappealing wine shows some ripe apple flavors on the palate. Slightly sweet, this is lacking in complexity.  While it’s not flawed wine, it’s pretty blah.  Drink 2018-2020, if you really must.- 83

Owen Bargreen- The wine begins with aromas of fruity aromas of pear, kiwi, and melon on the nose. Slightly sweet, this shows good weight on the palate with lighter tree and melon flavors. This impresses for the price. Drink 2018-2020- 86

Scott Doleshel- Here we have an excellent value from Kirkland Signature. It is a touch sweet and cloying but for this price I am impressed. It is a bit out of balance Drink 2018-2022- 87

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Chardonnay (1.5L) $7.99 

Stephen Lee- The label states that the following flavors are present: pineapple, mango, peach, green apple, sweet citrus, oak, honey, and butterscotch.  I’m not sure who found any peach in the Chardonnay, because the cloying oak and sweetness hides most of the  flavors that the label claims are there.  With that in mind, it is still a reasonable value for the bargain price, and will be suitable for hosting large groups and pleasing those who like the “oaky-buttery” style. Drink 2018-2020- 85

Owen Bargreen- Toasty oak marks the nose with butterscotch and roasted pineapple. Slightly sweet, this comes off a bit cloying but delivers vanilla cream and banana flavors with toasted oak flavors that come together in the glass. The mouthfeel is surprisingly impressive. This is a really good value considering the price point for a 1.5L. I can’t imagine the wine improving with age. Drink 2018-2020- 87

Scott Doleshel- This is a tired wine that is out of balance. It is too sweet on the palate with tropical fruits. Drink 2018-2022- 85

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Sonoma County’ Chardonnay- ($6.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2016 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Chardonnay is a solid value. Notes of white flowers and apple permeate through on the nose, while the palate is balanced with nice weight. This value-oriented chardonnay offers a leaner, cleaner style than the magnum of California Chardonnay, and many would say it’s better than the more expensive Kirkland Russian River Chardonnay. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Owen Bargreen- Bright citrus tones lead the nose with lighter oak and melon aromatics rounding this Chardonnay out. The wine comes off a touch sweet with brioche, creme brûlée and light melon tones. This is highly simplistic and not recommended. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Scott Doleshel- The ‘Sonoma County’ Chardonnay seems out of balance for me, as it is lightly cloying with tree and citrus fruit flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 87

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Russian River Valley’ Chardonnay ($12.99)

Stephen Lee- The back of the bottle goes into some appalling over-descriptions of a rather pedestrian wine. They claim this wine offers the following: 1) Lemon blossom 2) Citrus 3) Stone-fruit 4) Delicious 5) Rich 6) Elegant 7) Tightly focused 8) Smoothly textured harmony of fruit 9) Green apple 10) Pear 11) Fig 12) Exotic spicy notes 13) Long lingering flavors…The wine tastes decent, and is adequate Chardonnay, though the less expensive Kirkland Signature Sonoma Chardonnay tastes better for a lower price. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- This golden colored Chardonnay starts off with lighter tree fruit aromas with a touch of butter on the nose. The palate has good balance currently commanding brioche, buttered popcorn and papaya flavors. This is highly simplistic Chardonnay. The tasting description on the bottle borders absurd in my mind, noting ‘fig’ flavors here. Furthermore the description on the back of the bottle essentially fools the consumer to think that they are drinking a bottle of Kongsgaard Chardonnay — thought to be the finest expression of California Chardonnay. Aside from this wine not being particularly inspiring, I can’t understand the deceptive nature to the back of this wine label. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Scott Doleshel- I enjoyed this wine, showing a good sense of place, as this mirrors many of the quality wines from this region. There is good balance to the wine with medium bodied flavors of pineapple, mango and bright acidity. I also cannot understand how this wine is described on the back of the label, which is nowhere near how it drinks. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir ($9.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir is very light in color.  Barbecue sauce on the nose connects with the lighter red fruits.  On the palate there are flavors of raspberry, tar, tobacco. This Pinot Noir is a surprisingly complex wine for the price. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- The 2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir is a really good value California Pinot Noir.  The nose comes off impressively with cherry cola and orange rind showing most prominently. Forward and downright delicious, juicy guava, red cherry candy, cola and cran-orange flavors come together nicely in the glass. Enjoy this in the short-term. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- Here we have a straightforward California Pinot Noir, that shows a good combination of richness and balance. Red and dark fruits dominate the palate with solid acidity. I am really impressed with the value here. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2012 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino ($21.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2012 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino is my favorite wine of this tasting. The wine was aged in oak for three years prior to bottling. Tobacco and shoe leather on the nose connect with lighter tones of baking spices. Orange peel flavor dominates the palate with a touch of rose petal.  The wine finishes well, and is less astringent than I would have expected. The wines rough edges smoothed out as it was decanted for a few hours. Drink 2018-2028- 91

Owen Bargreen-This translucent colored Sangiovese starts off with blood orange, dusty terroir and sweet pipe tobacco on the nose. Forward, showing light tannins, the wine shows off red cherry, pomegranate seed, and citrus rind flavors with a touch of damp earth. This is a bit simplistic but the earthy tones nicely round things out. Drink 2018-2025- 88

Scott Doleshel- The 2012 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino is my favorite wines out of this bunch. I love the earthy terroir and dark and red fruits here that connect with the minerality. This wine is impressive. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Cuvee de Nalys’ Chateauneuf du Pape ($17.99)

Stephen Lee- The back of the bottle asserts that this wine is showing ‘Notes of blueberry, cherry and mineral.’  I find this CDP to fall flat (as do many CDP’s in the price range), lacking acid, and is generally uninteresting. That said I find no major faults with the wine either. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Owen Bargreen Domaine de Nalys takes its name from the original founders of the estate who owned the property in the 1700’s. The domaine was confiscated during the French Revolution, broken into smaller parcels and sold at auction. The wine needs more than a one hour decant to fully evolve. This begins with delicate aromas of red currant, red raspberry cordial, rose petal and suggestions of Provencale herbs that build in the glass. Red currant jelly, provencal herbs and wet stone with cherry candy flavors all mingle in the glass. A head-turning value, showing some bright acidity, this will continue to evolve well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2026- 90

Scott Doleshel- I can’t say I am impressed with this CDP. Red fruits and a touch of sweetness make me feel like the wine is out of balance. Drink 2018-2022- 87

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Pauillac’ Bordeaux Red Wine ($22.99)

Stephen Lee- Coming from one of Bordeaux’s best years, this wine does not disappoint, having been aged for 9 months in French oak prior to bottling.  Leather and blackberry present on the nose. Following an hour decant, this wine is ready for enjoyment. Well-balanced showing nice oaky tones and dark fruits, this young Bordeaux is ready to open today  Drink 2018-2028- 90

Owen Bargreen The nose delivers a nice combination of dark and red fruits with dusty terroir, particularly damp earth. The mid-palate comes off a bit lean, with herbal and dark fruit tones. Not particularly recommended, as I can’t see this improving considerably. Drink 2018-2022- 86

Scott Doleshel- I really feel that this is an unimpressive effort as a Bordeaux. There is limited weight and acidity drives this wine. Light red and dark fruits leave me uninspired. Drink 2018-2022- 85

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($8.89)

Stephen Lee- Baking spices and loganberries display on the nose.  The wine comes off as a touch jammy, lacking complexity on the palate.  It’s not the best example of Columbia Valley Cabernet, as I would have expected more bell pepper/pyrazine character. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Owen Bargreen- This shows nice dark fruits with toasty oak on the nose combining with a touch of sagebrush. The palate is forward and slightly sweet, delivering copious dark fruits with a touch of milk chocolate and sage. This is a serious value. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- Here we have a very forward wine that shows dark fruits and limited complexity. Dark berry flavors are quite primary. Dink 2018-2022- 86

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Signature Series Columbia Valley’ Red Wine ($16.99)

Stephen Lee- Not to be confused with their lower tier ‘Columbia Valley’ bottling, the black label ‘Signature Series’ wine shows a dark purple color and offers elements of black pepper, blackberry, and blueberry on the palate.  The wine is made well for those who appreciate the blending of Cabernet and Syrah. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Owen Bargreen- Made by superstar winemaker Giles Nicault, this starts off with a bouquet of milk chocolate, roasted dates and black cherry cordial. The palate comes off a touch sweet, showing a pillowy mouthfeel. The core is quite dense with dark fruits and chocolate tones rounding out this excellent wine. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Scott Doleshel- This is a good value, as the wine delivers a nice range of dark fruits and chocolate flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5L)- ($7.99)

Stephen Lee- The label entices but tricks the consumer as it adds: ‘Classic Cabernet, vibrant juicy flavors of blackcurrant, sweet smoke, cherry, mocha, red fruit, spice.’ This tastes like ‘classic’ inexpensive Cabernet.  Slightly watery, this is sweet and fruity offering no complexity.  This is not bad wine; it just isn’t very good.  For the price, however, it’s respectable. I would be interested to know how much residual sugar is in the wine. Drink 2018-2020- 86

Owen Bargreen- The nose takes on sage and sweet pipe tobacco with red fruits on the nose. Forward and cloying, the wine delivers red and dark fruit flavors that come on a bit sweet and hot. This is a pretty good value despite its forward approach. Drink 2018-2022- 85

Scott Doleshel- I am unimpressed with this cheap tasting Cabernet. Sicky sweet flavors dominate this unimpressive and uninspired saccharin inspired wine. Drink 2018-2022- 84

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Alexander Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.99)

Stephen Lee- According to the label, the wine clocks in at 14.0% alcohol, but it seems a bit higher than that. The oak might hide a bit of the fruit in the wine, but overall  the wine is a good value, if a bit on the sweet side. Toasted coconut with a little bit of vanilla and dill round out the palate finishing with some nice blackberry notes. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Owen Bargreen- The nose shows rich blackberry, black cherry and cassis aromatics. The palate shows good texture and viscosity. Forward, this delivers a punch of dark fruits with a touch of milk chocolate and espresso bean. This is a good value that is best enjoyed in the short-term. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- This wine is quite forward, showing good black currant and dark cherry flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 87

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Signature Series Stags Leap District’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($21.99)

Stephen Lee- This wine shows vanilla on the nose as green bell pepper and oak aromatics build in the glass. This is generally a good wine, but most likely not one that will age for many years.  Given the price, I would choose the Alexander Valley Cabernet for the lower price and similar quality. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Owen Bargreen- The powerful nose consumes you with creme de cassis, mocha, black tea and anise. The palate shows a good viscosity and tension with dark fruits that connect with milk chocolate and Turkish coffee tones.  A good value, this shows nice complexity and can cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2026- 89

Scott Doleshel- This shows inspiring dark fruits with chocolate on the nose. Good balance with good acidity and dark fruits on the palate. Drink 2018-2028- 89

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Sonoma County Old Vine’ Zinfandel ($9.99)

Stephen Lee- This label for the ‘Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel’ states that the wine was sourced from 45 year old vines. The wine shows some nice aromatics of blackberry bushes on the nose with a general herbaceousness. On the palate this shows a slightly raisinated flavor.  I suspect the grapes were picked a bit on the late side, and there may be a bit of residual sugar.  A leathery sweetness lingers on the palate.  The 15.5% percent alcohol does not go unnoticed. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Owen Bargreen- Prune and stewed strawberry consume the nose with light pepper notes. The palate shows some good acidity with medium bodied dark and red fruits connecting. Forward and juicy, this is a good value. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Scott Doleshel- This simplistic wine shows copious stewed fruits on the palate with jammy flavors and a limited finish. Drink 2018-2022- 86

2015 Kirkland Signature Malbec ($7.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2015 Kirkland Signature Malbec is a terrific wine for the price. Blackberries and leather dominate the nose.  There is generous dark fruit and a soapstone minerality on the palate, finishing with mild tannins. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- Sourced from Mendoza, this starts off with white pepper, milk chocolate and dark fruits that dominate the nose. The palate shows good balance and richness with dark cherry, roasted fig and black tea flavors coming together in the glass. This is another very good value. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- Bright, with good acidity and balance. Dark fruits dominate. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2017 Kirkland Signature Malbec ($7.99)

Stephen Lee- This shows impressive darkness in the glass as the wine delivers forward mocha and black tea flavors with some light tannins. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- The nose takes on smoke with chocolate and dark berry tones. This has good terroir and smoky characrrr on the palate. Chocolate and underbrush flavors combine brilliantly. This is a really good value. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Scott Doleshsel- I find this rather tired with black fruit flavors and some chocolate. Enjoy this in the short-term. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2014 Kirkland Signature Chianti Classico ‘Reserva’ ($12.99) 

Stephen Lee- Not particularly appealing with lighter red fruit flavors and damp earth. This is lacking in complexity. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Owen Bargreen- The nose shows nice earthy tones with wild mushroom and cigar ash on the nose nicely complementing the red fruits. The palate shows good tension with red currant and red cherry candy that combine with leather and musty undertones. This is a good value. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Scott Doleshsel- I think the 2014 ‘Reserva’ bottling delivers some fine value. Red fruits connect with some tannins on the mid-palate. This is forward but well-made, showing good terroir and structure. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Kirkland Signature 10 Year Tawny Porto ($16.89)

Stephen Lee- The sweetness and smoothness of this excellent Tawny Porto impresses here. This is a tremendous value for the price. Drink 2018-2030- 89

Owen Bargreen- The nose gathers inviting aromas of Marcona almond, ripe date and toffee. Silky smooth, the palate shows really good viscosity and tension with toffee, citrus rind and red cherry puree all combing in the glass. This is a serious value. Drink 2018-2028- 89

Scott Doleshel- The ’10 Year Tawny Porto’ by Kirkland Signature shows serious value, with good weight and range. Drink 2018-2028- 89

2012 Kirkland Signature ‘Gran Reserva’ Ribera Del Duero ($15.99)

Stephen Lee- Aged in both New French oak and American oak. The oak comes through aggressively but not overblown. Baking spice and dark cherry, with a little bit of chocolate. The alcohol clocks In at 15%, but the wine is well balanced with the dark fruit, oak, and tannin. Great texture. At $15, it is one of the best buys in the Kirkland wine lineup. Drink 2018-2025- 91 

Owen Bargreen- I am very impressed with this great new release that shows some outrageously good value. This 100% Tempranillo wine begins with toasty oak on the nose with prune and roasted dates. The minerality is really nice as the wine shows a good tension and sense of place. Black fruits and a touch of chocolate dominate the palate. This is a beautiful wine. Drink 2018-2028- 92

Scott Doleshel: The nose reminds me of white pepper, with quite a lot of alcohol as this shows some heat. The palate reveals dark fruits with tobacco leaf, leather and toasty oak. This is drinking well right now. Drink 2018-2028- 90

Del Dotto Vineyards

You are mesmerized as you enter Del Dotto’s Saint Helena caves. I am immediately greeted by proprietor Dave Del Dotto, as he proclaims ‘everything in this room has been imported from Italy, including all the marble.’ I can’t imagine how much this entry room must have cost but the beauty is jaw-dropping. The room immediately harkens me back to my last visit to the Sisteen Chapel. It is just that majestic. Dave points towards the new release Rose, which he pours for me. It is a gorgeous Rose with mouth-watering acidity and beautiful red fruits. Dave was a real estate investor in Modesto, California who made a great success in infomercials throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He is both charismatic and highly knowledgeable about wine and the Napa Valley. Always fascinated by wine, in 1993 he started Del Dotto Vineyards which has been an incredible success since its inception. 

As fun as the winery tour is, the wines are very serious. Dave Del Dotto has an incredible range of wines that are all of top quality, literally from Rose to Sparkling Wine to deep, inky Cabernets.I have said before that this overall lineup rivals the best in not only California but North America. While the make a great range of wines, Del Dotto is truly designed for Cabernet lovers. Their new wines tasted from the barrel were coming from the exciting 2016 vintage, another warm Napa vintage which has not yet been released. I was completely enamored by their 2013 Del Dotto ‘Bubbles’ Sparkling Wine (WWB, 93) which shows beautiful richness, texture and astringency. One of the great Chardonnay wines that I have sampled from Napa this year, the 2016 Del Dotto ‘Family Reserve’ Chardonnay (WWB, 95) is sinfully good, with copious fruit and an incredible mouthfeel. This is one to buy by the case. Not to be outdone, one of the top wines that I have tried all year is their 2016 Del Dotto ‘The Beast’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 98), which is a thrilling Cabernet that not only wows you with power and force, but shows remarkable tension and finesse. ‘The Beast’ is a highly collectable wine that is not to be missed. If you are in Napa, visiting the winery is a must. Learn more about this famed winery at http://www.deldottovineyards.com Here are the stunning new lineup of wines by Del Dotto. 

This photo does not do the beauty of this estate justice.

2017 Piazza Del Dotto Rose- This Pinot Noir Rose is a stunning, stand alone Rose wine. The Piazza Del Dotto Rose shows nice brightness and intensity on the mid-palate, showing off red fruits and citrus rind on the palate. The oily texture entices. Drink 2018-2022- 91

2013 Del Dotto ‘Bubbles’ Sparkling Wine- This shows lovely brioche and lively lemon zest aromatics. The intensity is there with wonderful bright citrus flavors and toasty brioche elements. I love the mid-palate weight here and freshness. This is a serious sparkling wine that has the age to cellar for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Del Dotto ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- This wine is a barrel selection that is a personal favorite of owner Dave Del Dotto. This Chardonnay shows a bright golden hue and begins with aromas of toasty oak, brioche and lemon zest with vanilla cream. The mouthfeel is insanely plush with rich banana, brioche and pineapple flavors. The mid-palate weight is simply stunning. Amazing length, this has a minute long finish. Drink 2018-2030- 95

2016 Del Dotto Sangiovese- The mouthfeel here is fantastic with a smoky edge. Red fruits dominate with a touch of cirus rind. I like the astringency here. Drink 2018-2024- 92

2017 Del Dotto ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- A barrel selection, this has a highly perfumed nose with rose petals, cola and red cherry preserves.The palate shows wonderful richness and acidity with cola and citrus rind flavors shining marvelously, This is an intense Pinot Noir that will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2016 Del Dotto ‘Rutherford Estate Family Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Rutherford Estate Family Reserve’ is a stunning new wine by Del Dotto. This opens with a highly perfumed nose entices with black cherry cordial, black tea, Asian spice and creme de cassis. The weight and intensity of the wine entices as the grip and tension brightly drives the wine. The acidity is intense with black fruits that connect with coffee grounds and blueberry compote. This is impossible to resist right now, showing a hedonistic streak. Drink 2018-2040- 96

2016 Del Dotto ‘Rutherford Estate The David’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The Del Dotto ‘Rutherford Estate The David’ is a stunning wine from this storied Napa estate. This wine has a touch of Cabernet Franc and Merlot blended in. The Cabernet Sauvignon shows wonderful black tea and mocha aromatics with creme de cassis and a touch of red bell pepper coming into play. The palate shows wonderful freshness, weight and intensity with red and dark fruits parading with the acidity. Bright and intense, this is a long ager but is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2040- 95

2016 Del Dotto ‘Giovanni’s Tuscan Reserve’ Red Wine- A blend of largely Cabernet with Sangiovese, this shows a deep perfumed nose with creme de cassis, smoke, Asian spice and dusty terroir on the nose. The palate shows wonderful brightness and intensity with red currant, red cherry, cassis and a touch of espresso bean. This shows some incredible range here as I can’t think of a wine if this type made as well as this edition of ‘Giovanni’s Tuscan Reserve.’ Drink 2018-2035- 95

2016 Del Dotto ‘The Beast’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2016 Del Dotto ‘The Beast’ Cabernet Sauvignon is every bit as good as their 2015 bottling and is one of the best wines that I have sampled all year. ‘The Beast’ is a barrel selection that sources from a host of great vineyards in four different Napa Valley AVAs. Inky dark in the glass, the nose is intense and aromatically gorgeous, currently displaying a dazzling level of complexity with creme de cassis, mocha, Turkish coffee, Asian spice, anise and a touch of toasty oak. The weight and mouthfeel to this wine is simply stunning with creme de cassis, mocha, anise, black tea, leather and black cherry cordial flavors all slowly building in the glass. This is a head-turning combination of bright acidity and fruit weight on the palate that makes it nearly impossible to resist right now. Intense and lively, this has an extremely long life in the cellar. Drink 2018-2040- 98

2016 Villa Del Lago Cabernet Sauvignon- One of the great wines in Napa Valley, the Villa Del Lago Cabernet Sauvignon shines for its combination of concentration and silky elegance. The nose is gorgeous and highly perfumed with rose petals, black tea alongside creme de cassis. Silky smooth through the palate, the wine shows a wonderful elegance and terroir with dark fruits parading with creme de cassis. Turkish coffee, and bake tea with leather. Complex and seductive this is shockingly good right now but will cellar marvelously for decades. Drink 2018-2040- 97

Laurent Perrier 'Grand Siecle’ Champagne

Fine Champagne makes me rather weak in the knees. I am admittedly a sucker for the great Champagnes of the world. Some might not know about the truly great tête de cuvée Champagne that I will introduce, the Laurent Perrier ‘Grand Siecle Brut’ Champagne. Most of the great Champagne houses produce what is called a tête de cuvée, which is typically a champagne house’s top selection of grapes. The Grand Siecle is Laurent Perrier’s tête de cuvée and it is one of my favorite of any Champagne house. The Grand Siecle is made from grapes sourced from its best grand cru and premier cru vineyards. It is made only in extraordinary years, when the cellar master deems the grapes to be of outstand­ing quality; most houses will not produce more than three vintages in a decade. These wines spend more time in the cellar than other cham­pagnes; at least seven years (non-vintage champagnes are usually aged for two to three years), which gives them time to develop their special character. Tête de cuvée bottles have extra details such as special bottles, longer aging or special dosage treatments. While most tête de cuvée Champagnes come from specific vintages, the Laurent Perrier tête de cuvée comes from a host of great vintages which are chosen by the winery’s cellarmaster. 

A bit on the history now of this historic Champagne house. Established in 1812, Laurent Perrier is located in the heart of Champagne, in Tours-sur-Marne. Vines are set on limestone soil, highly chalky and showing the distinctiveness of the region. The chalk subsoil holds sufficient water, during dry spells and due its porous nature also provides good drainage when it is wet to prevent roots of becoming water logged, acting a bit like a sponge.

To produce Laurent-Perrier's tête de cuvée Michel Fauconnet has captured the blending of different crus (wines from separate villages) and from different harvest years and declared vintages in Champagne. The current vintages which are blended are exceedingly good, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Michel’s new wine is an exceptional wine, up there with the best tête de cuvée wines in the world. The wine itself shows insane range and minerality. It is simply impossible to resist but will also cellar marvelously for decades. Here is my review of the new Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Grand Cuvee Brut Champagne. Learn more about this historic Champagne house at http://www.laurent-perrier.com/en/the-wines/

NV Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Grand Cuvee Brut Champagne- The new edition of the Grand Siecle Grand Cuvee by Laurent Perrier is a truly spectacular Champagne. Disgorged in October 2017 the wine is a blend of the top wines made from 2002, 2004 and 2006. The bouquet is simply intoxicating with amazing range from honeydew lemon to citrus rind, brioche and Japanese pear. Once in the mouth, this shows a really good combination of viscosity and tension. Apricot, Challah bread, marzipan and kumquat zest flavors all marvelously combine in the glass. While this is a marvelous Champagne that is built to age, it is simply impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2040- 96

Lemelson Vineyards

One of the longstanding houses for great Oregon Pinot Noir, Lemelson Vineyards was founded by eminent environmental lawyer, Eric Lemelson who first began planting Pinot Noir in 1995. He created a high tech gravity flow winery which processed it’s first vintage in 1999. All farming practices are organic at Lemelson. Matt Wengel serves as Lemelson winemaker. Matt is a graduate of the prestigious UC Davis Enology and Viticulture program. Following his time workin harvests in Sonoma County, he worked in South Africa at Warwick Estate and had stops in Chile as well as upstate New York. He eventually accepted a position at Stags Leap Winery in Napa Valley and well as serving as assistant winemaker at Clos Pegase for several years prior to. Coming to Lemelson Vineyards.

I try a lot of Oregon wines as I reviewed more than 500 wines from Oregon in my last Oregon Report. The new Lemelson releases were really beautiful across the board. Matt has an excellent handle on Chardonnay as I have enjoyed these wines over the years. His 2015 Lemelson ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay (WWB, 91) has wonderful body and entices with its range and viscosity. Even better was the 2015 Lemelson ‘Meyer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which shows a beautiful black fruit profile and has the stuffing to cellar for more than a decade. Learn more about these excellent new wines at http://www.lemelsonvineyards.com Here are the great new wines by Lemelson Vineyards.

2015 Lemelson ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- The ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay shows lovely brioche accents with poached pear and marzipan on the nose. The mid-palate delights with serious weight. Brandy soaked pear, marzipan, Challah bread and vanilla creme brûlée flavors all nicely mingle in the glass. The tension and weight of this wine is really enticing. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Lemelson ‘Chestnut Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Located in the Chehalem Mountains, the Chesnut Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir begins with aromas of cola, red currant jelly, peat moss and red cherry starburst candy. The palate shows good weight with red and dark fruits mingling nicely. With good mid-palate weight and solid tension, this is another outstanding new release by Lemelson. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2015 Lemelson ‘Stermer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, the 2015 ‘Stermer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir shows raspberry cordial, mulberry and cola aromatics. The silky texture to this delicate Pinot Noir is really great. Red currant jelly, forest floor, loganberry preserves and white rose water flavors all combine in the glass, connecting with good acidity. Bright, inviting, and on the sexy side, this will cellar nicely for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Lemelson ‘Meyer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Meyer Vineyard is located in the Dundee Hills and shows a decidedly darker fruit profile than the other Pinot Noir bottlings. The nose verges on chocolate with dark fruits prominent and suggestions of black tea.  Ripe, plush and generous, the wine shows wild blackberry, huckleberry and black tea flavors that delight. Round and enticing, this rich Pinot Noir will cellar well for the next fifteen years. Drink 2018-2033- 92

2015 Lemelson ‘Thea’s Selection’ Pinot Noir- Dark in the glass, the ‘Thea’s Selection’ begins with a bouquet of black cherry cordial, Asian spice and suggestions of forest floor. The earthy tones on the nose add to the enjoyment. The acidity and brightness of the wine is fantastic, as is the mid-palate weight. Black fruits mingle with red fruits and lighter earthy and citrus rind tones. This will provide drinking enjoyment over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2015 Lemelson ‘Jerome Reserve’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from a host of Willamette Valley Vineyards, the ‘Jerome Reserve’ shows beautiful blackberry, huckleberry and forest floor aromatics that build in the glass. The sense of weight and minerality is very good as the wine builds into wild blackberry, huckleberry and mulberry flavors with peat moss elements. Drink 2018-2028- 91

Chateau Phélan Ségur Vertical Tasting

I have been patiently waiting for this day. Because I am sent so many wines from Washington, California, Oregon and Spain, I am rarely able to enjoy the wines from my personal cellar. I have been enchanted by the wines of Chateau Phélan Ségur for many years, remembering some great wines made in the 1990s, in particular the 1996 and the 1998 Phelan Segurs being incredible (particularly since ’98 was such a challenge for left bank Bordeauxs). For those who are less familiar with this estate, Chateau Phélan Ségur has a long history, similar to many Bordeaux properties. The Irishman Bernard Phelan bought both Domaine Le Clos de Garamey in 1805 and Ségur de Cabarnac in 1810. Ironically while living in Ireland, Bernard Phelan was a neighbor and friend of Hugh Barton who started the famed Bordeaux estate, Chateau Leoville-Barton. 

Following Phelan’s passing in 1841 the estate combined to form Château Ségur de Garamey, which passed on to his son Frank Phelan, who served as mayor of Saint-Estephe for 30 years. Many years later Chateau Phélan Ségur was sold in 1919 to Joseph Chayoux who served as the president of Champagne Chamber of Commerce. In 1928 the property was again sold  to a city consortium headed by Chayoux’s nephew Rene Chayoux before the financial crisis of 1930, upon the death of René the operation was managed by a trust that eventually sold the brand and its facilities. From 1985 to the present, Chateau Phélan Ségur has been owned by the Gardinier Group of Xavier Gardinier, and famed enologist, Michel Rolland is employed as their consulting enologist.

Chateau Phélan Ségur's wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The grapes are initially fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and then aged in oak barriques (30% new) for 15 months prior to bottling. The wines I brought from my cellar are the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Chateau Phélan Ségur. While 2004 and 2006 were not great vintages, 2005 is considered by most Bordeaux experts to be a classic vintage. I have enjoyed many wines from the 2005 vintage, and I was very eager to see how my 2005 Phelan-Segur was showing. The 2005 is a marvelous wine that still has a very long life. One of the great surprises was how good the 2004 Chateau Phélan Ségur was showing. I absolutely loved this wine that is a wonderful accomplishment from the vintage. Learn more about this storied Bordeaux estate at https://www.phelansegur.com/en/ Here are my tasting notes from my 2004-2006 vertical tasting of Chateau Phélan Ségur. 

2004 Chateau Phélan Ségur Bordeaux- Lighter in color than the 2005, this shows a good degree of earthy terroir on the nose with wild mushroom, pipe tobacco, blood orange rind, and  salted meats that fills the glass. The mouthfeel is really plush, as this delivers medium-bodied flavors of red cherry puree, truffled boysenberry, cassis and a strong saline streak. Plush and soft, this is drinking in its sweet spot. This has a wonderful sense of place. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2005 Chateau Phélan Ségur Bordeaux- The nose here is considerably more powerful than on the ’04 or ’06. This has evolved nicely showing a darker fruit profile than the other two wines with wild blackberry cordial, peat moss, cigar ash and coffee grounds on the nose. The palate is both refined and shows a good texture and viscosity. Mocha, anise, creme de cassis, and hucklbebery flavors come to mind. I love the combination of tension and richness on the mid-palate. The Merlot in this wine seems to be shining particularly brightly. This will cellar well for another decade or more, but it is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2033- 93

2006 Chateau Phélan Ségur Bordeaux- The 2006 Chateau Phélan Ségur appears to be slowing down at the moment. Medium bodied, this shows a silky texture as the wine delivers nice earthy tones alongside red and dark fruits with wet tobacco. While not hugely complex, this shows some wonderful Bordelaise character. Enjoy this over the next five years. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Bodega Beronia

Greetings from Barcelona! Today we bring you one of the great wineries in the La Rioja region, Bodega Beronia. Having visited this historic winery a few years back, I have been enchanted with the Beronia wines for more than a decade, having enjoyed some great Beronia Gran Reserva wines in particular from the 1990s. Bodega Beronia has always been relatively easy to find in the United States and the continue that trend today as many of these wines can be found in Pacific Northwest wine shops and grocery stores. Bodega Beronia is surrounded by 25 hectares of estate vineyards and their team control a massive 870 hectares of vineyards situated within a 10km radius of the winery in the Rioja Alta region of La Rioja. The average age of these vineyards is 30 years and more than 50 hectares of their plantings exceed 60 years of age.

Beronia winemaker Matias Calleja, has crafted some seriously good new wines. He has crafted an absolute home run with his 2015 Bodega Beronia ‘Crianza’ Rioja (WWB, 90) which is an amazing value wine to buy by the case. For a decadent treat, look to the 2009 Bodega Beronia ‘Gran Reserva’ Rioja (WWB, 93) which has wonderful mouth-watering acidity and shows beautiful red and dark fruits. Learn more about this special estate at http://www.beronia.com Here are the great new wines by Bodega Beronia.

2017 Bodega Beronia Rose- There is a wonderfully pure nose with rose petals and red fruits that line the glass. The wine shows a silky mouthfeel with delicate red fruits that connect with rose water and cranberry flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2016 Bodega Beronia Rueda Verdeho- This 100% Verdeho wine starts off with kiwi and pink grapefruit on the nose. The palate shows a good combination of weight and minerality with kiwi, starfruit and green melon flavors shining the most brightly. This is an exceptional value. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2015 Bodega Beronia ‘Crianza’ Rioja- This shows prune, dark cherry and nice roasted figs on the nose with some toasty oak. The palate takes on good weight and minerals with red fruits and dark fruits mingling next to a touch of chocolate. This is a spectacular, weighty ‘Crianza’ that will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2014 Bodega Beronia ‘Crianza’ Rioja- Prune and red cherry largely mark the nose with some toasty oak. The palate combines citrus tones with lighter red fruits. Forward, this wine needs food. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2013 Bodega Beronia ‘Reserva’ Rioja- With just a touch of Graciano and Manzuelo blended in the 2013 Bodega Beronia ‘Reserva’ begins with a bouquet of dill, red cherry and red currant with toasty oak elements prominent. The palate shows good acidity and balance. While not possessing great weight, the elegance of this red and black fruit driven wine is quite impressive considering the challenges of the vintage. Drink 2018-2024- 90



2009 Bodega Beronia ‘Gran Reserva’ Rioja- The 2009 Bodega Beronia ‘Gran Reserva’ is a harmonious wine that is restrained considering the warmth of the vintage. That said, it is a glorious wine, somewhat different than other ’09 Gran Reservas that I have sampled. Right away the whiff of oak and red fruits captivates you. Lighter damp earth and citrus tones come into the glass after some time. The wine reveals a really tasty combination of red and dark fruits that build in the glass after an hour decant. Wonderfully poised, this has the weight and tension to cellar well for two decades. Drink 2018-2035- 93

BACA Wines

Named after the word ‘berry’ in Latin, BACA Wines is the latest winery project by legendary Napa producer HALL Wines. Their concept was to make wines that are sourced from great Zinfandel all over California, showing unique terroir and flavor profiles for the varietal. Zinfandel was conceived in Croatia but it is one of California’s truly unique grapes. HALL President, Mike Reynolds, talked about this exciting new Zinfandel project, stating “We were excited about making Zinfandel that is diverse, from different places. We are fond about these wines is that we like to show off the differences in terroir, which is the essence of what our winery is all about. We thought that the Zinfandel grape was a great medium to do that with.” 

Mike and his team have created some really good new releases, both coming from the 2016 vintage. Each wines come from unique terroir and climates, one from Paso Robles and the other from the Russian River Valley. They are both excellent although I slightly preferred the 2016 BACA ‘Double Dutch Dusi Vineyard’ Zinfandel (WWB, 93) which showed tremendous warmth and really good range from this rocky vineyard site. Learn more about BACA Wines at https://www.bacawines.com Here are the great new Zinfandel wines by BACA wines. 

2016 BACA ‘Double Dutch Dusi Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The wine is sourced from the esteemed Dusi Vineyard which is located on the southern end of Paso Robles, just on the west site of Highway 101. This is a dry farmed vineyard that was planted first in 1945. Soils are rocky at the vineyard site. This starts off with aromas of prune, stewed strawberry and touch of bramble. The palate shows wonderful bright acidity with a really plush mouthfeel. Red fruits dominate with touches of smoke and milk chocolate and well as a touch of orange peel. This is a highly complex Zin that is built for aging for another decade. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 BACA ‘Tug O’ War Maffei Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The Maffei Vineyard is located in the Russian River Valley, and was first planted in the 1940s. The site is slightly cooler. The wine shows a darker fruit profile with milk chocolate and stewed blackberry, with milk chocolate and a plush mouthfeel. Drink 2018-2024- 92

Oregon Pinot Noir For Fall

As temperatures begin to dip down and leaves begin to fall, we slowly embrace our next season. It has been a great summer for white wines and rose, but as the weather slowly changes, red wines become to take their place at the kitchen table. Pinot Noir is a great transitional varietal from white to red. We have been truly fortunate with the last few vintages in Oregon, seeing near ideal growing conditions. In my last Oregon Report  there was an astonishing number of wines that I scored 90 points and higher which showed the impressive overall quality of wines coming from Oregon. Pinot Noir from the 2015 vintage in Oregon is typically ripe and round, with generous red fruits and more subtle earthy tones. It is quite frankly the perfect transitional wine as the weather cools (and is also a classic pairing for the Thanksgiving table). Here are some recommended Oregon Pinot Noirs for fall, including the links attached to the prices so you can find them.

Best Values

2015 Erath Pinot Noir (WWB, 89) $15.00

2015 Chehalem ‘Three Vineyards’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) $30.00

2015 Fullerton ‘Five Faces’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) $36.00

Highly Recommended

2015 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $50.00

2015 Brittan Vineyards ‘Cygnus Block’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) $48.00

2015 St. Innocent ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $55.00

2014 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) $80.00

2015 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 95) $75.00

2016 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos Sandberg’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) $62.00

2015 Evening Land ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $40.00

2015 Stag Hollow ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) $50.00

2015 Toil Oregon Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $50.00

36 Bottles of Wine Book Review

It is rare that I truly enjoy wine books that offer wine pairings. I find many of the pairings in books or articles I read to be either obscure, esoteric or simply inept. As I studied for my level 2 sommelier certification I found the wine pairing aspect to poke at the creative portion of my brain that thinks outside the box — the higher level cortex functioning. With my background in clinical psychology, I found this combination of utilizing both fields particularly enticing. Many authors that offer wine pairings do not create the pairings from unique or outside of the box varietals, as Paul Zitarelli has done here.

Wine writer Paul Zitarelli has an impressive wine writing background, and has created one of the most successful online retail shops in the Pacific Northwest, Full Pull Wines. His new book, 36 Bottles of Wine pushes the envelope in examining good food and wine pairings and offering monthly wine explorations. I can’t think of a wine book that I have read that also works to heighten the pleasure of matching food and wine, offering good examples of unique varietals to pair with food. I admire that this book reads well for the wine tyro and wine geek. The book is well-written in straightforward language so that if you are starting to learn more about wine you don’t have to constantly consult your thesaurus. As someone who lacks artistic astuteness, Paul's photos, sometimes full-paged spreads, are stunning, making the reader salivate and enticing them to create his recommended dishes. There is also a brief, but well-written section on how to understand faulty wines, which can be particularly helpful for those with entry level or intermediate level knowledge in wines. In short, 36 Bottles of Wine is one of the great succinctly written books I have read that expands both knowledge and appreciation of wine, wine varietals and wine pairings. 

Sanguis

I’ll admit that I have been enamored by Sanguis wines since I first tried them in 2011. With superstar winemaker, Mattias Pippig, at the helm, Sanguis has been lighting up the Santa Barbara wine scene with their impressive range of wines, from Viognier to Cabernet Franc. Latin for blood, the German-born Matthias Pippig previously worked as a wine importer for Marc DeGrazia Selections, and Estate Wines, before starting his winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. If you haven’t had the chance to try his wines, you are in for a serious treat. 

Pippig changes blends yearly in his Rhône and Bordeaux style wines, hand sorts each wine and never makes the same wine twice. Many of his wines weigh in at over 15% alcohol but they do not present as highly alcoholic. These wines are sourced from some of the best vineyards in the Santa Barbara and Central Coast area. He makes some of the best white blends in California. The new edition, the 2015 Sanguis ‘Wildflower’ White Wine (WWB, 95) is a mesmerizing blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne that shows a silky texture and voluptuous mouthfeel. This is a white wine that will cellar marvelously for a decade or more. Just as good was the 2015 Sanguis ‘Bossman’ Syrah (WWB, 95) which has a marvelous mouthfeel and compelling tension. This inky Syrah is impossible to resist right now but will have a long life in the cellar. Learn more about these very special wines at sanguiswine.com or visit their hip tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara, which is by appointment. Here are the new releases by Sanguis.

2015 Sanguis ‘Wildflower’ White Wine- The 2015 Sanguis ‘Wildflower’ is a compelling proprietary blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne that was aged for an extended period of time in oak puncheons. Showing a golden hue, this starts off with a bright bouquet of lemon blossom, apricot jelly, star jasmine, vanilla cream and toasted macadamia nut. The striking nose really brings you back to the glass for more enjoyment. Once in the mouth, a ripe, almost unctuous texture greets you. The weight of the wine delights the senses, as does the wonderful poise. Lemon oil, kumquat, apricot jelly and honeydew melon flavors come to mind. A stunning white blend, this one of a kind wine is one for the cellar and will continue to develop marvelously over the next decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 95

2014 Sanguis ‘Loner Flavonius’ Chardonnay- This Bien Nacido Vineyard bottling opens with a ripe bouquet of smoke, crushed diatomaceous earth, and Pink Lady apple on the nose. The palate builds after considerable air, as the wine slowly reveals wonderful lemon creme brulee, Gala apple, cardamom and butterscotch flavors. The salinity, weight and smooth texture of this wine is really outstanding. A downright stunner, this gorgeous Chardonnay will continue to pick up lovely tertiary notes as the wine evolves over the next decade. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2015 Sanguis ‘The Highlands’ Red Wine- The 2015 ‘The Highlands’ Red Wine is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot all sourced from the Santa Ynez Valley. The wine was aged in a combination of new and aged French oak for 27 months prior to bottling. The nose is highly perfumed, and after a two hour decant unveils ripe blackberry cobbler, green olive, black tea and coffee ground aromatics. The palate shows wonderful weight, poise and texture, yielding intense dark fruit flavors and exuding elegance despite the obvious heat of the vintage. This is a simply marvelous effort by superstar winemaker, Mattias Pippig. Drink 2018-2035- 94

2015 Sanguis ‘Misfit’ Red Wine- Always a proprietary blend, in 2015 winemaker Mattias Pippig has blended Syrah with Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Petite Syrah and Viognier. Inky and dense in the glass, the wine slowly yields intense mocha, Asian spice, creme de cassis and damp earth aromatics that build in the glass. The palate shows sensational weight and texture, while the Viognier adds some floral tones on the mid-palate. Dense dark fruits connect with coffee grounds, and creosote flavors. A stunner, this one of a kind wine displays a sensational combination of weight and poise. While gorgeous in the glass now, this will continue to evolve well for the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2018-2033- 94


2015 Sanguis ‘Bossman’ Red Wine- The ‘Bossman’ is an intense blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Grenache with a touch of Viognier. Needing roughly a two hour decant to fully express itself the wine slowly unveils rose petal, red cherry candy, guava puree and coffee ground aromatics with a touch of honeysuckle from the Viognier. The aromatic range at play is simply stunning. The silky mouthfeel wonderfully coats the mid-palate. As the wine continues to build in the glass it showcases a marvelous combination of red and dark fruits with a touch of chocolate covered espresso bean. Seductive, decadent and refined, this one of a kind bottling by superstar Mattias Pippig is not to be missed. Drink 2018-2035- 95

Rhys Vineyards

One of the great producers of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the Rhys Vineyards sources from extreme mountain vineyards in Sonoma and the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is no surprise that more and more wineries are being started in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The rugged, rocky terroir can produce some world class wines. Following in the esteemed lines of Ridge and Mount Eden, Rhys Vineyards produces their best wine from the Alpine Vineyard which is located ten miles from the coast and is set on chalky Purisima Formation soils which are both shallow and rocky. This extreme vineyard site has slopes which range up to a 40% grade.

Here we have a really good map of the vineyards owned by Rhys Vineyards.

The founder of Rhys Vineyards, Kevin Harvey, had a successful software career prior to stating his winery. He began planting Pinot Noir in his backyard near the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA and has had his first vintage in 2004. The new releases by Rhys were seriously good across the board. One thing that resonated throughout the lineup was the sterling minerality and the marvelous terroir that showed in the wines. I am particularly enamored with the potential of wines made from the Alpine Vineyard. Their current release Chardonnay the 2013 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 95) is a remarkable wine that shows incredible tension and poise, with gobs of mouth-watering acidity. It is a complete wine.  I was also enamored by the 2014 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which also showed a dazzling minerality and marvelous elegance with beautiful red fruits. This is one for the cellar. Learn more about this incredible new lineup of wines at https://rhysvineyards.com Here are the exciting new wines by Rhys Vineyards

2016 Alesia ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ Chardonnay- This shows nice opulence on the bouquet with brandy soaked pear, white flowers and vanilla creme brulee. The palate shows a good combination of fruit weight and balance, with tree and citrus fruit flavors and an exceedingly long finish. The minerality and kumquat accents are really nice here. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Alesia ‘Anderson Valley’ Chardonnay- The 2016 Alesia ‘Anderson Valley’ Chardonnay shows a more intense aromatic profile than the ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ bottling, with toasty oak, Pink Lady apple pie and nutmeg with a touch of smoke. The palate shows good tension and weight, with Meyer lemon cream and butterscotch flavors most prominent. This is an outstanding effort that will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2013 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Already with some bottle age, the 2013 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Chardonnay is a stunning rendition. The densely planted, steep sloped, ‘Alpine Vineyard,’ lies ten miles from the Pacific Ocean. This cool site is known for constant fog. The nose gathers a wonderful opulence and salinity. Smoke, ripe pear, butterscotch and salted praline aromas come to mind. Silky smooth through the palate, the wine shows wonderful intensity with Meyer lemon oil, vanilla creme brûlée and Challah bread flavors beautifully combining in the glass. The dazzling minerality here is simply astounding. A complete wine, this will cellar well for decades, but is irresistible right now. Drink 2018-2033- 95

2016 Alesia ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ Pinot Noir- A translucent reddish-orange, the 2016 ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ Pinot Noir by Alesia shows a wonderful nose with citrus rind, bran-cherry and teaberry with a touch of cardamom spice. The palate displays wonderful texture and minerality with red cherry cola, sassafras, blood orange and a vibrant minerality. This is seriously good. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Alesia ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir takes on a bit less intensity than the ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ wine. Medium bodied, with good complexity, I get citrus rind and red fruits that combine with the good tension. This shows good elegance. Drink 2018-2028- 90

2014 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the steeply sloped ‘Alpine Vineyard’ this Pinot Noir begins with gorgeous aromas of smoke, forest floor, mulberry and cherry cola. The silky texture and elegance to this wine is simply outstanding, as is the wonderful astringency and tension. Red currant jelly, red cherry cordial, cola and peat moss flavors captivate the senses. This is a truly outstanding Pinot Noir that will age gracefully for the next two plus decades. Drink 2018-2035- 94

2014 Rhys Vineyards ‘Bearwallow Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Located in the Anderson Valley, the Bearwallow Vineyard is a steep site first planted in 2008. This starts off with a bouquet of teaberry, orange zest and gran-cherry aromatics that build in the glass. The palate is lithe and downright delicious, giving way to red cherry candy, cola, Satsuma orange and bulls blood flavors. The savory and Umami aspects to this wine are absolutely fabulous. Enjoy this over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2018-2033- 93

2013 Rhys Vineyard ‘Horseshoe Vineyard’ Syrah- Located near the Alpine Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, the Horseshoe Vineyard was first planted in 2004 and totals 17.5 acres. The nose is delightfully smoky with black and red fruits building in the glass. The terroir here is marvelous, as the salinity and Umami characters really drive this wine. Wild blackberry pie, sea salt, red currant, and BBQ flavors with smoked black cherry compote all mingle together. This is tremendous, terroir-driven Syrah, that is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2030- 94

Matthews

One of the great stops in Woodinville, Matthews was firs founded in 1992 and remains a family owned and operated winery. The winery has an awesome outdoor space that I recently visited with some friends to take in one of the warmer summer days and enjoy some great Sauvignon Blanc in the sunshine. They have also recently remodeled their indoor tasting room. Matthews relies on the talented hands of Aryn Morell who consults for a host of exceptional Washington wineries. One of the great winemakers in the state, Morell has had previous jobs at some of the best Napa estates including Joseph Phelps, Quintessa, Chimney Rock, Vineyard 29, Chappellet, Stags Leap Winery, and Turnbull. He became head winemaker for Matthews in 2007 and Morell sources his grapes from some great vineyards in Washington like Stillwater Creek, Lawrence Weinbau and Sagemoor Vineyards. All Matthews wines are made at Aryn's production facility in Walla Walla. 

A few weeks back I tasted with Aryn over a period of four hours. I have been impressed with the run of quality of Matthews wines, particularly over the past four releases. The new Matthews lineup was very impressive and beautifully displayed Aryn’s signature winemaking style, involving highly structured wines that show beautiful fruit. I loved the new release 2017 Matthews Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 90) which has awesome ripeness and tension. Even better was the 2015 Matthews Merlot (WWB, 92) which incorporates Cabernet Franc and shows good weight and softness from the Franc. For more about the excellent Matthews lineup check out their website at http://www.matthewswinery.com/ Here are the great new releases by Matthews.

2017 Matthews ‘Columbia Valley’ Sauvignon Blanc- The wine was aged 100% in stainless steel prior to bottling. There is nice citrus rind and grassy elements to the nose with pear as well. The Semillon beautifully rounds out this wine that shows green papaya, pear and citrus rind flavors. This is highly refreshing and satisfying. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2017 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2017 ‘Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc was aged in largely concrete and was sourced entirely from the Boushey Vineyard. The nose is opulent with tropical fruits and citrus coming in. This has a wonderful mid-palate weight entices as the wine shows really good freshness and brightness in this exciting vintage for white wines in Washington. I can see this pairing beautifully with shellfish. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Matthews Claret- Sourced from a host of great vineyards in the Columbia Valley, Red Mountain and Walla Walla AVAs, this excellent red wine begins with aromas of black tea, blackberry cobbler and black olive tapenade. The texture is fantastic with black tea, mocha, crushed mint and blackberry cobbler flavors that come together nicely in the glass. Enjoy this over the next five to ten years. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Matthews Merlot- The 2015 Matthews Merlot has 20% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. The wine starts off with beautiful aromas of cocoa powder, red cherry and dill on the nose. This shows really good mid-palate weight with refined tannins. Black tea, blackberry pie and mocha flavors come together marvelously in the glass. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Mathers ‘Reserve’ Claret- The 2015 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Claret is a gorgeous wine made by the talented Aryn Morell. Once in the glass this begins to display intense aromas of black tea, mocha, blackberry pie and crushed mint. The mouthfeel is fabulous here with black tea, anise, cassis and milk chocolate flavors. The wine shows wonderful balance and poise as well as weight from this warm vintage. Give this at least a one hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2018-2028- 93

Cayuse Vineyards Retrospective

Friends, we have something very special for you today on WWB. About a month ago I had the very special opportunity to taste with eminent vigneron, Christophe Baron and his talented assistant vigneronne, Elizabeth Bourcier, as we sampled some very special back vintages of his wine. We all chatted about the wines and the vintages, as I have included original commentary about each wine and vintage from both Christophe and Elizabeth as they provide you with a journey through time, followed by my review of each wine. Please enjoy this exclusive content, as we take you through from vintages 2012 all the way back to one of Christophe’s first vintages, 1999. Cheers! 

2011 Vintage:

Christophe:  I really enjoyed this summer, with no real heat spikes. This was our first vintage of this wine so I really love this wine. I tried this. After some time here I saw that we were really after something. We went back to France in June as there was rain throughout April and May. It was really weird, not normal at all. We were three weeks behind schedule in terms of picking in almost mid-October. Yields were down 80% which was super low. We did a lot of thinning to really concentrate the wines. This wine is still so young. The vineyard was planted in 2008 so this was the first wine we produced. This is seven years old but it is remarkably fresh right now.

Elizabeth: This was a cold vintage, the coldest on record. The summer didn’t have many days over 90 degrees and we never got to 100 degrees. That was a challenge for growing. There was some frost as well which make this difficult. We got more fruit in the vineyard and ripening was an issue for our first vintage of Horsepower. We love 2011 and think that the wine is so distinct and expressive from this special vineyard.

2011 Horsepower ‘Sur Echalas Vineyard’ Grenache- There is a wonderful Asian spice character to this wine with hoisin sauce, white pepper, red cherry candy and pomegranate seed aromatics following in the glass. The citrus quality to this wine is truly fantastic with mnarveoius tension with wild strawberry, kumquat, bulls blood and pomegranate seed flavors that come together remarkably in the glass. I am crazy about the range to this silky, feminine style wine. I can see this cellaring remarkably well for another decade Drink 2018-2028- 95

2011 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Grenache

Christophe: This wine shows like a lot of cooked fruits on the nose like strawberry coulis. For me what I like about the 2011 Grenache is I know that we will never be able to grow Pinot Noir at our location in Milton-Freewater but 2011 came as close to creating Pinot Noir as I will ever do because of the coolness of the vintage. I wouldn’t mind to have 2011 every year other than the really long growing season. 

Elizabeth: I haven’t had this wine for a while but I love the vintage and I love that you get some of those savory and mineral driven aspect of the wines from that vintage. A smoky character is noted in the wines as well as the wonderful texture. It has been a while now since we have had a cool vintage, It shows the care that we put into the vineyards and shows that you can make great wines from this cool vintage. I like how these wines are aging, the really good freshness that was created from the cold vintage. 

2011 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Grenache- I have not reviewed the 2011 ‘God Only Knows’ for several years but I am simply amazed with what is in the glass. This cool vintage Grenache starts off with wonderfully smoky character on the nose with red currant jelly, blood orange, Umami, horse manure and a touch of smoked brisket. The aromatic range really excites the senses. This wine shows wonderful verve and tension. Rose water, satsuma orange, Umami and forest floor character mark this outstanding wine. This is truly one of the great wines from this challenging vintage. Drink 2018-2028- 96

2007 Cayuse Vineyards ‘The Widowmaker’ Cabernet Sauvignon

Christophe: 2007 was a classic vintage. To me it was pretty classic other than being touch cooler than what a classic is. 2007 was as long growing season for us and had phenological ripeness the third week in September. The vintage had a little bit of rain at harvest but not much — it was just enough rain to delay harvest for a week. The cool nights gave this wine some wonderful acidity. For me 2007 is a vintage that I really love.

2007 Cayuse Vineyards ‘The Widowmaker’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This begins with smoked pork shoulder, Umami, black tea and peat moss with a lovely stony character. The wine shows good ripeness with sage, blood orange, pomegranate seed and smoked brisket flavors that come together nicely in the glass. There is a marvelous salinity to this Cabernet that makes it unique from anything else in the state. Showing good, lip-smacking acidity, this is drinking at its peak. Drink 2018-2022- 94

2009 No Girls ‘La Pacencia Vineyard’ Syrah

Christophe: 2009 was a classic vintage because we didn’t pick until the third week of September. We picked the Bionic Frog late and this vintage reminded me a bit of 2012. This wine is 14.1% alcohol so it is clearly riper than most No Girls Wines. Ripening for the wine took a lot of time and then the grapes seems to ripen all at once. The No Girls wines are as special as our Cayuse wines as we take the same level of care into these wines.

2009 No Girls ‘La Pacencia Vineyard’ Syrah- This seductive wine has an incredible aromatic range of peat moss, smoked brisket, black olive tapenade with bacon fat and black truffle oil. The palate is not even close to being oxidized as there is wonderful freshness still in the glass. Parma ham, blood orange, red currant and white truffle favors all come together in the glass. A stunner, this is drinking at its peak. I can see this cellaring well for the next six plus years but it is impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2024- 96

1999 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah

Christophe: This older wine I think is one notch ahead many of my other older wines as this shows some wonderful freshness. 1999 as a vintage was a bit cooler up until late August as people were concerned that 1999 was going to be similar to 1993, which was a very late vintage. 1999 was worrying for people because harvest was going to be super late. For three weeks in a row after labor day we had 90 degree days. It was sunny all of the time and that really helped the vintage in terms of ripening. This being said, I almost ruined the crop because early September people were worried that I was already having a lot of color. Then I stopped irrigating because I was trying to figure what would work best in the vineyard. The Cailloux Vineyard was planted in ’97 so I stressed the vineyards hard and then I realized that it was too much stress on the vine. But by not watering and then watering again later I gave great natural acidity in the wines. This being said from being ahead of everyone in verison I was the last person in Walla Walla to pick my fruit. I picked some Cabernet on Halloween.  

1999 Cayuse  Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah- This takes on a wonderful floral quality with rose water and lavender with lighter smoked meats. The palate shows good freshness and minerality, with a lovely savory edge and citrus side with red fruits. This has remarkable poise, considering its age. It is currently drinking at its peak. Drink 2018-2022- 92

2012 Cayuse Vineards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah

Christophe: I think this was the last vintage where we picked up cassis notes. We picked our Syrah later into September. I never thought that this vintage would shed some baby fat and show what is going on but it has evolved quite nicely. The tannins are still there, this is still really young. The wine is a bit riper, at 14.2% alcohol, but it doesn’t show that right now. 

Elizabeth: 2012 was a classic vintage. It was not too hot during the summer and not too cold. ’12 is great and I think these wines show wonderful balance. To me this wine is still tight. That vintage will keep going for a very long time.

2012 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah- The nose is simply intoxicating with bacon fat, Umami, white pepper and suggestions of hoisin sauce. The nose is lifted from the Viognier co-ferment which adds a lovely floral element to the wine. The palate shows phenomenal texture and range with gobs of mouth-watering acidity with blood orange and red fruits. A touch of pomegranate seed marks this exceptional bottling. The balance is exceptional as this still has a long life ahead of it. It is currently drinking marvelously. Drink 2018-2028- 97

2006 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah

Christophe: This vintage was a bit warmer than a classic year. Wines from this vintage typically came out massive and decadent open release. There is a lot of asphalt character to the wine as it is at 14.8% alcohol. There was wonderful earthy character as well as licorice as well as black and dark fruits. This was the dark side of the moon. It was dark but the wines showed good balance, not as hot as ’03 where we had some wines that didn’t show as much tension. This vintage ends up being liquid decadence in the glass. 

2006 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah- This fantastic 2006 Syrah shows wonderful smoky character on the nose as well as creosote, bacon fat and blackberry pie. The palate shows remarkable freshness and wonderful dark fruit flavors. Black fruits rather than red fruits dominate with a silky mouthfeel and light tannins. This is cellaring remarkably well right now but still has a long life ahead of it. It is worth noting that this bottle is currently showing better than another bottle that I enjoyed at a Seattle restaurant roughly one year ago. Drink 2018-2026- 95

2010 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah

Christophe: I love the 2010 vintage. In 2010 mother nature was beyond our control. We were not three weeks behind like 2011 but roughly ten days behind schedule for harvest. We didn’t check the brix but we picked based on tasting the fruit. The fruit looked really good. Also the wines ended up being one percent higher alcohol which was intriguing, and that was an issue from the yeast that we used. That was the combination of the yeast combined with mother nature because we were not using commercial yeast in the ferments.

Elizabeth: 2010 was a cold vintage, and for me this was my first cold vintage that I worked. That was really interesting and we had some rain during harvest. Then strangely we had warmer weather through ripening and the heat didn’t seem to stop. We had interesting things going on with yeast strains, so this was one of the higher alcohol Bionic Frogs we have made from a cool vintage. It is really intriguing how we get such good balance from this cool vintage. We love this vintage like we love 2011. The 2010 wines are dark and rich and show wonderful terroir.

2010 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah- This inky colored 2010 Syrah shows Hoisin sauce, black tea, Asian spice and horse manure. It is remarkably rich aromatically considering the obvious heat issues of the vintage. There is a wonderful purity to this nose that shows some insanely good range. The palate shows remarkable freshness with white truffle oil, black tea, blackberry cordial and horse manure with wonderful stony character. The lip-smacking acidity to this wine is simply stunning. I can see this cellaring well for the next decade. This might be the best 2010 wine that I have ever tasted out of Washington. Drink 2018-2028- 97

2008 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Impulsivo’ Tempranillo

Christophe: 2008 would have been a classic vintage until the rain came. We harvested Viognier and Merlot but then one day it rained hard, like in a few hours an inch and a half. That stopped everything. I was pretty mad about that. We were worried about the rain affecting our harvest. Most of all the Syrahs and everything would have been picked and then there was too much rain. But this truly was a remarkable vintage. You had to embrace what you had even though we were ready to pick and we had to wait. The next day there was good wind that came throughout the valley. There was some beautiful fall weather and then we had to wait again but our fruit turned out nicely. Wind made sure there was no rot on the vines and we achieved even better flavor profiles because of the hang time. For me that is what 2008 is all about. 

Elizabeth: This was my first vintage working in Walla Walla and it was a challenge for me. We were all worried about all the rains which was considerably more than normal but we were lucky with the weather following the rain. If it would have remained cool then we could have had considerable more problems but 2008 ended up being a great vintage. 

2008 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Impulsivo’ Tempranillo- The smoky character is powerful on this nose with blackberry jam, Hoisin sauce, black tea and mocha. The freshness to the wine is lovely considering that it is ten years old as the wine reveals lovely earthy terroir, smoked meats, and a wonderful salinity. This shows remarkable power and is drinking at its peak currently. Drink 2018-2025- 94

Argyle

One of the top producers of sparkling wine in North America, Argyle continues to deliver amazing values with their latest set of releases. I have been tasting at Argyle for 15 years and I always recommend to new visitors to Oregon Wine Country that they visit the gorgeous Argyle tasting room in Dundee. For years I admired the wines of former winemaker, Rollin Soles. The new releases are spearheaded by superstar Winemaker Nate Klostermann, has been at the helm since taking over for Rollin Soles, longtime winemaker. Nate is a super talented guy that started as a harvest intern at Argyle in 2005 and has served as winemaker since 2013. He utilizes fruit from some great Oregon vineyards including the Spirit Hill Vineyard and the Knudsen Vineyard. The new release wines have been taken from some exciting warm vintages, 2015 and 2016. The wines show wonderful fruit but also good tension.

Argyle has crafted some amazing new ‘Nuthouse’ wines, none more so then their stunning 2016 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which is the best ‘Nuthouse’ that I’ve sampled in fifteen years. Nearly as good was their incredible new 2016 ‘Nuthouse’ Chardonnay’ (WWB, 93) which has amazing poise and a wonderful mouthfeel. Learn more about these outstanding wines at http://www.argylewinery.com Here are the outstanding new wines by Argyle.

2015 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Riesling- This delicious and lithe Riesling by Argyle is sourced from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The wine starts with a bouquet of starfruit, kiwi and bright gooseberry. With just a touch of sweetness and a ton of minerality, this outstanding wine displays lemon rind, kumquat and unripe Japanese apple flavors. The long finish lingers. Drink 2017-2024- 92

2014 Argyle ‘Brut’ Sparkling Wine- The 2014 'Brut' by Argyle is another excellent wine from this great Oregon winery. This wine shows lovely effervescence and a lively mouthfeel. Brioche, Meyer lemon zest and kumquat aromatics give way to Granny Smith apple, orange rind and wet stone flavors that sit alongside nice minerality. Drink 2018-2023- 90 



2007 Argyle ‘Extended Tirage’ Sparkling Wine- Aged on the lees for ten years prior to disgorgement, the 2007 'Extended Tirage' by Argyle is a stunning wine that does not seem a decade old. Aged in 80% neutral oak and 20% stainless, steel, the wine has beautifully amalgamated citrus fruits with a touch of white flowers on the nose. The mousse and weight to this wine is luxurious as the wine showcases baked pear, marzipan, wet stone and lemon oil flavors that combine with wonderful tension. The combination of power and poise here is hard to find in Oregon. Drink 2018-2028- 95

2016 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Chardonnay- The 2016 ‘Nuthouse’ Chardonnay shows a deep, golden color and begins with baking spice, vanilla creme brullee and ripe banana on the nose with pineapple undertones. The palate reveals a marvelous texture that borders on unctuous. Papaya, golden delicious apple, butterscotch and apricot flavors all marvelously mingle in the glass. A sensational effort by superstar winemaker, Nate Klostermans, this delicious Chardonnay is best served a touch warmer than most Oregon Chardonnays. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2016 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir- The 2016 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir follows up a line of exceedingly good ‘Nuthouse’ bottlings from this estate. This rendition is every bit as good as any ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir that I have sampled in the past fifteen years. Needing a one hour decant, this shows beautiful range on the nose, from cran-cherry to forest floor to cigar ash. Once in the mouth this wine reveals a gorgeous texture that glides through the mid-palate. Sour cherry, boysenberry cordial, peat moss and a touch of milk chocolate flavors all complete this beautiful, complex Pinot Noir. Drink 2018-2033- 94

Double Canyon

A relatively new winery with its roots firmly planted in the Horse Heaven Hills, Double Canyon (http://www.doublecanyon.com) has a new modern tasting room that is sure to satisfy any Cabernet lover. The core of the project is the Double Canyon Vineyard, comprised of 90 acres in the center of Horse Heaven Hills, six miles from the Columbia River. The vineyard produces considerably less fruit than other vineyards which focuses the plant’s resources into fewer clusters.  The vineyard sees long days with a great deal of sunlight. Planted to a host of Cabernet Sauvignon clones, Will Beightol, Double Canyon General Manager and Winegrower, has been overseeing the vineyard since it was first planted in 2007.

Now to the wines. I really enjoyed the 2014 Double Canyon ‘Double Canyon Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 91) for its richness and terroir. Something about this wine just screams Horse Heaven Hills. Double Canyon also makes a great 2015 Petit Verdot (WWB, 90) which showcases this varietal very nicely, showing savory and herbal qualities. Learn more about this exciting winery at http://www.doublecanyon.com Here are the new releases by Double Canyon. 

2015 Double Canyon ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon by Double Canyon is a really good value. Nice dusty terroir, herbal notes and black fruits dominate the nicely perfumed nose. The palate shows good poise and balance with a smooth mouthfeel and black fruit flavors with a touch of black olive. This highly approachable Cabernet shows nice persistence from this somewhat challenging vintage that was marked by heat spikes. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2014 Double Canyon ‘Double Canyon Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Inky once in the glass, the 2014 Double Canyon ‘Double Canyon Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon starts off with copious dark fruits and a touch of chocolate and sage on the nose. The palate shows good weight and minerality. Delicious and decadent, this will age well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2015 Double Canyon ‘Double Canyon Vineyard’ Petit Verdot- Sweet oak and dark fruits mark the nose. The palate shows good richness and complexity with black olive, black tea and mocha flavors that connect with some lighter tannins. This is probably best enjoyed over the next five to seven years. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Interview with Eileen Crane, CEO and Winemaker at Domaine Carneros

One of the most influential women in wine, Eileen Crane is the CEO and winemaker at Domaine Carneros and has been crafting outstanding sparkling wines for more than 30 years. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Eileen then went on to study at the famed UC Davis Vitulture and Enology program before starting at Domaine Carneros in 1987. For those who have not had a chance to taste at this storied winery, I implore you to stop by and take in the sweeping views of Napa Valley. I adored her current releases and I had the great opportunity to sit down with her and chat about her illustrious career. I think you will very much look forward to hearing from the Eileen Crane of Domaine Carneros, quoted as the ‘Doyenne of Sparkling Wines’ by Karen McNeil in her Wine Bible.

WWB: How did you first become interested in winemaking?

EC: It began at a very early age. While serving in WWII, my father developed a fondness for French and German wines. After the war, he worked for the international department of the financial firm Dean Witter and his travels afforded him the opportunity to bring back wonderful wines to our home in New Jersey. The family had wine only for Sunday dinners and I was allowed to help choose the wine.  One Sunday my father pulled out a Champagne and, although I was only eight, he allowed me to have a small sip and I was hooked. However, it wasn’t until I attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York that I first learned that one could study winemaking; that led me to UC Davis to pursue my passion for wine and turn it into a career. 

 At Davis a male professor tried to discourage me by saying that I would need six more years of studies and then no one would ever hire me to be a winemaker because I lacked the physical strength to handle the barrels. Fortunately, Ann Noble, the first female faculty member in Davis’s Department of Viticulture and Enology advised me I didn’t need another degree and encouraged me to take classes at Davis, which I did and here I am. 

 WWB: How were you able to develop your house style with vintage sparkling wine?

EC: When I was chosen in 1987 by Claude Taittinger of Champagne Taittinger, to build the Domaine Carneros winery and brand, we were stylistically in synch to making the brand known for its seemingly effortlessly elegant, balanced wines. I was encouraged by Claude Taittinger to develop my own style based on Carneros Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I was never asked to imitate Taittinger.

 Our style might be personified as Audrey Hepburn in a little black dress:  elegant, understated, everything in its place with substance and longevity, but also kicky and fun. In my opinion, great wines, great restaurants and great artists all have something in common; it is the vision that drives the finished product. It is not a compromise, not a formula, not a recipe – it is the head winemaker’s, chef’s or artist’s palate/palette that determines what the finished product will be.

 WWB: How did you first decide to make your very special wine, the ‘Le Rêve’?

EC: Le Rêve is French for “the dream”, and our tête de cuvée was named in honor of Claude Taittinger’s vision or dream to make America’s greatest blanc de blancs, an all Chardonnay sparkler.

 When he made this request, I was nervous because I had only made one blanc de blancs previously, but it wasn’t for aging. Making sparkling wines to age is difficult – you have to project what the wine is going to taste like six or eight years down the road. Due to the aging program, it takes years to learn if you’ve made a mistake.

 The first Le Rêve, I made I tasted year after year hoping that my experience for creating a super cuvée would be adequate. Between the fifth and sixth year of tasting, I realized I had done it! At that point it became my dream come true. The flavors had melded and evolved; giving it a distinctive style and a great body and finish.

 WWB: Your 2011 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve Sparkling Wine (WWB, 94) is a gorgeous new wine with serious weight, tension and minerality. Can you talk about crafting this very special wine?

EC: Le Rêve is based on my own palate, i.e., my sense of the right nose, as perfect a balance as possible and a long finish. In wine and food I enjoy refinement, restraint, understated elegance. Each part, or element, must contribute to the whole with nothing extraneous. Think of Audrey Hepburn in the little black dress, you see perfect balance. This is what I seek in the wines I make.

 I have been at Domaine Carneros for 31 years (40 years in the US méthode champenoise industry) and over my years I have refined our vineyard clones, their vineyard facings, the timing of picking, vinification, and the creation of the cuvee itself. At this point I almost feel that creating a cuvée is in my genes; like a great dancer, athlete, or chef the moves become instinctive. If an obstacle appears, they know how to gracefully get around it.

 WWB: What are some of your favorite old world producers of wine, including producers of Champagne? Do you have any ‘epiphany’ wines in particular?

EC: My favorite producers from old world, or new, are always the ones that exhibit great balance. I am not sure I run across ‘epiphany’ wines, but I do come across wines that truly delight.

Red Mountain Elevated

Some big news in Washington wine today. What initially was a dialogue between four long-time friends and former business colleagues has evolve into an exciting new Washington wine project. The Red Mountain Elevated project combines new vineyards atop the Red Mountain AVA and the viticulture abilities of Cameron Myhrvold and Ryan Johnson with the acclaimed winemaking team from Avennia Winery, Marty Taucher and Chris Peterson. The project has 27 acres planted to largely Rhone varietals. Taucher is excited about the new project and mentions “The opportunity to work with fruit from this site is very compelling. It’s about fruit sourced from remarkable Washington terroir, about advanced techniques in vineyard management that change the status quo.” The project will create a new wine brand showing off this unique piece of land.

Chris Peterson is very excited to work with this vineyard and mentioned “Winemakers have shown that Washington can produce world-class wines.This is a chance to ask ourselves – what’s the new frontier for Washington wine? It’s exciting to think this project is a step in that direction.” The first fruit for the new project will be picked and crushed in fall 2018, and the first vintage will be released in late 2020 or 2021. The wines will be limited to 400-500 case projection. Learn more at www.redmountainelevated.com

Januik/Novelty Hill

One one of my favorite wineries to visit in Woodinville, Novelty Hill-Januik is a gorgeous setting whether you are a tasting room neophyte or master sommelier. They generously donated their winery space for the Auction of Washington Wines this summer, which was a spectacular occasion. Previously I was there this summer visiting superstar winemaker Andrew Januik who guided me through the new releases that impressed from some hot vintages. Andrew recently spent some time working a harvest in Argentina. I think he had a blast down there. There are few Washington wineries that offer this range of quality wines at this price point. Year in and year out, Januik produces amazing wines from Sauvignon Blanc to Grenache to Syrah. If you have never had the chance to try the range of wines served here, it is a must visit. I tried more than 20 wines during my tasting and scored essentially all of them over 90 points, which I consider to be an incredible achievement.

The winery sources from some of the most esteemed vineyards in the state, including Champoux, Stillwater Creek, and Weinbau Vineyards. Truly what has consistently been one of the best Sauvignon Blancs in the state for the price is the 2017 Novelty Hill ‘Stillwater Creek’ Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 91) is a downright killer value and impresses with its gorgeous minerality and range. This is one to purchase by the case.

Other impressive new release wines included the 2013 Januik ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot (WWB, 92), which is another amazing value buy. I absolutely adore the new 2015 Novelty Hill ‘Cascadia’ Red Wine (WWB, 93), which is the third year that they have made this wine. The new edition shows  a wonderful terroir driven palate, loaded with dark fruits. Learn more about this impressive new lineup of wines at http://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines from Novelty Hill-Januik winery.

2017 Novelty Hill ‘Stillwater Creek’ Sauvignon Blanc- The nose is reminiscent of pear, gooseberry and freshly cut grass. The palate has a wonderful texture and a lithe mineraity with poached pear, starfruit and vanilla cream towards the back end. This is just a stunning value. Drink 2018-2023- 91

2017 Januik ‘Sagemoor Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- The wine has 20% Semillon blended in. The wine begins with aromas of lychee, Lemon zest and kumquat. The palate shows a good minerality and weight. Tree fruit and pink grapefruit flavors connect with buttered brioche. Round and generous, this is an outstanding effort. Drink 2018-2023- 91

2016 Novelty Hill Viognier- This begins with aromas of lychee, bright nectarine and candied ginger. The palate is lithe and rich as the wine shows an exotic edge with a wonderful freshness. Poached pear, lychee and starfruit flavors connect with a lovely minerality. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2016 Novelty Hill Roussanne- The 2016 Novelty Hill Roussanne is seriously good. The wine starts off with tree fruit aromas with a touch of lychee. The palate shows really good weight and tension with pear,. Green papaya and cantaloupe flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 92

2015 Novelty Hill ‘Stillwater Creek’ Chardonnay- Hazelnut and brioche with poached pear aromas fill the nose and the aromatics slowly build in the glass. The palate is rich and lithe showing wonderful weight. Bright starfruit, pear and creme brûlée flavors that impress. I can see this cellaring well for the short-term. Drink 2018-2026- 92

2016 Januik ‘Cold Creek Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Aged in 50% new French oak, this is a really good bottling by Januik. Bright pear and a touch of orange rind with lemon cream mark the nose on this great Chardonnay. The mouthfeel is really lovely as the wine unveils brioche, toasty oak, and roasted pineapple flavors that sit alongside tension. This will age brilliantly. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Novelty Hill ‘Stillwater Creek Vineyard’ Merlot- The wine shows a wonderful bouquet of prune, red cherry and cigar ash. Bing cherry and bright raspberry flavors with a touch of chocolate mark the palate. I love the brightness of this wine and the minerality considering the obvious heat of the vintage. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Januik ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot- The wine shows a nice range of dark and red fruits on the nose. The silky texture is fantastic as the wine unveils dark fruits with milk chocolate and a touch of sweet pipe tobacco. This is just a stunning value by the superstar winemaking team at Januik. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Novelty Hill ‘Stillwater Creek Vineyard’ Grenache- The Novelty Hill Grenache is sourced from the Stillwater Creek vineyard. The vines are set on rocky basalt and are set on a south-facing slope. This begins with aromas of rose petal, bright cranberry and a touch of blood orange. The palate is lithe as the wine shows off a nice combination of citrus rind and red fruits. This finishes smooth. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Novelty Hill ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc- The wine begins with mil chocolate and dark fruits on the nose. The texture and mouthfeel here is really lovely as the wine unveils blackberry pie, milk chocolate and black cherry. The finish is long and generous. This also shows really nice freshness on the palate. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Novelty Hill ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This rich Cabernet Sauvignon wine begins with aromas of black cherry, black olive and loganberry liquor. The palate shows nice richness and acidity with black fruits and chocolate with cassis. This finishes clean with minerals. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Januik ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The nose shows caramel, blackberry and milk chlorate. The aromatics are quite striking in the glass. Dark fruits mingle with black tea, black olive and cassis flavors. The mouthfeel and silky texture to this wine is fantastic. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2014 Januik ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon has pretty herbal aromas with black tea, black olive and sagebrush. The palate shows a wonderful tension and weight with a silky texture. Black fruits mingle with cassis and milk chocolate flavors. This shows a touch more intensity than the ’15 bottling. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Januik ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This exudes dark fruits with dark chocolate on the nose. The palate shows a good richness. The wine shows good tension with dark fruits and coffee ground flavors. This solid effort will cellar well in the short-term. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Januik ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Sauvignon by Januik shows a brilliantly perfumed nose of black fruits, sagebrush and milk chocolate. The palate shows good freshness and weight with dark fruits and red fruits mingling with mocha. Enjoy this great wine over the next decade or so. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Januik ‘Champoux Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from this esteemed Red Mountain vineyard, the wine shows off black tea, crushed mint and blackberry cobbler aromas. The texture here is really good as there is a wonderful purity of fruit. Dark fruits dominate the palate as the wine finishes exceedingly long. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Novelty Hill ‘Columbia Valley’ Syrah- This begins with aromas of smoke, black olive and black cherry. Round and generous on the mouth, the wine unveils lovely red and dark fruit flavors. Easy drinking and delicious, and full of rich flavors, this is an outstanding value. Drink 2018-2025- 91

2015 Novelty Hill ‘Stillwater Creek’ Syrah- The ‘Stillwater Creek’ Syrah shows nice richness on the nose with blackberry cobbler and black tea with black olive and smoky accents. This shows nice elegance and balance with dark fruits and smoky accents coming into the palate. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2015 Januik ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Syrah- This begins with aromas of dried herbs with smoke and dark fruits. Dark fruits and a touch of blue fruits dominate the nose. The wine finishes with a light milk chocolate with sage accents towards the back end. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Januik ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Syrah- Sourced from one of the state’s great vineyards, this begins with aromas of dark fruits with chocolate. Deep and seductive, the wine reveals mocha, tar and cassis flavors. This finishes strong with minerals and dark fruits. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Januik ‘Columbia Valley’ Red Wine- This is a blend of primarily Bordeaux varietals. The Cabernet dominant wine begins with aromas of black and red fruits with black tea accents. The palate shows good richness and balance with black tea, coffee ground and blackberry cobbler flavors. Drink 2018-2025- 90

2016 Novelty Hill ‘R.S.R.’ Red Wine- This Cabernet dominant wine begins with black olive aromas with red cherry and mocha. The palate comes off a touch lean with red and dark fruits mingling in the glass. Drink 2018-2024- 88

2015 Novelty Hill ‘Cascadia’ Red Wine- This is the third vintage of this wine and is the best rendition that I have sampled. Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (64%) black tea and black fruits dominate the nose. The mouthfeel is wonderful as dark fruits and black tea with black olive dominate the palate. Fresh and lively, the will will have a long life in the cellar. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Januik ‘Reserve Red’ Red Wine- This Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wine is a stunner by the amazing winemaking team of Mike and Andrew Januik. This red wine begins with aromas of teaberry, coffee grounds, blueberry compote and crushed mint. The palate shows good concentration and mouthfeel with wonderful tension and richness. Dark fruits and red fruits mingle with good concentration and light tannins. Delicious now, this will have an exceedingly long life. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2017 Spring Run Rose- The wine has a touch of residual sugar. Primarily Syrah this begins with flavors of pink grapefruit, red cherry and red raspberry candy. The wine shows a good astringency. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2015 Januik ‘Bacchus Vineyard’ Riesling- Bottled at 1.8% residual sugar the wine begins with petrol, white flowers and Granny Smith apple on the nose. The palate shows a good tension considering the heat of the site and the vintage. Tree fruit flavors dominate. Drink 2018-2022- 90