New World Red Wine Splurge List

Over the past few months I have had the opportunity to drink some extraordinary wines that are meant for a special occasion. For instance, last weekend while traveling to see some close friends I had the chance to sample a 2006 Leonetti Cabernet. There are really not enough superlatives to write about this wine. But I can tell you that this wine was balanced and out of control delicious. There have been other special occasions, for instance a friend’s birthday in Las Vegas, where a 2008 Clarendon Hills ‘Australis’ Shiraz was poured. This is one of the premier Shiraz wines out of Australia, so it was a real treat to enjoy the depth and purity of the wine.
I want to share some of the older vintage new world red wines that are great for special occasions. Some of these may be somewhat difficult to find (since they are older vintage wines) but they are hedonistic treats that will impress for a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation or any special occasion. If you come into contact with any of these wines, pick up a bottle and see for yourself. I think you will not be disappointed.
Here is my new world red wine splurge list from the past few months:

Australian Shiraz

2012 Mollydooker ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ Shiraz- Inky color with black cherry and cassis on the nose. Palate has density and viscosity. Black cherry, cedar, black olive, mocha and blueberry. Hard not to drink now as a crack and pour wine. Open and forward, but in the best way. -95

2008 Clarendon Hills ‘Astralis’ Shiraz- Inky color and needs more than two hours to fully open up. Blueberry, blackberry, smoked meats and cherry cough syrup on the nose. Palate has blueberry, blackberry, anise, tar and smoked meats. Incredibly mineral driven. This wine is a stunner and is every bit spectacular. Be sure to decant this for hours. -95

2007 Clarendon Hills ‘Clarendon Vineyard’ Shiraz- Inky color that needs more than an hour to open up. Smoked meats and plum on the nose with tar, coffee, prune and black cherry flavors. Delicious and complex. Drink now. -93

2006 Charendon Hills ‘Bookman Vineyard’ Shiraz- Compelling nose of blueberry, violet, rose petals and red cherry. Palate is viscous and concentrated. Prune, black cherry, crème de cassis, smoke and tar. Minerality is fascinating for an Aussie Shiraz. Winemaking is exceptional, drink now. -94

Washington Red Wines

2006 Leonetti Cellars Cabernet- This is an incredibly complex wine. Nose has mocha, anise and cassis with oak. Palate has intense layers that open up after an hour of decanting. Black cherry, black olive, blackberry, crème de cassis and mocha flavors. Absolutely a stunner as this wine has evolved to being smooth and seamless. Drink now. -96

2006 Woodward Canyon ‘Artist Series’ Cabernet- This wine smells rich and perfumed with red bell pepper and raspberry. Palate has nice depth and density. Plum, black cherry, anise and blackberry. Classic WA Cab style but you can see the components coming nicely together here. Slightly alcoholic but a rich, dense and compelling Cab. Drink now. -93

2008 Dubrul ‘Carriage House’ Cabernet- This wine is rich and viscous. Cab with 23% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. A wonderful expression of a tremendous vintage. Prune and cassis with oak on the nose. The palate has crème de cassis, black olive, prune, vanilla and black cherry. Complex and delicious, drink now. -94

2005 Tamarack Cellars ‘Sagemoor Reserve’- Rich nose with blackberry and oak. Viscosity and balance in this open wine. Plush flavors of cherry, mocha, and anise. Reminiscent of the Quilceda Creek Red Wine in the depth and viscosity of the wine. Drink now. -94

2008 Dunham Cellars ‘Lewis Vineyard’ Merlot- Rich aroma of blackberry, black cherry, black olive and somehow smoked meats. Palate has rich viscosity with blackberry, black cherry, black olive and dried herbs. Seamless with a ton of character. Drink now. -94

2007 Dunham Cellars Cabernet- This wine was taken from a 3L bottle. Perfumed nose with black tea, black currant and black cherry. The wine settles after an hour in the decanter. Deep flavors of blackberry, black olive, black cherry, anise and mocha. This is every bit outstanding. Drink now. -95

California Red Wines

2009 Darioush Merlot- This wine has plum and red cherry with oak on the nose. Palate has red cherry dill, vanilla and blackberry. Delicious, rich and complex now. -94

2010 Sea Smoke ‘Ten’ Pinot Noir- This wine needs a ton of time in the decanter to develop. Plum and red cherry on the nose with ripe raspberry, red cherry, mushroom, minerals and cherry cola on the dense palate. Delicious and complex. Drink now. -94

2010 Chateau St. Jean ‘Durrell Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Rich nose with red cherry and raspberry, having an herbaceous side as well. Palate has cherry pie, cola and raspberry. Incredible balance, this is a quintessential California Pinot. Drink now. -94

2009 Brown Winery Red Blend- This wine is so rich that it would be hard to cellar now. Nose has mocha and oak. Palate has plum, coffee, blackberry and anise. Blend of Cab and Zin. Drink now. -93

2004 Caymus ‘Special Selection’ Cabernet- Nose has plum, fig, mint and black cherry with some oak. Palate has incredible viscosity. Flavor improves with more than an hour of decanting. Black cherry, olive, ripe red tomato, crème de cassis and blackberry with strong minerality. One of the best Napa Cabs I’ve had for a while. -95

2006 BV Winery ‘Tapestry’ Rich nose with cedar, prune and mocha. Palate needs an hour to develop. Mocha, graphite, anise and crème de cassis. Delicious and complex. Drink now. -93

2010 Nickel and Nickel ‘Quarry Vineyard’ Cabernet- Rich color with plum, ripe cherry and oak on the nose. Palate has plum, red cherry, blackberry, prune and graphite. Nice minerality but needs 2-3 years to fully develop. -93

2010 Shafer ‘One Point Five’ Cabernet- Tomato leaf and blackberry on the nose. Palate has chalky tannins and is surprisingly open. Blackberry, anise, mocha, graphite and cedar. Deep with great richness. Drink now. -94

Foxen Winery

I recently had the opportunity to visit Foxen Winery, located east of Santa Barbara. The winery is perched out in beautiful rolling hills and has been producing incredible quality wines for many years. In my last visit to Foxen, roughly eight years ago, I was impressed with the quality of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Both varietals grow particularly well in Santa Barbara County. While both varietals impressed, their Syrah matches or even exceeds their quality Chards and Pinots. The ratings from the top wine publications have been there as two of their 2010 wines achieved scores of 96 from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
Foxen’s winemaking team under Bill Wathen and David Whitehair has been creating incredibly high scoring wines for many years. Bill's has strived to craft wines that feature the terroir of each vineyard site while having the least amount of intervention possible. The terroir found in the Chardonnays, Pinots and Syrahs is evident. I was particularly impressed with the terroir found in the Melville Vineyard Pinot Noir, a cooler site for Pinot in the Santa Rita Hills. The Estate Syrah, made from the Tinaquaic Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, is Foxen’s estate ten-acre vineyard was planted by Dick and Bill in 1989 on the Doré family’s historic Rancho Tinaquaic. In their frugal budget, the founders of Foxen gathered the canes for their little vineyard from already-pruned cuttings from historic Santa Maria Valley vineyards during evening hours in Dick’s old orange pickup truck. Their 2012 Tinaquaic Syrah is rich and viscous while having incredible terroir.
Here are some of the excellent wines that I recently tried at Foxen Winery. ‪#‎foxenwinery‬

2012 Foxen Winery ‘Steel Cut Bien Nacido Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Pear and ripe green apple on the nose with butterscotch. Palace has green apple, butterscotch and unripe cantaloupe. Vibrant acidity. Delicious. -92

2012 Foxen Winery ‘Tinaquatic Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This had new French oak for 8 months. Oak and butterscotch on the nose. Palate has pear, butter, pineapple and red delicious. Nice finish with the acid structure. -91

2013 Foxen Winery Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir- Ripe nose with strawberry, clove, and oak. Palate has cola, strawberry, guava and a long cream finish. Delicious now.-91

2012 Foxen Winery ‘John Sebastiano Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Raspberry, nutmeg and mushroom on the nose. Palate has cran-cherry, guava, raspberry, vanilla on this long finish. Rich and layered wine. -93

2012 Foxen Winery ‘Melville Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Nose has mushroom, black cherry and black tea. Black cherry, cola, raspberry, and vanilla. nice weight and viscosity with the lingering finish.125 cases made. -94

2012 Foxen Winery ‘Solomon Hills’ Pinot Noir- Mushroom and earthy nose with dried herbs. Burgundian wine with mushroom, cranberry raspberry cand red cherry. Drink now, delicious juice. -92

2012 Foxen Winery ‘Fe Ciega Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Raspberry, oak and anise on the nose. Palate has black cherry, black tea, raspberry and red currant. Nice minerality. 125 cases made. -93

2012 Foxen Winery ‘Block 43 Bien Nacido Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This is the second vintage of this wine. The nose has perfumed aromas of rose petals, blueberry compote, mushroom and oak. Palate has raspberry, red cherry, cola and pomegranate. Delicious now. -93

O-S Winery

A boutique Washington winery that impresses is O-S Winery. Started in 1997, by Bill Owen and Rob Sullivan, O-S Winery is located in Sodo District of South Seattle. Their tasting room is a few clicks down from the flagship Costco store on 4th Avenue. A visit to their quaint tasting room will not disappoint. O-S has gained prestige for their Riesling, as a few years back their 2009 Champoux Vineyard Riesling was given 93 points from Wine Enthusiast.
Many of their reds have also achieved 90 plus scores from Wine Enthusiast in the past 10 years – and tasting their solid lineup of reds, I was not surprised at the previous ratings. Most of their reds are balanced but dense and are food friendly. Tasting room staff are friendly and knowledgeable, so if you are in Sodo and want to do some wine tasting, this is a great option. Many of their wines can be found for under 20 bucks at local grocery stores, such as Fred Meyer, Safeway and QFC.

2014 O-S Winery Devon's Rose- Cab Franc Rose. Mushroom and strawberry with guava on the nose. Very fruity. Palate has guava, mushroom, strawberry, and orange rind. Very feminine and impressive effort. -89

2012 O-S Winery Riesling- 2% residual sugar. Slate and petrol with unripe green apple on the nose. Palate has lemon/lime, red delicious, and light minerality. Would like a bit more vibrancy but nonetheless tasty juice. Drink now. -89

2012 O-S Winery BSH Cabernet- 100% Cab. Initials of the owner’s son. Prune and ripe red cherry with oak on the nose. Palate has red cherry, raspberry and anise flavors with light tannins. Slightly more dense than then Sonas Cab. Tasty juice and hard not to drink now. -91

2012 O-S Winery Sonas Cabernet- 80% Cabernet and 20% Merlot. Red bell pepper and anise with ripe cherry on the nose. Palate has ripe red cherry, raspberry, anise and light tannins. Nice balance, drink now. -90

2010 O-S Winery Sonas 'Sheridan Vineyard'- This is a red blend of 50% Merlot, 33% Cabernet and 17% Cab Franc. Cherry and raspberry on the nose with some light spice and oak. Palate has black cherry, black olive, raspberry and nice balance. Delicious now. 161 cases made. -91

2012 O-S Winery Sonas Merlot- A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cab. Brownish hue to the wine. Perfumed nose of red cherry and prune with oak. Palate has nice density with red cherry, prune, raspberry and coffee. Tasty, drink now. -90

2011 O-S Winery The Bridge Red Wine- 79% Cab Franc, 11% Merlot and 11% Cab. Powerful nose with red cherry, oak, and prune. Palate has red cherry, strawberry, and red currant. A red fruit takeover. Nice balance, drink now. -89

Bodega Beronia

One of many impressive estates in Rioja is Bodega Beronia. Settled in the picturesque countryside in Rioja, Beronia makes some incredibly good wines for the price. Their Reserva (higher end, longer aged) and Crianza (lower priced, aged less) are widely distributed in the Northwest, as you can find them at many supermarkets such as QFC or Met Market. Their finest wine, the Gran Reserva, can be found at Total Wines.
Beronia is named after a warrior tribe that lived in the Rioja region around 3rd century B.C. In 1973 a group of business owners and friends founded Bodega Beronia as a tribute to those who had lived on the land centuries before. All of the wines produced there are comprised of Tempranillo, as well as indigenous varietals such as Graciano, Manzuelo and a white varietal called Viura. Their Gran Reserva, a wine that is aged for five or more years, is an incredible effort and is also relatively affordable at roughly 25 bucks at Total Wines. What is so impressive about this wine is what they did in a subpar year. The 2006 vintage was a tough one in Rioja, one that had a good deal of rain at harvest. What Beronia has produced is basically outstanding crack and pour wine that you can enjoy now and won’t need any cellaring,as they hold their wines for many years before releasing. Wine Spectator was particularly impressed with the 2004, release, giving that effort 92 points. I’ve had other vintages of the Gran Reserva, but this one is just as good as the ones produced in the better vintages of 2004 and 2005. If you’re looking for something more in the 10 dollar price point, their 2009 Crianza is also an excellent effort.
Here is my review of the Bodega Beronia Gran Reserva:

2006 Beronia Gran Reserva- This is basically a crack and pour wine. After two hours the nose is even more perfumed and has heavy oak with vanilla, mushroom and stewed plum with blackberry. Palate has red cherry, orange peel, raspberry and coffee. Exceptional. Great acidity, minerality and fruit. -93

Food and Wine at RN74 Seattle

RN74 is arguably Seattle’s best restaurant. Since the place opened a few years back, the place has been a huge hit for locals. The first RN74 restaurant was started in San Francisco by famed chef, Michael Mina. The French bistro was such a success that they started a Seattle RN74. RN74 is named after a famous highway that runs through Burgundy in France. The focus of the restaurant is food that goes well with red and white Burgundy wine. For those who have not had great red and white Burgundy, it is somewhat of an acquired taste, but is a pricey treat. These are literally some of the most expensive wines in the world.
Red Burgundy wine is primarily made from Pinot Noir, although Gamay is grown in some Burgundy sub regions such as Beaujolais. White Burgundy is all about Chardonnay. Depending on the sub region, Burgundian Chardonnays have light, moderate or no oak. Burgundy has an incredible array of Chardonnays, from earthy, flinty ones to more tropical fruit and oaked Chards.
The food at RN74 is out of this world delicious. You can’t go wrong. Some of their signature dishes include Michael Mina’s Ahi Tuna Tartare, Roasted Foie Gras, Seared Day Boat Halibut, Painted Hills Steak Frites Au Poivre. They have an incredible happy hour from 3-7, Monday to Thurs and 3-6 on Friday, and it is definitely worth a look if you are on a budget, because their dinner menu (while delicious) can be quite expensive. On their happy hour menu, try the Beef Sliders, Swedish Meatballs or the incredibly tasty deviled eggs. They're all $6.00 each!
RN74 has an extensive wines by the glass list that is the best or one of the best in the city and features red and white Burgundy. Some of their selections from Bordeaux and Washington are also excellent. Here are some of the great Red and White wines by the glass recently tried at RN74.
‪#‎RN74SEATTLE‬
http://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/seattle/rn74-seattle/

2012 Boedecker Pinot Noir- Cranberry and mushroom on the nose. Palate has nice acidity with red cherry, raspberry and mushroom flavors. Very nice. -90

2012 Stolpman Syrah- Rich and perfume once with anise, blackberry jam and smoke. Palate has a velvety feel with red currant, blackberry and smoked meats with coffee. Balanced stuff with nice terroir. -91

2011 Amavi Cabernet- This has a smoky nose with blackberry and black cherry. Palate has good concentration and balance with light tannins. Black cherry, black tea and anise. Delicious. -91

2004 Chateau Lassegue- This Right bank Bordeaux has dark fruits and oak on the nose. Palate has nice viscosity. Blackberry, anise and moderate tannins. This is a long-ager. -91

2011 Frederic Esmonin 'Lavaux Saint Jacques’ Gervey-Chambertin- This is a first Cru Burg. Nose has a citrus component with mushroom and raspberry. Palate has light weight with raspberry, mushroom, orange peel, cranberry and a long vanilla finish. Very long finish indeed. -93

2010 Domaine De Montille 'Aux Saints- Juliens' Nuits-Saint-Georges-Nose has mushroom, provencale herbs, and raspberry. Palate has darker fruits like anise, with strawberry, raspberry and cranberry. Very nice. -91

2010 Domaine Clos de la Chapelle 'Les Chanlins' Pommard- This is a first Cru Burg. Nose has mushroom, cranberry and a smoky, earthy component. Palate has raspberry, cranberry, mushroom and is a bit lean. Long finish to this tremendously earthy wine. -91

Spring Valley Vineyards

At a recent Walla Walla wine tasting event, I had the opportunity to try some terrific red wines from Spring Valley Vineyards. Spring Valley Vineyards is perched on Walla Walla land that was originally used for farming all the way back in the 1880s. More than 100 years later, Shari and Dean Derby planted vines on the land and made their first vintage in 1999.
Their head winemaker since 2005, Serge Laville, is from the Northern Rhone region in France and has created many impressive vintages of Syrah, Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. While I’ve had many other vintages of Spring Valley, I found their 2012 Reds to be particularly compelling. Many of their wines could benefit from cellaring but were drinking exceptionally well for the tasting. You can find most of these wines at Northwest wine shops and a few of them can also be found at Costco. Also look for them at Total Wines for about 40 to 50 bucks each.
Here are some of the great wines from Spring Valley Vineyards that I recently sampled.

2012 ‘Katherine Corkum’- This is their Cabernet Franc. Herbaceous nose with red bell pepper, anise and oak on the nose. Palate has nice mouthfeel with cassis, anise, red cherry. Delicious juice. Drink now or cellar for 1-2 years. -92

2012 ‘Uriah’- This is a blend of 48% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec. The nose has cassis and oak with blackberry. Palate is dense and has anise, chocolate and blackberry. Maybe black cherry. Impressive. Drink in two plus years. -92

2012 ‘Fredrich’- This is their Cabernet dominant blend. Herbaceous nose with blackberry, anise and oak. Palate has blackberry, anise, oak and dense mocha flavors. Serious. Drink in two plus years. -93

2012 ‘Nina Lee’- This is their Syrah wine. Blackberry and oak on the nose. Palate has red cherry, anise, blackberry and cassis. Maybe red tomato as well. Drink now.-92

2012 Value Red Wines From Washington

I have recently had the opportunity to try some value Reds from Washington. These are all wines priced at 15 dollars and under that you can easily pick up in your local Northwest grocery stores, such as QFC, Fred Meyer or Safeway. The 2012 vintage was a spectacular one in Washington that ended up being the largest crop in the history of Washington winemaking. Washington vintners are overjoyed at what they are tasting after a growing season that tracked very much like 2008, one of the best vintages in memory. Depth of color and flavor in an abundant crop that retained its desired acidity seem to have put a smile on most winemakers’ faces. Pretty much everyone produced good wine in 2012 because of the incredible growing conditions. 2010 and 2011 were relatively cool vintages that presented ripening and moisture challenges, but 2012 had the heat that allowed the vines to ripen normally. Many winemakers think that the ripening also allowed for structure and elegance, due to the combination of cool nights and warm days.
Out of the 15 bucks and under tasting, I was particularly impressed with the 2012 Chateau St. Michelle ‘Indian Wells’ Vineyard Cabernet. The wine had a richness and complexity that I have never seen in any vintage of this wine. It is truly the rockstar out of the 15 bucks and under category and can be readily found at Costco or area grocery stores. Another strong performer was the 2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet. This wine was layered and rich as well – and was probably the best bargain of the bunch at $9.99 at Costco. These are all wines that are ready to drink now but can also cellar for a few more years.
Here are some of my recommended 2012 Washington Red wines for under 15 dollars.

2012 Chateau St. Michelle 'Indian Wells' Merlot- Plush nose with plum and red cherry with oak. Palate is smooth. Vanilla cherry, plum, blackberry and black olive. Very nice, drink now. -91

2012 Novelty Hill Syrah- Nose has heavy oak with smoked meats, blackberry, and dill. Palate has black cherry, smoked meats, black olive and vanilla. Needs an hour in the decanter to open up. Balanced, drink now. -91

2012 Hogue Cabernet- Candied fruit nose with raspberry, candied cherry and oak. Palate is medium bodied with tile red cherry, raspberry and herbal nodes. Drink now. -88

2012 14 Hands Cabernet-Smoky nose with red bell pepper, dill, blackberry and oak. Palate has candied red cherry, raspberry, plum and dried raisin flavors. A bit heavy handed but tasty. Drink now. -88

2012 Sagelands Cabernet-Red bell pepper and smoked meats with sage and oak on the nose. Palate has medium weight with blackberry, red cherry and raspberry flavors. Would like a bit more depth for the vintage, but an excellent value. -87

2012 Barnard Griffin Cabernet- Violets, oak and blackberry on the nose. Palate has nice minerality with blackberry, black olive, black cherry and anise. Excellent juice for the price. -90

2012 Pendulum- This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Grenache, Petit Verdot, and Mourvedre. Stewed strawberry and blackberry on the nose with some oak. Palate has blackberry, anise, plum and Christmas spice. Delicious now and well-balanced. -90

2012 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet- Oak prune and blackberry on the perfumed nose. Palate has raspberry, blackberry, anise and red cherry. Almost guava too. Delicious and ripe. -89

2012 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet-smoke, anise and blackberry on the nose. The palate is polished. Nice richness and mouthfeel with blackberry, mocha and anise.
Delicious. -91

2012 Chateau St Michelle 'Indian Wells' Cabernet- Nose has anise, smoke and oak. Palate is viscous. Anise, blackberry liqueur, black cherry and a long finish. This is the rockstar out of the 15 and under category. Run to the store and grab a case of this juice. Drink now. -92

Wine of the Week: 2013 Acacia Vineyards Pinot Noir

Acacia Vineyards has a longstanding presence in Napa, especially for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. I’ve had many previous vintages of Acacia Pinot but hadn’t tried any recently because the winery hasn’t received the most stellar ratings for their regular bottling of Pinot. Their higher end wines have received great ratings but many of them command a price of 40 bucks or more.
I recently purchased the 2013 regular Acacia Pinot for 12 bucks at Costco, way below retail price for the wine and decided to give it a shot (you can also find this wine at Total Wines). This wine gets you a ton of bang for the buck. The fruit from this wine comes from the Carneros region which is a maritime region essentially between Sonoma County and Napa County.
The 2013 Acacia is a classic California Pinot with ripe fruit and some restraint. If you like the richness of California Pinot Noir, this is a great choice for you. This is a brand new release of the wine, so it hasn’t been rated yet my the major wine publications to my knowledge. If you haven’t had much California Pinot, think Oregon Pinot on steroids, with richer cherry pie fruit flavors. Here is my pick for wine of the week, 2013 Acacia Pinot Noir.

2013 Acacia Pinot Noir- Made from Carneros fruit. Strawberry and raspberry on the nose with dried herbs. Palate has cherry pie, raspberry, strawberry and guava flavors. Balanced, with nice minerality. Drink now. -91

DeLille Cellars D2 Vertical Tasting

Yesterday I had a chance to enjoy a vertical of the DeLille Cellars D2. DeLille Cellars is one of my favorite Washington producers. Their wines display the classic styles of Bordeaux, the Rhone and Provence. The D2 is a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet blend that is produced each year from Delille and typically scores in the low 90s from the major wine publications. The quality of this wine is always there, year after year. I noticed a great deal of vintage variation. 2009 was a very ripe vintage in Washington, and along with 2012, they both represented nearly perfect growing conditions. 2010 was a colder vintage, while 2011 was one of the coldest vintages in the history of Washington winemaking. While many major wine publications downgraded 2011 initially, Wine Spectator has recently upgraded the 2011 vintage, classifying it as an 89 point vintage (2009 92pt, 2010 91 pt and 2012 95 pt). So based on the Wine Spectator ratings, there should be not a ton of vintage variation between 2009, 2010 and 2011. I was impressed of the quality of winemaking that Delille produced for the 2011 vintage. The 2011 D2 was a great expression of terroir and restrained fruit, as the wine drank like a great Bordeaux.
Look for these wines at online wine shops such as KL wines or JJ Buckley. You can also pick these wines up at great Northwest area wine shops for about 40 bucks. The D2 is worth a splurge!

2009 D2-A blend of 55% Merlot, 34% Cabernet, 9% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Rich and concentrated nose of black cherry, black olive and oak. Palate is viscous and rich. Blackberry, creme de cassis, black cherry and anise. Delicious, powerful and complex. Drink now. -93

2010 D2- A blend of 55% Merlot, 34% Cabernet, 9% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Tight knit wine even with an hour or more of decanting and aeration. This is a very dense wine after more than three hours. Nose of Provencale herbs, cassis and oak. Palate has black olive, red cherry and raspberry. More Bordelaise and restrained than the '09. Can benefit from 1-2 more years of cellaring. -92

2011 D2- A blend of 56% Merlot, 35% Cabernet, 7% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Muted nose with forest floor, oak and faint black fruits. Palate has a Bordelaise feel with red fruits connecting well with the acid structure. Surprisingly open after a two plus hour decant and aeration. Needs two plus years of cellaring still. Mushroom, red currant, red cherry, and fine grained tannins like a great Pomerol. This is drinking very impressively at the moment. But sit on it for another two plus years. -93

2012 D2- A blend of 50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet, 6% Cab Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Herbaceous nose with cassis, cedar and plum. Palate has black cherry, boysenberry, graphite and stinking acidity. Still shut down after a two hour decant and aeration. Very Bordelaise. This is a very long ager. Don't touch for at least two years. -93

Gorman Winery

A Woodinville winery receiving some serious press recently is Gorman. These guys have been picking up some impressive ratings in the past few years. Receiving 95 point ratings from both Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator is no joke! The winery was founded by Chris Gorman in 2002, a man who strives to create a small batch winery, producing no more than 3,000 cases of wine each year. It is no surprise that in 2008 Chris Gorman was named one of the rising stars in wine.
I had a chance to recently stop by the winery and taste some of their recent releases. Many of their efforts from the more challenging 2011 vintage were very good. While I didn’t find any of their wines in the 95 point range, most of their wines represented excellent value for their price and can be found for under 30 bucks. You can find Gorman wines at great Northwest wine shops, as well as several supermarkets like QFC or Metropolitan Market. Here are some of the great wines that I recently sampled at Gorman Winery (as a caveat, many of these wines will need two plus years of cellaring before opening).

2013 Gorman ‘Big Sissy’ Chardonnay- Pear and golden delicious on the nose. Palate has pear, starfruit and red delicious with cantaloupe. Nice minerality. Tasty effort, drink now.
-89

2011 Gorman ‘The Devil You Know’- Interesting blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Petite Sirah & 8% Petite Verdot. Black cherry, smoke, anise. Palate has black cherry, raspberry and is somewhat shut down. Needs two plus years of cellaring. -90

2012 Gorman ‘The Devil You Don't Know’- Blend of 52% Syrah, 17% Mourvedre, 17% Grenache & 14% Petite Sirah. Black fruit on the nose with smoke and black cherry. This has nice balance. Black cherry, raspberry, minerals. Needs two plus years of cellaring. -92

2011 Gorman ‘The Pixie’-Herbaceous nose with smoked meats. Palate is shut down with raspberry, provencale herbs and smoked meats. Needs two plus years of cellaring. -91

2011 Gorman ‘The Bully’- Cabernet having black fruits and smoke on the nose. Plush palate with black cherry, anise and blackberry. Good minerality as well. Drink now or cellar for another year. -92

2011 Gorman ‘The Evil Twin’ – 75% Syrah and 25% Cabernet. Smoky nose with black cherry and anise on the nose. Palate has nice depth and richness. Black cherry, smoked meats and nice minerality. Needs two plus years of cellaring. -92

Wine of the Week: 2011 Stag's Leap Petite Sirah

This wine is just the perfect match for the season. It is cold and dreary outside (in most of the world) which is why so many people reach for a heavy red. Petite Sirah is actually quite different from Syrah (known as Syrah in the Northern Hemisphere and Shiraz in the Southern Hemishere). DNA fingerprinting has shown that the majority of Petite Sirah plantings in California are actually a varietal called Durif. Some California vineyards were found to be a field blend of Durif and other varieties, such as Mondeuse noire, all labeled as Petite Sirah.
Previously only used as a blending grape essentially from the 70s until the 90s, now Petite Sirah is the star varietal for Stag’s Leap. In fact, Stag’s Leap winery probably produces the most famous Petite Sirah in the world. Stag’s Leap. Head winemaker, Christophe Paubert, has spanned the industry from sales to winemaking, and his impressive background includes positions at Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau Gruaud-Larose as well as projects in Chile, Spain and Washington State. His Petite Sirah is inky and intense but also showcases the Napa terroir. He did an excellent job in the challenging 2011 vintage. Find this wine at fine dining restaurants, online wine shops and Northwest wine shops for about 40 bucks. Here is my pick for the week.

2011 Stag’s Leap Petite Sirah- Intensely dark wine. Blue fruit and black fruit on the nose. Palate has nice minerality with blueberry and boysenberry fruit with graphite. Excellent, drink now after an hour of decanting. -92

Beringer Vineyards

Beringer Vineyards has an incredible story. In 1868, Jacob Beringer traveled across the Atlantic from Germany and became enchanted by the Napa terroir. Hard to believe that this was three years following the end of the American Civil War and was the same year that Ulysses S. Grant was elected president of the United States. Seven years later, Jacob and his brother Frederick purchased 215 acres of land, and founded one of the first wineries in Napa Valley, as 1876 marked the first harvest for the Beringer brothers. Instead of closing its doors, during the Prohibition from 1920-1933, the winery continued to function as a winery under a federal exemption of making wine for religious purposes. Thank God this winery didn’t close down.
More than 50 years later Beringer hired Ed Sbragia as head winemaker, which changed the game and transformed Beringer into one of the premier Napa wineries. Sbragia was head winemaker on their 1986 Private Reserve Cabernet, which became Wine Spectator’s #1 wine of 1990. Since Sbragia was hired, huge quality improvements have been made at the winery. Currently, Beringer is known as one of the best producers of high end Cabernet and Chardonnay in Napa Valley. Beringer is the only winery, to my knowledge, to have a red and white wine be named #1 wine of the year from Wine Spectator.
The current release of both their Private Reserve Chardonnay and Private Reserve Cabernet were outrageously good and extracted styles of both varietals. The Chardonnays age incredibly well as I have recently also tried some of their older Private Reserve Chardonnays and was very impressed. A visit to the historic winery will not disappoint, as Beringer also pours some very excellent and hard to find single vineyard Cabernets. Here are some of the excellent wines from Beringer that I have recently sampled.

2012 Beringer 'Private Reserve' Chardonnay- Buttered toast and creme brûlée on the nose. Palate has banana, golden delicious and butter. Delicious and complex. -93

2007 Beringer 'Private Reserve' Chardonnay- Butterscotch and oak on the nose. Palate is unreal and has great viscosity. Butter, caramel, vanilla, shortbread and oak. Seamless. Unreal wine. -95

2004 Beringer 'Private Reserve' Chardonnay- Mushroom, oak and crème brulee on the nose. Palate is viscous. Almost botrytis. Pineapple, honey, golden delicious, crème brulee and vanilla on the palate. Delicious and complex. -95

2010 Beringer 'Knight’s Valley' Cabernet- Red bell pepper and spice cake on the herbaceous nose. Palate is filled with minerals and blackberry, anise and plum. Drink now.-91

2011 Beringer 'Quantum'- This is a blend of 71% Cabernet with the rest Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Syrah, and Petite Verdot. Smells like mountain fruit with red bell pepper and blackberry. Palate has sage, dried herbs, red bell pepper, blackberry and red cherry with black olive. Slightly tannic but open style. Needs two plus years of cellaring. -91

2009 Beringer 'Private Reserve Cabernet'- Nose has creme de cassis and oak. Palate has anise, chocolate, plum and black cherry and creme de casis. Concentrated and rich. Hard not to drink now but this will age for many years. -95

2007 Beringer 'Chabot Vineyard' Cabernet- Plum and mocha with oak on the nose. Palate has ripe cherry, blackberry and creme de cassis. Delicious now. -93

2010 Beringer 'Bancroft Vineyard' Cabernet- Nose has anise and casis with oak. Palate has plum, cassis and anise. Tar and Welches grape juice. Unrestrained and needs 2 years to age. -91

2014 Top 20 Wines of the Year from Washington Wine Blog

Thank you for supporting the wine blog throughout 2014. It was a fantastic year for wine and I wanted to include a collection of my favorite domestic new releases from 2014. The wines are all available for 50 dollars and under, so they are all relatively affordable. My top wine of 2014 pushes the 50 dollar price point, but the wine was so superlative that I had to include it. The list also includes value wines into the equation.
My wine of the year is the 2011 Quilceda Creek Red Wine. Virtually everyone is trying to produce a Washington Red with the viscosity, richness, mouthfeel and striking acidity that comes from the incredibly talented winemaking team at Quilceda Creek. Robert Parker, himself, once confessed "Make no mistake about the Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignons - they are world-class Cabernets that compete with the finest wines from Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Sonoma and Santa Cruz Mountains."
Despite being a more difficult growing season, Quilceda made the most of their chance. In the difficult years, the winemaking really shows through. It also helped that Quilceda sources from the best vineyards for red wine in the state, located in Red Mountain. Their 2011 Red wine is incredibly dense for the vintage with gobs of ripe fruit. It is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. This sleeping giant needs at least two more years of cellaring to reach its full potential. Here are my top 20 domestic wines (under 50 dollars) for 2014:

(1) 2011 Quilceda Creek ‘Red Wine’- Roasted coffee on the nose with black fruits and oak. Palate has an interesting herbaceous quality that is not typical for this blend. Nice concentration considering the vintage. Black cherry, blackberry and sage. Refined, yet with tons of fruit. Drink in 2 plus years. -94

(2) 2012 Long Shadows Sequel- Syrah wine, created by the famed winemaker John Duval. Has a smoky nose with cassis and is extremely perfumed. Palate is fat and viscous. Bacon fat, tar, blueberry, blackberry and a finish lingers for seemingly minutes. Open and expressive but this is a long ager. Don't drink this thing for at least two years. -95

(3) 2012 L’Ecole Number 41 Chardonnay- One of my perennial favorite Washington Chardonnays. This has oak, butter and tropical fruit on the nose. Palate is vibrant and has oak, cream, cantaloupe, pear and butter. Rock solid. Drink now. -92

(4) 2012 Dunham ‘Lewis Vineyard’ Riesling- Nose is more reminiscent of a Spatlase than a Kabinette style. Pear, golden delicious on the nose and mushroom. Richer than the 2013. Slate, lemon lime, green papaya and grapefruit. Drinking good now. -92

(5) 2013 Julia's Dazzle Rose- Made from Pinot Grigio grapes that are grown in The Benches. Minerals, strawberry, guava and a ton of character. Maybe even vanilla cream. I'd say this is the most delicious and best made Washington Rose I've ever had. -93

(6) 2009 Sbragia 'Home Ranch' Chardonnay- This wine underwent full malolactic fermentation and was aged in oak for 10 months. Rich golden hue with oak, orange blossom and honeydew melon on the nose. Palate has creme brûlée, golden delicious apple and ripe pear. Serious viscosity, this is just outstanding. Drink now. -94

(7) 2013 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc- Bright nose with starfruit grapefruit and light oak. Palate has cantaloupe, pear, Japanese Apple and minerals. Drink now. -93

(8) 2013 Chateau St. Michelle 'Eroica' Riesling- 1.5% Residual sugar on this one, a Kabinette style Riesling. Lemon zest and golden delicious on the nose. Palate has great minerality. Lemon-lime flavors with red delicious, cantaloupe and slate. Outstanding effort, the best Eroica I've had in 10 years. -93

(9) 2013 Novelty Hill 'Stillwater Creek' Sauvignon Blanc- Made with more than 20% Semillon, this has dried herbs, honeysuckle and cut grass on the nose. Palate has nice balance. Pear, minerals and lychee in this slightly sweet blend. Delicious and impressive effort considering 20 dollar price. Drink now. -92

(10) 2012 Januik ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Syrah- Nose is muted with some herbaceousness and oak. Palate is plush but shut down. Creme de cassis and black cherry with blackberry. Delicious, drink in 2 years. -94

(11) 2010 Baer Winery ‘Callisto’- This is the second vintage of this wine. 100% French oak and 65% new oak. This wine is 77% Cabernet, 13% Cab Franc and 10% Merlot. Nose has red bell pepper and anise. Palate has blackberry, black cherry and coffee. Delicious, ready to drink, and complex. -93

(12) 2011 Hall Cabernet- Intoxicating nose of creme de cassis, smoke, red bell pepper. Palate has black cherry, anise, spice box, and moderately tannic. Delicious now but would improve in 2 years. -92

(13) 2012 Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc- This is one of my favorites, year after year. Lemongrass and grapefruit on the nose. Palate has bright minerals with grapefruit, pear, slate and minerals. Bright and refreshing. Drink now.-90

(14) 2010 Argyle Brut Rose- One of the best domestic sparkling wines each year. Pear and apricot with strawberry on the nose. Palate has strawberry, guava and pear. Wonderful wine. Drink now. -92

(15) 2010 Gordon Estates Syrah- Hard to find a more complex Syrah for around 20 bucks. This is a crack and pour. Brooding, dark color, with black pepper and oak on the nose, leading to beef jerky, blackberry and plum flavors. Blended with 7% Cab which contributes to the rich fruit flavors and adds structure. Excellent value, pick up a few while you can. - 92 points

(16) 2012 Alexandria Nicole Chardonnay- Light spice on the nose with rich pear and golden delicious. Palate is viscous and rich. Pear, golden delicious and cantaloupes with vanilla and oak. Solid effort, drink now. -91

(17) 2013 Chateau St Michelle ‘Cold Creek’ Riesling- Excellent aromatics, getting lime and lemon. This is serious stuff for the price. Off dry with a little bit of sweetness. Pear and lemon with great minerality on the palate. Drink now.-92

(18) 2012 Beringer ‘Private Reserve’ Chardonnay- Buttered toast and crème brulee on the nose. Palate has banana, golden delicious and butter. Delicious and complex. Drink now. -93

(19) 2010 Dunham Cabernet- Black fruits predominant on the nose like black cherry, anise and the wine maker noted a texture to the smell. Clearly a very compelling nose. Palate has blackberry, anise, spice cake, vanilla and black tea. Layered and delicious. Great acid structure and needs at least 3 years of cellaring. -93

(20) 2009 Chandler Reach ‘Corella’- Some translucence on the reddish brown color. Blend of 75% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot. Perfumed nose of rose petals, smoky oak, and blackberry. Palate is vibrant with great balance. Ripe strawberry and raspberry. Very tasty. Drink now. -92

Merry Edwards Winery

Over the past 10 years, Merry Edwards has made some serious headlines in the wine world. Merry Edwards has become not only one of the most famous women in wine but one of the most famous winemakers in the world by producing world class Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.
The ratings are there, as some of her wines have eclipsed 95 points from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. I have never tried a more expressive or unique North American Sauvignon Blanc. Year after year, Merry Edwards produces the best Sauvignon Blanc in North America.
I was first introduced to Merry Edwards in 2007 following their 2005 Sauvignon Blanc being on the Wine Spectator Top 100 (list of Merry Edwards considerable accolades http://www.merryedwards.com/merry/accolades.asp). Since that time they have consistently been on the Wine Spectator Top 100, including being the 9th on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list in 2009 with a rating of 96 points, an unheard of rating for California Sauvignon Blanc. Their expression of Sauvignon Blanc is so vibrant and novel that it makes many Sonoma and Napa Sauvignon Blancs seemingly mundane. Their Sauvignon Blanc is consistently rated near the top from all major wine magazines. Here are some of the fantastic wines that I have recently tried at Merry Edwards Winery. ‪#‎merryedwards‬

2013 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc- Bright nose with starfruit grapefruit and light oak. Palate has cantaloupe, pear, Japanese Apple and minerals. Drink now. -93

2012 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc- Gooseberry and lemon rind on the nose. Plate has Meyer lemon, orange peel, gooseberry, starfruit and the finish lingers. Complex lemon and lime flavors. Unreal juice, drink now. -95

2012 Merry Edwards ‘Olivet Lane’ Pinot Noir- The second oldest vineyard for Pinot in Russian River valley. Rich nose with pomegranate, cinnamon and red cherry. Some citrus component with cran-orange, red cherry and raspberry on the palate. Needs 1-2 years. -91

2012 Merry Edwards ‘Russian River Valley’ Pinot Noir- Composed from a combination of 6 vineyards. Nose has cinnamon and raspberry. Palate is Bright with raspberry and red cherry. Forward and delicious. -92

2012 Merry Edwards 'Coppersmith Vineyard' Pinot Noir- Named after Merry’s husband. Nose has red berry with vanilla and cherry pie. Palate tastes like cherry pie and cranberry in this forward and richer style of wine. Needs 2-3 years to develop. Delicious wine. -93

2012 Merry Edwards 'Klopp Ranch'- Dijon clones for this small production wine. More forward and approachable style. Nose has nutmeg, oak and ripe red cherry. Red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate on the palate. Delicious wine. Drink now. -91

2012 Merry Edwards ‘Meredith Estate’ Pinot Noir- This is fruit from the coolest vineyard in the portfolio. Mushroom and red cherry on the nose. Palate has red cherry, raspberry and cherry pie. Just delicious now but can cellar for many years. -93

2011 Merry Edwards ‘Meredith Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Mushroom and red cherry on the nose. Palate has ripe red cherry, raspberry mushroom, forest floor and cherry cola elements. Delicious now, so drink now. -93

Landmark Winery

One of the my favorite Sonoma producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is Landmark. Landmark was founded in 1974 by a group including Damaris Deere Ford, great-great-granddaughter of John Deere, inventor of the first steel plow. Landmark sources their wines from some of the best vineyards in Sonoma County. Landmark isn’t one of those wineries that does everything. Instead, they know what they do best.
A visit to their tasting room will not disappoint, as their friendly and knowledgeable tasting staff pour some of the best Chardonnay and Pinot in the valley for the price. One of the best priced and most consistent Sonoma County Chardonnays in the past decade has been the Landmark Overlook Chardonnay. The wine is typically rich and buttery but balanced. It is consistently rated over 90 points from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. Their 2012 effort was a rich and classic Sonoma style Chard.
Landmark’s Grand Detour Pinot Noir has also been a consistent performer each year. In fact, from 2005-07 the Grand Detour Pinot was rated 93 points from Wine Enthusiast. Landmark's 2010 Grand Detour was fantastic and rich, needing a few years of cellaring to be fully expressive. If you like a rich and full-bodied but balanced California Pinot, this is the one for you. You can find these wines at high end Northwest wine shops, or online through the winery or retailers like Total Wines or JJ Buckley Wine. Here are some of the great wines that I have sampled from Landmark Vineyards. ‪#‎landmarkvineyards‬

2012 Landmark ‘Overlook’ Chardonnay- Pear and mushroom on the nose with oak. Palate has lemon zest, minerals and pear. Delicious. Drink now.-91

2011 Landmark ‘Overlook’ Chardonnay- Oak, brioche and pineapple on the nose. Palate has butter, vanilla, minerals, pear and golden delicious apple. Delicious. Classic Sonoma style. Drink now. -92

2012 Landmark ‘Damaris Reserve’ Chardonnay- Lemon zest, pear and oak on the nose. Palate has lemon zest, banana and golden delicious. Very impressive. Drink now. -93

2012 Landmark ‘Overlook’ Pinot Noir- Ripe raspberry and cherry on the nose. Palate has cherry pie, raspberry and light cranberry flavors. Maybe some citrus as well. Drink now. -91

2012 Landmark ‘Grand Detour’ Pinot Noir- Really rich nose with dried herbs, cherry, raspberry and oak on the nose. Palate has nice depth with raspberry, black cherry, and cherry pie. Needs 2 or more years of cellaring. -92

2012 Landmark ‘Rogers Creek’ Pinot Noir- Ripe raspberry, and oak on the nose. Palate has nice depth with ripe cherry, raspberry and oak. Needs 2 years of cellaring. -92

2012 Landmark ‘Solomon Hills’ Pinot Noir- Santa Maria fruit. Earthy nose with mushroom and raspberry. Palate has mushroom, forest floor, raspberry, and cranberry. Needs 1-2 years of cellaring. -92

Chateau St. Jean

One of my favorite Sonoma wineries is Chateau St. Jean. The great thing about their wines is they’re usually easy to find and offer a good quality to price ratio. Many of their wines can be found at area grocery stores such as Safeway, QFC and Fred Meyer.
The winery is located in the Sonoma Valley near Kenwood, California. Founded in 1973, Chateau St. Jean has been best known for producing top Chardonnay and Cabernet. Head winemaker, Margo Van Staaveren, uses her 30 years of vineyard and winemaking expertise with Chateau St. Jean to highlight the best of each vineyard in the wines.
Chateau St. Jean offers vineyard-designated Chardonnays from the acclaimed Robert Young, Belle Terre and Durell Vineyards as well as a Pinot Noir from Durell Vineyard and Fumé Blanc from the La Petite étoile ("The Little Star") Vineyard and Lyon Vineyard.
In 1999, Chateau St. Jean was the first Sonoma winery to be awarded the prestigious "Wine of the Year" award from the Wine Spectator Magazine for its 1996 Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux-style blend of "five varieties." The winery received high acclaim again when it received the "#2 Wine of the Year" from Wine Spectator for its 1999 Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon.
I first visited the winery in 2004 and loved it so much that I’ve been back more than 10 times. As you enter the winery you immediately notice the lush gardens, mature citrus trees and large palm trees. You feel like you are in Provence or Italy, as the grounds have a unique ‘old world’ feel. A visit to this historic and beautiful winery is a must for those visiting Sonoma County. Here are some of the great wines that I have recently sampled from Chateau St. Jean. ‪#‎chateaustjean‬

2012 Robert Young Vineyard Pinot Blanc- Honeysuckle and pear with light oak on the nose. Palate has minerals with pear, green apple and lemon rind. Delicious juice, drink now. -91

2011 Belle Terre Vineyard Chardonnay- Nose has golden delicious and ripe pear with oak and cream. Palate has pear, golden delicious and heavy whipping cream. Drink now. -90

2010 Chateau St. Jean Durrell Vineyard Chardonnay- Rich golden color with mushroom and pineapple on the nose. Palate has minerals, pear, mushroom, golden delicious and cream. Delicious, drink now. -93

2009 Chateau St. Jean Reserve Chardonay- Rich color with banana and crème brulee on the nose. Palate has brioche, crème brulee, pear and golden delicious flavors. Seamless and smooth. Drink now. -95

2008 Chateau St. Jean Reserve Chardonnay- Rich gold color with heavy oak on the nose. This is made from the best lots of Chardonnay that Chateau St. Jean has. The fruit on the palate suggests this, with heavy cream, pineapple and crème brulee on the palate. Thick and viscous wine, with major oak. Drink now. – 93

2007 Chateau St. Jean ‘Robert Young Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This wine has a great nose with banana and oak with vanilla. Palate has ripe banana, oak, cinnamon and crème brulee. Smoke with heavy whipping cream on the finish. Delicious and ready to drink. -92

2011 Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir 'Russian River'- This is a small production wine with dried herbs and plum with red cherry on the nose. Palate has raspberry, red cherry and plum. Delicious and ripe. Drink now. -91

2010 Chateau St. Jean ‘Benoist Ranch Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Raspberry and red cherry on the nose. Palate has nice balance. Red cherry, raspberry and cola flavors. Straightforward but tasty. -90

2009 Chateau St. Jean ‘Durrell Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This wine has a rich nose with red cherry, raspberry and an herbaceous side. Palate has great fruit and acid structure. Cherry pie, cola and raspberry. This is a quintessential expression of Sonoma Pinot. Drink now. -94

2007 Chateau St. Jean ‘Cinq Cepages’- Dark color with mint, dried herbs, blackberry and anise on the powerful nose. Palate is still youthful. Anise, blackberry, raspberry with black tea and light tannins. Very good drinking now. -92

2000 Chateau St. Jean ‘Cinq Cepages’- Herbaceous nose with red bell pepper, dill, and red cherry. Palate has plum, red cherry and light spice. Balanced and ready to drink. -92

2007 Chateau St. Jean ‘St. Jean Estate’ Merlot- Black cherry, cedar and anise on the nose. Needs more than an hour to open up. Palate has plum, sweetened black tea and cherry pie flavors. Well-balanced and ready to drink. -92

2011 Cinq Cepages- Herbaceous nose with dried herbs and dill with creme de cassis. Palate has cassis, anise and blackberry. Delicious. Needs two plus years of cellaring. -92

Robert Mondavi Winery

A trip to Napa would not be complete without a trip to the Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Tasting Room. It would essentially be like visiting Paris without seeing the Eifel Tower. Or maybe the Louvre. While that might seem somewhat extreme, the 1993 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet sampled at the winery was an incredibly rare find. And that is the juice that you just might find at the reserve room at Mondavi. How famous are the Reserve Cabs from Mondavi? Considering the ratings from the top wine magazines, Wine Specator, Robert Parker and Wine Enthusiast. I’d venture to say that there is probably no other more impressive producer of high quality Napa Cabernet than Robert Mondavi Winery in the past 20 years. The overall ratings speak for themselves. A few years back I was lucky enough to enjoy a bottle of the 1996 Reserve Cabernet (94 points Steven Tanzer). While pricey, this wine was something out of this world -- a memorable wine that combined old world terroir with new world intensity.
Robert Mondavi Winery was founded in 1966 and the To Kalon Vineyard, planted at that time, has been renowned for producing some of the finest Cabernet in the world. Many people in the United States wine industry have been pushing to have the To Kalon Vineyard recognized as one of the first growth (highest rated) vineyards in North America. Along with To Kalon Vineyard, Robert Mondavi Winery sources grapes from some of Napa Valley’s great vineyards, including those from Stag’s Leap (particularly Cabernet) and Carneros (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).
The winery itself is an incredible marvel. Statue upon statue mark the iconic winery, with the the incredibly beautiful vineyards in the background. If you have never made your way to Robert Mondavi Winery, it is truly a must-see for those interested in wine and also those taking in the aesthetic beauty of the accompanying vineyards.
While the regular wine tasting from Mondavi is very good, the Reserve tasting is where Mondavi pulls their best wines, particularly their esteemed Cabernets. Depending on when you visit, you can choose from Reserve Cabernets made in the early 2000s or 1990s. On previous occasions I’ve sampled their impressive reserve Cabernets from 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002. Here are some of the great wines that I recently tasted at Robert Mondavi Winery Reserve Room.
‪#‎robertmondaviwinery‬

2012 Reserve Pinot Noir- Powerful nose with raspberry and cherry pie with oak. Palate has cran-cherry, raspberry and dried herbs. Delicious. Drink in 2 years- 92

1993 Reserve Cabernet- Raisins and plum with oak and anise on the nose. Palate has graphite, cedar, mushroom, blackberry anise and creme de cassis. Rich and layered, just so much going on. Drinking beautifully now. -94

2009 Reserve Cabernet- Incredibly dense color. Hedonistic nose with creme de cassis, black plum and blackberry. Palate has creme de cassis, sage, chocolate, anise and blackberry. Tightly wound, needs 3 plus years. -93

2010 Reserve Cabernet- Dense nose with mocha and oak. Palate has anise, mocha, blackberry and is highly tannic. A sleeping giant, do not drink for 3 plus years. This is going to be a monster. -95

2011 Reserve Cabernet- More herbaceous on the nose than the others. Cedar, dried herbs, red bell pepper and mocha. Palate is extremely shut down, as this is probably a drinking window issue. Blackberry, anise, black cherry and highly tannic and acidic. Fruit needs to integrate. Needs 3 plus years for the fruit to fully integrate. Very impressive and complex effort, considering the vintage. -92

HALL Winery

One of the most consistent Napa wineries producing Cabernet is Hall. It is remarkable how the Halls were able to purchase property so near Robert Mondavi Winery. They are literally just down the road from one of the most famous vineyards for Cabernet in the world, the To Kalon vineyard at Mondavi. In 2005, Craig and Kathryn Hall unveiled a state-of-the-art winery amid the legendary Sacrashe Vineyard in the hills of Rutherford that is dedicated to making single vineyard and limited-production wines. They have a stunning property and tasting room. The Halls acquired the historic Bergfeld winery in St. Helena in 2003, and have created a remarkable product since that time.
Some of their wines have achieved 95 plus scores from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthuiast. They’ve even in the top 5 wines in the world from Wine Spectator for their famed Katheryn Hall Cabernet. Hall has 500 acres that showcases Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. Their T-Bar Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc consistently is one of the best in Napa. While these wines are far from cheap (especially the 100 plus dollar Kathryn Hall Cabernet), they are consistently good, even in relatively poor vintages. Case in point was their 2011 Cabernet, which was intense and rich, considering the lack of heat during the 2011 vintage in Napa. Their effort is a true testament to some very fine winemaking. I was also particularly intrigued by their effort in making Syrah. Their product, the 2010 Darwin, had great terroir with smoked meat and blackberry flavors. It was delicious. Here are some of the great wines that I was able to sample at Hall Winery in Napa last weekend. ‪#‎hallwinery‬

2013 T Bar Sauvignon Blanc- Grassy nose with jalapeños and lemongrass. Palate has minerals, lemon curd, pear and cut grass. Delicious. -91

2010 Darwin- 100 percent Syrah. Napa valley style. Smoked meats and tar and blackberry on the nose. Palate has incredible depth. Black cherry, black olive and blackberry with anise. Delicious juice. Drink now. -93

2012 Walt PinPoint Exteeme Pinot Noir- Nose has rose petals, rapsberry, and dried herbs and red cherry. Palate has red cherry, cherry pie, vanilla and Christmas spice. Drink now. -92

2011 Hall Cabernet- Intoxicating nose of creme de cassis, smoke, red bell pepper. Palate has black cherry, anise, spice box, and moderately tannic. Delicious now but would improve in 2 years. -92

2012 Hall Cabernet- Powerful nose with blackberry, oak and red cherry. Palate has strong minerality. Fruit hasn't integrated yet. Very tight with blackberry and cassis. Needs 2 plus years. -90

2011 T-Bar Alexander Valley Cabernet- Earthy nose with mushroom, forest floor, oak and anise. Palate has red cherry, minerals, raspberry and blackberry. Delicious but fruit needs 2 plus years to integrate. -91

2011 Jack's Masterpiece Cabernet- Atlas Peak fruit. Herbaceous nose with red bell pepper, smoke and creme de cassis. Palate has red cherry, raspberry, cassis and black olive. Delicious. Drinking good now but can benefit from 2 years. -93

2011 Katherine Hall Cabernet- 100 percent Cabernet, always predominantly from the Sacrashe Vineyard. Creme de cassis, black olive, black cherry and dried herbs. Palate has creme de casis, black olive, black cherry, mocha and dried herbs with vibrant minerality. A monster. Drink in 2 years. -95

Confessions From a Newly Minted Level 2 Somm

Wednesday Dec 3rd was a pretty epic day for me. Not that I loved having the day off work, as a typically love my days at DSHS doing psych evals, followed by patients at my office, but this was a day where I was doing something completely different than my daily work. This was a day for wine, where the focus was testing knowledge of wine, blind tasting wine and serving wine to a master sommelier. Coming from someone who is not full time in the wine industry, this was a very different sort of Wednesday.

I woke up at 6AM, feeling anxious and had a short run before eating some eggs. I’d been trying to eat rather bland food because of my pending blind tasting. At around 7AM I arrived at a rather anonymous location in Bellevue for my wine exam. The only thing remarkable about the building was that Seastar restaurant was there. I checked in and waited in the lobby. Funny thing because essentially nobody gave me an idea that the test was about to start (this was 8AM and the test was slated for 8:20 start). I walked into a small, crowded classroom, seemingly the last person there, and sat down in the front row. In front of me was a white wine and a red wine. This was the first part of the exam, the blind tasting for both red and white wines. I spent a few seconds looking at the color of the wines, while the master somms were giving the directions for the day. It was apparent that the white wine was very different from the red wine.

The white wine was particularly enigmatic to me, and I did not correctly choose the right wine based on the feedback that I got from the masters. However, I did get very close to the correct varietal. The red wine I killed. I think I got not only the correct varietal, but the correct descriptors of the wine. Score.

Then to the written portion of the exam. There was everything from wines from Greece to wines from Chile. Regions and specific wines were in there. While I can’t give too much detail, it is a good thing that I studied consistently in the past months (nothing like work after work). I finished the first to parts of the test before most and then headed to Starbucks to have my morning coffee, since I couldn’t have any decent food or drink prior to the blind tasting.

Following my heavily caffeinated cup of black coffee, I studied wine service for the next two hours. Fortunately, the Court of Master Sommeliers has a video on wine service. I studied and studied, until I knew all of the directions for the wine service. I had previously done some training with a sommelier at RN74, which proved to be extremely useful. And I was able to take a break to eat a tasty salmon fillet for lunch at Seastar but then went back to my studying.

Finally, at 2:20 PM my time came to do the wine service. I did everything according to plan, except for bring out both serviettes for opening the wine. I also made a small ‘pop’ when opening the Sparkling wine bottle but that is probably due to my lack of service (didn’t make the same noise later that night when opening a killer bottle of Champagne). I got quizzed on everything from scotches to vodka drinks, to gin drinks, to obscure aperitifs from Italy and France on the service exam. I answered some correctly and others I just said ‘I don’t know.’ I felt ashamed when I couldn’t name two producers of Cava.

I walked away from the service exam, thinking that I probably failed that portion of the exam, since I am not in the service industry, have very little wine service experience and I have only had one day of training from a top sommelier at RN74 Seattle. I then had to ruminate about my performance (or lack thereof) for another two plus hours, until we were all called into a cramped room at 5PM.

There were about 50 of us in there, all nervously awaiting the results of the exam. I looked at the number of diplomas for those who had passed and it was paltry compared to those in the room. I was seriously worried. A few names went out. . . then another name. I was the third name that came out. It was like being touched by the hand of God. I literally couldn’t believe that my name was called, especially considering the relatively poor job that I had done with the service portion of the exam. Somehow I had passed that portion and had earned my diploma as a Level 2 Certified Sommelier. I was elated and took pictures with the master somms. Wednesday was pretty epic day in my life that I will never forget.

Thanksgiving White Wines

Turkey day calls for wine and the pairings are super easy for those familiar for Northwest wine. If you are a fan of white wine, Chardonnay is a classic pairing for turkey. Especially a moderate to heavy oaked Chardonnay can bring out the rich flavors of turkey. Chards from Sonoma and Napa work well but also more lightly oaked Chardonnays from Washington will be a good fit. In terms of price, it is hard to go wrong with a bottle of Chateau St. Michelle 90 point Chard for 10 bucks. But if you want something even more expressive, the 2011 Landmark Chard and the 2012 Ferrari-Carano Chard are worth a try. Looking for a splurge? The 2012 Cakebread Chard is an excellent expression of classic Napa Chard.
In terms of red wines, Pinot Noir is a classic pairing for turkey. Pinot, especially Oregon Pinot, has an earthy character that will pair well with turkey, as the California style of Pinot tends to be too fruity or even jammy for turkey day. Most of these red and white wines can be found at area wine shops, although the Washington Chards can be found at most Northwest grocery stores. As a caveat, Oregon Pinot is not cheap (expect to pay at least 30 bucks for a bottle for good Oregon Pinot, and Domaine Drouhin retails for more than 40 bucks). Here are my recommended white wine and red wine pairings for Thanksgiving dinner:

Washington Chardonnay:

2013 Chateau St. Michelle H3 Chardonnay- This wine has butter with mushroom and cut grass on the nose. Palate is lithe with green apple, pear, minerals and moderate oak flavors. Classic Washington style Chard. Drink this excellent value now. -90

2012 L’Ecole Number 41 Chardonnay- One of my perennial favorite Washington Chardonnays. This has oak, butter and tropical fruit on the nose. Palate is vibrant and has oak, cream, cantaloupe, pear and butter. Rock solid. -92

California Chardonnay

2012 Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay- Pale color with toasted oak and vanilla on the nose. Palate has vibrant minerality with pineapple, butter, honeydew melon, starfruit and pear. Drink now. -92

2011 Landmark ‘Overlook’ Chardonnay- Oak, brioche and pineapple on the nose. Palate has butter, vanilla, minerals, pear and golden delicious. Classic Sonoma style. Drink now. -92

2012 Cakebread Chardonnay- Lemon zest and crème brulee on the nose. Palate is crisp with lemon, pear and crème brulee. Finish lingers with cream. Excellent. Drink now. -92

Oregon Pinot Noir

2012 Willakenzie Estate ‘Giselle’ Pinot Noir- This is their estate cuvee with oak, red cherry and guava on the nose. Palate has nice balance. Medium weight with pomegranate, guava, cherry pie and smoky oak. Very tasty, drink now. -92

2012 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir- Excellent expression of this esteemed vintage for Oregon Pinot. Ripe cherry and raspberry on the nose. Palate has mushroom, red cherry and raspberry with provenceale herbs. Maybe orange peel in there as well. Nice richness. Drinks good now, but can also cellar for 1-2. -92