2016 Washington Wine Blog Winery of the Year: Quilceda Creek

It brings me great pleasure to announce the inaugural winery of the year from Washington Wine Blog. The winner this year is no surprise. A winery with distinction and certainly not needing any introduction Quilceda Creek is one of the premier producers for Cabernet in the world. First started by Alex Golitzin more than 20 years ago, Alex’s son, Paul, has assumed winemaking duties for more than 10 years and has amassed more 100 point scores from Robert Parker than any other winery in North America.

Paul’s new release wines were absolutely scintillating, none more so than his 2013 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet (WWB, 98), the best Washington Cabernet that I sampled in the past year. I have not seen this texture, viscosity, and intensity from any other Washington winery. Their 2013 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzin Vineyard’ Cabernet (WWB, 97) was just a shade behind the ‘Columbia Valley’ bottling and showed incredible range and weight on the mid-palate. This is one of the best Galiztin Vineyard Cabernets that I have sampled in the past ten years. This vineyard clearly has some amazing promise moving forward. Consistently one of the best red wine values in the state, the 2013 Quilceda Creek ‘CVR’ Red Wine (WWB, 93) is a primarily Cabernet wine that shows tremendous richness and texture. Congrats to the Golitzin family and general manager John Ware on their tremendous new release wines from Washington. Here are the reviews of the new releases from Quilceda Creek:

2013 Quilceda Creek 'CVR' Red Wine- This excellent value wine is blend of 73% Cabernet 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec that was sourced from the Champoux, Galitzine, Palengat, Tapteil, and Wallula Gap Vineyards. Aged 22 months in French oak, this wine opens with layered aromas of anise crème de cassis, coffee grounds and tar. There are rich flavors of creme de cassis, red cherry, lavender, black olive, and blackberry compote. The 2013 CVR is a structured and polished wine that will cellar beautifully into the next decade. Drink 2016-2026- 93

2013 Quilceda Creek 'Palengat' Red Wine- This wine is a blend of 58% Merlot, 30% Cabernet and 12% Cab Franc that was aged 20 months in new French oak prior to bottling in June 2015. As this slowly opens in the glass it begins to show deep aromas of mocha, anise, red bell pepper, sagebrush and creme de cassis. The red blend has beautifully layered flavors of red bell pepper, anise, creme de cassis, red cherry and blackberry jam. The texture of this wine is absolutely gorgeous which leads to the long, persistent finish. Try to resist this lovely blend for at least another year. Drink 2017-2035- 94

2013 Quilceda Creek 'Columbia Valley' Cabernet- Following up the highly impressive 2012 Cabernet, the 2013 Cabernet was sourced from the Champoux Vineyard (95%) as well as the Wallula Vineyard (5%).  Needing more than a two hour decant at this point to fully sing, the Cabernet opens with exotic aromatics of Turkish coffee, creme de cassis, anise, red bell pepper and violets. The wine has ultra-rich flavors of anise, creme de cassis, red bell pepper, graphite and blackberry cobbler while maintaining a vibrant minerality. The texture of this wine is ethereal. Despite a long decant there are still some mild to moderate tannins, that complement the velvety mouthfeel. This combination of viscosity and tension is without an equal in Washington Cabernet. There is a seamless quality to this wine that reminds me of the epic 2005 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet bottling. The intoxicating aromatics of this wine bring you continually back to the glass for more. Try to resist this beautiful wine for at least two more years. Drink 2018-2040- 98

2013 Quilceda Creek 'Galitzine Vineyard' Cabernet- This 100% Cabernet wine was primarily sourced from their estate vineyard on Red Mountain, with only 5% coming from the Wallula Vineyard. The Cabernet was aged for 20 months in new French oak prior to bottling in June 2015. Initially aromatically reticent and needing a two plus hour decant, the wine slowly develops with air. After considerable time in the decanter to unwind, wine unleashes exceedingly dense aromatics of creme de cassis, anise, coffee grounds, red bell pepper, and red cherry. This leads to mouth-watering flavors of red cherry, red bell pepper, creme de cassis and anise with suggestions of mocha and crème de cassis. Somewhat mirroring the Columbia Valley bottling, the texture, fruit weight and intensity of this wine is absolutely superlative. I see this as showcasing a slightly more masculine fruit and aromatic profile than their 2013 Columbia Valley bottling. This wine represents an absolutely gorgeous effort that stands neck and neck with their Columbia Valley bottling and is up there with the best Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet that I've ever sampled in the past ten years. Cellar this impressive bottling for at least two more years. Drink 2018-2040- 97

Here I am (R) tasting at the gorgeous Quilceda Creek winery with their general manager, John Ware (L).

TruthTeller Winery

A new winery in Woodinville, TruthTeller Winery was recently founded by Chris and Dawn Loeliger.  What started with making wine in garages and backyard sheds led to them producing wine in Woodinville. Chris grew up in Tokyo and went to the United States for college, where he studied aerospace engineering.  He has previously worked an incredible range of jobs including through the Peace Corps, aerospace and defense, electronics, a home renovation business, real estate and wine. Chris attended the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle Community College and serves as the winemaker.

The new release red wines by TruthTeller are highly structured and balanced which is intriguing considering the heat of the 2014 vintages. These are wines that focus on poise rather than rich dark fruits so they are geared towards those who prefer drinking Washington wines in the Bordelaise style. Look for the 2014 TruthTeller ‘The Cynic’ Syrah (WWB, 90) which shows a very nice range of dark and red fruit flavors and aromatics. The 2014 TruthTeller ‘Wisdom’ Red Wine (WWB, 90) was a smooth Cabernet blend that showed wonderful poise and range. Learn more about these wines at http://truthtellerwinery.com Here are the new release wines by TruthTeller Winery.

2014 TruthTeller 'Frolic' Viognier- The 2014 'Frolic' Viognier by TruthTeller, sourced from the Elephant Mountain Vineyard, was aged in 40% neutral oak with the rest being stainless fermented prior to bottling. The wine opens with aromas of nectarine, orange blossom, Granny Smith apple and suggestions of ripe honeydew melon. The palate is rich, having flavors of cantaloupe, Japanese pear, vanilla cream and banana. This shows an exotic edge and comes with an exceedingly good price tag. Drink 2016-2021- 89

2014 TruthTeller 'The Cynic' Syrah- The 2014 TruthTeller 'The Cynic' Syrah is not negative about dark fruits. The wine was aged in neutral French oak for 18 months prior to bottling and is sourced from the Dineen and Patina Vineyards. After some time in the glass the wine begins to reveal aromatics of red cherry, cigar box, anise and hints of mocha. The palate is plush, yielding rich flavors of red cherry, violets, milk chocolate and tobacco leaf. Chewy and layered, this has the bright acidity to cellar well into the next decade.  Drink 2016-2024- 90

2014 TruthTeller 'Pun' Red Wine- The 2014 TruthTeller 'Pun' Red Wine is a blend of 42% Cabernet with 32% Malbec and 21% Merlot with the remainder Petite Verdot. Needing more than an hour of aeration, the wine reveals aromas of sandalwood, red cherry, cigar box, anise and red currant. There are flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, black tea and hints of anise. While this doesn't have the weight that others possess in this vintage, this maintains a Bordelaise elegance and a rich mouthfeel. The striking acidity suggests this will cellar for more than a decade. An excellent value.  Drink 2016-2026- 89

2014 TruthTeller 'Satire' Red Wine- This wine, which is primarily a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, opens with aromatics of red cherry, red raspberry, mint, red currant and hints of rose petals. The palate yields flavors reminiscent of red raspberry, rose petals, red cherry, coffee grounds and hints of baking spices. This shows nice poise considering the heat of the vintage. Be sure to give this a one hour decant before enjoying. Drink 2016-2024- 89

2014 TruthTeller 'Wisdom' Red Wine-The 2014 'Wisdom' by TruthTeller is an excellent blend of 57% Cabernet with 19% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petite Verdot. The wine was aged in 38% new French oak for 18 months prior to bottling. There are aromatics of cassis, anise, milk chocolate, and suggestions of red currant. The palate yields ripe flavors of dill, red cherry, black olive, sagebrush, eucalyptus and milk chocolate. The mouthfeel is lovely, leading to a long finish. This will cellar well for another decade. Drink 2016-2026- 90

2014 TruthTeller 'The Madman' Red Wine-This wine is a blend of 60% Syrah with 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon that was sourced from Heart of the Hills Vineyard, Dineen Vineyard, Elephant Mountain Vineyard and Patina Vineyard. The wine begins with a bouquet of milk chocolate, pencil lead, sagebrush, and blackberry preserves. The wine has flavors reminisicent of black cherry, black olive, anise and dried sage. This shows a lovely feminine quality from the Cabernet Franc. Structured and tightly wound, if enjoying in its youth be sure to give this at least a one hour decant. Drink 2016-2025- 90

Bodegas LAN

One of my favorite wineries in Rioja, Bodegas LAN has a longstanding history in the region. Having visited the exceedingly difficult to find winery a few years back, I was able to take a tour and sample some of their best bottlings. These are wines those who enjoy balanced Rioja/ Bodegas LAN was founded in in 1972. LAN is an acronym based on the initials of each of the three provinces that form the D.O.Ca. Rioja: Logroño (currently part of La Rioja), Alava and Navarra. Their oak program is particularly interesting as French, American, Russian and hybrid barrels (American staves and French oak heads built in the same barrel) are utilized in the blending. Bodegas LAN’s estate Viña Lanciano Vineyard parallels the Ebro river and is set on 72 hectares. Grapes for their premium bottlings, the Viña Lanciano, the LAN A Mano and the Culmen. The vineyard has 24 plots, and is planted to Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano and Garnacha vines, aged on average up to 60 years. During harvest grapes are hand-harvested and once in the winery, bunches and grains are individually selected by hand prior to fermentation.

One of the best values in Rioja that I have sampled in the past year is the 2012 Bodegas LAN ‘Crianza’ (WWB, 90) which is a wine that shows wonderful layers and freshness. A complete stunner is their 2012 Bodegas LAN ‘A Mano’ Rioja (WWB, 93) which is dense and meaty, with dark fruit flavors and an incredible minerality. Many of these wines, particularly their ‘Crianza,’ ‘Reserva’ and Gran Reserva’ bottlings are distributed in the Pacific Northwest. You can even find some of these wines in grocery stores, such as QFC or Met Market, as well as Total Wines. Learn more about Bodegas LAN at http://www.bodegaslan.com Here are the great new release wines by Bodegas LAN.

2012 Bodegas LAN 'Crianza' Rioja- This wine begins with aromatics of red cherry, dill, sage and hints of pipe tobacco. The palate is dense with flavors of red currant, red cherry, smoke, cigar box and hints of sagebrush with cranberry. Dense, layered and having lovely structure this wine drinks beautifully straight out of the bottle. Drink 2016-2024- 90

2008 Bodegas LAN 'Gran Reserva' Rioja- Having a densely colored hue, this wine begins with aromatics of black tea, black cherry, and coffee grounds. The palate has nice weight with flavors of red cherry, red currant, pipe tobacco, black olive and hints of baking spices. This has lovely weight on the mid-palate and the lively acidity suggests this will be a long-ager. Drink 2016-2028- 92

2011 Bodegas LAN 'Vina Lanciano' Reserva Rioja- Made from Tempranillo with Manzuelo and Graciano, this wine is only made in great vintages. The wine begins with aromatics of red cherry, baking spices, red raspberry and teaberry with hints of milk chocolate. There are ripe flavors of red cherry, cedar, black pepper and sage. Medium bodied and lithe, this wine is pretty hard to resist right now. Drink 2016-2026- 90

2010 Bodegas LAN 'Culmen Reserva' Rioja- This excellent bottling has 15% Graciano blended into the Tempranillo. Having a dense core, the wine begins with an aromatic profile of cedar, black cherry, kalamata olive tapenade and raspberry preserves. The wine has deep flavors of black cherry, coffee grounds, milk chocolate and suggestions of Mandarin orange rind and cran-cherry. Polished, with a dense texture, this is impossible to resist right now. Be sure to give this at least an hour decant if enjoying young. Drink 2016-2028- 92

2012 Bodegas LAN 'A Mano' Rioja- This fantastic Rioja wine is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 12% Graciano and 8% Manzuelo that was hand-harvested from the Vina Lanciano estate. The wine was first aged for seven months in French oak and further aged for another six months in Russian oak. Following a one hour decant, this wine opens with aromatics of black olive, black cherry cough syrup, crushed mint and Turkish coffee. There are deep flavors of black cherry, Marcona almond, boysenberry preserves and hints of pipe tobacco. Tannic and deep, this will be a long-ager. Drink 2016-2030- 93

2011 Bodegas LAN 'A Mano' Rioja- This stunning Tempranillo wine begins with a bouquet of dark cherries, pipe tobacco, black olive, and wild blackberry jam. There are rich flavors of black cherry, cassis, milk chocolate and graphite that sit alongside some gritty tannins. This is a wine with immense potential. Be sure to give this at least a two hour decant if enjoying young. Drink 2016-2030- 93

The Viña Lanciano Vineyard actually has a Roman bridge in the middle. Just incredible history with this property.

Mollydooker

One of the storied wineries out of South Australia founded by Sarah and Sparky Marquis, Mollydooker continues to impress with their releases. The term ‘Mollydooker’ is Aussie slang for being left-handed. I’ve met the super nice owners, Sparky and Marquis, at various wine events. The Mollydooker Shiraz wines are plush, layered and hit you over the head with gobs of fruit while maintaining a nice minerality. Australian wines had a huge push a few years back but less and less are currently imported to the US due to high shipping costs. This has made it more difficult to find world class Shiraz.

Mollydooker has many tiers to their wine and their top tier of Shiraz, ‘The Velvet Glove’, is a true collector’s item. A more affordable option by Mollydooker is their ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ Shiraz which is a world class concentrated and inky Shiraz that has remarkable consistency, despite major vintage variation. I have tried the 2007-2014 vintages of this wine and have found them to be more in the range of 93-94 points, depending on the vintage. This gives you a really exceptional quality to price ratio. The 2014 ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ Shiraz (WWB, 94), was an inky and hedonistic effort that won’t break the bank. Some of these wines come with a steeper price tag and are meant for a special occasion. Look for the 2013 Mollydooker ‘Carnival of Love’ Shiraz (WWB, 95) which is an intense wine that has dark fruit flavors and gorgeous balance. Probably the best wine from Australia that I have reviewed in the past year, the 2014 Mollydooker ‘The Velvet Glove’ Shiraz (WWB, 97) is close to perfection in a bottle, showing intense and brooding dark and blue fruits with opulent weight on the mid-palate. Some of these wines can be found at Total Wines, while distribution of these wines tends to be somewhat challenged due to the long shipping from Australia. You may also be able to more easily find these wines at online retailers such as wine.com and klwines.com. Here are the gorgeous new wines by Mollydooker.

2014 Mollydooker ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ Shiraz- Following up the gorgeous '13 'Blue Eyed Boy' this 2014 'Blue Eyed Boy' bottling weighs in at 15.5% alcohol and was sourced from the Joppich vineyard in Langhorne Creek and the Gateway and Kirwin vineyards in McLaren Vale. This rich Shiraz begins with aromas of blueberry compote, black raspberry, smoked meats, cedar and black cherry. This leads to dense flavors of blueberry pie, blackberry, mocha and roasted dates. This decadent wine is done in the viscous and opulent style, with mouthwatering fruit and lovely fruit weight that makes it impossible to resist. Drink 2016-2024- 94

2014 Mollydooker ‘The Velvet Glove’ Shiraz- The 2014 'The Velvet Glove' Shiraz is another majestic and Impossible to resist release from Mollydooker. This is an insanely delicious and decadent treat, which offers intense aromatics of blueberry compote, dried raisin, red cherries, thyme and roasted coffee all taking shape in the glass. On the palate there are concentrated flavors of blackberry pie, black cherries, dark chocolate, and coffee grounds resonating through the wine. Scintillating and rich, this has a lovely acidity and lavish mouthfeel. This continues to impress as it expands onto the finish with gorgeous layers of ripe fruit leaving a long lingering impression. Drink 2016-2030- 97

2013 Mollydooker 'Carnival of Love' Shiraz- The 2013 'Carnival of Love' follows the past two exceedingly delicious 'Carnival' bottlings. This inky colored wine weighs in at 16% alcohol and a massive 92% fruit weight. There are dense aromatics of black plum, boysenberry cordial, stewed strawberry, Turkish coffee and dark chocolate. There are intoxicating flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate, black cherry cough syrup, coffee grounds and black tea. The fruit weight on the mid-palate is massive. This is dense and chewy Shiraz that is impossible to resist. Be sure to give this a one hour decant if enjoying young. Given more of ten hours of aeration this wine becomes even more complex, showing an intoxicating cornucopia of fruit flavors that artfully capture the wonderful aging potential of this massive Shiraz.  Drink 2016-2026- 95

Nine Hats

Nine Hats

Typically living under a very long shadow (no pun intended), Nine Hats, founded in 2007, has previously been made as the second wine of the esteemed Long Shadows Vintners.. I’ve tried these wines over the years and none have exceeded the current new Nine Hats releases which are excellent across the board. The white wines are balanced, considering the heat of the vintages, and their red wines are deep, complex and simply delicious. Eminent head winemaker Giles Nicault sources from some of the best vineyards in the Columbia Valley for these wines. The idea behind these wines, compared to the Long Shadows wines, is that the Nine Hats series is made for immediate consumption. I found most of the red wines in particular to drink exceptionally well the second and third day after sampling, as these new release wines have a ton of density, considering their price point.

Look for their 2015 Nine Hats Riesling (WWB, 90), which is one of the best value Rieslings that I have sampled in the state. While this doesn’t have the poise and depth of the Long Shadows ‘Poet’s Leap’ the wine shows exceedingly good range and brightness. Also check out the 2014 Nine Hats ‘Red Wine’ (WWB, 91), a shockingly good and rich red blend that captures the heat of the vintage. One of the best Washington Cabernet values that I’ve sampled in the past few months, the 2014 Nine Hats Cabernet (WWB, 91) shows depth, richness and a wonderful range of dark fruits on the mid-palate. Learn more about these very good wines at http://www.ninehatswines.com

2015 Nine Hats Riesling- This bright wine begins with aromatics of Meyer lemon blossom, Gravenstein apple and crushed wet rock. The palate yields ripe flavors of lightly candied pink grapefruit, Mandarin orange rind and Gala apple that sits alongside some lovely minerality. This is an excellent value white wine out of Washington. Drink 2016-2021- 90

2014 Nine Hats Chardonnay-Having a wonderful honey hue, the wine opens with aromas of poached pear, creme brulee, banana and suggestions of baking spices. There are rich flavors of banana, heavy whipping cream, Bartlett pear and New York Apple pie, leading to a long 30 plus second vanilla laced finish. This is the true Washington style of Chard. Drink 2016-2022- 90

2014 Nine Hats Viognier- This wine opens with aromatics of lychee, peach pit, French vanilla and lemon curd. There are flavors reminiscent of cantaloupe, vanilla cream, green papaya and Granny Smith apple. Clearly done in the bright, rather than reductive style, the wine is perfect for a hot summer day. Drink 2016-2020-89

2014 Nine Hats Merlot-This deep hued Merlot smells of sweet red cherries, red raspberry, blackberry pie and suggestions of roasted dates. The palate yields rich flavors of black cherry, mocha, black raspberry cordial, with baking spices and dill accents. Plush and wonderfully balanced, enjoy this over the next decade. Drink 2016-2025- 90

2014 Nine Hats Red Wine-This wine is beautifully perfumed with rose petals, black cherry, wild blackberry cobbler and hints of milk chocolate fudge. There are deep flavors of black olive, black cherry, anise and creme de cassis that sit alongside lovely minerality. This is an exceedingly good wine for the price. Drink 2016-2026- 91

2014 Nine Hats Cabernet- Having an inky, deep core, the Cabernet opens with an aromatic profile of anise, creme de cassis, black olive, milk chocolate and baking spices. The palate is plush, as flavors of creme de cassis, dark chocolate shavings, coffee grounds and black cherry shine through. The silky texture and mouthfeel add to the experience. This will cellar well into the next decade. Drink 2016-2027- 91

2014 Nine Hats Malbec- An exceedingly good wine, the 2014 Nine Hats Malbec begins with a bouquet of blueberry compote, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate pie and cassis. The palate is rich and layered, yielding flavors reminiscent of mocha, creme de cassis, blueberry preserves and a graphite edge. The weight on the mid-palate and dark fruit flavors call for a juicy ribeye. Drink 2016-2026- 91

2014 Nine Hats Syrah- This excellent Syrah wine starts with an aromatic profile reminiscent of black olive, black plum, sage, black cherry and mocha. There are rich flavors of baking spices, black cherry, black olive, and blackberry pie. What this might lack in terroir it makes up in delicious ripe dark fruit flavors that sit alongside a nice mineral steak. Drink 2016-2024- 90

Le Cadeau

Le Cadeau was first introduced to me roughly a decade ago when I was on a trip to Minnesota of all places. They produced some killer Pinots in 2002 and a more challenging vintage, 2003. One thing that I have noticed over the past ten years of trying these wines is the Burgundian feel, as the Pinots typically display lovely mushroom and forest floor characteristics, even in hot vintages. There are some really lovely earthy characters to this wine – especially in cooler vintages such as 2007 and 2011. Le Cadeau has a second label, Aubichon, which produces equally impressive wines.

The Le Cadeau Vineyard is set on a 28-acre parcel on the south slope of Parrett Mountain which is near Newberg in the Dundee Hills. The land was previously overgrown with poison oak, wild berries, and scrub oak before being removed. This 14-acre, high-elevation (610’ – 725’), vineyard was developed to only provide estate Pinot Noir for Le Cadeau. The volcanic soils of the estate vineyard provide excellent drainage for the sometimes rainy conditions. There is a wide variety of Pinot Noir clones planted in the vineyard, including Dijon, Heritage (Heirloom), Pommard, and Mariafeld. Winemaker Jim Sanders continues to produce with exceptional, Burgundian bottlings. Look for their absolutely awesome sparkling wine made by winemaker Steve Ryan, their 2011 ‘Blanc De Noir’ (WWB, 92) which is bone dry and has incredible terroir and lovely astringency. One of the best Pinot Gris wines that I have sampled in the past year is their 2015 Aubichon ‘Reserve’ Pinot Gris (WWB, 92) which shows tremendous depth and richness, showing off this hot vintage. Not to be missed is the 2014 Le Cadeau 'Merci Reserve' Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which is a stunner of a Pinot, showing off warm dark fruit flavors and lively minerality. Learn more about these awesome wines at http://www.lecadeauvineyard.com/ Here are the awesome new wines from Le Cadeau and Aubichon.

2011 Le Cadeau ‘Blanc De Noir’ Sparkling Wine- Made by winemaker Steve Ryan, this has no dosage, and was disgorged in July 2016. The wine begins with bright aromas of Granny Smith apple, nutmeg, green papaya and hints of biscuit. There are flavors of unripe pear, Gravenstein apple and hints of green papaya. Extremely dry and astringent, this needs a hot summer day. Only 175 cases produced.  Drink 2016-2021- 90

2015 Aubichon Pinot Gris- This wine opens with aromatics of bright pear, starfruit and Gala apple. There are flavors of starfruit, vanilla cream, Pink Lady apple and nice minerality considering the heat of the vintage. Drink 2016-2021- 89

2015 Aubichon Rose- This is done with Pinot Gris. There are aromas of strawberry, unripe pear and hints of nutmeg. There are flavors of Pazzaz apple, with strawberry, and guava. This is really perfect for a hot summer day. Drink 2016-2020- 89

2014 Aubichon ‘Reserve’ Pinot Gris-This impressive wine was aged 16 months in mostly neutral oak. The wine was sourced from the Archer Vineyard. There are dense flavors of starfruit, nutmeg and Gala apple. This shows nice poise and weight, as the oak integrated beautifully. The wine is truly one of the best Oregon Pinot Gris wines that I have sampled in the past year. Drink 2016-2024- 92

2014 Aubichon Chardonnay- This Chardonnay was aged in 25% new French oak for 16 months prior to bottling. Aromatically light, the wine yields brioche, red apple and cream. There are dense fruit flavors of red cherry, whipping cream, poached pear and hints of white peach. Drink 2016-2024- 91

2011 Le Cadeau 'Equinoxe' Pinot Noir- The wine is sourced from the center crest of the Le Cadeau Vineyard. The Pinot Noir wine begins with bright aromatics of spicebox, red cherry, forest floor and red raspberry. There are medium weight flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, spicebox and hints of orange rind. Drink 2016-2024- 90

2011 Le Cadeau 'Rocheaux' Pinot Noir- The wine is sourced from the western slope of the Le Cadeau Vineyard. This wine has aromatics of wet rock, red cherry, lavender and Umami. There are bright flavors of red cherry, crushed wet gravel, red cherry and hints of allspice. This has lovely weight and intensity considering the coldness of the vintage. Drink 2016-2024-91

2014 Le Cadeau 'Serendipity' Pinot Noir- A blend of Equinoxe and Rocheux blocks in the vineyard, the Pinot Noir wine begins with aromatics of wet stone, red cherry, anise and hints of wild blackberry with thyme and blood orange. There are flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, teaberry and hints of mulberry. There is a light gravel component with forest floor non-fruit flavors. The mouthfeel is smooth as the lovely texture coats the mid-palate. Drink 2016-2026- 93

2014 Aubichon'Reserve' Pinot Noir- This outstanding Pinot Noir wine begins with aromatics of black truffle, black cherry, pomegranate and wet stone accents. There are deep flavors of black cherry, crushed gravel and red raspberry with black tea accents. This is sexy stuff right now that is hard to put down. Drink 2016-2028- 93

2014 Le Cadeau 'Merci Reserve' Pinot Noir-This impressive bottling begins with aromatics of mint, red cherry, red raspberry and hints of pipe tobacco and forest floor. There are nicely weighted flavors of black cherry, black tea, pomegranate and hints of cremini mushroom. This has lovely fruit characters and intensity, as this is currently displaying a silky mouthfeel. Drink 2016-2028- 93

2014 Le Cadeau 'Trajet Reserve' Pinot Noir- Made from 85% whole cluster fermentation, the wine has more than 60% new French oak fermentation for 16 months. Having a darker core than the 'Merci Reserve' The wine begins with aromatics of black truffle, black cherry, smoke and hints of forest floor. There are flavors reminiscent of red cherry, red raspberry, black tea and light tannins. This needs another year of barrel age for the fruit to fully integrate. Drink 2017-2027- 92

Interview with Lacey Lybeck, Vineyard Manager of Sagemoor Farms

At Washington Wine Blog we have been able to bring you some cool winemaker interviews but I wanted to shift gears into vineyard management. Lacey Lybeck is the vineyard manager at Sagemoor Vineyards. She has a background in crop science, attaining her bachelor’s degree at WSU before focusing solely on vineyard management. Before coming to Sagemoor, Lacey worked at St. Michelle Wine Estates and Milbrandt Vineyards. She has a very large job being the vineyard manager at the esteemed Sagemoor Vineyards, as she began the job in July 2015. For those who are not as familiar with the collection of vineyards, Sagemoor Vineyards, is comprised of Bacchus, Dionysus, Weinbau, Sagemoor and Gamache, and was founded in 1968. The vineyards there were first planted in 1972. Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are still producing high quality fruit from those plantings. There are now 18 wine varietals grown at Sagemoor Vineyards and a huge number of Washington wineries source from this farm, including Rasa, Long Shadows, Chateau St. Michelle and many others. Many wineries are producing vineyard designated wines from these vineyards. I recently had the chance to sit down with Lacey and talk wine. She was a delight to speak with, as I could feel her passion and dedication to the vineyards. Here is my interview with Lacey Lybeck, Vineyard Manager of Sagemoor Vineyards.

WWB: How did you first gain interest in vineyard management?

LL: I grew up in a farm family in Western Washington, working on the farm in the summers.  After going to WSU and having a class in crop science and growing I caught the wine bug. Each week of the class covered a different crop, learning about raspberries and blueberries and others.   There was one week that focused on wine grapes and they had a vineyard manager come up and talk about how her role was to manage and look after these three acres and produce the best quality out of any given circumstances in a year. It is not about yield and producing as much as you can. It is about this beautiful craft, producing the crop that goes into the hand of someone who makes a beautiful wine that is shared on dinner tables and with friends and family.

I was first hired on at Sagemoor in June of 2015. Derek Way had been with the company and he changed directions and moved to China. He gave me the opportunity to step in and work with a fantastic team. It is a dream job for me. When I was on my second day I had the chance to taste unique wines from separate blocks from Dionysus Vineyard. Wines from a place and the idea of terroir was something that before that experience I thought about regionally. Like the wines from the Wahluke Slope tastes different than Red Mountain. I had tasted that, but trying block 11 at Dionysus, for example, a site that has a nice hillside with a southern aspect; The way that the rows orient is a bit off east/west.   This produces an amazing blueberry characteristic which you can taste in the wines. Each winemaker will have a unique wine from that block but there is always a blueberry pie or blueberry jam note. Whereas 16A, another block at Dionysus, more windblown sandy soils and is closer to the bluff on the Columbia River, retains more cassis and red fruit notes. It just amazing to taste the berries in the field the red fruit as it progresses and relate back to that second day of tasting the wines. Even our viticulture is adjusted to preserve what the block does best. Some winemakers love 16A and then other winemakers use it and then the red fruit doesn’t fit their style.

WWB: What are the challenges with growing such a wide range of varietals at Sagemoor Farms?

LL: We grow about 18 varieties right now. We have Bordeaux, Rhone, some Italian varieties and it is getting to know each variety for what it is. Each one is so unique. When I walk into a block I have to take in what the block is telling me in that day to be able to execute the best in the season. We grow a lot of different blocks of Cabernet but each one reacts differently depending on vine age, trellis style, terrior, clone. We work closely with our winemakers to shape their wine style in the vineyard.  

WWB: Lets talk about the 2015 vintage for red and white wines. This was a vintage marred by heat spikes during the summer during what was generally a normal growing season. Can you talk about how the weather that year influenced red and white varietals?

LL: In 2015, the heat was a big part of the story. In 2013 the heat surprised us, in 2014 we made some adjustments and saw how the vines reacted. 2015 was a hot year early and leaf protection was really key, but we had practice in the years prior. That was an awesome year for the Indian Wells style of Chardonnay produced at Weinbau Vineyard. We were able to protect the fruit from the heat.  We had a little less fruit on the vine. It was all about winemakers coming into the vineyard and making their picking decisions without looking at the calendar.

WWB: I’ve spoken to many Washington winemakers about the 2016 vintage and they are very excited about the harvest and the fruit that has come in. What are your initial thoughts about the 2016 vintage and the long growing season?

LL: We came back from Taste of Washington and things were a full two weeks ahead. This was a process of reading the plants, not the calendar to lead farming decisions. We had to prioritize some varieties like Merlot, which canopy development took off while other varieties like Cabernet, were slower to develop. We produced some really nice Sauvignon Blanc from Bacchus Vineyards in 2016. I like that each winemaker leaves their own mark on grapes from the same vineyard.

We had a condensed harvest. The window winemakers harvest in a block would typically stretch out as much as a month between the first winemaker picking and then the last.  Harvest timing depends largely on the winemaker’s style. This year we had 7-10 days between the first pick and the latest. When grapes were ripe they were definitely ready to go. 2016 was a year I was so happy to be sending winemakers nicely balanced fruit in terms of having the nice natural acidity, great pheolic development and even sugar development. 20116 was marked with rolling weather patterns, one day the temperature would  spikes around 100 degrees then a few cooler days around  80 degrees would follow.  Adjusting irrigation during these heat spikes was key, too much water and your canopy can shade the clusters and inhibit the density of the wine and its color.  Too little water and your risked loosing leaves on the bottom of the canopy and exposing fruit to sunburn.  Reading the plants and the soil water profile was key to implementing reduced deficit irrigation.  

WWB: What are some of your favorite red and white Washington wines that come out of Sagemoor Farms?

LL: I love Sparkman’s Birdie for whites. Riesling doesn’t get enough love.  Sparkman chooses to pick their Bacchus Riesling at two dates.  The earlier pick has a bit less sugar, more mineral flavors and acitiy.  The Later pick gives a beautiful bouquet of fruit and citrus. Chris is then able to blend the two lots into one white wine that has amazing complexity and minimal intervention.  This wine is an interesting marriage of the work we do in the vineyard and building the blend right in the field. Red wine, I am honored to work with Long Shadows. These winemakers have their hands in fruit from all around the world. I love working with Karen Buckingham of  Sol Stone, she makes a Grenache from Weinbau that is wonderful.  Barrister in Spokane, Blizzard Wines in Willamette Valley, Boudreaux in Leavenworth… With over 100 wineries working with our fruit is makes it really challenging to pick favorites!

Domaine Serene

Wines with the ‘wow’ factor, the new releases from Domaine Serene were even more stunning than their hillside property. Domaine Serene has earned a national reputation for incredible Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. Their new release red and white wines were every bit as good as their absolutely scintillating prior releases. The winery, founded in 1989 by Grace and Ken Evanstad, is located at the top of the Dundee Hills, neighboring White Rose and Domaine Drouhin. A visit to this gorgeous setting is sure to impress. It is no surprise that Domaine Serene made first wine in 1990 and immediately achieved a 90 point rating from Robert Parker. In April 2015, the Evenstads expanded upon their original vision of producing world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay by purchasing Château de la Crée, a Burgundy wine estate in the Côte d’Or. The tasting room is truly one of the finest in the Northwest and their new lineup is clearly one of the best in Oregon.

Look for their absolutely incredible 2014 ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay (WWB, 95) which is one of the best Chardonnay wines from Oregon that I have sampled in the past year. Even more incredible is their 2013 ‘Recolte’ Chardonnay (WWB, 96) which shows incredible fruit weight, poise and range. It is clear that head winemaker Erik Kramer has a stunning ability with Chardonnay. Learn more about Domaine Serene at http://domaineserene.com/ Here are the incredible new wines from Domaine Serene.

2014 Domaine Serene 'Evenstad Reserve' Chardonnay- A follow up to the incredible 2013 ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Chardonnay, it is hard to believe that this wine is showing even better. Aged for 13 months in 31% French oak, this stunning Chardonnay wine has lively aromatics with nutmeg, vanilla cream, lemon curd and suggestions of Mandarin orange blossom. The palate has lovely texture and viscosity, displaying lively flavors of poached pear, creme brulee, Meyer lemon, buttered popcorn, New York apple and baking spices. This all leads to an exceedingly long, 45 second plus finish. A wine with a seamless quality and the 'wow' favor, this displays lovely structure considering the heat of the vintage. Drink 2016-2028- 95

2013 Domaine Serene 'Recolte' Chardonnay- This highly impressive wine weighs in at 13.3% alcohol and was aged 17 months in 75% new French oak prior to bottling in May 2015. Having a deep, golden hue, this gorgeous Chardonnay wine begins with an aromatic profile of vanilla, Meyer lemon zest, butterscotch and mushroom. There are flavors reminiscent of creme brulee, vanilla cream, lemon oil, white truffle, Gravenstein apple and suggestions of nutmeg. This has gorgeous weight on the mid-palate and, like the Evenstad Reserve Chardonnay, a 45 plus second finish. I think this will be an exceedingly long lived Chardonnay. Congrats to superstar winemaker Erik Kramer and his team on this compelling new release Chardonnay that is up there with the best in Oregon. This will be an exceedingly long-lived wine as it should cellar beautifully for more than another decade.  Drink 2016-2030- 96

2014 Domaine Serene 'Clos de Lune' Chardonnay- The 2014 Domaine Serene 'Cote du Lune' Chardonnay was aged for 13 months in 40% new French oak prior to bottling. This wine has an exotic edge with aromatics of brioche, Bartlett pear, cantaloupe and hints of nutmeg. There are dense flavors of creme brulee, brioche, Meyer lemon, and Pazzaz apple. This has gorgeous range and texture on the mid-palate. This is elegant, polished and rich Burgundian style Chard. Drink 2016-2027- 94

2014 Domaine Serene 'Côte Sud' Chardonnay- This wine opens with a bouquet of pineapple, banana, Pink Lady apple and suggestions of butterscotch with nutmeg. The palate is plush and layered with flavors of nectarine, Red Delicious apple, vanilla cream and hints of dried mango. This has an exotic edge. Drink 2016-2025- 93

2014 Domaine Serene 'Clos du Soleil' Chardonnay- The 2014 Domaine Serene 'Clos du Soleil' Chardonnay is another fantastic release from this estate.  The Chardonnay begins with aromatics of brioche, Meyer lemon oil, cantaloupe, Gala apple and allspice. There are dense flavors of creme brulee, Pink Lady apple, butterscotch and pineapple upside down cake.  The mouthfeel is dense and beautifully textured as this experience ends with a 45 second plus finish. Impossible to resist, and like the other Serene Chardonnays, this one will have a long life in the cellar. (Drink 2016-2028- 94

2013 Domaine Serene 'Yamhill Cuvee' Pinot Noir- This is a seriously good entry level bottling from this estate, that drinks beautifully straight out of the bottle. This translucent Pinot Noir opens with bright aromas of red raspberry, teaberry and cran-orange with red cherry starburst. There are flavors of red cherry, vanilla, red raspberry, guava and a touch of forest floor. The mouthfeel is beautiful. Drink 2016-2024- 91

2013 Domaine Serene 'Evenstad Reserve' Pinot Noir- One of the outstanding new release wines from this estate is their 2013 ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir, which follows their exceptional 2012 bottling. They have elected to have age this wine longer than most other estates, as the wie is currently displaying nice round fruit and a silky mouthfeel. This wine opens with intense aromas of red cherry, forest floor, black truffle oil and hints of cran-cherry. Lithe and rich, this excellent bottling has a silky mouthfeel and yields flavors of black cherry, baking spices, wild blackberry, red currant and Shitake mushroom. The minerality and structure to this gorgeous Burgundian style Pinot Noir wine suggests this will be a long-ager. This wine shows tremendous range and poise from this difficult vintage in Oregon, as the superior winemaking by head winemaker Erik Kramer shines through. Drink 2016-2028- 93

2013 Domaine Serene 'Gold Eagle' Pinot Noir- This gorgeous Pinot Noir begins with an aromatic profile of baking spices, red cherry, cranberry, and sage accents. The palate is plush with flavors of black cherry, mulberry, teaberry and black truffle. Lithe and rich, this is a gorgeous effort. Drink 2016-2028- 93

2013 Domaine Serene 'Grace' Pinot Noir- One of the premier Pinots in the Willamette Valley, this wine follows up the exceptional 2012 bottling. The Pinot opens with a bouquet of black truffle oil, forest floor, Umami, red cherry and gooseberry. There are rich flavors of black cherry, wild blackberry tart, Shitake mushroom, red currant and cinnamon. Having an exceedingly long finish, the elegance and black fruit flavors shine through. This might benefit from another year in the bottle, as it is a bit tightly wound right now. Be sure to give this at least an hour decant prior to savoring. Drink 2017-2030- 94

2013 Domaine Serene 'Jerusalem Hill' Pinot Noir- This impressive Pinot Noir begins with aromas of black tea, red cherry, red currant and cinnamon accents. Bright and full of energy, the palate brings flavors of black cherry, black truffle, forest floor, red cherry and cranberry. The weight on the mid-palate is gorgeous, which leads to the 30 second plus finish. Like the other '13 releases from Serene, give this a one-plus hour decant. Drink 2016-2028- 94

2013 Domaine Serene 'Mark Bradford' Pinot Noir- The Mark Bradford Vineyard is located near the Grace Vineyard and is a high elevation and western-facing site in the Dundee Hills. This was the first vineyard planted at Domaine Serene and is named after the Grace and Ken Evenstad's son. Needing more than a two hour decant, the wine has intoxicating aromatics of Chinese black tea, allspice, black cherry, forest floor and black truffle oil. The palate is plush and smooth, with bright flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, Mandarin orange rind, black truffle and cinnamon. The finish is exceedingly long. One of the standout wines from this challenging vintage, try not to enjoy this wine for at least another year, as the fruit components needs some time to further amalgamate. Drink 2017-2030- 94

2013 Domaine Serene 'Côte Sud' Pinot Noir- A stunning release by Domaine Serene, the 2013 'Côte Sud' Pinot Noir impresses for its intensity and range. This impressive Pinot Noir was aged for 15 months in French oak (64% new) prior to bottling.  Having a darker hue than most Pinots from this vintage, this impressive wine opens with aromatics of black truffle, red cherry, spicebox, and red raspberry. There are dark fruit flavors of wild blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry and hints of nutmeg with a touch of Shitake mushroom. Balanced, dense and polished, this is exceedingly delicious at this juncture. Drink 2016-2028- 94

2013 Domaine Serene 'Fleur de Lis' Pinot Noir- Following up the stunning 2012 release, the 2013 'Fleur de Lis' starts with an aromatic profile of cola, cran-cherry, pomegranate seed and forest floor. Lithe and smooth on the mid-palate, there are flavors of cranberry, teaberry, orange rind, wet rock and red cherry with a touch of crushed sage. Rich and showing nice poise, this will be a long ager. Drink 2016-2028- 93

2013 Domaine Serene 'Winery Hill' Pinot Noir- Aged for 16 months in French oak (56% new), the 'Winery Hill' by Domaine Serene is another gorgeous release from this estate. Only having 13.1% alcohol and needing more than a two hour decant, this wine needs some time to awaken from its slumber. This light colored wine finally is aroused with aromatics of forest floor, seaweed, white truffle and suggestions of candied red cherry. The palate is smooth and plush, delivering red fruit flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, guava, nutmeg and cremini mushroom. The velvety mouthfeel leads to an exceedingly long, 30 plus second finish. Kudos to superstar head winemaker Erik Kramer. Drink 2016-2030- 94

2013 Domaine Serene 'Two Barns' Pinot Noir- This Pinot Noir wine begins with aromatics of nutmeg, red cherry, cranberry and hints of black truffle. There are deep flavors of red cherry, ripe raspberry, strawberry, crushed mint and guava puree. This has a lovely, long finish and a silky mouthfeel. Like the other Serene releases, this has some rather serious cellaring potential.  Drink 2016-2026- 93

2013 Domaine Serene 'Grand Cheval' Red Wine- This intense wine opens with aromatics of black tea, black cherry, black plum and hints of coffee grounds. There are rich flavors of black cherry, black tea, black raspberry and hints of sage. Lithe and balanced, this is exceedingly delicious at this juncture. Drink 2017-2030- 94

Domaine Serene is just an insanely gorgeous spot to taste wine. I chose a gorgeous fall morning to sample their new release Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. This expansive property overlooks the valley, perched on top of the Dundee Hills, and is a must-visit for Oregon Pinot and Chardonnay lovers.

Sleight of Hand Cellars

Tasting with Trey Busch is a blast. I recently caught up with him at his SoDo tasting room, located adjacent to Rotie Cellars and we ran through his gorgeous new lineup of Washington wines. Trey founded Sleight of Hand in 2007 along with two other partners, Jerry and Sandy Solomon. The winery focuses on both estate and non-estate fruit and has slowly been increasing production since the winery’s inception. Trey is a downright awesome, down to earth guy that has attained great success in a relatively short amount of time. Jerry and Trey choose when to pick the wines, while Trey oversees the winemaking. Their production winemaker whom I interviewed in the spring, Keith Johnson, does an excellent job working hand and hand with Trey.

Some new releases to watch for includes their absolutely awesome new Riesling, the 2014 Sleight of Hand ‘The Magician’ (WWB, 91) which shows a vibrant mineral streak that is not typical from this vintage. This is truly one of the best Riesling wines from Washington that I have sampled in the past year. An absolutely awesome value is their 2014 Sleight of Hand 'The Conjurer' Red Wine (WWB, 92) which shows intense dark fruit character from this hot vintage. Finally, one of their cult wines is the 2014 Sleight of Hand 'The Psychedelic' Syrah (WWB, 94) which shows incredible Walla Walla Rocks terroir and lithe minerality. Learn more about this great winery at http://www.sofhcellars.com Here are the fantastic new release from Sleight of Hand.

2014 Sleight of Hand 'The Magician' White Wine- This Riesling wine was sourced from the Evergreen Vineyard. This wine begins with bright aromatics of Granny Smith apple, green papaya, and hints of unripe pear. There are rich flavors of lychee, unripe pear, Gravenstein apple and a touch of sweetness. The lively wine is a great value. Drink 2016-2022- 91

2015 Sleight of Hand 'The Magician's Assistant' Rose-Sourced from the Black Rock Vineyard, this is a Cabernet Franc Rose that was 100% whole cluster press. The wine begins with aromatics of white peach, red cherry and red raspberry. There are flavors of red cherry, guava and wild strawberry. This has a lovely mouthfeel. Drink 2016-2020- 90

2014 Sleight of Hand 'The Enchantress' Chardonnay- Sourced from the French Creek Vineyard, this is all Wente Clone in the Yakima Valley, this is an impressive bottling from this estate. This wine starts with aromatics of ripe pear, Pazzaz apple, starfruit and hints of nutmeg. There are ripe flavors of Bartlett pear, New York apple, and a silky mouthfeel and polished texture, this is lovely wine. Drink 2016-2022- 91

2014 Sleight of Hand 'The Conjurer' Red Wine- This is primarily Cabernet wine starts with aromas of black cherry, baking spices, allspice and green olive. There are rich flavors of black cherry, black olive, blackberry pie and hints of sage. Drink 2016-2026- 92

2013 Sleight of Hand 'Archimage' Red Wine- Primarily composed of Cabernet Franc (56%) with the rest Merlot and Cabernet, this wine begins with aromas of red bell pepper, anise, creme de cassis and mocha. There are rich flavors of black cherry, green bell pepper, wild blackberry jam and hints of coffee grounds. Smooth and polished, this is lovely wine. Drink 2016-2026- 92

2013 Sleight of Hand 'The Illusionist' Cabernet- Primarily sourced from the Blue Mountain Vineyard, this deep hued wine begins with aromas of black cherry, black olive, creosote and creme de cassis. There are flavors of black cherry, black tea, mocha and black olive. Lithe and polished this is absolutely delicious wine. Drink 2016-2026- 93

2014 Sleight of Hand 'The Sorceress' Grenache- This was 75% whole cluster fermented and spent 16 months in mostly neutral oak (85%). The wine opens with sexy aromas of black cherry, blood orange, crushed stone and seaweed. The palate is lovely and lithe, having flavors of red cherry, Umami, seaweed, Mandarin orange rind and horse manure. The texture is gorgeous, as this impossible to resist wine shows its feminine side. Drink 2016-2028- 94

2014 Sleight of Hand 'Levitation' Syrah- This  deep colored wine begins with aromas of black cherry, blackberry cobbler, mint and mocha accents. The palate is plush with flavors of blackberry pie, coffee grounds, black cherry and black tea. Deep and round, this wine needs a long decant before enjoying. Drink 2016-2028- 93

2014 Sleight of Hand 'The Psychedelic' Syrah- This wine starts with smoky aromas of smoked pork shoulder, tar, sage, blood orange and hints of Umami. There are flavors of Mandarin orange, Umami, black truffle and seaweed with red cherry accents. Lithe and polished, this will age beautifully. Only 350 cases made of this delicious wine. Drink 2016-2027- 94

Argyle: The Art of Sparkling

Argyle: The Art of Sparkling

Being in the holiday spirit we wanted to present a pretty cool Pacific Northwest wine project. Argyle winery has gained a national reputation for some of the best sparkling wines in the country. With their price point and complexity of their bottlings, their sparkling wines are typically some of the highest rated sparkling wines that I try each year. This new vintage, their 2013 Argyle Brut (WWB, 91), was no exception. To commemorate this great vintage, Argyle has created a new sparkling wine project called ‘The Art of Sparkling’ which is a student artist tribute. This is a special limited-edition set of Vintage Brut with three art labels designed by Argyle scholarship recipients, artists Ann-Marie Christin Engleberth, Subin Yang and Lindsay Walker.

As you can see, the bottle presentation is quite stunning. Argyle had the three PNCA students learn about Argyle’s winemaking process and then each student designed unique labels for the sparkling wine based on their behind the scenes involvement. Don Tuski, the new president of PNCA, mentioned that the Argyle partnership helps the students better understand the business aspect of their future jobs.

Student Ann-Marie Christin Engleberth fashioned her label design based on Argyle’s history as a former hazelnut farm and the two rabbits that stay in the garden just outside he tasting room. Engleberth moved to the U.S. from Germany at age five and tends to focus her art on the countryside, as she was inspired by the German countryside at a young age.

Subin Yang crafted a bolder, blue colored label which reminded her of a summer night in the Dundee Hills. She was connected to the strong convergence of weather, vines, craftsmanship and the land that inspires Argyle sparkling Brut.

Finally, Lindsay Walker chose a bold black and yellow picture which connected her to the soil, sun and elevation of the Argyle vineyards that she set foot in, as her art is typically abstract. All three artists clearly did a beautiful job. Here is my review of the 2013 Argyle Brut Sparkling Wine:

2013 Argyle Brut Sparkling Wine- Made of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, and weighing in at only 12.5% alcohol, the nuttiness of this wine shines through alongside a lovely mousse and strong minerality. Flavors of brioche, toasted macadamia nut, New York apple, lemon curd and vanilla glide along the mid-palate. This balanced Sparkling wine shows lovely poise from what was a generally warm growing season. Drink 2016-2024- 91

WillaKenzie Estate

One of the gems in the Willamette Valley, WillaKenzie Estate has developed a national reputation for world class Oregon Pinot. Having tasted there for more than ten years, I was hugely impressed with what they did in this new, warm vintage. WillaKenzie is named after the sedimentary soil on which the vines are planted. After a successful career in the tech industry co-owner Bernard Lacroute decided to return to his Burgundian roots and purchased the 420 acre cattle farm in 1991. Planting started in 1992 and the first wine was made in 1995. This winery recently sold to the Kendall Jackson Family, so it will be intriguing to see how the wines evolve moving forward. The winery itself is perched on a hill overlooking the valley. There is a large, expansive outdoor space that is perfect for a hot summer day. WillaKenzie is truly one of the best places in the valley to taste.

The new WillaKenzie lineup of Pinot Noirs is hugely impressive. I was hugely impressed with their entry level bottling, the 2014 ‘Gisele’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which shows wonderful richness and texture from this warm vintage. An absolute stunner, the 2014 ‘Triple Black Slopes’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 95) is one of the highest rated wines that I have sampled from this vintage and shows incredible depth, black fruit flavors and intoxicating aromatics. Learn more about WillaKenzie Estate at https://www.willakenzie.com Here are the awesome new wines from WillaKenzie Estate.

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Gisele’ Pinot Noir- The 2014 WillaKenzie Estate 'Gisele' is a fantastic bottling that showcases this wonderful and hot vintage. This was sourced from three Oregon AVAs (Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton and Dundee Hills) and was aged in 20% new French oak for 10 months prior to bottling. The resultant wine is an intensely mineral driven Pinot Noir that begins with aromatics of red cherry, red raspberry, cremini mushroom, pomegranate and black tea and hints of orange rind. There are lovely light flavors of red cherry, cran-cherry, guava puree, mandarin orange and suggestions of tarragon. This is absolutely lovely for the price point, showing both poise and incredible range. Drink 2016-2024- 92

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Pierre Leon’ Pinot Noir- An absolutely gorgeous bottling, the 2014 WillaKenzie Estate 'Pierre Leon' impresses with its earthy terroir and dark fruit flavors. Initially slightly more reticent on the nose than some of the other new releases from this estate, this Pinot Noir has intoxicating aromatics of Shitake mushroom, forest floor, black cherry, wild blackberry and smoky accents. There are rich flavors of black cherry, black truffle, black plum, anise and spicebox accents. This has a lingering finish that coats the mid-palate. The mouthfeel and viscosity is excellent, as is its dazzling minerality. Be sure to give this beautiful wine at least a two hour decant before enjoying. Drink 2016-2026- 94

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Triple Black Slopes’ Pinot Noir- One of the best Oregon Pinot Noirs that I have sampled in the past year, the 2014 'Triple Black Slopes' by WillaKenzie estate is an absolute heavyhitter of a wine. Utilizing Dijon Clones 114 and 777, this perfumed Pinot Noir begins with bright aromatics of red cherry, black plum, cigar box, black truffle and boysenberry liqueur. There are intense flavors of wild blackberry pie, cigar box, cran-cherry and Asian spices. This has an incredibly dense core, and has the makings to be magical, albeit a bit tightly wound right now. There is a seamless quality to this exceptional dark and brooding Oregon Pinot which is currently displaying an irresistible plush mouthfeel. Sampled the next day, the wine was more open and rounded out. Try to wait on this gorgeous bottling for at least another year. Drink 2017-2028- 95

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Kiana’ Pinot Noir- A fantastic new release from this estate, the 'Kiana' Pinot Noir is sourced from Dijon Clones 114 and 777. The wine was aged for 14 months in French oak prior to bottling and begins with aromatics of red currant, red cherry, black plum and hints of nutmeg. There are medium weight flavors of red cherry pie, guava, pomegranate and a lingering finish. This feminine style wine has a beautiful mouthfeel and will age beatifully into the next decade.Drink 2016-2026- 93

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Aliette’ Pinot Noir- Utilizing Pommard UC Davis Clone 4, this gorgeous new release wine by WillaKenzie Estate was aged for 14 months in French oak (50% new prior to bottling in February 2015. This beautiful wine has spicy aromatics of red cherry, allspice, spiced pecan and hints of guava with forest floor. There are flavors of wild blackberry, Shitake mushroom, red cherry, cran-pomegranate and dried mint. This feminine style wine has a silky mouthfeel throughout.Drink 2016-2025- 92

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Terres Basses’ Pinot Noir- An exceedingly strong new release wine, the 2014 'Terres Basses' Pinot Noir by WillaKenzie estates shows the earthy side, while showcasing this wonderfully warm vintage in Oregon. Having a darker core than most of the new releases, this wine begins with earthier aromatics of black truffle, forest floor, black cherry and suggestions of milk chocolate. There are rich flavors of wild blackberry, black plum, black truffle and suggestions of cherry cough syrup. This is a bit of a slumbering monster at this point, having an extremely dense core that will need at least another year of bottle age to fully express itself. Try to resist this elegant and Burgundian bottling for at least another year. Drink 2017-2028- 93

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Jory Hills’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Dundee Hills AVA, another gorgeous release by WillaKenzie estate is their 2014 'Jory Hills' bottling which showcases the intoxicating combination of lush red fruit and earthy terroir. The wine was aged for 14 months in French oak (only 10% new) prior to bottling in February 2015. Aromatically present at this juncture following a two hour decant, this Pint Noir offers a range of red and dark fruits highlighting red cherry, black plum, roasted figs, boysenberry and cinnamon. There are flavors of red cherry, cedar, wild blackberry and hints of nutmeg and forest floor. Lithe and light on its feet, this impressive new release wine needs another year of bottle age to fully amalgamate. It shows lovely range that will only improve with a few years of cellaring. Drink 2017-2027-93

2014 WillaKenzie Estate ‘Emery’ Pinot Noir- Extremely translucent, this beautiful Pinot Noir which was sourced from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA begins with aromatics of rose petals, red cherry, red raspberry, orange rind and hints of black truffle. There are rich flavors of red cherry, guava puree, black truffle, forest floor, and hint of kumquat. Balanced and having lovely poise with lighter red fruit flavors, this is one for the cellar. Try to cellar this feminine wine for at least another year for everything to come together. Drink 2017-2028- 93

Big Table Farm

One of the standout wineries in the Willamette Valley, I recently had the chance to visit Brian and Clare at their farm. Visiting during harvest was probably not the best time for them but they graciously guided me through a pretty insane tasting lineup. Head winemaker Brian Carver has crafted some absolutely incredible new release Pinot Noirs. Brian sources from different vineyards across the Willamette Valley. The new 2014 Pinot Noirs sing with wonderful personality and Burgundian elegance and his overall tasting lineup is clearly one of the best in the valley. Brian has previously worked for some highly esteemed properties like Marcassan and Neyers in the past. He is an insanely talented winemaker and a super cool, down to earth guy.

Easily one of the best Rose wines that I have sampled in the past year from the Pacific Northwest, the 2015 Big Table Farm ‘The Laughing Pig’ Rose (WWB, 93) would pair insanely well with turkey and shows a tremendous range of red fruit flavors, alongside wonderful minerality. Another stunner is the 2014 Big Table Farm ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which is a tremendous value and offers depth and complexity at an incredibly good price. This is one to buy by the case. Finally, look for the 2014 Big Table Farm ‘Sunnyside Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which is also just an insane value in the Oregon Pinot market. This wine offers a striking combination of Burdundian, earthy tones, while still showing ripe red fruit flavors. Learn more about Big Table Farm at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines by Big Table Farm.

2015 Big Table Farm ‘The Laughing Pig’ Rose- Exceedingly delicious, as well as vibrant and intense, this is the best Rose wine that I have sampled this year from the Willamette Valley. The wine begins with dense aromatics of red cherry, red raspberry, guava and hints of wild mushroom. There are deep flavors of cherry starburst candy, red raspberry, guava puree and hints of teaberry. Energetic and engaging, this wine has some serious weight on the mid-palate. Drink 2016-2021- 93

2015 Big Table Farm ‘Wirtz Vineyard’ Pinot Gris- This pale pink colored wine is a delight to savor right now. The wine begins with a bouquet of orange blossom, pink grapefruit, white flowers and hints of cardemon. The wine has flavors of white peach, mango, baked Gravenstein apple and a polished finish. This has lovely weight on the mid-palate and a lively mineral streak despite the heat of the vintage. Drink 2016-2022-92

2015 Big Table Farm ‘Edelzwicker’ White Wine- This excellent white wine is sourced from older blocks of Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris at the Wirtz Vineyard. Having aromatics of white peach, lemon blossom, saffron and hints of mint, this effervescent wine yields flavors of Granny Smith apple, unripe pear, nectarine rind and hints of lemon zest. Complex and exceedingly delicious, this has nice poise for the vintage. Drink 2016-2020- 91

2014 Big Table Farm ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Pinot Noir- This excellent bottling is sourced from the Coats and Whitney vineyard as well as the Kalita Vineyard, which are both farmed by Daniel Fey. Dense and deep aromatically and needing at least a one hour decant to settle, this impressive bottling opens with an aromatic core of rose petals, black truffle crudo, red cherry, and suggestions of guava with stewed strawberry. The palate has lively flavors reminiscent of red cherry, orange rind, lavender, cran-raspberry, pomegranate seed and nutmeg. This is polished wine that has a seamless quality and a smooth, plush mouthfeel. Drink 2016-2026- 93

2014 Big Table Farm ‘Wirtz Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 40 year old Wirtz Vineyard utilizes the Coury clone of Pinot Noir. Exceedingly translucent considering the vintage, this wine opens with aromatics of red cherry, red raspberry, crushed wildflowers and hints of nutmeg. There are flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, guava puree and baking spices. The texture is lovely, as this this glides across the mid-palate. Only 367 cases made of this excellent Pinot. Drink 2016-2026- 92

2014 Big Table Farm ‘Sunnyside Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Earthy, terroir driven and hugely Burgundian, the 2014 Big Table Farm ‘Sunnyside Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a gorgeous new release wine from superstar winemaker Brian Marcy. The wine opens with a bouquet of black truffle oil, forest floor, cedar, black cherry and hints of Kalamata olive. There are rich flavors of black cherry, black truffle crudo, raspberry torte and suggestions of forest floor and Tangerine rind. The range of aromatics and flavors at play are absolutely gorgeous. This wine is an absolutely stunner from Big Table Farm. Drink 2016-2028- 94

2014 Big Table Farm ‘Cattrall Brothers Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This Eola-Amity Hills AVA property is run by Tom and Bill Cattrall, who have utilized Wadenswil clone Pinot Noir for their vineyard. This expressive Pinot Noir wine opens with a bouquet of wild mushroom stew, forest floor, smoke, black raspberry and wild blackberry jam. There are dense flavors of red cherry, cran-pomegranate, orange rind, and black truffle oil that sit along lively minerality. The finish is exceedingly long to this polished and beautifully textured Pinot Noir. Drink 2016-2029- 94

Alleromb

Great photo here of superstar winemaker, Aryn Morell, in the vineyard.

A boutique Walla Walla winery that utilizes the talents of superstar winemaker Aryn Morell, winery partners Aryn and Edith Morell started this winery to focus on single vineyard sites throughout Washington. I had a blast chatting with Edith Morell in her tasting room, as she talked about the long-term vision of the winery. The future is clearly very bright for the Morells. I had sampled two previous Alleromb wines from them earlier this year, their 2011 Alleromb Cabernet (WWB, 91) and their 2012 Alleromb ‘Cuvee B’ Red Wine (WWB, 92), which were hugely impressive wines that were built for the cellar.

I have described the winemaking abilities of Aryn Morell at great length on the blog. The guy has a handle on every varietal that I have tried as his winemaking shows really impressive range. His 2012 Alleromb Chardonnay (WWB, 92) was a standout wine that showed wonderful richness and texture. This wine is clearly drinking in its sweet spot as the bottling reminded me of his recent Tenor wines Chardonnay release. The 2012 Alleromb Grenache (WWB, 92) was another dense, fruit driven Rhone style wine that showed wonderful poise. Stop by their tasting room on Main St. in Walla Walla to check these awesome wines out for yourself. Learn more about Alleromb at http://www.alleromb.com Here are the fantastic new wines by Aryn Morrell and Alleromb.

2013 Alleromb Sauvignon Blanc- This excellent wine begins with aromas of cut grass, gooseberry, kiwi and suggestions of Jalapeno pepper. There are flavors of Meyer lemon, kumquat, Granny Smith apple and a touch of dried herbs. Drink 2016-2020- 90

2012 Alleromb Chardonnay- Sourced from the La Reyna Blanca Vineyard, this Chardonnay wine begins with aromas of brioche, butterscotch, Gala apple and hazelnuts. There are dense flavors of lemon oil, creme brulee, white peach and pink grapefruit. This has a wonderful mouthfeel and lovely richness. I think this will cellar beautifully into the next decade. Drink 2016-2024-92

2012 Alleromb Grenache- This bright Grenache wine begins with aromas of red cherry, rose petals, and suggestions of guava. There are flavors of pink bubblegum, red cherry and guava. Nearly impossible to resist, you have to love the dense fruit flavors and minerality to this wine. Drink 2016-2024- 92

2014 Morrell-Lawrence 'Concrete Series' Syrah-  This is an offshoot winery project and an excellent value wine. The Syrah begins with aromas of smoked meats, black cherry and black olive. There are flavors of black cherry, black olive and smoked pork shoulder. This is exceedingly delicious wine by superstar winemaker Aryn Morrell. Drink 2016-2023- 92

Interview with Joshua West, Head Winemaker at Elephant Seven Winery

Elephant Seven is an exciting new winery out of Walla Walla. A few weeks back I had the chance to run through their awesome new lineup of red wines and was hugely impressed. I had to get their winemaker on the phone and chat wine. The winemaker, Josh West, is a downright awesome guy who has a background in investment banking and has only recently been in wine on a full-time basis. His wine background includes the prestigious Whitehaven winery out of New Zealand and has also worked at Figgins, Cadaretta, and Dusted Valley in Walla Walla. Finally Josh got the nerve to start his own winery. I think you will really enjoy hearing his wine story. Here is my interview with Josh West, winemaker at Elephant Seven.

WW: How did you first gain interest in winemaking?

JW: For me it started several years before I was officially into the wine business. It happened gradually, there was no one moment for me. I was formerly in commodities trading and followed the Wall Street Journal’s wine editors. I started reading books on wine and wanted to learn more. This wine education spiraled out of control and I started traveling the world only for the purpose of enjoying and learning about wine and food. Early in 2012 I decided to be in the wine business full time. I quit my job at one of the world’s largest investment banks and a month later I was working for Whitehaven in New Zealand. I worked there for the eight week harvest. It is a massive production and we crushed seven thousand tons of grapes that year. Not all of the wine goes to their label and they sell some of it all over the world. I also saw some funny things there as they bring in freight containers. They line them with giant baggies then fill them up and ship them out somewhere. That was my first exposure to commercial winemaking. I spent 95% of my time cleaning and moving things around, but a couple of the assistant winemakers and other interns taught me a few important things. Prior to leaving to work in New Zealand I met one of the owners of Dusted Valley at a tasting. I got in touch with him and then emailed him a few months later. I met him when I arrived in Walla Walla and they gave me my first job working as a cellar rat. I worked at Dusted Valley for about a year including harvest in 2012. After that I worked at Cadaretta just before the 2013 harvest. Then I started working for Figgins family at their Figgins wine studio. During that time I got a degree in enology and viticulture from the Walla Walla program. Then after that I realized that I had learned enough to be dangerous in the Washington wine industry.

WWB: Can you talk about your winemaking philosophies?

JW: This is my first job as a winemaker here at Elephant Seven. I try to let the grapes speak for themselves and I don’t do too much with the grapes. It is not that a winemaker doesn’t know there are things that you can do, but rather I choose to be very minimalist and only do those things when absolutely necessary. It’s actually harder to do less and keep it simple than it is to do more. All my wines are unfiltered and unfined. You want to intervene as little as possible to have the wine reflect the place that it comes from. When you commit to that then you have to stay on top of everything. That forces you to be much more careful and do things properly. I like being as hands on as possible. In vineyard management I sought out managers that I knew and tried hard to find vineyards that I wanted to work with. They know my philosophy and we have that working relationship where they understand my approach. We both want to be aligned with that.

WWB: Can you talk about your lovely 2014 Elephant Seven ‘Telegram’ Syrah (WWB, 93) bottling?

JW: I was really trying to reflect the place that it comes from. The Rocks is unique and I wanted to emphasize the earthiness and the savory tones as the primary characteristics then let the plush fruit compliment that. I didn’t want to use too much new oak, I think it is about 30% new French oak. I didn’t want a high PH or low acidity with this wine. Hopefully you’ll see it has some really great acidity. I wanted to keep the Syrah lively and fresh, as a good food pairing but reflective of the Rocks. I wanted the wine to have the earthy character. The vineyard, River Rock, is an awesome site. It is right there in the heart of the rocks. Charles Smith has most of the vineyard and I was lucky to get one acre. It is a gorgeous and a warm site, typical rocks and cobblestones all over the vineyard so it has that nice minerality. The clone was Tablas Creek clone. Yields were naturally very low at less than 3 tons per acre. We only made 114 cases of this wine, a tiny production.

WWB: What are some of your favorite Washington wines and producers as well as wines of the world?

JW: Washington wines are really impressive. Of course Figgins is fantastic. I think their wine is underrated. I really like Dunham wines and Gramercy. Rasa is another favorite. I have a wine collection and unfortunately it is slowly dwindling. I drink a lot of Barolo, Rinaldi, Conterno, Clerico and others. I love Northern Rhone reds. My everyday wine is Cru Beaujolais. It is crazy that you can get premier cru quality wine for under 20 bucks a bottle. My favorite white wines are Loire and Chablis from Burgundy, typically the higher acid stuff. I went to Burgundy and stayed in Beaune for a week. I rode my bike around the vineyards there. I was like a little kid staring at the grand cru vineyards like Romanee Conti. So I drink a lot of Burgundy but it’s getting harder as prices keep going up. I went to Rioja and I love old school Riojas, CVNE, Tondonia and the like. Those are really nice, especially the older ones.

Saviah Cellars

During my last trip to Walla Walla a few weeks back I had the chance to visit the beautiful tasting room at Saviah. First started in 2000, Saviah began by producing just 300 cases of wine. The winery has grown significantly since that time and was even named one of the top 100 wineries in the United States by Wine and Spirits Magazine in 2009. Winemaker Richard Funk has gained a sterling reputation for his wines, particularly his Syrah wines, in the past few years. Funk sources from many Walla Walla sites including the McClellan Vineyard and has estate vineyards in the Walla Walla Rocks region, aptly named ‘The Funk Vinyard.’

I was very impressed with the new great lineup of wines made by Funk. His 2015 Rose (WWB, 90) was a fantastic effort showing a ton of bright fruit and lovely minerality. Funk also has an impossible to resist new release Cabernet (WWB, 92) from the warm 2013 vintage that showed gorgeous dark fruit flavors. A great winemaker makes great wine even in highly challenging vintages, which is what Funk did with his 2011 Petite Verdot (WWB, 92), an absolutely fantastic wine that shows wonderful range, structure and richness despite the lack of heat that vintage. Learn more about these fantastic wines at http://www.saviahcellars.com Here are the great new release wines by Saviah.

2015 Saviah 'Star Meadows' White Wine- A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, the wine has aromatics of nectarine, Meyer lemon and Pazzaz Apple. There are flavors of bettered toast, Gravenstein apple and hints of marzipan that sits on vibrant minerality. Drink 2016-2020- 90

2015 Saviah Rose- An exceedingly good Rose wine, Saviah has chosen to blend Sangiovese and Barbara. This wine begins with aromas of red cherry, red raspberry, pink bubblegum and guava. The wine has flavors of red cherry, red raspberry and orange rind and finishes with a bright minerality. Drink 2016-2020- 90

2013 Saviah Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Couse Creek vineyard which sits at 1900 feet in the Blue Mountains in the Walla Walla Valley, This wine has aromas of red cherry, red raspberry and thyme. There are flavors of red cherry, red raspberry and teaberry. Drink 2016-2022- 90

2013 Saviah Cabernet- This wine has 16% Merlot and 2% Malbec blended in. The wine opens with anise, cassis, black olive and red raspberry. The wine has flavors of red cherry, anise, cassis and milk chocolate. This is literally impossible to resist Cabernet wine. Drink 2016-2024- 92

2012 Saviah 'The Stones Speak' Syrah- The wine is sourced from the Funk Estate vineyard and was aged 17 months in French oak prior to bottling. The wine begins with aromatics of smoke, red cherry, red bell pepper and sagebrush. There are flavors of red cherry, dill, crushed wet rock and anise. There is a lovely texture and weight to this delicious wine. Drink 2016-2024- 92

2011 Saviah Petit Verdot- Sourced from this cold vintage, the wine has green olive, black pepper and blackberry pie aromas. There are flavors of black cherry, black olive, mocha and hints of blackberry pie. This is exceedingly deep, delicious and well-balanced wine, considering the lack of heat in the vintage. Drink 2016-2025- 92

Del Dotto

A winery with some serious prestige, Del Dotto Vineyards is a family-owned winery which focuses on small production, premium wines. Owner Dave Del Dotto has spent the last 20 years acquiring vineyards in some of the top American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) including Rutherford, Oakville, St. Helena, Spring Mountain, Howell Mountain, and Sonoma Coast. The new release wines were hugely impressive. I had the chance to visit their gorgeous chateau in Oakville recently and was absolutely blown away with the splendor of the palatial setting. The tasting was largely held in their expansive cave and I had the opportunity to try some of their highly impressive 2014 Cabernet wines still in the barrel. The 2014 Del Dotto Chardonnay (WWB, 94) is a huge success, showing wonderful minerality and opulent fruit flavors. Their Sparkling wine, the 2011 Del Dotto ‘Bubbles Brut Cuvee’ (WWB, 93) was one of the best domestic sparkling wines that I have sampled in the past year. This is a very special, winery only wine that showed a huge range of aromatics and flavors. The 2014 Cabernets in the barrel were massive, none more so than their, 2014 Del Dotto Cabernet 'Villa Del Lago' (WWB, 94-97) which shows tremendous potential. Learn more about this incredible winery at http://www.deldottovineyards.com Here are the gorgeous new release wines from Del Dotto.

2011 Del Dotto 'Bubbles Brut Cuvee' Sparkling Wine- This opens with a bouquet of apricot, brioche, hazelnuts and Gravenstein apple. There are flavors of brioche, Granny Smith apple, banana, cut grass, poached pear. The mouthfeel and texture of this wine is gorgeous.  Drink 2016-2023- 93

2014 Del Dotto Sauvignon Blanc- The wine opens with aromas of cut grass, Bartlett pear, Granny Smith Apple and fennel. There are bright flavors of starfruit, pink grapefruit, and Gravenstein apple. Drink 2016-2022- 91

2014 Del Dotto Chardonnay- The 2014 Del Dotto Chardonnay, sourced from the Sonoma Coast, is a stunner of a wine that impresses from start to finish. This has aromas of butterscotch, poached pear, and creme brulee. There are flavors of creme brulee, vanilla, bananas foster and hints of allspice. This has an opulent texture and mouthfeel, as the intensity of this wine brings you back to the glass for more. The lingering, 45 plus second finish, is absolutely marvelous. This will have a long life in the cellar, as I can see this picking up some exciting secondary characteristics over the next decade. Drink 2016-2022- 94

2010 Del Dotto ‘Cinghiale Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2014 Del Dotto Pinot Noir is an insanely delicious and lithe bottling that is sourced from the Fort Ross-Seavivew AVA. The wine opens with bright aromatics of spicebox, red cherry, cedar, red raspberry and pomegranate. There are rich flavors of nutmeg, red cherry, red raspberry and hints of guava. The finish lingers to this memorable and seamless Pinot Noir wine. Drink 2016-2023- 94

2014 Del Dotto Syrah -This excellent Syrah wine begins with aromas of smoked meats, black cherry and black olive. There are rich flavors of black cherry blackberry and black olive. Drink 2016-2022 -92

2014 Del Dotto Merlot- The 2014 Del Dotto 'Rutherford Estate' Merlot is a dense and brooding Merlot wine. This wine opens with aromatics of red cherry, spicebox, anise and milk chocolate. There are flavors of black cherry, black olive, milk chocolate and toffee. The mouthfeel and density of the wine is just gorgeous. Drink 2016-2026- 92

2014 Del Dotto ‘Cave Blend’ Red Wine- A blend of 62% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc with the rest Cabernet and Zinfandel. The wine begins with aromatics of black olive, sandalwood, red cherry, anise and cassis. There are flavors of cassis anise, black cherry and hints of pipe tobacco. Drink 2016-2028- 92

2014 Del Dotto Cabernet- Another great wine in the strong Del Dotto lineup is the 2014 Del Dotto Cabernet Sauvignon which shows wonderful terroir and fruit flavors. This wine is a blend of 77% Cabernet with 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The wine starts with aromatics of cassis, anise, pipe tobacco and black cherry. There are flavors of mocha, anise, creme de cassis and pope tobacco. Intense and layered with a lovely mouthfeel. Drink 2016-2028- 92

2014 Del Dotto Cabernet ‘Lot ST 'St. Emillon' Barrel Sample- This wine has aromatics of mocha, anise, creme de cassis and black cherry. There are flavors of anise, black cherry, anise, cassis and coffee grounds. The mouthfeel is stunning as the wine finishes beautifully. Drink 2017-2030- 92-95

2014 Del Dotto Cabernet Lot ST 'Orion' Barrel Sample- The wine begins with aromatics of anise, cassis, mocha and cloves. There are flavors of anise, creme de cassis black olive, black cherry and mocha. This is dense and delicious. Drink 2017-2030- 93-96

2014 Del Dotto Cabernet 'Oakville 9 Oaks' Cabernet Barrel Sample- The wine opens with aromatics of cassis, anise, black cherry, baking spices and blackberry. There are flavors of anise, creme de cassis, blackberry jam and dark chocolate. The mouthfeel and intensity of the wine is gorgeous. Drink 2017-2033- 94-97

2014 Del Dotto Cabernet 'U-Stave American Oak' - The wine starts with aromas of red cherry, anise, cassis and hints of baking spices. There are flavors of black cherry, anise, cassis and hints of baking spices. Drink 2016-2029- 92

2014 Del Dotto Cabernet 'Family Reserve Rutherford Estate' Barrel Sample- Still exceedingly young and having a very long life in front of it, the 2014 'Family Reserve Rutherford Estate' is a heavyhitter of a Cabernet, which shows off this exciting vintage.  The massive Cabernet wine opens with aromatics of creme de cassis, anise, milk chocolate and black cherry. There are intense flavors of anise, creme de cassis, milk chocolate and hints of pipe tobacco and mint. The mouthfeel is chewy and extremely smooth with an intense viscosity. It will be very intriguing to see how this beauty evolves. Drink 2017-2035- 94-97

2014 Del Dotto Cabernet 'Villa Del Lago' Barrel Sample- This monster of a wine will need considerable time to evolve. However, it is very exciting sampling it in the barrel, as this gorgeous, intense and structured Cabernet is exceedingly delicious at this juncture. This Cabernet is sourced from vineyards in the Pritchard Hill AVA. The wine begins with intoxicating aromatics of spicecake, anise, creme de cassis, and dark chocolate. There are rich flavors of anise, creme de cassis, milk chocolate, black cherry and baking spices. Balanced and elegant, yet intense, this is a stunner from the winemaking team at Del Dotto. Drink 2018-2035- 94-97

Ardor Cellars

A relatively new Walla Walla winery founded by some very cool people, Brandon and Emma Kubrock, I recently had the chance to stop by their spacious tasting room and review their great new wines. I had already sampled their huge Syrah successes (Spring 2016) and was pretty impressed with their new white wine releases. The Kubrocks call on superstar winemaker Aryn Morell to do their winemaking. Aryn also serves as winemaker at Alleromb and crafts beautiful wines for Matthews and Tenor. Ardor sources from some of the best vineyards for Syrah in the state, including the Art Den Hoed Vineyard and the esteemed Stoney Vine Vineyard. His new releases from the hot 2015 vintage showed wonderful restraint and deep fruit flavors. The 2015 Ardor Cellars Rose (WWB, 90) was absolutely killer, showing a lovely range of red fruit flavors and aromatics. Learn more about Ardor at http://www.ardorcellars.com Here are the great new wines from Ardor Cellars.

2015 Ardor Cellars Picpoul/ Marsanne White Blend-The wine begins with aromatics of white peach, lychee, and poached pear. There are bright flavors of Gravenstein apple, macadamia nut and hints of lychee. Drink 2016-2020- 90

2015 Ardor Cellars Roussanne/Viognier White Blend- The wine opens with aromas of white peach, Pink Lady apple, oak and hints of nutmeg. There are flavors of white peach, lychee, Gala apple and cantaloupe. This has a lovely weight and texture. Drink 2016-2020- 91

2015 Ardor Cellars Rose- This wine is a blend of 80% Mourvedre and 20% Grenache. The wine begins with aromatics of watermelon, white peach, guava and red cherry. There are pretty flavors of red cherry, guava and watermelon with papaya suggestions. The texture of this wine is outstanding. Drink 2016-2019- 90

2014 Ardor Cellars 'Bouchey Vineyard' Mourvedre- Ardor Cellars have crafted another excellent Mourvèdre to add to their excellent portfolio. This wine opens with aromatics reminiscent of sagebrush, wet stone, blackberry, smoked pork shoulder and lavender. The palate yields dense flavors of blueberry pie, black olive, braised beef and crushed gravel. Seamless and velvety, this is hard to resist right now. Drink 2016-2026-93

2014 Ardor Cellars 'Lawrence Vineyard' Syrah- The 2014 Lawrence Vineyard Syrah from Ardor Cellars shows the richness of the great and warm vintage. The Lawrence Vineyard is located in the Royal Slope in the Frenchman Hills. This expressive Syrah opens with aromatics of anise, sagebrush, cassis and mocha with a leather accent. This has winemaker Aryn Morrell's signature mineral backbone throughout with flavors of black cherry, black olive and blueberry compote and a lovely, plush texture. A bit aggressive right now with its youth boasting 15.3% alcohol, and would be best to cellar this for another year or two. Drink 2017-2026- 93

2014 Ardor Cellars 'Quarternarium' Syrah- The Ardor Cellars 'Quaternarium' is another strong release from this estate. The wine has aromatics of roasted dates, blood orange, wild blackberry cobbler and smoked meats. This leads to flavors of black cherry, black raspberry, blackberry preserves and roasted figs with a graphite edge which coat the palate. It possesses a seamless texture, as the wine glides effortlessly through the mid-palate. Exceptional bottling from Ardor, which has the structure to cellar well into the next decade. Drink 2016-2026- 93

2014 Ardor Cellars 'Red Heaven Vineyard' Syrah- The 2014 Red Heaven Vineyard Syrah is another gorgeous release from Ardor Cellars, and winemaker Aryn Morrell. Located on the South Western edge of Red Mountain, the Red Heaven Vineyard has a diverse soil profile of three main soil types; Warden, Hezel and Taunton soils. As this begins to open it releases aromas of cassis, black raspberry with hints of forest floor and black truffle. There are flavors of blackberry jam, black raspberry, mocha and cedar that connect with the strong minerality. A touch hot at 16.2% alcohol, so this seductive Syrah is not for the weary. This is a fantastic bottling that has the structure to cellar for another decade. Drink 2016-2025- 92

2014 Ardor Cellars 'Art Den Hoed Vineyard' Syrah- The Art Den Hoed Vineyard spans 250 acres across the southern slope of the Rattlesnake Mountains, in the Yakima Valley AVA. First planted in 1978, the vineyard lies at 1,300 feet in elevation. This gorgeous bottling has aromas of blueberry, blackberry, black olive and wet rock. There are flavors of blueberry compote, red cherry, pomegranate seed and suggestions of mocha. The texture and mouthfeel is polished and generous. This is an esteemed and exquisite bottling by head winemaker Aryn Morrell, who brings his trademark minerality to this Syrah. Drink 2016-2026- 93

2014 Ardor Cellars 'Stoney Vine Vineyard' Syrah- Located in Walla Walla and first planted in 2007, vines from the Stoney Vine Vineyard are set on an ancient alluvial fan of river tumbled basalt cobblestones formed by the Walla Walla river. The stones in this vineyard can be quite massive. The wine begins with the prototypical Walla Walla rocks nose with crushed wet rock, red cherry, red raspberry and blackberry pie aromatics. In the glass flavors of blackberry, black cherry, anise, wet stone and graphite emerge, alongside wonderful minerality. This mineral driven Syrah is absolutely fantastic and is hard to put down right now. Drink 2017-2027- 94

Interview with Nicolette Anctil, Sommelier at Husk Nashville

Boasting a stunning wine selection which is arranged by soil type, Husk Nashville is an absolutely fantastic place to sample a broad spectrum of wines of the world and consume probably the best fried chicken I’ve had in my life. While I was in Nashville I had the chance to catch up with sommelier Nicolette Anctil, who guided me through some awesome blind tastings. Nicolette talked about her background in wine, as well as some of her favorite current bottlings. I think you will really enjoy hearing about her journey in wine. Here is my interview with Nicolette Anctil, sommelier at Husk Nashville.

WWB: How did you decide to become a sommelier?

NA: I’d say, I got the wine bug fairly organically, in my early 20s I left the turn and burn life of a line cook, and moved front of house, as a server assistant or busser. Progressing my way through the ranks, I found myself starting to become very interested in wine. The sommeliers I worked with took me under their wing, I was gifted with tasting very often with Masters, along with traveling to NYC and Washington D.C. almost every week. From that experience I’ve come to create my own style for myself of what a sommelier means.

WWB: You have a wide range of somm experiences. What have your previous somm positions brought to working at Husk Nashville?

NA: I’ve realized that I’m super emotional with wine, the intimacy of wine and the time it took for us to be able to taste the juice is all the importance of my job. Previous positions have taught me that, the way to be success is to be authentic in what you do. I’ve tried to conform to the “somm” life, it wasn’t for me. Every bottle has a story, I have no interest in dissecting the wine so much, were the story then becomes an afterthought. Wine has to be the romance, and for me; I’ve experienced wine in restaurants under a restauranteur all the way to experiencing wine under a 22 person-seat restaurant. I now have the pleasure to take all those experiences, and create a list that’s classic, yet unique, and pushes our guests to trust what we are doing at Husk Nashville.

WWB: Can you talk about your training for your level 2 (certified) somm exam?

NA: I’ve had the privilege of tasting and learning under Advanced/Master Sommelier at a very early state of my training. I quickly pushed through my 1st & 2nd levels with the Court of Master Sommelier, I became very interested in more of the vinicultural side of wine. From their I took my CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine), and then I took a huge break. I hit this point of, contemplating why? Why was I doing this, for other people or for myself. So, I took about a 2-year break from wine. Coming to Nashville, showed me that wine is what you want from it. For me, seeing a guest enjoying a wine that they never in a million years would buy, then my job is done, and no test can fill that void for me.

WWB: Husk has a very strong wines by the glass collection. Can you talk about how this wide range of wines is chosen and how the wines have been arranged by soil type?

NA: With the wines by the glass, I wanted to push varietals that you normally wouldn’t drink, but had somewhat similar characteristics of wines that your familiar with. For example, instead of your classic California Chardonnay, we have Garganega from Soave, Italy. It’s my favorite wine to pour people, they always have the best reaction. The soils types were set into place to show that, not only does our food come from farmers who have families and stories, so does our wine. It shows that the wines we are pour, have a place, just like our food.

WWB: What are some of your favorite wine regions of the world and their producers?

NA: Bubbles, always tons of bubbles. Currently drinking this awesome little wine from an importer called Savio Soares based out of Brooklyn, NY. The wine is Latitude 50 N, it’s a unique sparkling rose of Portugeiser, Dornfelder, and Pinot Noir from Rheingau, Germany. Its wicked delicious, and super affordable.

Columbia Crest

A winery that needs no introduction, Columbia Crest remains one of the most popular wineries in the United States. There is good reason behind this, as I have had sampled hundreds of great bottles from this winery over the past ten years plus years. I can say that consistently the winemaking has been excellent, especially considering the price of these wines. There is a reason why these wines sell so well – because the winemaking is excellent, the fruit is good and the attention to detail is clearly there. If you are out in the Columbia Valley, be sure to check out their tasting room, outside of Patterson, Washington. It is literally in the middle of nowhere but it is an absolutely gorgeous country setting that provides a nice respite from the city.

I had the chance to interview Columbia Crest superstar winemaker Juan Munoz Oca a few weeks back. His new release wines were absolutely gorgeous, none more so than their impressive 2013 ‘Walter Clore Reserve' (WWB, 93), which over-delivers at its price point and offers gobs of rich dark fruit and a silky texture.  Another new release red wine that impressed for the price is the 2014 Columbia Crest ‘Gold Label’ (WWB, 90) that continues to be one of the great values in wine. It is hard to find the density and fruit weight in a red wine at this price. Consistently one of the best bargains in Washington wine, their 2014 Columbia Crest ‘H3’ Cabernet (WWB, 90) shows nice dark fruit flavors and remains one of the best value Cabernet wines in the United States today. Look for these wines at Costco as well as most Northwest supermarkets. Learn more about Columbia Crest wines at columbiacrest.com Here are the great new value release wines by Columbia Crest.

2014 Columbia Crest 'Grand Estates Unoaked' Chardonnay- This bright colored wine opens with aromatics of peach pit, vanilla custard and hints of brioche. There are rich flavors of banana, pineapple, white peach and creme brulee. With a rich texture and polished mouthfeel, this is just an awesome value Chardonnay. Drink 2016-2021- 90

2014 Columbia Crest 'Crowdsourced' Cabernet-Columbia Crest has created this wine through the ideas articulated by their online community, as the online members consistently weigh in regarding the winemaking of this Cabernet. This inaugural vintage is a huge success. The 2014 'Crowdsourced' Cabernet by Columbia Crest is an excellent bottling, sourced from the Horse Heaven Hills, which sat 16 months in 30% new oak barrels prior to bottling. Coming from a great vintage for Cabernet, the wine is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Merlot. This wine opens with aromas of black tea, coffee grounds and black cherry with black olive accents. The palate has a nice mineral streak, with rich flavors of black olive, black cherry, anise and coffee grounds. This Cabernet shows nice poise from this hot vintage. Drink 2016-2021- 90

2014 Columbia Crest 'Grand Estates Gold' Red Wine- The 2014 'Grand Estates Gold' is a compellingblend of 46% Cabernet Franc, 36% Syrah, 17% Malbec, and 1% Other. The red blend comes out of the bottle an inky, glass staining dark purple. There are dense aromas of boysenberry, wet gravel, and violet on the nose.  The wine spent 14 months in 58% new oak, and the mild coconut and vanilla flavors enhance rather than overwhelm this wine.  The finish offers the minerality from the Syrah and the herbaceousness from the Cabernet Franc.  This is a surprisingly complex wine and a fantastic value buy. Drink 2016-2021- 90 (S.L.)

2014 Columbia Crest 'H3' Merlot- This well-made Merlot bottling begins with aromatics of tasted herbs and boysenberry on the nose. This Merlot offers a surprisingly complex but harmonious palate with notes of blackberry, raspberry, bramble, dill, and vanilla. The wine finishes with velvety tannins and a little bit of cocoa powder.  Drink now, but like previous H3 Merlots, it will cellar well in the short-term .Drink 2016-2021-  89 (S.L.)

2014 Columbia Crest 'H3' Cabernet-Columbia Crest has gained a sterling reputation for outstanding values out of Washington State, and this wine is no exception. This excellent Cabernet is blended with 16% Merlot. Immediately you’ll notice the aroma of cherries and blackberries bursting out of the glass. The wine continues to exude more ripe berries and cherry pie on the palate with the subtle addition of leather and even a hint of tobacco. The Cabernet finishes with a moderate tannic structure and a smooth, ripe fruit ending with a slight mineral streak in the background. This Cabernet would pair beautifully with most red meats, but the Cabernet also has potential to pair nicely with chocolate focused desserts. While the blend of the Columbia Crest 'H3' Cabernet changes from year to year (typically it’s well over 90% Cabernet), the winemaking has resulted in a remarkably consistent wine and if you’ve enjoyed H3 Cabernet in past years, you’re sure to enjoy the 2014 as well. Drink 2016-2022- 90 (S.L)

2013 Columbia Crest ‘Walter Clore Reserve’ Red Wine- The 2013 Columbia Crest 'Walter Clore Reserve' Red Wine is an exceedingly good wine from this estate and is up there with the best 'Walter Clore' wines that I have sampled in the past decade. The wine is a silky blend of 64% Merlot, 34% Cabernet with the remainder Cab Franc and Malbec. This impressive red blend begins with baking spices, prune, black cherry and black olive on the nose. The palate has dense flavors of blackberry pie, black cherry, black olive and mocha. Dense, chewy and balanced, this is gorgeous right now and shows nice viscosity on the mid-palate. There is a seamless quality to this wine that reminds me of the rich, yet elegant 2004 'Walter Clore' bottling. Drink 2016-2026- 93

Perez Pascuas

I rarely have the opportunity to make the jaunt to Spain on the blog but I want to share the exceptional new release wines from Hnos. Perez Pascuas. This Ribera del Duero property has produced an exceedingly strong lineup of Tempranillo based wines. For those unfamiliar with the wines from this region, the reds typically have a bit of Cabernet blended in, and are primarily made with Tempranillo. This gives the wine a denser, exotic edge. Amazingly, winemaking in this region traces back to more than 2,000 years ago. This small growing region is not far from Rioja and is located north of Madrid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribera_del_Duero#/media/File:DO_Ribera_del_Duero_location.svg)

Great looking gnarled vines at Vina Pedrosa.

Sampling their ‘Reserva’ and ‘Gran Reserva’ bottlings, I was enamored by the 2011 ‘Reserva’ (WWB, 93) wine which impress for the price. Their ‘Gran Reserva’ bottlings (WWB, 93) both showed incredible richness and tension. This was an intriguing comparison as the 2009 showed a darker fruit and aromatic profile, while the 2010 showed its feminine side with red fruit and orange rind accents. Learn more about these tremendous wines at http://en.perezpascuas.com/ Here are the awesome release wine from Hnos. Perez Pascuas

2013 Hnos. Perez Pascuas 'Crianza'- This wine begins with aromatics of dill, coffee grounds, and roasted figs. There are flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, cranberry, sage and Mandarin orange rind. The savory elements are lovely. Give this at least a one hour decant before enjoying. Drink 2016-2025- 90

2012 Hnos. Perez Pascuas 'La Navilla Reserva'- This excellent wine was aged 20 months in French oak barrels. A dark hue to this lovely Reserva. The wine starts with aromatics of sage, cigar box, anise, black cherry and cranberry. There are flavors reminiscent of sage, anise, cassis, with cran-cherry. There is lovely weight and viscosity to this Reserva. Give this at least an hour decant before enjoying. Drink 2016-2028- 92

2012 Hnos. Perez Pascuas Vina Pedrosa 'Reserva' Ribera del Duero- This balanced bottling begins with aromas reminiscent of black cherry, white pepper, and red currant. There are flavors of red cherry, lavender, red currant and wild blackberry with strong suggestions of Mandarin orange rind. Balanced and mineral driven wine, with a long finish. This can benefit from another year of bottle age for the fruit to further integrate. Drink 2017-2030- 92

2011 Hnos. Perez Pascuas Vina Pedrosa 'Reserva' Ribera del Duero- The 2011 Vina Pedrosa 'Reserva' is a gorgeous effort this estate. This expressive red wine is a blend of 90% Tempranillo with 10% Cabernet and was aged 25 months in French and American oak prior to bottling. Possessing a slightly darker aromatic profile than the 2012 Vina Pedrosa Reserva, this wine starts with aromas of sandalwood, roasted figs, nutmeg, and boysenberry with suggestions of bacon fat. There are flavors of red currant, cassis, Mandarin orange rind and tar. Lovely balance and weight with a lingering berry and citrus driven finish. This will have an exceedingly long life, despite being approachable right now.   Drink 2016-2030- 93

2010 Hnos. Perez Pascuas Vina Pedrosa 'Gran Reserva' Ribera del Duero- This dense wine begins with aromas of sandalwood, Mandarin orange peel, black olive and black cherry. Lovely depth and needing more than an hour decant to reveal flavors of wild blackberry cobbler, black cherry, Pink grapefruit rind and anise. Incredible depth and richness. This balanced wine will be a long ager. Give this at least another year before enjoying. Drink 2017-2033- 93

2009 Hnos. Perez Pascuas Vina Pedrosa 'Gran Reserva' Ribera del Duero- This wine begins with aromas of cedar, milk chocolate, black cherry and sagebrush. There are deep flavors of coffee grounds, black cherry, anise, cassis, Mandarin orange rind and suggestions of nutmeg. Gorgeous range of flavors, having a slightly darker fruit profile than the 2009. Drink 2016-2033- 93