Interview with Charlie Auclair, Owner and Winemaker of Auclair Winery

A great Woodinville winery, Auclair, founded by Charlie Auclair, was started in 2000 following some inspiration from the great wine regions of the world. An impressive world traveler, Charlie recently returned to Washington from visiting some of the first growth estates in Bordeaux. His warm vintage new release wines were very impressive and I recently had the chance to sit down with Charlie and chat wine. I think you will really enjoy hearing his story. Here is my interview with Charlie Auclair, Owner and Winemaker of Auclair Winery.

WWB: You have traveled the world to some fantastic wine destinations. How have your travels influenced you as a winery owner and winemaker? 

CA: I have been very lucky to have traveled to some great winemaking regions over the years. My first trip to Napa was in 1988 on a summer break from college and it opened my eyes to what good wine was supposed to taste like. I went on an exchange program to the Soviet Union in 1989 during the Perestroika days of opening up to the west and I recall loving the wines from Hungary and Georgia. In 1992, I moved west from Massachusetts (where I grew up and went to school). My plan was to move to CA but I fell in love with Washington State on my way and settled here instead. 

Some of my biggest influences have been casual conversations with great wine makers. I recall visiting Yarra Yering winery in Australia’s Yarra Valley and talking with Dr. Bailey Carrodus in a simple tasting room located in the basement of a modest house where the tasting bar was a plank set up on 2 barrels. Here was one of the greatest winemakers in Australia pouring his own wines for people in a simple setting and I realized it wasn’t about the fancy tasting rooms and the picturesque locations. It was about making great wines. I got a tour of his facility and saw how simple and utilitarian it was. It was designed for 1 person to operate and to make great wine. 

My wife and I traveled through S. Africa for our honeymoon and spent a week in wine country there. Again, there was one winery that stood out from the rest for me. de Trafford was located at the end of a 2 mile, one lane, dirt road and had a simple tasting area in an older building on the property. They only opened 1 day/week for 4 hours. We visited due to a recommendation, and again, the wines were far superior to any others we had tasted at big fancy tasting rooms with incredible views. It just drove home the message for me that great wine is what’s important. The rest is really just fluff. 

WWB: Can you talk about your winemaking style or philosophy?

CA: I believe great wine is made in the vineyards. That sounds very obvious and almost rote to say but I really believe my job as winemaker is not to screw up the great grapes I get. I am hands off and don’t manipulate things. Vintage variation is OK. I take what I’m given and try to make the best wines possible. Every vintage is like a new child with its own personality and needs. 

WWB: I was very impressed with your 2013 Auclair Cabernet Franc (WWB, 90) which showed a beautiful feminine personality. Can you talk about this great wine?

CA: When I was doing blending trials for the 2013 Right Blend there were 2 blends on opposite ends of the Right Bank spectrum that just stood out for me. My typical Right Blend is Merlot dominant and I had zeroed in on a Merlot dominant blend that I liked a lot and it became my 2013 Right Blend, but there was this Cabernet Franc dominant blend that I really loved equally well and I just couldn’t blend it away, so I made this wine. This wine just demanded to be made. 

WWB: As a world traveler, what are some of your favorite wines and producers of the world. What are some of your favorite wines in your cellar?

The wine that changed my life and perspective on wine was a bottle of 1970 Mouton Rothschild that a very good friend shared with me. I was amazed that a 37 year old wine could taste so good. Up until that time aging for me meant storing a wine for 3-4 years after purchase. 

CA: I am an admirer of Bordeaux. I belong to a fantastic tasting group and have had the privilege of tasting some of the world’s great wines. I love German Riesling. Yarra Yering and Yeringberg in Australia are making great wines that I admire. Closer to home I have great respect for Kapcsandy, Betz, Cayuse and Leonetti wines. 

In my cellar right now I have a few favorite wines. For reds: Thomas Pinot Noir, Beaucastel, Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Barton, Latour, Cheval Blanc, Yarra Yering dry red #1, Yeringberg, Betz Le Parrain, and for whites my favorites are Domain de Chevalier Blanc, Didier Dagueneau, Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc, and Rhys and Yeringberg Chardonnays. 

Rulo

One of the great boutique wineries out of Walla Walla, Rulo was started by Dr. Kurt and Vicki Schlicker in 2000. Dr. Kurt serves as the winemaker while Vicki serves as the winery worker bee. The couple shares the winery tasks equally from vineyard checks to tank washing to tasting room responsibilities to distribution to paperwork to cleaning toilets. All wines are shipped to consumers as these wines have limited distribution. 

Many years back I was first introduced to these wines by Emory Cole of Emory’s On Silver Lake (Wine Spectator Restaurant Award Recipient). Emory praised the quality and price of these wines ten years ago. Today, these wines remain some of the outstanding values in Washington wine.

I recently had the chance to review their outstanding lineup of wines and was hugely impressed. Look for their gorgeous 2014 ‘Unoaked’ Chardonnay and 2013 Chardonnay (both WWB, 92) which were gorgeous and pure expressions of Chardonnay from some hot vintages. Not to be missed is their 2014 Rulo ‘Silo River Rock Vineyard’ Syrah (WWB, 92) which shows wonderful fruit flavors and earthy tones. Learn more about this fantastic Walla Walla winery at rulowinery.com Here are the great new wines by Rulo. 

2014 Rulo ‘Unoaked' Chardonnay-This delicious and plush Chardonnay wine opens with aromatics of unripe pear, cantaloupe, white peach and wet rock. There are ripe flavors reminiscent of Pazzaz apple, honeydew melon and suggestions of butterscotch. This shows wonderful minerality. Drink 2017-2023- 92

2013 Rulo Chardonnay-This outstanding Chardonnay wine begins with rich aromatics of creme brulee, white peach, red delicious apple and hints of nutmeg. There are rich flavors of creme brulee, vanilla cream, nutmeg and New York apple pie. This delicious wine will be best in the short-term. Drink 2017-2023-92

2016 Rulo Viognier- Rulo has crafted another outstanding white wine release with their 2016 Viognier. This begins with aromas of honeysuckle, white peach, gooseberry and hints of star fruit. There are flavors of starfruit, lemongrass, red delicious apple that sit alongside some lovely minerality. Drink 2017-2022- 91

2014 Rulo Grenache Blanc- White peach, white grapefruit, gooseberry and green apple aromatics that are followed by green apple, green papaya and wet stone flavors. This has lovely structure and is done in the refreshing style. Drink 2017-2022- 90

2014 Rulo ‘ORB ‘Red Wine-This wine is a blend of 68% Grenache and 32% Mourvèdre. The wine begins with aromatics of red cherry, pomegranate, smoked pork shoulder and suggestions of red raspberry purée. There are deep flavors of milk chocolate, red cherry, black olive and bacon fat. Savory and delicious this will have a long life.  Drink 2017-2027- 91

2014 Rulo ‘Silo River Rock Vineyard’ Syrah- This excellent Syrah wine begins with aromatics of red cherry, red raspberry, and wet stone. The flavors of red cherry, blackberry pie, crushed gravel and hints of lavender and pork belly. The minerality is lovely to this earthy and terroir driven Syrah wine. Drink 2017-2027- 92

2014 Rulo Petite Sirah- Dr. Kurt Schlicker has crafted one of the best Washington Petite Sirah wines that I have ever tasted with their 2014 release. This inky colored Petite Sirah wine opens with a bouquet of bulls blood, black cherry, black raspberry and wet rock. There are flavors of black cherry, creosote, smoked pork shoulder and hints of black olive. The tannins are massive. This is dense and brooding wine that needs another year to settle.  Drink 2018-2028- 92

DaMa Wines

In 2000 Mary Tuuri Derby and her husband Devin Derby got their start in Washington wine by creating the famed Spring Valley Vineyard. Devin’s unexpected death in 2004 was a huge shock to Mary’s life and left her wondering how best to support herself and her young son. Collaboration and community made the decision for her when nine Walla Walla wineries got together and donated a large quantity of wine, a “very large barrel of love,” says Mary, that ultimately became the beginnings of DAMA. In 2007 Mary and friend Dawn Kammer, created DAMA Wines. In 2012, Dawn left DAMA to return to her native California and new partner Judith Shulman came on board.

Don’t take the playful labels too lightly; these wines were serious. Their 2016 DaMa Rose (WWB, 90) is downright delicious and fruit driven, made from Cabernet Franc grapes. Check out their 2013 DaMa Grenache (WWB, 90) which displays a wonderful purity of fruit. Learn more about this great winery at https://damawines.com Here are the great new releases by DaMa.

2015 DaMa Wines Chardonnay- This opens with a bouquet of Gala apple, white peach and brioche. This leads to bright flavors of Pink Lady apple, banana, pineapple and hints of nutmeg. This has really nice poise in this warm vintage. Drink 2017-2021- 90

2016 DaMa Cabernet Franc Rose- Orange rind, red cherry and red raspberry show pretty aromatics. This leads to flavors of red cherry, pomegranate and white peach with hints of Gravenstein apple. This shows a beautiful texture. Drink 2017-2020- 90

2013 DaMa Grenache- This Grenache wine is sourced from the Lonesome Spring Vineyard in the Columbia Valley. The wine begins with an impressive bouquet of red cherry, rose petals, pipe tobacco and pomegranate seed. This has wonderful feminine qualities with red cherry, Rose petals, guava and strawberry. Drink 2017-2025- 90

2014 DaMa Tempranillo- This excellent Tempranillo wine begins with bright aromatics reminiscent of black tea, black cherry, dill and sage. There is a silky mouthfeel as red cherry, red raspberry, lavender and smoky flavors fill the mid-palate. Drink 2017-2025- 90

2012 DaMa 'DAMAnation' GSM Red Wine- This alluring red blend wine opens with a bright bouquet of white pepper, red cherry, red raspberry and baking slices. This leads to depenflavors of tobacco leaf, red cherry, red raspberry and black tea. This has wonderful texture and poise. Drink 2017-2027- 91

2012 DaMa Merlot- Sourced from the Golden Ridge Vineyard, this excellent Merlot wine opens with aromatics of black cherry, pipe tobacco, mint and baking spices. This leads to flavors of green bell pepper, red cherry, red raspberry and baking spices. This has beautiful elegance. Drink 2017-2025- 90

2013 DaMa Merlot- This warm vintage Merlot wine is sourced from the Walla Walla Valley. This wine opens with bright aromatics of red cherry, dill, sagebrush and mocha. The silky mouthfeel is lovely, as black cherry, red raspberry, mint and coffee ground flavors emerge from the glass. This is another very well-made Merlot by this excellent winery. Drink 2017-2025- 90

2012 DaMa Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the esteemed Sagemoor Vineyards, This wine has aromatics of black tea, red bell pepper, black cherry and smoke. This leads to flavors of black tea, coffee grounds, mint and red bell pepper. This has wonderful weight and balance. Drink 2017-2026- 91

2014 DaMa Cabernet Sauvignon - This Columbia Valley bottling opens with aromatics reminiscent of Chinese black tea, black olive, sage and mint followed by forward flavors of black tea, blackberry and black olive. Drink 2017-2025- 89

2013 DaMa ‘Cowgirl Cab’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the Columbia Valley, this deep colored Cabernet wine opens with aromatics reminiscent of mocha, graphite, black cherry and black olive. There is an excellent weight, balance and texture to this Cabernet wine, as black cherry, black olive and tar flavors emerge. Light tannins and a silky mouthfeel showcase this excellent wine. Drink 2017-2026- 90

2014 DaMa ‘Collage’ Red Wine- The ‘Collage’ by DaMa is primarily a Merlot wine that has small parts of Cabernet and Cabernet Franc blended in. The wine starts with black cherry, black tea, mocha and mint aromatics. The palate is plush, as is the silky texture which leads to ripe black cherry, cassis, Turkish coffee and sagebrush flavors. This is another solid effort by DaMa. Drink 2017-2025- 90

Interview with Trisaetum Co-Owner and Winemaker, James Frey

Today we have an awesome feature from one of the best out of Oregon. A hugely talented winemaker, Trisaetum co-founder, James Frey, was a former photographer from Santa Cruz who had a passion for wine. He is now a winemaker, business owner, and abstract expressionist artist. James has been making wine for the past 13 years since first planting a vineyard in his backyard. His new release wines were very impressive. I recently had the chance to sit down with him and chat wine. He talked about the recent run of warm vintages, as well as how he approaches his gorgeous Riesling and Chardonnay wines. I think you will really enjoy hearing more about him. Here is my interview with James Frey, winemaker of Trisaetum Winery. 

WWB: How did you decide to start Trisaetum?   

JF: I wish I could say there was some grand plan that led to this point, some brilliant business plan, but in reality it was lots of little things and a bit of persistence.  It started with a backyard acre of dead ice plant upon which I decided plant a vineyard.  That led to me turning our home into a winery every fall…which eventually led to us purchasing a piece of land in the Willamette Valley back in 2003 (so as my wife says I would stop making wine in the house).  My wife and I, along with our two young children, moved to the site and planted what would become the Coast Range estate.  Then came an opportunity to buy a piece of land on Ribbon Ridge, where we planted our second vineyard and built our winery.  It’s been 10 vintages now for Trisaetum in our winery with our own fruit.  Had we known everything we know now, maybe we wouldn’t have started the journey; but in hindsight, throwing away some caution and taking the risk has fortunately worked out for us.  It probably goes without saying it’s hard work building something from scratch, but it’s the best job in the world.

WWB: Your 2016 Trisaetum Riesling releases were some of the highest rated and most compelling bottlings in North America that I have reviewed in the past year. Can you talk about creating the right combination of extraction and tension in those awesome wines?

JF: Thank you for the kinds words.  Given we release eight different Rieslings each year, it’s something we’re particularly passionate about.  My family is originally from Alsace, so I suspect there’s Riesling coursing through my veins.  With that said, I did not go to wine school but instead learned by doing. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, and some of the time I’m smart enough notto repeat them year after year. For Riesling, I only do small vessel fermentations.  Each vintage I have roughly 100 oak barrel, stainless steel drum and concrete eggferments.  While it’s logistically much more complicated, it does provide me plenty of options from which to achieve the right balance; the right extraction and tension you’re talking about.  I don’t really follow a recipe. I like to experiment a lot and I taste even more. In the end, the goal is to produce Rieslings that have a soul, that reflect a sense of place; so ultimately you really have to be married to your sites.  With the amazing soil diversity we have in the Willamette Valley, and the significant variation from site to site; I think we can produce some pretty special single vineyard Riesling.

WWB: Your Chardonnay new release wines from the 2015 vintage were gorgeous. Can you talk about how you craft your style of Chardonnay which shows both elegance and opulence?  

JF: My favorite bottles of Chardonnay are those that have depth without being heavy…and have electricity without being austere.  As with any wine, it’s ultimately about balance.  Just like with Riesling, I only do small vessel ferments with Chardonnay choosing mostly to use a mix of new and neutral French oak barrels from the forests of Nevers and Allier (and occasionally mix in some concrete eggs).  I’ve been immensely fortunate the past four vintages to work alongside Jacques Lardiére as Louis Jadot vinifies their Oregon wines at Trisaetum.  Jacques spent forty-twoyears making great white burgundy for Jadot, so picking his brain every day is life changing.  It’s safe to say Jacques has had a major influence on how I approach making Chardonnay here in the Willamette Valley.  It’s hard not to be inspired tasting each day along-side someone whose made wine from well over one hundred vineyards in Burgundy.

WWB: Oregon has enjoyed a recent run of downright awesome vintages. How excited are you about the 2015 and 2016 vintages? What are some of the differences you see between 2015 and 2016?   

JF: The running joke in the Willamette Valley is if you’re wearing a t-shirt during harvest it’s a good year because some years it’s only long underwear and rain gear.  So yes, the past two vintages in Oregon have been warm and dry whereclusters were ripe and flavors well-developed. Surprisingly though, acidity didn’t drop as quickly as expected(especially in 2016), leaving us with great energy in the wines.  While plentiful, I find the tannins to be more fine-grained in 2016.  As with any warmer vintage in Oregon, the key is retaining elegance and nuance despite the ripeness. That may mean picking a little earlier, doing more whole-cluster or keeping fermentation temperatures lower. It’s still early, but it’s hard not to like what Mother Nature gave us in both 2015 and 2016. 

WWB: When you are not enjoying Oregon wines, what are some of your favorite wines of the world? What is your cellar like?  

JF: Given winemakers here are quite collaborative and we like to trade wine with each other on a regular basis, my cellar has an abundance of Oregon bottles.  Some of these are my most prized.  But since you asked about wines beyond Oregon, sections of my cellar I find myself going to most often would be Alsace, Wachauand the Saar for Riesling; all things Walla Walla; Beaujolais; Pouilly-Fuissé; Jura; and not surprisingly Burgundy.  These happen to correspond to the winemaking regions I most often visit, so it’s probably not surprising.  Because we are about to release our first sparkling wines at Trisaetum, I do seem to have a larger number of grower champagnes on hand recently; which is surprising since these don’t typically hang around the cellar very long.  My cellar master and I like to do whiskey and scotch tastings on a regular basis as well.  When someone asks me how to become a successfulwinemaker, the answer is simple.  You must taste.  And taste a lot.  And taste different styles of wine from around the world.  The more you taste, the better your palate becomes; the better winemaker you become.

Quilceda Creek

A standout in Washington wine, founded in 1979, Quilceda Creek has been one of the most consistently outstanding producers of Cabernet in North America. Last Friday I had the chance to visit the winery and taste there. The spotlight was on the warm, 2014 vintage which was the hottest vintage on record to that point in Washington state. The new release wines from Quilceda were simply stunning. 

One of the best values in Washington wine is their 2014 ‘CVR’ (WWB, 94) which impressed even more than when I first reviewed the wine in December, 2016. This wine now is even more plush, open and downright delicious than how it showed upon release. At the 40 dollar retail price point, this wine is a knockout value.  One of the best wines I have reviewed this year was the 2014 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet (WWB 99). This true heavyhitter flirts with perfection and walks the line between being brooding and elegant. This is one of the best of its kind that I have ever had from this storied state. The best ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ Cabernet by Quilceda that I have ever sampled is their new 2014 bottling (WWB, 99). This vineyard is truly coming into its own as the resultant wine is a rockstar bottling that is hugely intense and elegant, showing massive dark fruits and strong tannins.  Hats off to superstar winemaker, Paul Golitzen, who has crafted some of the best Cabernet wine in the United States. Learn more about this famed estate at http://quilcedacreek.com Here are the stunning new wines by Quilceda Creek. 

2014 Quiceda Creek ‘CVR’ Red Wine- This wine begins with aromatics of crushed wet rock, red cherry, anise and creme de cassis. Thew mouthfeel is dense and intense with flavors of creme de cassis, coffee grounds, mocha and crushed mint. The mouthfeel is intense as the rich flavors delight the senses. This has lovely tension, precision and minerality, as the weight and structure shine through. This is intense and absolutely gorgeous right now as the fruit weight and plush texture has improved since this was first reviewed in December 2016. This wine is truly one of the best value red wines made in Washington. Drink 2017-2027- 94

2014 Quilceda Creek ‘Palengat’ Red Wine- This is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. This vintage has utilized considerably less Merlot than the previous vintage. The is entirely sourced from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. The aromatics are dense and somewhat spicy showing spicebox, anise, creme de cassis, coffee grounds and cayenne pepper. The heady aromas bring you back to the glass for more.The mouthfeel is voluptuous and intense. Creme de cassis, anise, coffee grounds, candied red cherry and hints of pipe tobacco flavors persist. The red wine is showing its masculine side as the Cabernet component is stealing the show at the moment. Tannins are moderate at this juncture and you can get a touch of herbaceousness from the Cabernet Franc towards the back end. This excellent red wine will cellar marvelously for a decade or more. Drink 2017-2030- 95

2014 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet- This 100% Cabernet wine was aged for 21 months in new French oak and was sourced from the Champoux, Palengat and Wallula VIneyards. Having a dense core this inky colored Cabernet wine begins with a ripe bouquet of rose petals, creme de cassis, anise, milk chocolate coated dark cherries and sweet pipe tobacco. The heady aromatics are downright monstrous, yet depict a wonderful sense of place which brings out the wine’s femininity. The palate is plush and intense, showing a wonderful softness as this juncture. There are deep flavors of black forest cake, black olive tapenade, creme de cassis, mocha and suggestions of eucalyptus. The minerality is absolutely fabulous as this wine brings near perfect tension, voluptuous fruits and an exceedingly long finish. If enjoying young be sure to decant for at least two hours.  There is a seamless quality to this wine that reminds me of the unbelievable 2004 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ bottling. This gorgeous Cabernet wine is both massive and elegant. This stunning wine will cellar well for two decades. Drink 2018-2035- 99

2014 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ Cabernet- This 100% Cabernet wine was sourced from the esteemed Galitzine Vineyard in Red Mountain, which was first planted in 2000 and 2001. The Galitzine Vineyard is 100% owned and controlled by Quilceda Creek. The wine was aged for 21 months in 100% French oak prior to botlting. This Cabernet has an even more dense core than 2014 ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet bottling. The aromatics are loaded with dark fruits including candied black cherry, black raspberry cordial, Hoisin sauce, creme de cassis and Turkish coffee with hints of crushed mint. These gorgeous aromatics make you sit at your glass and think of this hot vintage and vineyard site which is really coming into its own. The mouthfeel and texture to this stunning Cabernet wine is simply incredible. The mid-palate weight is simply massive at this juncture and is like nothing that I have sampled in the past year from Washington. Moderate to major tannins frame uber-dense flavors of black olive tapenade, sweet pipe tobacco, wild blackberry preserves, dark chocolate shavings and suggestions of Chinese black tea. Exotic, intense and layered, this massive wine will cellar marvelously over the next two decades. The wine is becoming even more divergent to the ‘Columbia Valley’ bottling as this shows even more intensity and fruit weight on the mid-palate. This is nearly impossible to resist right now in its nascency due to the massive weight but try to resist it for at least another year for the tannins to mellow. Drink 2018-2035- 99

Wagner Family of Wines

One of the biggest players in Napa, Caymus and the Wagner Family of Wines has established themselves as superstar producers of ripe and robust wines. Caymus has established itself for more than 40 years and is known for some of the best Cabernet out of Napa. 

Besides Caymus, Wagner Family produces several lines of wines including Conundrum, Emmolo and Mer Soleil. The new lineup of wines by Wagner Family were highly impressive. Caymus also produces a reserve Cabernet wine, bottled as their ‘Special Selection.’ The past three vintages of the ‘Special Selection’ have been insanely good — none more so than their new release, the 2014 ‘Special Selection’ Cabernet (WWB, 97) which is a heavyhitter of a wine, showing gobs of dark fruit alongside wonderful graphite and mineral components. The 2014 ‘Special Selection’ is up there with the best Napa Cabernet bottlings that I have sampled this year. 

Learn more about Caymus and the Wagner Family of Wines at http://www.wagnerfamilyofwine.com

2015 Conundrum White Wine- The ‘Connundrum’ White Wine is an excellent blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscat Canelli, and Viognier. Refreshing and downright delicious, this wine yields some bright flavors of honeydew melon, green apple, bright pear and starfruit. The bursts of fruit in the glass is intense, as is the excellent minerality expressed. With a touch of sweetness, this is a fantastic wine for summer. Drink 2017-2021- 90

2016 Conundrum Rose- This intriguing Rose wine is made from the Valdigué varietal, largely only grown in California. This great Rose wine comes in a great looking retro bottle. The wine begins with a ripe bouquet of pink grapefruit, watermelon and red cherry. Fruity and downright delicious flavors await, reminiscent of red cherry, red raspberry, currant and guava puree that sit alongside some brisk minerality. This has lovely weight as it is done in the forward style, while maintaining good structure. Drink 2017-2021- 90

2015 Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc- This light colored Sauvignon Blanc wine by Emmolo begins with aromatics of unripe pear, gooseberry and citrus blossoms. Lithe and light on its feet, this great wine delivers ripe flavors of pear, Pink Lady apple, lemongrass and suggestions of baking spices. This shows off the heat of the vintage while maintaining some excellent structure. Drink 2017-2022- 91

2015 Mer Soleil ‘Silver’ Chardonnay- This unoaked Chardonnay wine is sourced from Monterey County and was aged in both stainless steel and small concrete tanks. The wine begins with aromatics of ripe peach, Golden Delicious apple, creme brûlée and nutmeg. The bouquet is lovely, bordering on exotic. Creme brulee, white peach, marzipan and brioche flavors coat the mid-palate, as does mouthwatering acidity. This is a gorgeous effort and a downright awesome value from this estate. Drink 2017-2025- 93

2015 Emmolo Merlot- This dense colored Merlot wine comes from a hot vintage in Napa and begins with deep aromatics reminiscent of black tea, Hoisin sauce, mocha and mint. The palate is plush, offering creme de cassis, pipe tobacco and black cherry cough syrup flavors. Chewy tannins round out this exceedingly delicious Merlot wine. Drink 2017-2027- 91

2014 Caymus ‘Special Selection’ Cabernet- The 2014 Caymus 'Special Selection' Cabernet is an exceptional wine made from this storied estate.  Following some time to settle in the decanter, this incredible Cabernet wine begins to yield dense aromatics of creosote, black tar, black cherry compote, milk chocolate shavings and licorice. The mid-palate mouthfeel is voluptuous and intense as this wine offers exceedingly dense flavors of black cherry cough syrup, milk chocolate, raspberry liquor, blueberry pie and boysenberry alongside tar accents. Be sure to give a stunning one at least a two hour decant before enjoying young as the tannins are massive and need time to develop. I can see this exceedingly delicious Cabernet wine cellaring beautifully for two decades on. This is up there with the best ‘Special Selection’ Cabernet wines that I have ever sampled. Drink 2018-2038- 97

Domaine J. Meuret

Following some huge successes with his first winery, Maison Bleue, Domaine J. Meuret was founded by Dr. Jon Meuret in 2013. Domaine J. Meuret focuses on crafting small lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from organically grown, cool-climate vineyards across the Pacific Northwest. This winery serves as a cool side project for Dr. Meuret, as his last two cool climate wines have impressed. 

Both wines come from the very warm 2014 vintage, which was generally a challenging vintage for white wines. His 2014 Domaine J. Meuret 'Clos Pierre White Salmon Vineyard' Chardonnay (WWB, 92) is a stunning example of cool climate Washington Chardonnay, as the wine shows vibrant acidity despite the obvious heat of the vintage. Learn more about these really cool wines at http://jmeuret.com/ Here are the new release wines by Domaine J. Meuret. 

2014 Domaine J. Meuret 'Clos Pierre White Salmon Vineyard' Chardonnay-Chardonnay- The White Salmon Vineyard is a 20 acre cool climate vineyard located in the Columbia Gorge region. This vineyard has gained a very strong reputation in the state for elegant Chardonnay. This wine begins with bright aromatics of pink grapefruit, white peach and lychee with Pazzaz apple. This leads to flavors of white peach, vanilla cream and New York apple pie with a saline streak. This has wonderful length and persistence. Drink 2017-2026- 92

2014 Domaine J. Meuret 'Les Cheney Phelps Creek Vineyard' Pinot Noir- The Phelps Creek Vineyard is set at 950–1,200 feet with an average annual rainfall of 36 inches. The soil is deep, reddish colored ancient volcanic soil. This wine utilizes Dijon 115 and Pommard clones. Having tasted through the Phelps Creek winery lineup, it is apparent that this cool climate site produces some wonderful grapes. Dr. Jon Meuret has crafted his Pinot Noir utilizing this great vineyard. This has lovely aromatics of bing cherry, red raspberry, sage and baking spices. This leads to flavors of red cherry, red raspberry, nutmeg and pomegranate seed with orange rind. This had lovely texture and range, as well as mid-palate weight as the warm vintage has added some intensity to the red fruits. This shows off wonderful minerality despite the obvious heat of the vintage. I can see this wonderful Pinot Noir wine cellar a decade or more. Drink 2017-2027- 92

Abeja

A stellar Walla Walla winery, Abeja is one of the more gorgeous wineries in Washington to visit. Abeja is set in the foothills of Walla Walla’s Blue Mountains. This stunning winery includes seven luxury cottages, creeks, and gardens on the 32 acre property. I recently had the chance to stop by the winery and taste their awesome new wines. Abeja relies on the winemaking talents of Dan Wampfler and Amy Alvarez-Wampfler.  Both Dan and Amy have roughly a combined 30 years of winemaking experience. I was blown away with their new release wines.

Look for the 2016 Abeja Viognier (WWB, 94) which is the best Washington Viognier that I have sampled in the last year. This wine shows opulence, poise and an exotic character that makes this a standout wine. Just as good was the 2014 Abeja Cabernet (WWB, 94) which was a massive wine that shows incredible dark fruit character and needs some time to settle. This Cabernet is one for the cellar. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://www.abeja.net/ Here are the great new wines by Abeja.

2016 Abeja 'Beekeeper' Rose- This Mourvèdre Rose was sourced from the Kenny Hill Vineyard. This begins with aromatics of pink grapefruit, watermelon and red cherry starburst. This leads to flavors of guava, watermelon and green apple. This is lithe and delicious Rose wine. Drink 2017-2021- 90 $25

2016 Abeja 'Beekeeper' Chardonnay- This wine begins with a bouquet of white peach, Pazzaz apple, and white flowers. The mouthfeel is lovely. Flavors of poached pear, lemon zest and Red Delicious apple persist. Drink 2017-2022- 90 $25

2015 Abeja 'Washington State' Chardonnay-This begins with dense aromas of marzipan, brioche, nutmeg and creme brulee. This leads to flavors of pear, New York apple pie, nutmeg and starfruit.  This has a gorgeous texture and a plush mouthfeel. Drink 2017-2024- 92 $Washington, $35

2015 Abeja 'Walla Walla Valley' Chardonnay- This starts with aromatics of creme brulee, bananas foster, honeydew melon and Gala apple. This leads to bright flavors of baking spices, vanilla cream, Pazzaz apple and sourdough bread. This has wonderful minerality. Drink 2017-2024- 93

2016 Abeja Viognier- This has a highly perfumed nose of lychee, white rose, gardenia and hints of baked apple. This leads to flavors reminiscent of brioche, vanilla cream and starfruit with a touch of lychee. The ripeness, texture and viscosity makes this one of the best out there in Washington. This is simply an exceptional wine made by the superstar winemaking team at Abeja. Drink 2017-2025- 94

2015 Abeja 'Beekeeper's Blend' Red Blend- This Wine is a blend of 68% Cabernet with the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cab Franc. This begins with a bouquet of prune, black olive, black cherry and hints of milk chocolate. There are deep flavors of black plum, milk chocolate, mint and blackberry jam. This has wonderful balance and weight. Drink 2017-2024- 90

2014 Abeja Merlot-Made with 3% Cabernet Franc, they have used a touch of Estate fruit as well. This begins with aromatics of baking spices, black cherry, black olive tapenade and hints of milk chocolate shavings. This leads to flavors reminiscent of black tea, wild blackberry preserves, creme de cassis and Turkish coffee. There is wonderful fruit weight and a gorgeous, velvety texture. This is an outstanding effort by the talented winemaking team of Abeja. Drink 2017-2029- 94

2014 Abeja Cabernet- This Columbia Valley bottling begins with dense aromatics of mocha, black tea, blackberry pie and blueberry cobbler. The hedonistic aromas bring you back to the glass for more. This leads to flavors of coffee grounds, dark chocolate shavings, crushed mint, eucalyptus and creosote. Moderately tannic, this needs another year in the bottle to fully come together. This Cabernet is Dynamic and lithe, yet massive. If enjoying young, give this beautiful wine at least a two hour decant. Drink 2018-2033- 94

Avennia

Avennia

When you have superstar winemaker Chris Peterson at the helm, good things happen. Avennia is one of the best boutique Washington wineries. Their wines always sell out and are typically pretty difficult to find. Head winemaker Chris Peterson served as DeLille Cellars winemaker prior to teaming up with Avennia co-founder Marty Taucher for a winning combination. The new releases from the outstanding 2014 vintage are rich and balanced. While I was hugely impressed with the 2013 releases, these wines are up here with the best wines ever made at this great winery. Look for the 2014 Avennia ‘Justine’ Red Wine (WWB, 94) which is silky, elegant and rich. Even better was the 2014 Avennia ‘Arnaut’ Syrah (WWB, 95) which shows insane range and is downright impossible to resist. Check out their new releases at avennia.com. Here are the stellar new wines from Avennia:

2014 Avennia ‘Justine’ Red Wine- The 2014 Avennia ‘Justine’ Red Wine is a sterling blend of 45% Grenache, 36% Mourvedre, and 19% Syrah. This wine has heady aromatics of black tar, black cherry, cigar box and provencal herbs. The herbaceousness is just lovely and gives this wine extra character. This wine is silky and shows the wonderful push between feminine and masculine, as dark and red fruit flavors emerge alongside excellent structure. Juicy and downright delicious, this is an outstanding wine made by the talented hands of Chris Peterson. Drink 2017-2027- 94

2014 Avennia ‘Arnaut’ Syrah- Sourced from the esteemed Boushey Vineyard, this wine is the follow up from one of my top wines of 2016, the absolutely compelling and downright awesome 2013 ‘Arnaut’ Syrah. Showing a deep core, this Syrah wine opens with aromatics reminiscent of smoked brisket, dried sage, black olive and black cherry cough syrup. The aromatic range is hugely compelling. Dense and masculine, this wine is currently showing off flavors reminiscent of milk chocolate, black forest cake, black olive and suggestions of smoked pork shoulder. I can’t help thinking what an outstanding pairing this would be for a juicy ribeye steak. Showing a wonderful minerality, this deep wine will cellar well past the next decade. This is a true heavyhitter of a SyrahDrink 2017-2030- 95

2014 Avennia ‘Gravura’ Red Wine- The 2014 Avennia ‘Gravura’ Red Wine is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon with 37% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc. At this time, the dark fruits show more than red fruit aromatics, as do spicebox and Hoisin sauce accents. This has really nice poise and showcases superstar winemaker Chris Peterson’s classic structured style. Black plum, black cherry, black olive and suggestions of baking spices round out these delicious flavors. The weight and mouthfeel is lovely. Be sure to give this a one hour plus decant if enjoying in its nascent phase. Drink 2017-2027- 92

2014 Avennia ‘Sestina’ Red Wine- The 2014 ‘Sestina’ by Avennia is another gorgeous wine made by Chris Peterson. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this wine opens with a rich bouquet of graphite, creme de cassis, coffee grounds and suggestions of sweet pipe tobacco. The aromatics of this wine are simply intoxicating. The texture and mouthfeel deliver here. Cigar box, black cherry, mocha, black olive and creme de cassis flavors entice and sit alongside some mouth-watering acidity. If enjoying young, be sure to give this wine at least a two hour decant, as this wine becomes even more brooding and dark. Give this gorgeous Cabernet wine at least one more year in the bottle to fully settle. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2014 Avennia ‘Vallery’ Red Wine-The 2014 ‘Vallery’ by Avennia is blend of 60% Boushey Vineyard Merlot and 40% Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc. They make some magic together. After spending an hour in the decanter, mint, creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, black cherry and black olive tapenade aromatics emerge from the glass. Chris Peterson has crafted his signature silky mouthfeel in this wine. Black cherry, red raspberry liquor, smoke, sagebrush and milk chocolate flavors impress. This has wonderful aromatic and flavor range. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2014 Avennia ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This absolutely outstanding wine is sourced from old vine Cabernet which was first planted in 1985. There is a wonderful purity of fruit that emerges from the glass, as aromatics of black cherry, eucalyptus, crushed mint, blackberry cobbler and milk chocolate show their presence. There is an awesome interplay between dark and red fruits on the mid-palate, as the structure is primary and fruits secondary at this juncture. This is massive and needs time in the bottle to fully show off its potential. Drink 2019-2033- 94

Trisaetum

An outstanding winery out of Oregon, Trisaetum has gained national recognition for their Riesling wines. Co-founder, James Frey, was a former photographer from Santa Cruz who had a passion for wine. He is now a winemaker, business owner, and abstract expressionist artist. James has been making wine for the past 13 years since first planting a vineyard in his backyard. He is a hugely talented winemaker.

I was particularly impressed with the tension and minerality of their entire lineup. These wines are not to be missed as their Pinots were just as outstanding as their Riesling wines. Look for their 2016 Trisaetum ‘Coast Range Estate’ Riesling (WWB, 93) which is one of the best Rieslings in North America that I have reviewed in the past year. The brilliant tension is there in the wine. Just as outstanding was their 2015 Trisaetum ‘Ribbon Ridge Estate’ Chardonnay (WWB, 93) which was a simply gorgeous and deep Chardonnay wine that will cellar marvelously over the next decade. Learn more about this fantastic Willamette Valley winery at http://www.trisaetum.com Here are the great new release wines by Trisaetum. 

2015 Trisaetum 'Ribbon Ridge Estate' Chardonnay- Needing a 30 minute decant to be fully aromatically present, this wine emerges with a strong bouquet of creme brulee, lemon rind, baking spices and suggestions of ginger. There is a silky texture and mouthfeel, as this excellent wine glides along the mid-palate. Kumquat, Mandarin orange, lemon blossom and heavy whipping cream with a touch of roasted banana showcase this great flavor range. Delicious now, this wine will also cellar marvelously for a decade. Drink 2017-2027- 93

2015 Trisaetum 'Willamette Valley' Chardonnay- This awesome new Chardonnay wine starts with a bright bouquet of nutmeg, golden delicious apple, and heavy whipping cream. The pallet shows nice finesse and intensity with flavors reminiscent of crème brûlée, banana, red delicious apple and wet rock that sit along some serious structure. This hot vintage Chardonnay is a delight to savor at this juncture. Drink 2017-2027- 92

2016 Trisaetum 'Wichmann Dundee Estate' Dry Riesling- This excellent Riesling wine begins with a bouquet of wet stone, petrol, white flowers and granny Smith Apple. The palate is lithe as this wine is currently displaying right flavors of kumquat, pink lady apple, green papaya and unripe pear. This is simply irresistible with a lovely tension. This is truly one of the best in its kind that I have sampled in Oregon in the past year. Drink 2017-2026- 93

2016 Trisaetum 'Ribbon Ridge Estate' Dry Riesling- White flowers, petrol, green apple and melon accents show off an excellent nose. There is a striking minerality to this wine. Orange Blossom, Granny Smith apple, papaya, and wet stone flavors set off this exotic and mineral driven Riesling wine. Drink 2017-2026- 92

2016 Trisaetum 'Coast Range Estate' Dry Riesling- The 2016 Trisaetum 'Coast Range Estate' Dry Riesling is another gorgeous wine from this estate and the talented hands of winemaker James Frey. This one begins with aromatics of patrol, white flowers, honeydew melon and green apple accents. The structure is absolutely lovely. Gravenstein apple, green papaya and crushed gravel flavors set this wine off. This has the structure to cellar for a decade or more. Drink 2017-2027- 93

2015 Trisaetum ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Smoke, red cherry, lavender and red raspberry preserves fill up the bouquet. Forward, juicy and structured, this wine delivers persistent guava, red cherry, red raspberry and earthy flavors. This excellent Pinot Noir wine will cellar well into the next decade. Drink 2017-2027- 90

2015 Trisaetum ‘Coast Range Estate’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Trisaetum, 22 acre Coast Range Vineyard, this wine weighs in at 13.7% alcohol. The vineyard is set on volcanic and marine sedimentary soils. This translucent colored Pinot Noir wine opens with a bright bouquet of rose petals, smoke, sandalwood and red cherry starburst candy. The palate has wonderful structure, red fruit flavors and elegance. Guava, pomegranate seed, orange rind and red cherry flavors come to mind. This would be the perfect match for grilled salmon. Drink this delicious wine over the next decade. Drink 2017-2029- 92

2015 Trisaetum ‘Ribbon Ridge Estate’ Pinot Noir- Showing some brownish tones in the glass, this wine starts with peat moss, forest floor, red cherry and guava aromatics. There is a wonderful elegance to this wine, as well as a plush texture. Red fruit flavors show off their feminine side, while smoke and earthy tones play a smaller role. This has wonderful balance and poise in this warm vintage, as winemaker James Frey has created an outstanding Pinot Noir wine here. Drink 2017-2029- 93

2015 Trisaetum 'Wichmann Dundee Estate' Pinot Noir- This wine shows off gorgeous aromatics of black truffle oil, dried sage, cola and black cherry cough syrup. The mineral streak is just as impressive. Flavors of black cherry, wild blackberry pie and forest floor with wild mushroom impress. This is a long ager and a fantastic effort from this estate. The balance between fruit and structure makes this nearly impossible to resist right now. Drink 2017-2029- 93

2015 Trisaetum ‘Estates Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The 2015 ‘Estates Reserve’ Pinot Noir by Trisaetum is a combination of the most prized barrels from their estate vineyards and is another outstanding wine made by the talented hands of James Frey. Smoky and dark fruit tones fill the nose, as do peat moss, Shitake mushroom and forest floor elements. The texture to this wine is really stunning. Wild blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry liquor and forest floor flavors come to mind. This is another outstanding release from this great winery. Drink 2017-2029- 93

Dunham Riesling Retrospective (2007-2012)

One of the eminent Walla Walla wineries, Dunham Cellars was first founded by the Dunham family in 1995. While Dunham has primarily gained a nationwide reputation for their red wines, I have found that in the past decade they have made some of the best Riesling in Washington. Dunham currently relies on the talented hands of winemaker Tyler Tennyson for their red and white wines. Dunham Rieslings have been excellent in part due to their fruit from the esteemed Lewis Vineyard which was first planted in 1998. The vineyard is located in the foothills of the Rattlesnake Ridge in the Columbia Valley. Set at roughly 1200 feet, the vineyard is owned and managed by Betty Lewis & son, Ken Jr. Having tried the past 10 vintages of this wine, I have found the Lewis Vineyard to be one of the best sites for Riesling in Washington and arguably in North America.

The wines that I tried in the Dunham Riesling retrospective dated from 2007-2012. 2007 and 2008 were near perfect vintages for Washington. 2007 was slightly warmer while 2008 was slightly on the cooler side, these vintages showed beautifully for both red and white wines. The same was true in 2009, a slightly hotter year, which produced some scintillating and concentrated red wines in particular. 2010 and 2011 were cooler vintages that created some ripening issues particularly for red wines in 2011. Both ’10’ and ’11 vintages served up gorgeous growing conditions for Riesling and other white varietals. Finally, 2012 had a late growing season and moderate temperatures which contributed to a near perfect vintage for both red and white wines. 

The aged Dunham Riesling wines were all stunning. All wines were made by superstar winemaker Dan Wampfler, currently the winemaker at Abeja. I was struck by the consistency of the agability in the wines. None of the Riesling wines appeared to be near the end of their drinking windows. Each Riesling wine showed a classic style and structure whether it was Riesling from a cooler or warmer vintage. It was remarkable how similar the acidity seemed between very different vintages, as the structure in the ’09 appeared to be similar to that in the ’10 and ’11 Rieslings. It is clear that this high elevation site allows the varietal to retain wonderful acidity despite the heat of a vintage. The Dunham winemaking team also appeared to make wonderful judgment in terms of when to pick that varietal each year. Learn more about Dunham Rieslings at dunhamcellars.com Here are the great aged Rieslings by Dunham Cellars.

2007 Dunham 'Lewis Vineyard' Riesling- Coming from this great vintage in Washington, the 2007 ‘Lewis Vineyard’ Riesling is showing brilliantly at this decade mark. This excellent wine has heavy petrol aromatics with cantaloupe, white peach and white flowers with beeswax. The palate shows nice weight and structure, currently displaying flavors reminiscent of green papaya, wet rock, honey, and minerals with a hugely long finish. This has a wonderful astringency as the sugar content contributes to the mouth-watering effect. Drink 2017-2025- 93

2008 Dunham 'Lewis Vineyard' Riesling- The 2008 ‘Lewis Vineyard’ Riesling is currently showing strong petrol aromas and crushed gravel accents as well as white peach, nutmeg and Pazzaz apple aromatics. The mouthfeel is lithe and powerful right now. This leads to ripe flavors of cantaloupe, Granny Smith apple pie, and white flowers. This has an exceedingly long finish and a wonderful mineral streak. Drink 2017-2025- 93

2009 Dunham 'Lewis Vineyard' Riesling- 2009 was a warm vintage. It is somewhat surprising what structure this wine shows at this juncture as it remains vibrant. This excellent wine opens with white flowers, petrol, Gravenstein apple and wet rock. This leads to flavors of pink grapefruit, New York apple pie, white flowers and pineapple. This is exotic and layered, showing wonderful weight and minerality. This probably has another five plus years left right now. Drink 2017-2024- 93

2010 Dunham 'Lewis Vineyard' Riesling- This cold vintage wine begins with aromatics of green apple, green papaya, lemongrass and wet rock. The stony aspect of the wine becomes more apparent the longer you sit with it. There is a wonderful minerality and astringency as this wine currently displays bright flavors of Granny Smith, pink grapefruit, apple, unripe peach, wet rock and white flowers. This is a pretty style of Riesling that shows great balance and poise in this cold vintage. Drink 2017-2027-93

2011 Dunham 'Lewis Vineyard' Riesling- 2011 was a very cool vintage in the Columbia Valley. It is no surprise that this wine is showing marvelously, as the acidity of this wine is very impressive right now. This Riesling opens with an intense bouquet of gooseberry, wet stone, petrol and apricot with white grapefruit. The wine possesses a bright minerality with flavors of white peach, lemon oil, gooseberry, green apple and unripe pear with petrol. The mouthfeel and silky texture is gorgeous, as is the sterling structure. Drink 2017-2027- 94

2012 Dunham 'Lewis Vineyard' Riesling- The 2012 ‘Lewis Vineyard’ Riesling wine opens with aromatics of petrol, white peach, gooseberry and Red Delicious apple. The minerality of this wine is lovely, as is the mouthfeel and texture. This shows intense flavors of petrol, lemongrass, Granny Smith apple and unripe pear. The finish lingers. Drink 2017-2027- 93

Matthews

One of the older Woodinivlle wineries, Matthews was founded in 1992 and remains a family owned and operated winery. Matthews relies on the talented hands of Aryn Morell who consults for a host of exceptional Washington wineries. One of the great winemakers in the state, Morell has had previous jobs at some of the best Napa estates including Joseph Phelps, Quintessa, Chimney Rock, Vineyard 29, Chappellet, Stags Leap Winery, and Turnbull. He became head winemaker for Matthews in 2007 and Morell sources his grapes from some great vineyards in Washington like Stillwater Creek, Weinbau and Sagemoor. All Matthews wines are made at his production facility in Walla Walla.

I recently had the opportunity to taste with Aryn over a period of four hours. His wines were exceptional across the board. The Matthews lineup was just gorgeous as I immediately noticed the silky mouthfeel and wonderful minerality that Aryn incorporates into all his wines wines.  A downright awesome value is the 2016 Matthews Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 92 points) which is one of the best Washington Sauvignon Blancs that I have sampled in the past year. Similarly gorgeous was the 2013 Matthews Claret (WWB, 93 points), which was primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and shows tremendous dark fruits. This is another great value by Matthews. Learn more about the great Matthews lineup at http://www.matthewswinery.com/ Here are the fantastic new releases by Matthews.

2016 Matthews Sauvignon Blanc- Matthews has gained a sterling reputation for their entry level Sauvignon Blanc bottling and this wine is a reminder of that. This wine was sourced from the Boushey and Stillwater Creek Vineyards. This wine has 11% Semillon blended in. You can really taste the Semillon adding to the weight and mouthfeel of this great wine. The Sauvignon Blanc begins with aromatics reminiscent of butter, white flowers, nutmeg, cantaloupe and suggestions of baking spices. White peach, white grapefruit and Pazzaz apple flavors follow. This is lithe, Bordelaise and has a wonderful elegance and weight. Drink 2017-2025- 92

2016 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc- This gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc wine was largely aged in concrete eggs which add to the texture of the wine. This begins with aromatics of lemongrass, white peach, white grapefruit and gooseberry. This has lovely texture and complexity. Flavors of Japanese apple, nectarine, cantaloupe and hints of vanilla and whipping cream impress. The balance and Bordelaise feel is there, all leading to an exceedingly long finish. Drink 2017-2027- 93

2014 Matthews ‘Claret’ Red Wine- This compelling new wine by winemaker Aryn Morell is a blend of 54% Cabernet with the remainder Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine begins with ripe aromas of creme de cassis, mocha, black olive and blackberry jam. The weight is there as is the structure and gorgeous black fruits alongside light tannins. The ripe texture impresses. Drink 2017-2028- 93

2014 Matthews Merlot- This wine is a blend of 83% Merlot with lesser parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine was aged in 80% new oak, showing a masculine profile. This red blend starts with a bouquet of black olive, milk chocolate, rose petal, graphite and green olive. The mid-palate weight is lovely. This has black cherry, black olive, crushed mint and milk chocolate flavors. This is downright delicious as this beauty will drink well for a decade or more. Give this at least a two hour decant if enjoying young. Drink 2017-2029- 93

2013 Matthews Cabernet Sauvignon-This gorgeous wine opens with a dense aromatic display of creme de cassis, coffee grounds, black olive and red bell pepper. The weight and texture is marvelous as this wine has intense flavors of black tea, black olive, mocha and mint, as well as earl grey tea. This mouthfeel is simply stunning. Drink 2017-2029- 93

2013 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2013 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Cabernet is a blend of 68% Cabernet with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This has intoxicating aromatics of black tea, tar, milk chocolate and crushed mint. The texture is stunning. This leads to intoxicating flavors of black tea, black cherry, blackberry jam and suggestions of Turkish coffee with sweet pipe tobacco accents. This needs a one to two hour decant if enjoying young. This powerful Cabernet will cellar beautifully for decades but it is nearly impossible to resist at this early stage. Drink 2017-2033- 94

Pearl and Stone

An impressive new Washington winery founded in 2013, Pearl and Stone that relies on the winemaking talents of Chris Stone, Rob Wesorick and Paul Ribary. Their latest new wines hail from the warm, 2015 vintage, which saw very serious heat spikes during the growing season. Pearl and Stone are based in the Snoqualmie valley and source from some great vineyards in Washington including The Two Blondes and Ciel du Cheval Vineyards on Red Mountain. These wines are a pretty serious value, checking in at less than 30 bucks.  

Look for the 2015 Pearl and Stone ‘Mailbox Peak’ Red Wine (WWB, 92) which shows its feminine side, revealing wonderful red fruits and a silly texture. Learn more about this exciting new winery at https://www.pearlandstonewine.com Here are the great new releases by Pearl and Stone (Aug 2017 release). 

2015 Pearl and Stone 'Mailbox Peak' Red Wine- This wine is a blend of 45% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. The red blend shows warm red fruit aromas and Asian spices with rose petal accents. The wine has a silky mouthfeel and a plush, layered texture. Wild blackberry preserves, black plum and black cherry cough syrup flavors impress. This gorgeous wine will drink beautifully for the next decade. Drink 2017-2027- 92

2015 Pearl and Stone 'Resolution Peaks' Red Wine- This excellent wine is primarily Cabernet (85%) with lesser parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It opens with a ripe bouquet of anise, creme de cassis and Black Forest cake. This leads to dense flavors reminiscent of coffee grounds, cassis, milk chocolate and suggestions of allspice. The texture is rich and the lingering finish is absolutely lovely. Drink 2017-2027- 92

2015 Pearl and Stone 'Wandering' Red Wine- This red wine is a silky blend of 42% Cabernet, 31% Cabernet Franc with the remainder Merlot. Having a translucent core, this warm vintage wine opens with aromatics of creme de cassis, rose petals, red cherry and red raspberry jam. The mouthfeel is plush, showcasing Chinese black tea, loganberry and cassis flavors. This is another excellent wine made by Pearl and Stone winemakers Chris Stone, Rob Wesorick and Paul Ribary. Drink 2017-2027- 92

Cayuse 'God Only Knows' Red Wine

A standout wine in Washington, the Cayuse ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine is a one of a kind special bottling made by Walla Walla wine pioneer, Christophe Baron and his talented assistant vigneronne, Elizabeth Bourcier. Christophe Baron was youngest heir of the famed Champagne house, Baron Albert and his ancestors had worked the land at Baron Albert since 1677. As he grew older, Christophe studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne and was drawn to the Willamette Valley, with its closeness to the terroir driven Pinots of Burgundy. Christophe spent some time traveling the world before purchasing some land outside of Walla Walla in Milton-Freewater, and first planted his vines in 1997 as the land reminded him of the terroir of Chateauneuf du Pape. His wine has gained international acclaim since first bursting onto the Washington wine scene. In 2001 the Armada Vineyard was planted, which is the source for the 'Armada Vineyard' Syrah, 'Edith' Grenache Rosé and the 'God Only Knows' Grenache. In 2013 Cayuse did not label the 'God Only Knows' as Grenache and is instead labeled as a red wine. This wine is truly one of the most gorgeous wines made in Washington state. 

The 2013 'God Only Knows' Red Wine is so profound that it is hard to describe. This wine follows up the simply scintillating 2012 Cayuse 'God Only Knows' Grenache. The 2013 shows a darker fruit profile than the 2012. As the wine developed in the decanter over several hours, the aromatic and flavor range became even more expressive. One thing I have noticed over the years is the wonderful rocky terroir combined with the red fruit and citrus profiles in this wine. There is literally nothing out there that I have tried like the 'God Only Knows.' This is a collector's bottle. These wines are incredibly difficult to find. I highly recommend that you try to find these online, as wine shops sell them, as Cayuse wines are typically only available through their mailing list (long wait list currently) or online wine shops. There are great special occasion bottles that are sure to impress. Learn more about Cayuse at https://cayusevineyards.com/static/ Here is my review of the 2013 ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine by Cayuse Vineyards.

2013 Cayuse 'God Only Knows' Red Wine- Following up the nothing short of insane 2012 release by Cayuse, the 2013 'God Only Knows' Red Wine is another stunner from the superstar winemaking team of Christophe Baron and Elizabeth Bourcier. Having a translucent core this wine has simply intoxicating aromatics of blood orange, Umami, horse manure, wet stone and suggestions of red cherry syrup. The tension and minerality to this wine is simply stunning considering the obvious heat of the vintage. Satsuma orange rind, Umami, bulls blood, rose water, white pepper and gobs of minerality. The tension is hugely compelling, literally gripping, as is the exceedingly long finish. The flavor and aromatic range continue to evolve following two hours in the decanter. Sexy, exotic, moving and feminine, this gorgeous red wine will cellar beautifully for the next decade. Drink 2017-2028- 97

Cardinale

One of the great red wine projects in the Napa Valley, Cardinale is an absolutely stunning property located in the Napa floor, in Oakville not far from Robert Mondavi Winery. Cardinale is best known for their red wine, a massive representation of Cabernet, usually with smaller parts of Merlot blended in. Superstar winemaker of Cardinale, Chris Carpenter, is an MBA graduate that gained experience as a harvest enologist at Domaine Carneros Winery, a vineyard intern at Domaine Chandon California, and a research intern at Tenute Antinori, Santa Cristina Estate, in Montefiridolfi, Italy, before coming to Cardinale. This wine has been one of my Napa favorites for many years and the 2013 version was hugely impressive. Their 2013 Cardinale Red Wine (WWB, 95) is a massive monster of a wine that has pretty serious tannins at this juncture. The flavor and aromatic range to this wine is rather intoxicating. Learn more about this special occasion wine at http://www.cardinale.com/ Here is my review of the stunning 2013 Cardinale Red Wine

2013 Cardinale Red Wine- This stunning new release is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14% Merlot. The wine was aged for 19 months in 100% new French oak  and weighs in at 14.5% alcohol. Sourced from 10 Napa Valley vineyards, the wine has highly perfumed aromatics of creme de cassis, tar, mocha and black cherry. The mid-palate mouthfeel is massive. The flavor range improves with time in the decanter. Creme de cassis, coffee grounds, black cherry and Hoisin sauce flavors show beautifully alongside moderate tannins. This is fleshy, intense and downright gorgeous wine. The 2013 Cardinale really needs another year to settle in the bottle. If enjoying young, give this beautiful wine at least a three hour decant. Drink 2018-2035- 95

Rasa Vineyards

Year after year, Rasa Vineyards continue to produce some of the best wines in Washington. The precision, depth, viscosity, mouthfeel and elegance of the wines made by superstar winemaker Billo Naravane is evident in his Rasa bottlings. If you had not had the chance to taste these wines at their Walla Walla winery, you are in for a sensual awakening. 

Head winemaker Billo Navarane is one of the best winemakers in Washington. He has nearly completed his masters of wine certification and he will tell you the textural, aromatic and flavor profile differences between classic Gruner Veltliner and Albarino. It is always a pleasure talking wine with Billo. HIs new wines were some of the best I have ever tried, as he utilizes a string of hot and pretty outstanding vintages in Washington. Look for the 2013 Rasa ‘Veritas Sequitur’ Syrah (WWB, 96) a very special Syrah sourced from the SJR Vineyard which shows insane rocky terroir and incredible flavor and aromatic range. This is one of the best wines that I have reviewed from the Walla Walla rocks region. Equally impressive is the completely insane 2013 Rasa ‘Fianchetto’ Red Wine (WWB, 96) sourced from the XL Vineyard in Walla Walla. Learn more about these amazing wines at http://rasavineyards.com Here are the great new wines by Rasa Vineyards

2013 Rasa Vineyards 'QED Convergence' Red Wine- This wine is primarily Syrah and has 4% Viognier blended in. This outstanding bottling begins with perfumed aromatics of rose petals, smoked brisket, black cherry and black olive. The mouthfeel is plush and elegant. There are deep flavors of black cherry compote, black olive, crushed mint and red currant.  The wine finishes exceedingly long with a slight astringency. The weight and balance is absolutely gorgeous. Drink 2017-2028- 94

2013 Rasa Vineyards 'Principia Reserve' Syrah- This dense colored wine has intense aromatics of black tea, black olive, smoked pork shoulder and creosote. This leads to dense flavors of wild blackberry jam, coffee grounds, orange rind, blueberry, and black tea with an impressive mineral streak. This has an old world feel while showing off massive fruit weight. The finish is very long and dark fruit driven. The aromatic and flavor range is nothing short of intoxicating. Try to drink this awesome wine within the decade. Drink 2017-2028- 95

2013 Rasa Vineyards 'Veritas Sequitur' Syrah- This outstanding Syrah wine was sourced from the famed SJR vineyard. The wine has utilized 100% whole cluster fermentation. The Syrah wine opens with a bouquet of umami, seaweed, black cherry, crushed mint and smoked short rib. The nose is simply intoxicating. This leads to rich flavors of black cherry, boysenberry liquor, manure, black tea, umami and suggestions of alllspice. The finish is extremely long and precise, as the wine rounds out beautifully. This wine is massive yet elegant, showing incredible tension, mouthfeel and viscosity. Hats off to winemaker Billo Naravane. Drink 2017-2027- 96

2013 Rasa Vineyards'Plus One' Cabernet- The wine is sourced from an old block in the Kiona Vineyard and was aged in 60% new French oak for 28 months. The wine begins with aromas of black cherry, eucalyptus, dried sage, and black tea. This leads to gorgeous and mouth-watering flavors of black cherry, mocha, black olive and crushed mint. The weight, texture and mouthfeel is lovely. Moderately tannic, try to give this another year to settle. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2013 Rasa Vineyards 'Creative Impulse' Red Wine- This wine is a scintillating blend of 69% Cabernet and 31% Merlot which was sourced from the famed DuBrul Vineyard, managed by the Sheils family. This wine opens with a deep bouquet of black tea, cassis, black raspberry, baking spices and suggestions of coffee grounds. This leads to dense flavors of black cherry, black tea, mocha, crushed as the finish continues to linger on the tongue. The wine has an incredible mouthfeel, texture, viscosity and minerality. It is a true stunner which will cellar gracefully for a decade or more. Drink 2017-2035- 95

2014 Rasa Vineyards 'Creative Impulse' Red Wine- This outstanding wine spent 30 months in French Oak puncheons. The oak profile is 60% new French oak (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers) and 40% neutral French oak. This year they have blended 56% Cabernet with 44% Merlot. This has massive aromatics of black tea, blackberry cobbler, and a lovely herbal quality, with red bell pepper. This leads to flavors of blackberry cobbler, black tea, boysenberry liquor, crushed mint and mocha. Massive tannins power the wine at this moment but the wine is currently empowered to showcase its scintillating, minute-long finish. Try to resist this beautiful wine for another year. Drink 2018-2035- 95

2013 Rasa Vineyards 'Fianchetto' Red Wine- This wine is the follow- up the stunning 2012 Rasa Vineyards’ Fianchetto’ Red Wine and is a massive blend of 56% Cabernet with the remainder Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine opens with a bouquet of black cherry, creme de Cassie, mocha, crushed gravel and Earl Grey tea. Dense and intense, there are ultra ripe flavors of mocha, creosote, coffee grounds, black olive and black tea with cherry cough syrup. The finish is exceedingly long. This is massive yet feminine as this really needs one more year to fully settle. The balance and mouthfeel is exquisite. Powerful and seductive, this is another heavyhitter of a wine crafted by the talented hands of Billo Naravane. Drink 2018-2035- 96

2013 Rasa Vineyards ‘In Order To Form A Perfect Union’ Red Wine- This Bordeaux style blend was aged in 70% new French oak puncheons (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers) and 30% neutral French oak prior to bottling. The red blend begins with aromatics of sagebrush, mint, red cherry, red bell pepper and wild blackberry. This leads to flavors of black cherry, black tea, coffee ground and black olive. This is blended beautifully and is chewy while showcasing a Bordelaise mineralityDrink 2017-2029- 94

2014 Rasa Vineyards 'Occams Razor' Red Wine- Forward, seductive and plush, this great value wine opens with a bouquet of blackberry jam, black tea, mint and boysenberry jam. This leads to ripe flavors of black cherry, eucalyptus, red raspberry and coffee grounds. This has the stuffing and structure to cellar well into the next decade as this is a truly outstanding value buy at this price point. Drink 2017-2026- 91

2015 Rasa Vineyards 'Primus Inter Pares' Grenache- This stunning Grenache wine was sourced from Monette's Vineyard in the Walla Walla Rocks region. Prior to bottling the wine was left on the lees for 18 months in neutral French oak barriques. This wine begins with aromatics of rose petals, white flowers, Mandarin orange rind and potpourri. This leads to flavors of red cherry, strawberry, orange zest and strawberry jam. This is pretty, feminine, sexy and absolutely irresistible at this juncture. While less acid-driven than the ’14 bottling, this outstanding wine is just as good and even more impossible to put down as the gorgeous aromatic and flavor range shows through. Only 103 cases made of this absolutely stunning Grenache wine which is one of the best of its kind in Washington state. Drink 2017-2029- 95

2015 Rasa Vineyards 'Tilting At Windmills' Red Wine- The 2015 ‘Tilting At Windmills’ by Rasa Vineyards is an inspiration by head winemaker Billo Naravane to make a Washington wine in the style of the profound red wines of Priorat. It is a sexy blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah which was aged in 40% new French oak (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers) and 60% neutral French oak prior to bottling. This wine begins with aromatics of black tea, black olive, rose petals and suggestions of baking spices. This leads to dense flavors reminiscent of black tea, red cherry, raspberry jam and umami that sit alongside some moderate tannins. This wine is another stunner by superstar winemaker Billo Naravane. Drink 2017-2029- 94

2015 Rasa Vineyards ‘QED Axiom of Choice’ Cabernet Franc- This is an awesome Cabernet Franc wine that was primarily sourced from the Weinbau Vineyard. This has dense aromatics of black cherry, black olive, mint and violets. This leads to flavors of black tea, violets, black cherry and a core of coffee grounds. This is dense and absolutely lovely. Drink 2017-2028- 93

2015 Rasa Vineyards ‘Living In The Limelight’ Petit Verdot- The 2015 Rasa ‘Living in the Limelight’ Petit Verdot is one of the best of its kind that I have sampled in the past year. An only dark color opens to aromatics reminiscent of green olive, black peppercorn, mocha and creme de cassis. This leads to deep flavors of black cherry cough syrup, black tea, black olive tapenade and coffee grounds. This is a massive wine. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2014 Rasa Vineyards ‘En Passant’ Merlot- The 2014 ‘En Passant’ Merlot was primarily sourced from the DuBrul Vineyard and is only available in magnum format. The wine spent 30 months in 60% new French oak and 40% neutral French oak prior to bottling. This simply gorgeous Merlot wine opens with dense aromatics of black tea, black olive, cigar box, black cherry pie and Asian spices. The aroma range is just stunning. This leads to intense flavors of black cherry, cassis, Asian slices and coffee grounds. The mouthfeel is lovely and plush. This gorgeous Merlot wine really needs another year to settle but is impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2035- 95

2014 Rasa Vineyards ‘Plus One’ Cabernet- The 2014 ‘Plus One’ Cabernet was aged in 60% new French oak (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers) and 40% neutral French oak. The resultant wine is a stunner. This absolutely awesome Cabernet wine begins with aromas of baking spices, black cherry, sagebrush and creme de cassis. This leads to polished flavors of black tea, mocha, black cherry cough syrup and boysenberry preserves with coffee grounds. This is massive and has a polished mouthfeel. Try to give this gorgeous wine another year to settle. Drink 2018-2035- 95

2014 Rasa Vineyards 'For The Love Of The Game' Cabernet- A blockbuster wine and a complete stunner, this great Cabernet wine was sourced from the Wallula Gap Vineyard. This was aged in 70% new French oak (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers) and 30% neutral French oak prior to bottling. The Cabernet begins with simply intoxicating aromatics of creme de cassis, anise, red bell pepper and coffee grounds. The massive aromatic profile brings you constantly back to the glass for more. Crushed mint, Chinese black tea, black cherry cough syrup and sage flavors impress and add sexy layers. This is massive, structured and absolutely gorgeous as Billo Naravane has slugged a home run here with his new Cabernet. Only 62 cases produced of this heavy hitter of a Cabernet. Drink 2018-2035- 95

2014 Rasa Vineyards 'A Perfect Union' Red Wine- Rasa has crafted another wonderful red wine with their 2014 ‘A Perfect Union’ Red Wine. This wonderful blend begins with aromatics reminiscent of crushed mint, red bell pepper and red cherry with cigar box.  The plush mouthfeel and silky texture is lovely as this wine is soft and supple. The red wine has dense flavors of black tea, mocha, baking spices and blackberry pie. This lovely blend can benefit from another year of bottle age for the fruit to fully integrate. Drink 2018-2033- 93

2013 Rasa Vineyards 'The Composer' Riesling- The 2013 ‘The Composer’ Riesling was produced from Geisenheim 110, Geisenheim 198 and Neustadt 90 clones which were sourced from the Bacchus and Dionysus Vineyards. The Riesling weighs in at 10.9 g/L residual sugar, and the wine was aged in 60% neutral oak fermentation, and 40% stainless steel fermentation.Done in the Alsatian style, this rear Riesling wine begins with aromatics of Granny Smith apple, wet rock, petrol and cantaloupe. This lead to flavors of white flowers, Gravenstein apple and green papaya. This finishes extremely long as this wine is up there with the best Washington Rieslings out there. Drink 2017-2026-92

Corliss Estates

One of the standout Washington wineries, Corliss Estates focuses on premier red wines, sourced from some of the best vineyards in Washington state. A few days ago I had the great opportunity to taste at Corliss Estates. A stunning facility located in Walla Walla, Corliss focuses on Bordeaux varietals and they are currently showcasing the 2012 vintage, a textbook vintage. Corliss holds their wines considerably longer than most wineries. I met with head winemaker Alexander Trio and winemaking consultant Philippe Melka as they were doing some blending. They were both super happy with their 2012 wines — and I was equally impressed. Trio crafted some killer new wines including the 2012 Corliss Estates Malbec (WWB, 94), an insanely deep and intoxicating wine that shows wonderful dark fruits and herbaceous aspects. The mouthfeel of this wine is exquisite. Even better was the 2012 Corliss Syrah (WWB, 95) which is one of the best Syrah wines that I have sampled in the past year. This wine is deep, layered and simply intoxicating. Most of these wines are challenging to obtain and can be found in some online stores. Learn more about Corliss Estates at http://corlissestates.com Here are the great new release wines from Corliss Estates.

2012 Corliss Syrah-The 2012 Syrah has 3% Viognier blended in. This gorgeous, deep colored wine begins with aromatics of blackberry cobbler, coffee grounds, dark chocolate shavings and black cherry cough syrup. The aromatics are very intense and downright intoxicating. The mouthfeel is absolutely gorgeous. There are layered flavors of Black Forest cake, spicebox, mocha and black plum. This is plush and absolutely delicious as the minerality is dazzling. This is just an awesome wine crafted by superstar winemaker Andrew Trio and famed winemaking consultant Philippe Melka. Drink 2017-2030- 95

2012 Corliss Malbec- This wine is sourced from the Black Rock Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA. This has deep and layered aromatics of black tea, mint, violets and blackberry jam. These are dense aromas that bring you back to the glass for more. Milk chocolate, blackberry cobbler, black tea, roasted figs and mint flavors impress. This shows incredible intensity and minerality. I can see this cellaring brilliantly for a decade or more. Drink 2017-2030- 94

Interview with Aryn Morell, of A. Morell Wines

A Washington winemaker that needs no introduction, Aryn Morell is originally from Western Washington and was a top golfer growing up. He attended the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), for their golf program and also studied Chemistry at the UNLV. Aryn felt inspired following a weekend trip to Napa Valley and realized that wine industry might be for him. He then had his start Napa Valley in late 2003. Aryn worked for some prestigious properties there including Golden State Vintners, Edgewood Estates, Silver Oak and also worked for a company that consulted for Joseph Phelps, Quintessa, Hartwell, Chimney Rock, Caldwell Vineyards, Vineyard 29, Chappellet, Rutherford Hill, Spring Mountain Winery, Stags Leap Winery, Turnbull, and many others. Following his four years in Napa, in 2007 Aryn moved back to his home state, working at Matthews Winery as winemaker. Since that time he has founded other winery projects including Alleromb, Morell-Pena and also consults for Tenor, Mullan Road, Gard and Ardor projects. HIs wines are focused, balanced and superb. I recently had the chance to sit down with him for a three hour tasting and chat wine. His vast knowledge of winemaking and the wine industry was apparent. He was a delight to converse with as I admired his candid and precise approach to making wine. Aryn is a superstar winemaker in Washington wine and I hope you enjoy my interview with him. 

WWB: What was it like starting your wine journey in the Napa Valley and working for storied properties like Silver Oak? How has your experiences in Napa made you a better winemaker?

WWB: At the time, I didn’t think much of whether starting in Napa or anywhere else made much difference. I was young (22) and wasn’t a huge wine person although I enjoyed wine it wasn’t a huge part of my daily routine. I went there because my brother was there and in visiting I enjoyed the vibe, the beauty of the valley and the general combination of science and art. I’ll admit at the time I was more interested in the science aspect as I’m wired to look at things critically. Over time you begin to see the art in it but that came much later. Working at Golden State Vintners and then Silver Oak was educational to say the least; I got to see the very large side of the industry at GSV and was actually there when The Wine Group bought them in 2003. When I went to work at Silver Oak it was a harvest/intern position and I started out taking vineyard samples and then transitioned into the cellar as harvest came closer and filled in literally everywhere as I was given the freedom to go wherever they needed me. I stayed on after harvest and went and did what they asked which was a little bit of everything. I’m not sure that Napa by itself made me a better winemaker, but it certainly gives you perspective on how a very established region operates. Getting to see so many wineries and operations you get the sense of how much money and time is involved and how many people are actually involved in making wine. Coming to a region like Washington was eye opening after being in Napa, it was like stepping back in time. Small wineries, small budgets and an apparent lack of inter-winery competition. On my first trip to Washington I was told about a late night by winery X, because they had gone to help another winery finish harvest, it was something I couldn’t comprehend at the time. I grew up as an athlete and find a way to compete at everything I do (including winemaking) so the passiveness was certainly something new for me as I found Napa to be far more competitive. Another thing in hindsight that drives the way I operate now is that the correlation to how many people are involved in making decisions at a given property dramatically affects the resulting quality. And that relationship is generally the opposite of what you may think. The places that had fewer voices involved tended to make wines that saw higher highs and more distinction as far as quality and places with more people made wines consistently but not necessarily great wines and also without much of a signature. There are certainly larger wineries that make great wine, but those places are seeing direction being dictated from only one or two people. There is certainly a conscious decision at many wineries to go one way or the other. The bigger brands erred on the side of consistency while sacrificing some quality and individuality and the smaller guys by size not budget...erred on the side of letting fewer people be involved so as to allow a more singular focus and style to define the wines. That concept drives the way we interact with our clients every day.

WWB: Your winemaking talents touch everything from Sauvignon Blanc to Merlot to Malbec. Do you have any varietals in particular that you most enjoy working with? What new Washington grapes or regions make you the most excited?

AM: Sadly my answer is pretty generic, I love working with everything (except maybe Roussanne…) and for me the challenge is to understand what each varietal is good and bad at and create a plan to maximize its chance for success. Every vineyard, varietal and clone have unique properties so it’s trying to gather enough knowledge to make decisions about what needs to be done to get from A to B. Each winery we work with has a unique style so making the same varietal for each winery entails dramatically different protocol to achieve their distinct signature. Too many consultants make the same wines for every winery they work with, some times intentionally (because they feel you hired them for their style) and other times because there is no desire or capacity to make unique wines for everyone you work with as its time consuming and very detail oriented. Right now I’m most excited about Pinot Noir because we’ve never had it in the winery and we planted a vineyard a few years ago after years of weather mapping and choosing the right location. It’s also the newest project so it’s like having a new child and everyone is interested in seeing what it’s going to look like, be like etc… I’m not good at staying still so there is always some new “side” project that we just can’t resist trying. Can you say sparkling wine…;)

WWB: Last year your wines from Tenor were hugely impressive, including the stunning 2013 Tenor Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 92), which was one of the best new world Sauvignon Blanc wines that I reviewed last year. Can you talk about this fantastic wine and also about some of the challenges with making Sauvignon Blanc in Washington?

AM: I think that wine specifically is one of the more unique wines we make. Its Sauvignon Blanc that is macerated on the skins for 12-36 hours depending on the vintage, then pressed, settled and racked to barrel for fermentation. We have been using more new oak than most would expect in Sav Blanc but in larger formats, tighter grain and lighter toasts. This year we will be going to 600L’s after a few years in 300’s. It’s certainly not a shy wine, but as most Tenor wines it’s meant to showcase a single varietal in a ripe and opulent style but still with good freshness, which is key to maintaining some sense of balance. It’s ok for wines to be big and ripe but they still need to be drinkable and that comes with balance and for me balance has nothing to do with alcohol solely, it’s the sum of the parts and how they work with each other. I think the 2016 version will be the pinnacle of what we are trying to achieve in that style. Sauvignon Blanc is perfectly suited for the Columbia Valley as long as wineries control yields and exposure. The biggest issue with all whites in WA is exposure, we have such long exposure times on the west side of the plant so it forces many growers who didn’t plant off axis to heavily shade the west side and leaf the east. The problem then is the ripening is uneven which can have some complexity benefits (as long as the burn and sun degraded fruit is dropped) but it’s always easier to grow more uniformly and change your picking times to create complexity in your wines.

WWB: One of the best wines from the Walla Walla Rocks region that I sampled last year was your gorgeous 2014 Ardor Cellars ‘Stoney Vine Vineyard’ Syrah (WWB, 94) which was a sexy Syrah that showed massive range and Rocks character. Can you tell us more about this fantastic wine.

AM: I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a huge fan of the “Rocks” so this is the only fruit we pull from there and it’s because the Kubrocks who own Ardor love it. My goal in making any wine for a client is to give them what they want but to also maintain some sense of restraint when it comes to areas that tend to skew out of my own personal taste. There tends to be the desire to take what is already a unique area, with its own unique growing conditions and try and magnify what it’s already going to do naturally. The amount of complex sulfides, high pH and green notes from the long vegetative cycle that are generally created from those growing conditions and then winemaking to amplify them seems counter intuitive. I chose to allow the wine to show the classic Rocks profile but in a more understated way. Our winemaking style is clean, pure and delineated regardless of the brand and we try and allow what the site wants to do naturally to take over after that. That wine was one of the more feminine rocks wines in its youth that I’ve had the chance of trying and in my opinion is what I would hope more vintners in the area would attempt. The “Rocksiness” is still going to come out with time and air but the wines would show so much more range and development in their youth rather than going right for show from the start.

WWB: The releases from your winery, Alleromb, were hugely impressive across the board. What are some of the challenges with running your own winery and also doing a great deal of consulting winemaking? What were some of your favorite recent Alleromb releases? 

AM: The easy answer is capital; obviously wine is not an inexpensive hobby so it’s making sure you plan well and budget, especially if you’re on a more limited budget. The second thing is setting aside the time to go sell it. The easy part is we make all the wines in the same facility so I’m not going from place to place wasting time and energy with travel and having different staffs at each place. Our staff knows what we’re trying to achieve for each wine and every year that goes by we all get better at each aspect of the process. The problem is we make almost 70 different wines and nearly 40,000 cases at this point so having extra time is relative. The new Grenache’s are my favorites at the moment, the first few years we blended Syrah into our Grenache to put some weight on it while the vineyard was getting older. Now I love the expressiveness we’ve seen in the last few vintages as we’ve transitioned into a pure Grenache and have removed the barrel fermentation in favor of concrete and stainless steel. The wines are fresher and move better across your palate and as a result are just insanely drinkable.

Interview with Kerry Shiels, Winemaker of Cote Bonneville

Today we have a very exciting interview with a rockstar woman in wine. One of the great winemakers in Washington, Kerry Shiels, is the daughter of Kathy and Dr. Hugh Shiels, who founded Côte Bonneville and planted their famed DuBrul Vineyard. Kerry received her Masters degree in Viticulture and Enology from U.C. Davis, then assumed the winemaker title in August, 2009. She has been immersed in DuBrul Vineyard and Côte Bonneville since 2005, under Stan Clarke’s tutelage and Co Dinn’s mentorship. 

Kerry is not only a superstar winemaker but she is a downright awesome person to talk wine with. I recently had the chance to sit down with her and talk about her background, as well as her recent great releases. I think you will very much enjoy hearing more about her. Here is my interview with Kerry Shiels, Winemaker of Côte Bonneville.

WWB: How did you first become interested in winemaking? What was it like learning from some of the best wine educators in the world at the UC Davis school of viticulture and enology?

KS: I grew up around the wine industry, knowing growers and winemakers from a young age. When I was looking for a science project in 7th grade, making wine seemed like a fun one! I’ve always been interested in learning how the world works and creating something. I have been lucky to have amazing teachers and mentors from middle school, through college at Northwestern University and grad school at UC Davis, up to today. They have always encouraged me seek out the best education and experiences, and helped me apply what I’ve learned with critical thinking to whatever I’m currently trying to do.

When I changed careers from engineering to winemaking, it was thanks to many of those middle and high school mentors that I knew I needed to go to UC Davis. It was pretty amazing to be in class with professors who helped establish the California wine industry as a quality region. Every single instructor was at the top of his or her field globally. The depth and breadth of knowledge in Davis is phenomenal. I also made a lot of great friends, both fellow students and in the faculty. The people I worked with during my harvest experiences were also wonderful teachers. Each winery has a unique philosophy, which means different ways of doing things, and different reasons for why they do them. It is important to understand distinct decision-making styles, especially when coupled with different vineyards, vintages, and regions (I’ve made wine on 3 continents). The combination of academic understanding and experience is how one learns good judgment. I am excited to see the WSU program growing. It bodes well for our industry to have more trained professionals to continue to improve quality of Washington Wines. Our region is young, and there is so much potential to discover.

WWB: What are some of the challenges with growing a range of varietals in the DuBrul Vineyard, from Riesling to Merlot to Syrah?

KS: We view the diversity as an advantage, not a challenge. When we planted DuBrul, we dug big pits all around the vineyard to study the soils and aspects. We laid out the vineyard to take advantage of the natural variation inherent in the site. The Cabernet, for example, is on the steep south facing slope for the most heat accumulation and rockiest soils. Chardonnay is planted on a north westerly facing aspect, where there is more loess. This block is cooler, and the increased water holding capacity helps the vines develop the canopy needed for this varietal. If the vineyard were uniform, we couldn’t grow the range of grapes all at the high quality point that we do. The hillside Cab planting would be too hot and rocky for Chard, for example. Another great attribute of the diversity of grapes is that it helps us to keep our all female crew working consistently. Timing of work in the vineyard is important. With the different varietals, it ensures that the vines are not all at the same point of development at exactly the same time. So just as we finish work in one block it is time to start work in the next. The ladies can work steadily, not rushed one week and bored the next. It is important to us to take care of the people who work in the vineyard, along with the vines and fruit. In the winery, the fun part of growing all these different grapes is that we get to make such a diverse set of wines. As an estate winery, it is really cool to be able to make Riesling and Syrah. We have something for everyone, and almost every occasion, from refreshing whites to full bodied reds.

WWB: Do you feel that some varietals grow best depending on vintages? What were some of your favorite varietals from the hot vintages of 2014 and 2015?

KS: The Yakima Valley is a moderate growing region. In cool years, we approximate more elegant Bordeaux style wines; in warm years, we tend more towards rich California-esque fruit. I truly believe there is no such thing as a bad vintage in a great site like DuBrul Vineyard, but we do have to adapt to the year we’re given.

This year is the 25th anniversary of DuBrul Vineyard, and we know our vines well. We can use various viticultural and irrigation practices to optimize each vine. This helps us achieve even ripening, no matter what type of season Mother Nature has given us. Our winemakers (not only myself, but all those who source fruit from DuBrul) then have the flexibility to make harvest decisions that best fit their style and goals. I really like the 2014 Chardonnay, which has lovely lemon pie notes. Our 2014 Syrah combines boysenberry and cherry with violets and spice. For the Cabernet blends, I think the 2014s are too young, so they are still waiting in my cellar. Our wines are intended to age, so I’m currently enjoying the 2010 Carriage House or 2007 Côte Bonneville.

WWB: You made one of my favorite Rose wines in Washington, which landed on my Top 100 Wines of North America last year. Can you talk about your special 2015 Rose and the upcoming release of your 2016 Rose? 

KS: I love Rosé! Ours is special, in that we grow the grapes specifically for rosé. So much of the viticulture and winemaking around rosé isn’t serious, as producers just don’t spend the time and energy here. Not only are whites and rosé wonderful wines, but attention to detail is so important for quality, flavor, and balance in these wines.

We take the designated rows of Cabernet Franc in the vineyard, and farm for the desired flavors, brightness, and intensity. The grapes are harvested and cared for in the winery to highlight the complexity, aromatics, and elegance that our wines are known for. It’s completely dry, and pairs well with a wide range of food. The pale copper color is gorgeous in the glass. At home, my back patio faces northwest, overlooking the Yakima Valley towards DuBrul Vineyard. My favorite place to enjoy is a glass of rosé is on the patio, watching the sun set behind Mt Rainier. The colors evolve across the evening sky and the desert hills like the flavors in the wine. It’s a perfect way to end a summer day.

WWB: When you are not enjoying your delicious Cote Bonneville wines, what are some of your favorite wines of the world? What is your personal cellar like?

KS: I enjoy wines from all over the world, and believe it’s important to continue to explore what’s out there in the greater world of wine. Call it competitive analysis, or not getting a house palate, but it is part of the job to taste and drink other wines! Having lived in Italy for a few years, Piemontese wines are my enological home away from home. I love Arneis, Barbera, and of course, Nebbiolo. Champagne is always fun, and has become more interesting, with the explosion of grower producers that are focused on a sense of place. Our philosophy is very Burgundian, and I feel a kinship with those wines. I appreciate the meticulous attention to site, farming, and winemaking. And the Chardonnay is amazing. It’s important to continually benchmark Bordeaux blends and Syrah from other areas, so I seek those out from important regions. It’s tough work, but someone has to do it, right? ;) My cellar is divided by variety/ type, but also by ageability. In the section I’m trying to be patient and lay down for a long time, I am really excited about the Rieslings. Aged Riesling is so spectacular, so in 10 or 20 years, that is going to be fun!!

Upsidedown Wine

A winery that focuses on giving back, Upsidedown Wine, founded by Seth Kizke, has crafted some great new releases. Upsidedown Wine donates to charity for each bottle of their wine sold.  When you order their wine direct or join their wine club, 20% of the proceeds go to support these non-profit charity organizations including the You and the Brave Foundation.

The wines in their Gold Drop Collection are sourced from the Kizke Family Vineyard located on Candy Mountain in Richland, next to Red Mountain. Head winemaker Seth Kizke chooses to use indigenous yeasts as well as minimal intervention in his great new wines. Look for the 2013 Upsidedown Wine ‘GSM’ Red Wine (WWB, 91), which is an outstanding release that shows wonderful flavor and aromatic range. Learn more about this cool new winery at http://drinkupsidedownwine.com Here are the new wine releases by Upsidedown Wine. 

2016 Upsidedown Wine Rose- Nebbiolo sourced from the Horse Heaven Hills. This wine begins with aromatics of strawberry, guava, red cherry, and white peach. There are flavors of strawberry, red cherry, nectarine and starfruit. Lovely and lithe this is refreshing. Drink 2017-2021- 89

2014 Upsidedown Wine Merlot- This soft Merlot wine opens with aromatics of black cherry, black tea, and nutmeg accents. There are rich flavors of black cherry, black olive and blackberry. Drink 2017-2025- 90

2013 Upsidedown Wine 'GSM' Red Wine- A blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre this opens with aromatics of smoked meats, bacon fat, creosote and hunts if salted pomegranate. Feminine and sexy, there are flavors of pomegranate, red cherry and bacon fat. This is an outstanding effort by head winemaker Seth Kizke. Drink 2017-2026- 91

2014 Upsidedown Wine Cabernet- This dense wine opens with rich aromatics of smoke, black cherry and anise with cassis. There are lively flavors of black cherry, black tea, blackberry cobbler and mint. This has lovely structure and can cellar well into the next decade. Drink 2017-2027- 90