Les Trouves

Translated as ‘the found’ Les Trouves is a brilliant side project winery by superstar winemaker, Chris Peterson and Marty Taucher. This is a negotiant style project that was first started in 2015. The idea is to over-deliver in the bottle in terms of quality to price. While the Avennia wines are remarkable, both Chris and Marty wanted to create wines that afforded every-day consumption. The new wines are both truly outstanding values. The 2016 Les Trouves White Wine (WWB, 91) is a simply outstanding wine for the price, that shows wonderful range and layers. This gorgeous new release will continue to evolve over the next few years but is impossible to resist right now. Learn more about this great project at avennia.com Here are the two great new wines by Les Trouves.

2016 Les Trouves White Wine- 2016 Les Trouves White Wine is a compelling blend of 44% Viognier with 37% Marsanne and 19% Viognier. This golden hued wine starts off with a nose of honeysuckle, white rose and cantaloupe. Fat and round on the mouth, the wine shows a wonderful tension with rich poached pear, starfruit, kiwi and Key lime cream flavors. This dazzling wine is a stellar value. Drink 2018-2022- 91

2016 Les Trouves Red Wine- Straight out of the gate this largely Grenache based red wine exudes class once in the glass. Cigar ash, black cherry compote, and wild thyme aromas impress. The palate shows good freshness and evokes dark and red fruit flavors that sit alongside some nice tension. Bright and nicely balanced, I cannot help thinking how well this would pair with some wold class BBQ. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Lachini Vineyards

Lachini Vineyards

Founded in 2001, Lachini Vineyards was started in the Chehalem Mountains AVA by Ron and Marianne Lachini. Today Lachini produces a wide range of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that show wonderful terroir and poise. Ron Lachini is one of the great personalities in Oregon wine. A down to earth guy, he is passionate about producing great Pinot Noir from his vineyard. Lachini has tasting rooms in both Oregon and Woodinville and it is definitely worth stopping by and checking out this great new lineup.  

Mattieu Gille heads winemaking at Lachini. Gille was born in Burgundy's Nuits St Georges, where his family has been making wine at their estate since the 16th century. Stating in 2014 he joined Lachini and needless to say, he has an excellent handle on PInot Noir and Chardonnay. An outstanding value Pinot Noir, the 2015 The Grape Republic Pinot Noir (WWB, 90) shows wonderful red fruit tones and a silky smooth mouthfeel. This is really an excellent value Oregon Pinot Noir. The 2015 Lachini Vineyards ‘Prima’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) is a downright stunner, showing dazzling minerality with wonderful weight and range. This is one for the cellar. Learn more about this great Oregon winery at https://www.lachinivineyards.com Here are the great new release wines by Lachini Vineyards. 

2017 Lachini Rose- Beautifully colored, this great Pinot Noir Rose starts off with aromatics of forest floor, peat moss, and red raspberry. The palate is nicely bright with good minerality. Lighter toned red fruits dance with a touch of orange rind on the palate. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2016 Lachini ‘Al di La’ Chardonnay- This golden hued, limited production Chardonnay wine starts off with a bouquet of brioche, banana and bright lemon cream. The palate is both viscous, lithe and rich, showing an exotic edge. Roasted pineapple, Meyer lemon cream and creme brûlée flavors round out this awesome showing. Decadent and ripe, with a touch of cardamom towards the back end, this gorgeous offering will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 The Grape Republic Pinot Noir- This translucent colored wine opens with a bright bouquet of red cherry with rose petals and strawberry accents. The palate shows a really nice minerality with red fruits and lighter damp earth tones coming in. Delightful in the glass, the wine is best enjoyed in the short-term while the bright tension lasts. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2016 Lachini ’S’ Pinot Noir- This Chehalem Mountain AVA Pinot Noir begins with aromas of ripe red currant, cran-pomegranate and forest floor. The palate is both rich and mineral-driven, with deep red ands dark fruit flavors parading with lovely earthy tones. Round and juicy, this decadent and well-rounded Pinot Noir will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2030- 92

2016 Lachini ‘Lachini Family Estate’ Pinot Noir- Teaberry and forest floor mark the lovely nose. The palate shows a really nice tension and viscosity with red and dark fruit flavors connecting with the minerals. A true winner with some serious range, this delicious wine is best enjoyed over the next decade or so. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Lachini ‘Cuvee Giselle’ Pinot Noir- Elegant and showing nice richness, the 2016 ‘Cuvee Giselle’ starts off with aromas of red fruits, rose petals and a touch of damp earth. The palate displays a nice range of red fruits and citrus tones with forest floor flavors coming in towards the back end. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Lachini ‘Prima’ Pinot Noir- Sporting a hefty bottle with a metal-embossed label, the ‘Prima’ is a first class wine made by Ronald Lachini. The nose shows ripe blood orange zest, red cherry starburst candy and forest floor accents. The weight and tension in the wine entices, as does the silky mouthfeel. Gobs of red fruits connect with lighter earthy and citrus tones. The long finish lingers. Sexy and downright delicious, the ‘Prima’ will cellar well over the next fifteen years. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2015 La Bestia Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the Columbia Valley, this opens with cassis, mocha and tar on the nose. The palate shows nice elegance and astringency, with dark fruits connecting with chocolate and sagebrush. This outstanding effort will be best enjoyed over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2015 La Contrada Red Wine- The 2015 La Contrada Red Wine begins with a nice combination of red and dark fruits on the nose. The palate shows a nice purity of fruit with red cherry, wild blackberry cobbler and crushed mint with milk chocolate flavors nicely connecting with minerals. Bright and showing nice tension, this is best enjoyed over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 91

Reynvaan Family Vineyards

As a casually-dressed, super low-key and highly personable guy, upon first glance you might not immediately know that Matt Reynvaan is one Washngton’s finest winemakers. Matt crafts some truly dazzling wines for Reynvaan Family Vineyards, one of the top producers of Washington Syrah and white wine. Set high above the town of Walla Walla, Reynvaan has jaw-dropping, panoramic views of the valley. Their wines are even more breathtaking. As a limited production winery, Reynvaan founded two of the great people in Washington wine, Mike and Gale Reynvaan. Their wines are sourced from the Reynvaan’s ‘In The Rocks Vineyard’ and their ‘Foothills in the Sun Vineyard.’ Both of these sites have incredible terroir and impressive aromatic and flavor range. Their ‘In The Rocks Vineyard’ is located next to Cayuse and shares the similar stony and mineral aspects in their wines, while their ‘Foothills In The Sun Vineyard’ shows an intriguing herbal and dark fruit with lighter stone quality. These are some of the finest vineyards in the state. 

My last visit to Reyvaan was in August 2017 where I tried their incredible lineup of red wines. This visit focused on one red wine and two new release white wines. It is hard to describe how stunning the new Reynvaan Viognier is once in the glass. The 2016 Reynvaan ‘In The Rocks’ Viognier (WWB, 95) is the best Viognier from Washington that I have ever tried. Further, this is up there with the best Washington white wine that I have sampled over the past fifteen years of reviewing Washington wines. If you have a chance to purchase this wine, find it, capture it, and buy as much of it as you can. During this impressive tasting I also sampled the best red wine out of Washington that I have tried this year, the 2015 Reynvaan ‘Stonessence’ Syrah (WWB, 97). This wine shows profound flavor and aromatic range. It is nearly impossible to put this down once aroused, as the wine shows dazzling minerality, alongside the cornucopia of fruit and non-fruit flavors. Learn more about this famed winery at https://www.reynvaanfamilyvineyards.com Here are the gorgeous new wines by Reynvaan Family Vineyards.

2016 Reynvaan ‘In The Rocks’ Viognier- The 2016 Reynvaan 'In The Rocks' Viognier saw extensive barrel age and battonage prior to bottling. The resultant Viognier its truly one of the best white wines that I have ever sampled from Washington. The 2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘In The Rocks Viognier’ opens with an incredible stony nose with aromas of chamomile, nectarine jelly, white flowers, honeydew melon and wet stone. The palate exudes class with honeydew melon, roasted pineapple, mango and roasted macadamia nut as this shows an exotic edge. The near minute long finish impresses. Only 80 cases of this thrilling wine, so grab this while you can. Drink 2018-2028- 95

2016 Reynvaan Grenache Blanc- This deeply hued wine begins with aromas of honeysuckle, apricot and cantaloupe. The palate has an incredible texture with Pazzaz apple, kiwi, pink grapefruit and roasted pinapple. This has incredible range and the mouthfeel delights. Refreshing, yet rich, this gorgeous wine will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 94

2015 Reynvaan ‘Stoneessence’ Syrah- The 2015 Reynvaan ‘Stoneessence’ Syrah is one of the great wines of Washington. wine weighs in at 13.6% alcohol which was the lowest percentage of any Reynvaan Syrah made in 2015. This profound wine has an incredibly perfumed nose. Rose petal, blood orange, red cherry candy and smoked brisket notes come to mind. The palate is plush and seductive as the meaty and savory character of the wine really shines through. Mouth-watering acidity fills your mouth as the wine unveils smoked pork shoulder, Hoisin sauce, Mandarin orange zest, Umami and white truffle flavors all marvelously combining. The minute long finish is simply exceptional, as is the dazzling minerality. Drink 2018-2028- 97

Delmas Vertical Tasting (2010-2017 vintages)

In a short amount of time Delmas has established itself as not only of the premier Washington Syrahs, but truly one of the top Syrah bottlings in North America. I have been overwhelmed with the quality of these wines since I first tasted them roughly five years back. Despite having the obvious pressure of making one wine each year, Delmas has delivered incredible quality and range of aromatics and flavors to its wine every vintage. The quality in the bottle continues to build as this esteemed winery is truly one to watch.

Proprietors Steve and Mary Robertson are some of the great folks in Washington wine. Originally from the Napa Valley area, the Robertsons planted their SJR vineyard more than a decade ago and have cultivated the SJR into one of the top vineyards in the state. Their daughter, Brooke Robertson, expertly manages the SJR Vineyard. With superstar winemaker, Billo Navarane, MW, at the helm, Delmas have reached the upper echelon of Washington wines. 

I recently had the great opportunity to meet with Billo and the Robertsons during a rare Delmas vertical tasting, starting with their first vintage in 2010. I was very intrigued by their individual tasting notes of the wines, and their perspectives of each vintage. Needless to say I was blown away with how these Syrahs were currently showing. One of the great delights was the 2010 Delmas Syrah (WWB, 95) which had marvelous weight and a downright sexy nose that made it nearly impossible to leave the glass. Their success in this generally challenging vintage for Washington wines shows the aging potential (particularly in colder vintages) of these Rocks AVA wines. The 2012 vintage to the new vintage, 2016 shared many common threads. As the level of Viognier increased, the even more gorgeous, lifted, feminine qualities of the wine began to show brightly. While the stony character remained, the increased Viognier really showed how beautifully that varietal grows at the SJR Vineyard. I rated wines from 2012-2016 all 96 points. Not yet released, the 2016 Delmas Syrah (WWB, 96) is one of the best Washington Syrahs that I have sampled in the past year. Incredibly complex, with insane range, weight and tension, this one of a kind wine will cellar well over the next decade. . . but why wait? I also tried the new barrel sample of the 2017 Delmas Syrah (WWB, 96-98) which is a bit tightly wound but will evolve into a profound wine once in the bottle.  It was a truly memorable evening spent with the masterminds behind Delmas — a wine that is a must have for serious collectors of great Washington wine. Learn more about this fantastic winery at https://delmaswines.com Here are my tasting notes from my Delmas vertical tasting.

2010 Delmas Syrah- Co-fermented with 4% Viognier, this stunning wine has 3% Grenache blended in.  I find it remarkable how well this wine is currently showing considering the challenges of the vintage and age of the wine. The 2010 Delmas begins with deep aromas of Hoisin sauce, lavender, bing cherry preserves and smoked meats. The seductive aromatics bring you back to the glass for more. Silky smooth on the mid-palate, the wine reveals a silky mouthfeel and wonderful texture. The combination of citrus rind and red currant really grabs your attention on the palate. Black truffle crudo, Mandarin orange rind, cigar shavings and Hoisin sauce flavors all come together marvelously in the glass. Drink 2018-2028- 95

2011 Delmas Syrah- This was co-fermented with 4% Viognier and has 2% Grenache blended in. The nose here is distinctly feminine with guava, red currant, red cherry preserves and star jasmine with lighter wet stone elements. The floral notes on the nose really shining nicely right now. The wine is delicate and lithe, showing wonderful minerality and a silky texture. Roasted date, red currant jelly and red cherry candy flavors with orange rind mingle nicely. This does not have the weight of the 2010 but possesses a wonderful elegance. Drink 2018-2024- 93

2012 Delmas Syrah- The 2012 Delmas Syrah was co-fermented with a higher percentage of Viognier, 7.5%. This was the first vintage that Delmas did not include any of their estate Grenache. The nose here is downright intoxicating with cassis, Hoisin sauce, wet stone, cigar ash and horse manure. There is an incredible purity of fruit with this wine. The texture is simply stunning as the wine reveals wild blackberry sauce, black raspberry cordial, wet stone, black truffle oil and Umami. This Syrah is simply impossible to put down. There is still a long life for this fantastic Delmas wine but it is nearly impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2026- 96

2013 Delmas Syrah-  2013 was the the first vintage  that the Delmas Syrah underwent 50% whole cluster fermentation. The wine was co-fermented with 8.1 % Viognier. This stunning wine has head-turning aromas of horse manure, bacon fat, red cherry cordial, Umami, seaweed and green olive tapenade. The intoxicating range of aromas bring you back to the glass for more. The palate is both rich and lithe, showing off an incredible mouthfeel. Remarkably blueberry compote and creme de cassis flavors invade the mouth, combining with bacon fat, smoked pork shoulder,  blood orange rind, creosote and cigar box flavors. Seductive, intense and literally thrilling right now, this Syrah will age gracefully over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 96

2014 Delmas Syrah-This great Syrah underwent 50% whole cluster fermentation and saw a 8.3% Viognier co-ferment. This was also the first year the Syrah clone 470 was utilized in the blend with the Phelps clone. Intense and powerful on the nose, the Syrah shows an exotic bouquet of Asian spice, Hoisin sauce, horse manure, Umami and green olive tapenade. The aromatic range here is intoxicating. As the wine builds in the glass it is intriguing that the wine reveals subtle hints of lavender since there is an abundance of lavender planted at the SJR Vineyard. The horse manure aspect on the nose is also quite distinctive. The mouthfeel is outstanding and rich, as the wine shows off Hoisin sauce, wild blackberry preserves, peat moss, with a touch of milk chocolate. Showing more of a masculine edge, this hot vintage wine is a complete show-stopper. Drink 2018-2028- 96

2015 Delmas Syrah- Co-fermented with 8.5% Viognier, this is a stunning wine by Delmas. The Syrah opens with an incredible nose of rose petals, red cherry candy, guava puree, and lavender with lighter peat moss and horse manure aromatics playing second fiddle. The palate is lifted, currently showcasing a more feminine portrayal in the glass. Red currant, red cherry, peat moss, black truffle crudo and wet stone flavors all beautifully build after some air. The bright acidity here is at the forefront which is remarkable despite the obvious heat spikes experienced in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA. The high percentage of Viognier gives this amazing wine added lift. This is impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2028- 96

2016 Delmas Syrah- Following up the stunning 2015 bottling, the 2016 Delmas Syrah is a  head-turning wine that takes its seat at the high table in Washington Syrah. The Syrah connected with 7.25% Viognier in the co-ferment and saw limited new oak prior to bottling. Straight out of the glass, the wine exudes heady aromas of red currant jelly, cigar ash, blood orange rind, horse manure, crushed wet gravel and Asian spices. This stunning nose brings you back to the glass for more pleasure. The palate is silky smooth and seductive. Cran-pomegranate, Mandarin orange, red cherry candy, peat moss and Umami flavors round out the palate. This has incredible range, precision, purity and focus. A heavyhitter of a wine, this lifted and stunning Syrah by superstar winemaker, Billo Naravane, will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 96

2017 Delmas Syrah (Barrel Sample)- 96-98

Youngberg Hill

A boutique family owned and operated Oregon winery with a killer lineup, Youngberg Hill was first founded back in 1989. If you have a chance to visit this great winery perched on a hillside, the sweeping views of the Willamette Valley are absolutely breathtaking. The winery focuses on quality, sustainable farming and producing limited production Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. A native Iowan, founder Wayne Bailey grew up on a farm in Oakland, Iowa, and following college served as a consultant for fifteen years in the food and beverage industry. One of his great inspirations included helping Burgundian wineries for three months work on logistics, branding, and marketing. While in France he noted the constant focus on farming and saw how organic farming methods led to outstanding grapes. Finally, in 2003, Wayne took the plunge, purchasing Youngberg Hill and focusing on making high quality McMinnville AVA wines.

The new releases from this estate were really good across the board. The 2015 Youngberg Hill ‘Aspen’ Pinot Gris (WWB, 91) shows a wonderful range of aromatics and flavors, with a silky texture. It is a Gris not to be missed. The Pinot Noir releases by Youngsberg Hill (both WWB, 90) were really good, with great richness, rewarding those who cellar over the next decade. Learn more about this great Oregon winery at https://youngberghill.com Here are the great new wines by Youngsberg Hill. 

2015 Youngberg Hill ‘Aspen’ Pinot Gris- This limited production Pinot Gris, sourced from the McMinnville AVA, begins with a bouquet of lovely bouquet of roasted hazelnut, creme brûlée and bright banana. The mouthfeel is lovely, as the wine shows off Pink Lady apple, macadamia nut and Meyer lemon cream flavors. Enjoy this great wine over the next ten years. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2014 Youngberg Hill ‘Jordan’ Pinot Noir- Deeply colored, the ‘Jordan’ Pinot Noir is an outstanding new wine by Youngberg Hill. Highly fragrant, the nose reveals a nice array of citrus rind with dark and red fruits. Mineral driven, the wine showcases dark cherry, forest floor and orange rind. Give this a one hour decant prior to enjoying. Drink 2018-2025- 90

2014 Youngberg Hill ‘Natasha’ Pinot Noir- Dark fruits dominate the nose with earthy tones playing second fiddle. Medium bodied, this well-made Pinot Noir has wonderful structure alongside blackberry cobbler, black truffle and forest floor flavors. Drink 2018-2025- 90

Kobayashi

Travis Allen is one busy man. Balancing jobs as a nurse anesthetist, SIDS researcher and winemaker/father can be difficult. A few years back Travis got the urge to start Kobayashi. He had been working several harvests for Eight Bells winery and realized that some of the Cabernet Franc fruit was not being used from the esteemed ‘David’s Block’ at the Red Willow Vineyard. 

For a little background, the Red Willow Vineyard, first planted in 1973, is located at the far western edge of the Yakima Valley.  Managed by Mike Sauer, much of the plantings were connected to that expressed by the late famed winemaker for Columbia Winery, winemaker David Lake MW. David’s Block is named after David Lake, MW, and has all five Bordeaux varietals planted there. Having tried the Columbia Winery wines back to the late 1990s, these are wines that show finesse and a wonderful purity of fruit.

Travis is able to craft his gorgeous Cabernet Franc in a classic style that is extremely labor intensive — he literally has his entire family helping out with the winemaking process. His new release 2015 Kobayashi Cabernet Franc (WWB, 94) is a downright stunner that is up there with the best Washington Cabernet Franc bottlings. There are only 25 cases of this sumptuous, silky wine made, so try to get your hands on a bottle. Learn more about these exciting wines at http://kobayashiwines.com Here are the outstanding new wines by Kobayashi. 

2017 Kobayashi ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Marsanne (barrel sample)- 92-94

2015 Kobayashi Cabernet Franc- This outstanding new release has a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon blended in sourced from Red Willow Vineyard, the David Lake block. Years ago Red Willow Vineyard Manager, Mike Sauer, planted an experimental block of Bordeaux varietals and this block has three Cabernet Franc clones included. The ‘David’s Block’ Cabernet Franc wine was natively fermented and the wine was hand-destemmed by friends and family and then fermented on neutral oak puncheons. There were no punchdowns or pumpovers as the wine barrels were actually spun instead. The wine was also frequently stirred prior to racking which has obviously brought out the marvelous textural elements to the wine. The wine begins with aromas of anise, creme de cassis, milk chocolate, with pretty rose water aromatics coming into play. The palate shows wonderful richness and a smooth mouthfeel, as the wine unveils ripe dark and red berry flavors with milk chocolate and silky smooth tannins. There is a wonderful seamless quality to this wine as well as an evident purity of fruit. This finishes extremely long with dark fruits and chocolate. Only 25 cases made of this incredible wine. Kudos to the uber-talented Travis Allen. Drink 2018-2028- 94

Eight Bells

One of the great Seattle urban wineries, Eight Bells is located in the heart of the Roosevelt/Ravenna district in Seattle. A few weeks back I had the opportunity to taste at this very cool urban location and try some of their new release wines. A limited production winery, Eight Bells produces roughly 2000 cases per year. Eight Bells had their first vintage in 2009 and was founded by Tim Bates, Andy Shepherd and Frank Michiels. Tim began making wine in his basement in 1980 with grapes from Sagemoor Farms. Like many who catch the wine bug, this experiment is now something quite serious as all winery owners have completed the WSU viticulture extension program.  Eight Bells sources from some of the state’s great vineyards, including two from the Yakima Valley — the Red Willow Vineyard, located in the far western end of the Yakima Valley, and the Boushey Vineyard, located in Grandview, Washington.

The new release wines were outstanding across the board. A fantastic new Chardonnay, the 2017 Eight Bells Chardonnay (WWB, 91) shows wonderful depth and richness with good tension. Eight Bells also made an outstanding new 2015 Pinot Noir (WWB, 90), sourced from the Methven Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The best wine I tried during the tasting was the 2014 Eight Bells ‘David’s Block’ Red Wine (WWB, 92) which is a silky blend of Bordeaux varietals that is not to be missed. Learn more about this winery at 8bellswinery.com Here are the new red wine releases by Eight Bells.

2017 Eight Bells Chardonnay- Sourced from the Boushey Vineyard, they have utilized four clones of Chardonnay for this wine. The wine was largely aged in stainless steel prior to bottling. The nose shows toasty brioche and pear elements with a touch of starfruit. There is a great freshness to the wine as it shows off Japanese pear, vanilla cream and lighter peach flavors. This shows wonderful poise. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Eight Bells Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Methven Vineyard, just south of Dayton in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. The wine is crafted from three clones of Pinot Noir. The wine saw no new oak prior to bottling. This has a pretty red cherry and rose petal nose with a touch of baking spices. There is a light orange rind element on the palate that combines with bright guava puree and strawberry flavors. This is lithe and forward pretty Pinot Noir that has a good freshness. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2015 Eight Bells Sangoivese- This Sangiovese was sourced from the Red Willow Vineyard first planted in 1992. This translucent wine starts off with aromatics of smoke, red cherry and bright strawberry. This has really good minerality, as the wine has a nice salinity and mouthfeel. Red cherry, cranberry and orange zest flavors impress. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2015 Eight Bells Merlot- From a block planted in 1990, this deep colored wine starts off with black raspberry, coffee grounds and black cherry aromatics. The wine has a wonderful mouthfeel and purity of fruit. Red and dark cherry flavors beautifully combine, as this has a Bordelaise feel. Drink 2018-2028- 90

2013 Eight Bells ‘David’s Block’ Red Wine- This wine is a field blend from a one acre block that David Lake originally planted. The final blending is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, with the remainder Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Carmenere and Petit Verdot. There is a wonderful herbal quality to this wine with sagebrush and pine undertones, connecting with dark fruits on the nose. The mouthfeel is generous as this wine shows a good minerality. Dark cherry preserves, milk chocolate, and sagebrush flavors persist with light tannins on the mid-palate. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2014 Eight Bells ‘David’s Block’ Red WIne- The 2014 ‘David’s Block’ is a field blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 22% Malbec and the remainder Carmenere, Petit Verdot and Merlot. This opens up with bright aromas of red cherry, milk chocolate and cassis with black olive. There is a really lovely balance between masculine and feminine here. Showing good weight, dark cherry, roasted figs, and milk echolocate flavors connect with excellent minerality. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Eight Bells Syrah-Released in December 2017, this wine is sourced from the Red Willow Vineyard. This has wonderful earthy tones with dark cherry cordial, crushed mint and sandalwood undertones on the nose. The wine delivers downright delicious flavors of black olive, black tea and boysenberry jam. Balanced and rich, this is an outstanding wine by Eight Bells. Drink 2018-2026- 91

Interview with Mark Ryan McNeilly, Owner of Mark Ryan Winery

Interview with Mark Ryan McNeilly, Owner of Mark Ryan Winery

One of the truly iconic names in Washington wine, Mark Ryan McNeilly is a largely self-taught winemaker who founded Mark Ryan winery in 1999. Mark focused on constant study and learning from some of the best winemakers in the state.The first few vintages were actually made in garages and it wasn’t until 2003 that Mark Ryan settled in Woodinville. Mark sources from some of the best vineyards in the state and has gained a nationwide reputation for rich, voluptuous reds. He also makes some killer white wines and great Pinot Noir from Oregon in his Megan Anne Cellars project. I think you will really enjoy learning his story in wine. Here is my feature on Mark Ryan 

WWB: How did you first become interested in wine?

MR: Well, basically I flunked out of college and was waiting tables and bartending. I was very interested in wine, and being a curious person by nature, I did a ton of research. I completely immersed myself and learned all I could about the entire wine making process. Then I started selling wine wholesale where I got great sales experience, deepened my knowledge of wine, and developed my palate. I was hooked, and decided to turn my hobby into a business. The first few vintages I produced out of garages of friends. I was selling wine for Unique by day, waiting tables at Yarrow Bay Grill in the evenings, and making wine every chance I got. This was 1999 and there weren’t the great local wine education programs like we have now. I did take a few courses down at UC Davis, and devoured books, but a lot of my education came from conversations with established winemakers and growers. I spent about 18 months as the national sales rep for Matthew Cellars, and was constantly chatting up their winemaker, Mike Januik. Chris Upchurch of DeLille Cellars was also very generous with sharing information and his time. Jim Holmes who owned Ciel du Cheval Vineyards was making wine for Kiona, and was my go-to for winemaking theory and any problems I was having during fermentation. Having access to these guys was amazing, and a truly one-of-a-kind education.

WWB: Can you talk about your decision to start Megan Anne Cellars? Talk about your new release wine, the 2016 Megan Anne Cellars Pinot Noir?

MR: In 2006 we started making a Pinot Noir for Mark Ryan with grapes were sourced from Lachini Vineyards in the Chehalem Mountains. My wife, Megan, and I love the area and spend it a lot of time there on wine business and for fun, we even got married in the Willamette Valley! In 2014 we were introduced to Isabelle Meunier who was leaving Evening Land and hired her as a winemaker—and Megan Anne Cellars was born. Isabelle makes the wines and Megan and I are involved as much as we can be from Washington. Isabelle is great at interpreting our stylistic vision and is fully in charge of the nuts and bolts of winemaking in Oregon. My full attention is on Mark Ryan and Board Track Racer. I am all about creating talented teams and forming partnerships. Mike MacMorran, formerly of DeLille Cellars, has been a part of the Mark Ryan wine program for years. Mike’s winemaking team and our vineyard partners work really hard to see that we have access to the best fruit. We have great winemaking teams and everything we do at Mark Ryan, Board Track Racer, and Megan Anne Cellars is a team effort.

WWB: What can we expect from your new brand, Board Track Racer?

MR: The first Board Track Racer vintage was actually in 2008, but we did open a Board Track Racer tasting room this year! Making ultra-premium wines for Mark Ryan it was important to me to have a declassifying program too. I wanted to make some wines that were a bit less serious. I wanted BTR to be more fun. I love motorcycles and I don’t know if wine and motorcycles necessarily go together but it works for me. We started out making The Vincent Red and we now have five wines all based on vintage motorcycles. Now it’s not really a declassified program but more a purposeful program. We are able to offer wines to a wide range of consumer. I come from a wine sales background and sold everything from $4 wines to $300 wines. I understand that a $60 Cabernet from Mark Ryan is not for everyone. But I love the opportunity to engage everyone at all pricepoints, and BTR is a great introduction to our brand. These are wines that are fun to be around and sometimes more approachable upon release.

WWB: A lot of your acclaim has been with the red wines like the 'Dead Horse' Cabernet Sauvignon but your white wines have been exceptional. Can you talk about the new 2017 Viognier?

MR: We have a lot of space in our new production facility in Walla Walla. Our approach was very similar with the 2017, but we were better able to achieve greatness with our larger space and the talented labor pool in Walla Walla. The 2017 Viognier was made with grapes from Olsen Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, where previous vintages used fruit from Red Mountain. Olsen is a great vineyard and the grapes are from a cooler site. This wine now combines Olsen with Red Willow Vineyards. We want to honor the fruit, texture, and aromatics but we went to have great acid and minerality too. I am not a fan of overripe Viognier— I like to walk that fine line between minerality and rich, peach and melon aromatics and flavors. As far as production goes, we are about 20% concrete and 50% natural French oak and then a touch of new barrels and stainless.

WWB: Can you talk about your wine cellar and some of your favorite wines of the world? 

MR: Both Megan and I are big fans of Oregon Pinot Noir. For me they are the perfect wine for enjoying with good friend. They are fruit forward wines with a nod to the structure found in Old World wines. Some of my favorite Oregon producers are Shea, Lavinea, from Isabelle Meunier, and Beaux Frères, which are expensive, but are really good! We also love white Burgundy. If I’m not drinking Washington wines, I love a good Meursault. I love great Chablis and Raveneau is a favorite producer. I have a few bottles of that in the fridge now. Dauvissat is fantastic too. I can hedge my bets when it comes to white Burgundy. The village of Cornas in the Rhône valley holds a special place in my heart. The reds being produced in Cornas and St. Joseph are fantastic.

Interview with Ryan Raber, Winemaker at Tertulia Cellars

A self-described hedonist, Ryan Raber describes his winemaking as “art.” He notes that while science is imperative in the wines, intuition, experience and trusting one’s palate is paramount in winemaking. Ryan crafts his Tertulia Cellars wines from three exciting and unique vineyard sites. I have recently visited Tertulia, as well as area vineyards, and was really impressed with the new lineup and how each wine showcases the unique terroir of each vineyard. Ryan has crafted a very strong lineup of new releases that impress from stony Marsanne to bright Rose to rich Syrah. If you haven’t had a chance to check out their new wines, the range of vineyards and terroir is absolutely worth seeking out. Thoughtful and easy to approach, Ryan has a great story in wine. He also shares my love for Domaine Tempier. Here is my interview with Ryan Raber, winemaker at Tertulia Cellars. 

WWB: How did you first get interested in winemaking? Who were your initial inspirations?

RR: I was 23 years old when I first became interested in winemaking. It was the artisan/creative aspects that interested me. I come from a family of chefs and artists on my mother’s side of the family plus my father was always building something in his woodshop. I would say it was my family that inspired me. Creating something tangible and pleasing to the senses made me think originally I would be a fine artist. I was also interested in food. I would taste something and try to recreate it. What was interesting about winemaking is you can never recreate the same wine twice. It is more like sculpting, chipping away at the pieces till the marble begins to take on a life of its own.

WWB: How do you describe your winemaking style? 

RR: I tend to make wines lower in alcohol, more old world acids and tannins. I am trying to make wines that are an expression of the land and varietals. My co-worker and friend Kristine says it best “we make elegantly approachable wines for the sophisticated palate”. We accomplish this by using tried and true old world winemaking techniques.

WWB: You produces a gorgeous 2017 Tertulia Cellars Rose (WWB, 90) that showed nice astringency and purity of fruit. Can you talk about the winemaking behind this gorgeous, stand-alone Rose?

RR: For our Rose we pick the grapes between 18-21 brixs depending on how they taste each year. I believe that is lower than most domestic Roses. This makes for bright acids and low alcohol wines. Since making our first Rose in 2007 we have cut down on the skin contact. Now we crush the grapes and go directly to press. I think having a little Tempranillo in our blend adds a little bit of astringency. Heck maybe this next vintage we will try pressing one lot with whole clusters to get a little lighter color. It’s always fun to try new things as long as it’s in moderation.

WWB: What are the challenges with making wine from three very different estate vineyards?

RR: Every vintage offers its own challenges. Having the three vineyards in different terroir means you have to really be dialed in on what is going on at each site. One vineyard may have some issues with winter damage while another might be over vigorous. Having Ryan Driver and his team is a blessing. He really knows what we want out of the vines each year and how to coax the best out of them. Each year both of us gain a little more experience and hone our craft to make better wines. My favorite things is when I taste the grapes and say, hey this block is ready can you pick tomorrow and Driver says, we can pick today if you want. Timing is everything. We are getting the grapes in at the perfect ripeness for our style of wines each vintage. We are also really lucky blocks seem to come in about every three days so we can give each lot of wine all the love they need in the cellar.

WWB: What are some of your favorite producers of wines from the Pacific Northwest and wines of the world?

RR: I really love Woodward Canyon. They make wonderful wines and have had years of experience working with the same fruit. Not to mention they are very gracious people. I was once asked early in my career, how do you get to be like Leonetti or Woodward Canyon. I said ask me again in 30 years after making great wines and having a wonderful relationship with customers just like they have. Fingers crossed I am on that path. My favorite producers in France would be Domaine Tempier in Bandol as I have found those Bandol wines to be rustic and beautiful. I also love producers in Saint Emilion. I once visited Cheval Blanc and got to taste their wine. It was a once in a life time opportunity. I felt like I was on holy ground! I may have snuck an extra taste when no one was looking.

Child's Play

Tony Rynders has his deft hand all over the Oregon wine industry. Originally modeled after drawings made from his two children, Child’s Play is an exciting side project winery by Tony Rynders that carries incredible quality for an uber-low price. Tony was former winemaker at Panther Creek and Domaine Serene, before starting his own winery, Tendril. He currently consults for roughly ten Oregon wineries. I have noticed a marked difference in quality in the lineups of several wine programs which he has taken over. His distinctive winemaking style focuses on richness, texture and elegance. 

Look to his outstanding new 2017 Child’s Play Rose (WWB, 91) which has outstanding minerality and tension with the red fruit flavors. Tony has formerly made wine in Washington state for many years and he has sourced his outstanding new Zinfandel from the Columbia Valley. The 2015 Child’s Play Zinfandel (WWB, 90) is forward, with beautiful astringency and richness. This downright delicious wine is a killer value. Learn more about this outstanding offshoot winery at https://tendrilwines.com/wines/childs-play/ Here are the great new wines by Child’s Play.

2017 Child’s Play Rose- Made from Pinot Noir grapes, this outstanding wine shows off red currant, red cherry and guava puree aromatics. Beautifully balanced and slightly sweet, this shows a dazzling minerality with bright red fruit flavors and a touch of orange rind towards the back end. Superstar winemaker Tony Rynders has absolutely nailed this Rose. Grab this by the case while you can. Drink 2018-2022- 91

2017 Child’s Play Pinot Chardonnay- A blend of 70% Pinot Noir with the remainder Chardonnay, this is a highly unique bottling by Tony Rynders. In the glass this takes shape with a combination of pear, and starfruit aromatics with a touch of baking spice. Highly refreshing and satisfying, this shows a good combination of weight and tension. Baked apple, starfruit and bright citrus rind flavors mingle nicely with the minerality. This is a seriously good value. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Child's Play Zinfandel- Sourced from the Columbia Valley, the wine starts out with some lighter jammy character with red fruits and bramble following. The mouthfeel is very smooth as the wine shows some nice polish. Red cherry, red currant jelly and Hoisin sauce finish off this outstanding Zinfandel that rivals some of the great ones out of Sonoma County. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Upchurch Vineyard

Chris and Thea Upchurch are truly two of the great people in Washington wine. Their winery, Upchurch Vineyard, is a sight to be seen on Red Mountain. Modern and chic, the winery is connected to their house that looks out across the valley. I can’t think of a more gorgeous spot to taste wine in the state. Chris Upchurch is the founding winemaker and partner of DeLille Cellars. He and his wife, Thea, finally got the urge to start their own winery project which was completed in 2016. The vineyard, itself, was planted in 2007. Walking through the vineyard, I couldn’t help but notice how meticulously farmed each row was. Dick Boushey oversees the vineyard management and the vineyard looks incredible healthy and downright pristine. 

I recently visited this stunning winery and chatted with the Chris and Thea about their new wines. They have now released a knockout white wine, the 2016 Upchurch Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 93) which is truly one of the best of its kind. The texture, mouthfeel and range of this wine is truly spellbinding, as Chris has absolutely nailed this white wine which walks the tight rope between refreshing and unctuous. Learn more about this outstanding winery at https://upchurchvineyard.com Here are the outstanding new releases by Upchurch Vineyard.

2015 Upchurch Vineyards ‘Counterpart’ Red Wine- A compelling blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine was entirely sourced from the Upchurch Estate Vineyard in Red Mountain. The hedonistic nose starts this wine off with creme de cassis, leather, red currant and mocha. The combination of poise and balance is really lovely here. Black tea, mocha, creme de cassis and sagebrush flavors connect with a nice tension. This is an impressive effort by superstar winemaker Chris Upchurch. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Upchurch Vineyard ‘Southwest Facing’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2016 Upchurch Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is truly one of the best of its kind in Washington. On the nose, the wine brings out an exotic edge with poached pear, apricot and lighter grassy tones. The palate has an oily texture and a wonderfully rich mouthfeel. Kumquat, cut grass, kiwi and bright Gravenstein apple flavors come to mind. Layered and downright delicious, be sure to enjoy this at a slightly warmer temperature where the wine shows its gorgeous range in its entirety. Drink 2018-2028- 93

Interview with Drew Bledsoe, Owner of Doubleback Winery

A man requiring no introduction, NFL legend, Drew Bledsoe, took his success on the playing field into fielding his own winery. Since starting Doubleback roughly a decade ago he has taken the Washington wine scene by storm. A few days ago I had the chance to visit his gorgeous new winery in Walla Walla. Drew is a fun-loving, down to earth guy that is an absolute blast to chat wine with. Originally from Walla Walla, Drew ‘doubled back’ following his successful career as an NFL quarterback and started his winery, Doubleback. With superstar winemaker, Josh McDaniels, at the winemaking helm, he has achieved some remarkable success as all of his wines sell out extremely quickly. I think you will really enjoy hearing more about Drew’s story in wine. Here is my exclusive interview with Drew Bledsoe, NFL legend and owner of Doubleback winery. 

WWB: How did you first get into wine?

DB: I got into wine the way that most pepole do. Once we had saved some money my teammates and I started going to dinner and realizing how interesting wine was. The more I learned about wine the more interesting it became. I started collecting wine from all over the world. I got very intrigued by Italian wines and also Australian wines. My interests spanned the globe. Then I had a phase where I was really interested in Napa wines.  After time I looked for wines that displayed more balance and were not super extracted. That brought us back to wines from Walla Walla. We had a great group of teammates when I was playing for New England that were all getting into wine. Damon Huard, Mike Vrabel, Ted Johnson and Teddy Bruschi all loved wines and wanted to learn about wines of the world. We started regularly opening wines from all over the world and blinding them. I would have a lot of teammates coming over and we would do blind tasting Cabernets from California vs Washington and wine from Washington would always win. That is where the seed was planted as I started thinking that that maybe after football is done I would go back to Walla Walla and make wine a carer. 

WWB: How did you get to know Josh McDaniels?

DB: Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellar was our consulting winemaker at Doubleback for several years. At Leonetti Josh McDaniels was working for Chris. As time went on I knew that Chris was going to move on and pursue his own projects. We had slowly started the process in place for Josh to take over as lead winemaker. Pretty soon it became apparent that Josh was able to take over the whole thing himself. The time came and we made the chance and it has been off to the races since then. I had tried Leonetti for many years and Josh was involved in every vintage of Doubleback. Once we moved out to the wine studio at Leonetti Josh was intimately involved in all the wines so it was not a big step for him to take over all the winemaking. 

WWB: How does your NFL success translate into success in the wine industry?

DB: There are a few things that made it important to me that our business and story was not about the football guy. We wanted the focus to be about a small town kid that came back home and had some success. Doubleback is an authentic, real project. The winery is not a passing interest or hobby for me but it is something we are really serious about. We didn’t want to place Bledsoe on the bottle. That is where the name Doubleback comes from, doubling back and coming home. In terms of translating football into business it has been amazing to me how similar football and wine can be. The wine education that I have received since I have been in the business, particularly from Chris Figgins, Greg Harrington, Josh McDaniels and these people that have helped me have been vital. The day to day operations of the wine business shares a lot of similarities with footballl, Themes like teamwork, perseverance, adaptation, and a competitive spirit all provide important influences in both football and wine. Drive and competition really never leaves you once you leave the NFL. The wine business competition is a different kind of competition. Obviously the wine industry doesn’t require that we beat someone so it benefits us if we are helping our neighbor and trying to be great. We are always marketing all of Walla Walla when we are marketing our wines. We aren’t knocking the other guy down we are simply helping share and influence how great Walla Walla wines can be.

WWB: What are some of the most memorable wines that you have tried across your lifetime?

DB: There are a few wine experiences that jump out for me. One of them, surprisingly, was a Napa wine, the 1998 Viader Red Wine which was cool for a few reasons. 1998 was a hard vintage in Napa from critics but I have noticed something that has held true for a long time that the so called bad vintages have great wine from great producers. That was the case with this wine. A lot of Cab Franc was in the wine and that is one of the Bordeaux varietals that was really memorable. One of the epiphany wines that I had unfortunately I wasn’t able to find out what was in the glass. I was in a restaurant in Buffalo, New York, and enjoying myself. There was a guy having dinner in the restaurant who knew that I liked wine and he handed me a glass of something, dropped it off, and then was gone. The wine was a great Burgundy and it was ethereal and proved to be an unbelievable experience. It was almost like you were drinking air how silky smooth this wine was and I was absolutely blown away. Another memorable wine that I enjoyed took place during a dinner with the Golitzins from Quilceda Creek and Alex brought a bottle of 1998 Chateau Lafitte-Rothchild. This was a wine that was really that good, amazing wine and actually lived up to the price of the wine. The 1961 Barolo, Coterno, probably holds the title of the best wine that I have had. It is really hard to describe this wine but I noticed that there was just so much going as everything was in perfect harmony. Too me that was what defines a great wine. There was tremendous complexity and balance. That is what Josh has going here, wines that have great balance but complexity at the same time.

Interview with Joe D'Angelo, Executive Editor of International Wine Report

Continuing our Interview Week coverage here at WWB, many of you know that I write for International Wine Report, covering Washington, Oregon and portions of California. I first met Joe D’Angelo, founder of International Wine Report, in 2015. Joe’s history in wine goes way back to his childhood, growing up in an Italian-American family. His wine education continued into young adulthood and in 2004 the New Jersey native launched TheWine-Insider.com.  With the success of this publication, Joe found the need to expand in order to a cover a larger audience — which marked beginning of what is now known as the International Wine Report.  In 2009, Joe began his new platform designed to meet the demands of an international audience, writing independent reviews and covering wines from all regions around the world, mainly focusing on the wines of Italy, United States, France as well as Germany and South Africa. Joe also continues to travel to Italy, France and California to taste and discover new wines. I think you will really enjoying hearing Joe’s story in wine. Follow him on Instagram.  Here is my interview with Joe D’Angelo, executive editor of International Wine Report.

WWB: How did you first become interested in wine?

JD: I wish I could just give you a specific date, but I’ve had an interest in wine for as long as I can recall. I can remember times at family gatherings, before I was even the legal age to consume alcohol, watching my relatives drinking and talking about wine around the table, I would be sitting there in awe, just wishing I could take part. Finally, when I became old enough to drink, I was able take part in these discussions. I can recall drinking some older Italian wines, Barolo and Amarone and an ’82 Leoville Las Cases which stands out. At the time I didn’t really know much about it, other than it was Bordeaux, expensive and pretty damn good. This was one of the earliest specific wines I can recall and it really began to peak my interest on the subject. However, it didn’t last long, I was still young, was more interested in having fun socially with friends, rather than discovering the newest vintage of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Nonetheless, I would still find time to enjoy wine at dinners etc, but it wast until a few years later that I settled down and the wine bug took over.   

As time passed, I continued to taste wines from all over the world and the more I tasted these different wines the more interested I became. I would travel, read magazines, books and anything else I could do to learn a thing or two. I began to write all my tasting notes down in a notebook, but quickly realized I need a better place to document all this. Long story short, with a background in IT, I came up with a platform to store my documentation on all the wines I was tasting, and this was essentially the beginning of the International Wine Report. 

WWB: How did you decide to start International Wine Report?

JD: Honestly, IWR was not something I intentionally started. As mentioned earlier, I need a place to document the wines I was drinking, and with a background in IT, I came up with a website to document all my tasting notes and called it “The Wine-Insider”.  Slowly but surely this this started to gain recognition and through analytics etc, I noticed people visiting the site and reading the reviews. I realized I had something quite interesting happening, and decided I could do even more with this. Around 2010, I developed a totally new plan, this time with an audience in mind which needed a more robust platform, and I called it The International Wine Report. 

WWB: You provide some extensive coverage of some of the sought after regions of Italy, including Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. Can you talk about what you look for in a great Barolo and Brunello and how you typically come to your conclusions when reviewing those great regions?

JD: Growing up in an Italian household I’ve always had a love for all things Italian, wine being one. I’ve been tasting Barolo and Brunello for quite some time now, and the wines are some of my favorite to taste as well as collect. Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, although completely different, can share some similarities between the two. Many have even confused the two in blind tastings, I can't deny myself being one. That being said, a lot of the characteristics I look for in a young Nebbiolo or Sangiovese are pretty similar. When tasting the wines young upon release you can typically get a better picture from young Brunello, since it is a bit more evolved, being that wine requires a minimum of 5 years age and  6 years for the Riserva’s before release, you don’t get that luxury when tasting Barolo. A young Barolo can be released sooner after harvest and the wines can be more restraint at this early stage. While there are different qualities I look for between the two wines, the core components are pretty basic, quality of fruit, structure and acidity. I believe these are the essential components of a well-made, age worthy wine. 

WWB: You’ve been working hard on your Napa Report covering the 2015 Vintage. What are some of the producers that we should watch out for?

JD: I have, and will continue to spend a great deal of time on this Napa report. Starting with the 2015 vintage I plan on putting much more focus on Napa Valley, and this report will be the most comprehensive IWR has ever released on Napa. I have been tasting some incredible wines from the vintage and there is no shortage of great wines, most all which are already drinking remarkably well. That being said, I still have quite a few wines waiting to be tasted, but there are so many producers making great wines from the vintage, and generally speaking, the wines have been pretty stellar across the board. I think they will be great for drinking early while waiting for the 2016’s. I look forward to releasing the full report on the 2015’s this Fall.

WWB: What are some of your epiphany wines and what is your wine cellar like?

JD: As far as my cellar, over the years I worked on building a pretty diverse collection, which is now somewhere around 2-3K bottles give or take. My collection is a litter younger than most other collections out there, that being because all the wines I had purchased earlier in life, which would now be 15-20+ years in age, were all used to develop my palate. Although, I certainly wish I still had them, the benefit of tasting them and developing a strong palate for all varietals was priceless and without doing so IWR would likely not exist today.

I enjoy drinking wines from anywhere in the world and my cellar reflects that, you can find just about anything in there if you did deep enough. My favorite wines to drink older are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa, Barolo and Rhône, so that is what I have been focusing on collecting lately. As far as an epiphany wine... Of course, there is the '82 Las Cases which I can remember like yesterday, and at the time completely changed the way I looked at wine. However, my fondest memories involving wine were the experiences I had; who I was with, where I was at, the specific moments in my life, and the people I met along the way. For me that is what wine is really all about. 

Interview with Mary Derby, Founder and Winemaker of DAMA Wines

Continuing our journey through Interview Week here at WWB we bring you one of the pioneer woman winemakers in Washington. Mary Derby has nearly two decades of experience in the Washington wine industry. Mary has endured everything from incredible business success to personal tragedy, losing her husband many years ago. Her winery, DAMA, located in downtown Walla Walla, crafts a very serious lineup of wines, from Rose to Merlot. Mary is an outstanding winemaker and a downright awesome person to chat wine with. I think you will enjoy hearing more about her history in the wine industry. Here is my interview with Mary Derby, Winemaker and Owner of DAMA Wines.  

WWB: You have a longstanding history in the Washington wine industry, starting Spring Valley Vineyards (SVV) in 2000 and later DAMA years later. How have you seen the Washington wine industry evolve over the past 18 years?

MD: Lordy, did you really have to put a number to my Walla Walla years? Yes, you are correct .. it will be 18 years this Fall and I only know that since my son Simon is turning 18 in September and we had moved here when he was a month old!  Though, I do remember that day like it was yesterday. And that certainly is the case for those first four years of our time here in Walla Walla. How have I seen the industry change? Well I can't speak about the change unless I speak of what it was like back in the early days between 2000-2004 (my SVV time with Devin) all I can really say is that it was very special. Those first years were very special and are very near and dear to my heart.  I look back and it is hard to imagine that we were so young ..not necessarily in age but within our ideals, within our naivete' in understanding the business of it all. I'm not sure any of us understood the grand possibilities that were heading our way. I guess Christophe & Charles knew what was to come. You have to understand that at that time there was no Walla Walla Enology Progam and so many of us just learned along the way — through the school of hard knocks. But what we did do is lean on each other, so we shared whatever information & knowledge and passed on our intimate passions on how we believed in our wines, in our valley and our brands. Though we were not the true pioneers of WWV we were the new generation with different ideas of what we thought we could create here. 

During those first few years between 2000-2008 there really was not too many women winemakers...I can only think of a handful. So looking around today I see so many more women going through the program and working in the production side to becoming full on winemakers. A couple of years ago, I began the process of creating the Walla Walla Women in Wine Calendar and it was so wonderful to see that we could fill up 12 months! It's an exciting time in this industry for all of us!  But then again it is still a quiet challenge for us women in the industry. We do not portray ourselves as the public  "rock star" winemaker that many of our male colleague do and if we ever did go that direction I do believe we would get nailed for it...so the double standards have been there but perhaps they are not as prevalent today. And perhaps that is a whole other topic that could be discussed with a group of women who are in the industry. 

WWB: What changes have you seen in the Walla Walla Valley? 

MD: My generation of winemakers have all grown up and with that growth there comes an inherent knowledge that we can no longer be what we once were. We have made it through the lean years, the freeze years, wondering why I planted what I did. There were many years where I missed the hell out of my husband, Devin, and there have been many years where I have missed my friend, Eric Dunham. Those first years starting SVV (Spring Valley Vineyards) were beautiful early days. But now I love what the Walla Walla Valley has become which is a major wine force in the wine industry. I finally no longer hear ‘What side of the Potomac are you on’? It is just crazy how long I would hear that. I am so very proud of where we are and so very excited to for the growth to come. There is such a wonderful strength & unity to the Walla Walla Valley that has shined on through the years and will continue to do so. 

WWB: How do you see Walla Walla evolving in the future?

MD: Change…you really never want it to happen but it is constantly happening all around you! Our little sleepy village in 2000 is now a very active prospering one! There is so much growth and big money coming in that at times I do worry about what will happen to the overall feel of the town. Are we really ready for the changes that seem to be in our future? Who knows? But I do think Walla Walla will always maintain it's small town atmosphere where life's pace is just a bit slower and we who have been here for a while embrace that to no end! 

WWB: Your DAMA lineup is fantastic across the board, including a bright, dazzling 2017 Rose that has both poise, weight and range. What is your philosophy when crafting your Rose wine?

MD: Thank you for acknowledging my wines. It's been a long and arduous road of fine-tuning the wines and vineyards that we deal with and as well as re-working the brand/logo. In regard to my Rose' I feel extremely proud and am very passionate on trying to create a wine that can be taken seriously. Years ago when Devin and I were traveling in the Loire Valley I feel in love with Cab Franc and especially the Roses. . I loved the richness and the acidity that were a part of these wines. So now 20 years later I have found CF through the Chelle den Millie Vineyard that I believe creates a non nonsense wine. The CF from these particular rows have been trained and cropped to allow longer hang time which in turn creates amazing flavors and characteristics. Believe me, it is always a moment or two of questioning the hang time duration but I have found more success in being patient. We usually always schedule a predawn picking time ( machine harvested) and it's lightly crushed at this time. It takes about 2 hours to get back to Artifex where we will let it cold soak for another hour or so and then it gets pressed and in tank. I have experimented with a couple of yeasts that help bring out the floral aspects of the wine and I really think this year we hit the mark! 

WWB: As a winemaker you have a strong handle on a great red wine portfolio. These wines have wonderful richness and tension in the glass. When creating Bordeaux style reds, how do you describe your winemaking style?

MD: I guess when I start to analyze my idea of what I ultimately want in my bottle as a DAMA Wines. I try to stay as true to the varietal as possible without having to manipulate too much along the way. My relationship with the vineyards & managers have only improved over the last couple of years so hopefully my wines have reflected that hard work that is done during the growing season. Personally, I love to keep a "soft" touch if you will on my wines and that means a few different things...not overly & aggressively pressing the grapes to using less new oak at times to making sure they are in good balance. Perhaps, my style all stems from my years of training as an opera singer. You learn to pay attention to the nuances, the subtleties, the highs and the lows to ultimately keep the vibration of the voice moving even after you have stopped singing...in Italian it's called scquillo...and that is what I want in my wines. 

WWB: What are some of your favorite wines of the world and some recent wines that you have enjoyed:

MD: I am so bad with remembering what I drank the other day let alone last week or month!  But my summer love right now is JF's sauvignon blanc! It's reminiscent of the late Didier Dagineau's wines....

Interview with Chris Zarcadoolas, Head Sommelier at Stripsteak in Miami

Friends, today marks the beginning of Interview Week here at Washington Wine Blog as we will focus on some very exciting new wine industry interviews. A few weeks back I had the great opportunity to try some of the great Michael Mina restaurants, Stripsteak and Pizza & Burger in Miami. Set at the vibrant Fountainbleu hotel, the restaurant has a house DJ and Vegas style atmosphere. Stripsteak, like the name suggests, focuses on fantastic aged beef and also boasts a very deep wine cellar, manned by Chris Zarcadoolas. Chris has an advanced sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers and is currently working towards his Master Somm. He had the chance to pour me some truly outstanding wines including a 2006 Veuve Cliquot ‘La Grand Dame’ Champagne and the epic 2007 Chave Hermitage. I recently sat down with him and talked wine. I think you are going to very much enjoy hearing about his story. Here is my interview with Chris Zarcadoolas, Head Sommelier at Stripsteak, Miami.

WWB: How did you decide to become a sommelier?

CZ: Deciding to become a sommelier was fairly organic. I worked as a bartender in college. I became restless and moved to San Francisco in my early 20s. I was terrified at the prospect of learning wine, but found a nurturing environment in the Bay Area. I slowly gained confidence and alternated between operating my own business and working in hospitality as a server and bartender. Even when I was self-employed, I found myself sourcing and shipping some of the more popular California wines over to business associates in Japan. Gradually as I grew in the hospitality industry, my passion for geology, meteorology, history, and food truly made wine a fated occupation.  

WWB: Who were your first inspirations in wine?

CZ: There are two gentlemen who really recognized some kind of fire in me and helped give me that nudge. I met them both working in Atlanta. Sam Governale, who I believe has a restaurant in his hometown of Houston, and Skip Williams, who last I heard had a wine and crystal shop in Atlanta. I have not spoken to them in years, but remain grateful. I am fortunate enough to have had some amazing mentors/bosses throughout the years; Barb Werley MS at Pappas Bros Dallas (whom I adore), David Mokha (former boss and general wine gangster in Miami), and beverage director of Wolfgang Puck Tim Wilson (one of the all-time best).

WWB: You have achieved the coveted advanced sommelier certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers. Can you talk about the most challenging part of passing the exam for you?

CZ: I’ve always found the most challenging part of the Court exams the “conquering of self”. It seems like all of the garbage that we are holding onto, all of our insecurities, and personality defects come bubbling to the surface as we prepare and test for these already challenging exams. I think once we conquer that aspect, we are ready to know our shortcomings and prepare adequately.

WWB: How difficult was the tasting portion of the exam for you?

CZ: The first time I took the Advanced, my tasting was a disaster. I simply was not in command of the grid enough to flow through the process. The deductive tasting grid  is a proven method for discerning wine. We need to be “all-in” with the process for it to work. Once I understood that, I focused on two things; mastering the grid, and theory. If we know the theory, and we are comfortable with the grid, the wine will speak to us.

WWB: As the lead sommelier at one of Miami’s hottest restaurants, Michael Mina’s Stripsteak, you have carefully crafted a fantastic glass pour selection, including several top selections on Coravin. What are some of your favorite top wines and value selections on your list?

CZ: It’s hard to choose, but as far as top wines, I love the 2013 de Montille Vosne Romanee aux Malconsorts Christiane. Christiane is a block that is literally embraced by La Tache. It is transcendent and has a special history within my own life. If I had to choose just one more, it would be the 2006 Conterno Monfortino. I love 06 Barolo, and I love them when everyone else says that they are too young. Give me austere and tannic wine, and I am happy. As far as value wine, I could stay in Iberia. I have a 2002 Bierzo from Alejandro Luna which sees new French oak and is just mind bendingly beautiful. It has freshness, old world sensibility, and a cleanliness that just shines. It is $205, but for a wine with that age and rarity, I consider it a value. We also have a Ribera del Duero from Arrocal for $50. It is everything you want from a Ribera; power, fruit, oak, acid and tannis, but at that price. The family that produces it is amazing as well. A wine I sold in the past that I currently do not have, merits a place on the list; Quinta dos Roques Touriga Nacional 2003 from the Dao in Portugal. A true stunner for approximately $75.

WWB: Do you have any atypical pairings that you like for cuts of steak?

CZ: Absolutely, I think “steak whites” are lost on a lot of consumers. I have sold a Soave Classico with 10 years of age with a Filet Oscar and it sung. A Chateaunuef du Pape Blanc with age and a hearty amount of Grenache Blanc and/or Roussane can take on the likes of Ribeye or even A5, due to the alcohol and glycerol levels. For Red, give me a young Xinomavro with a strip and I’m good.

WWB: What are some of your favorite new wines of the world that you’ve enjoyed in 2018?

CZ: The wines from Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico are wines that both inspire my intellect and awaken my inner child. They are so curious, yet make so much sense. When you look at a bottle, and the blend is 50% Nebbiolo and 50% Tempranillo, your inner child can’t help but dance with curiosity. When you experience the wine, it makes absolute sense why it is fantastic.

International Pinot Noir Celebration 2018

Friends, as we bid a fond farewell to another fantastic Oregon Wine Month, I wanted to share one of the highlights of the Pacific Northwest wine scene. This summer the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) comes to Linfield College from Friday July 27th to Sunday June 29th. Over 70 world class Pinot Noir producers will be participating, from Austria to Alsace to Oregon. Some of the top Oregon Pinot Noir producers that I have reviewed for Washington Wine Blog and International Wine Report will be there pouring their great Pinot Noir releases. This not to be missed event includes a very special presentation called the Grand Seminar which is an Oregon Pinot Noir vineyard comparison. 

This year’s presentation is a great face-off between an Eola-Amity Hills Vineyard and a Dundee Hills Vineyard and the great winemakers that work with these special vineyards. Famed wineries such as Bergstom, Water Scott, Belle Pente, and Penner Ash will present their 2016 Pinot Noirs, sourced either from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA based Temperance Hill Vineyard  or the Dundee Hills AVA based Bella Vida Vineyard. 

Comparing these terroir from a great vintage will be a great opportunity to see into the new vintage and how different the wines can be. I have personally long loved this Oregon Pinot Noir comparison, which typically outlines a more feminine profile of Eola-Amity Hills wines with the darker, unmistakably more masculine profile of wines from the Dundee Hills. The panel provide a fabulous comparison of the wines, moderated by famed wine writer Elaine Brown, and includes panelists Josh Bergstrom (Bergstrom), Julia Cattrall (Lumos Wine Co. ), Brian O’Donnell (Belle Pente), Ken Pahlow (Walter Scott), Lynn Penner-Ash (Penner-Ash) and Patrick Reuter (Domino IV) who will present their exciting new Pinot Noirs. 

The winemakers are very excited for this special event, as talented Bergstrom winemaker, Josh Bergstrom, explained “I am very excited for the IPNC grand seminar as it touches on the exploration of community and terroir in the Willamette Valley.” Josh continued “Temperance Hill is one of the first vineyard designated Pinot Noirs that I ever tasted as a 21 year old working as a line chef at Tina’s Restaurant in Dundee, Oregon. Now 22 years later to be able to be a producer of wine from this heritage site is a full circle moment for me and I am proud to sit on stage with some of Oregon’s finest farmers and winemakers.”

Similar excitement comes from eminent Belle Pente winemaker, Brian O’ Donnell, who mentioned “The grand seminar is one of the classic matches — land vs the hand of the winemaker. It is a truly great platform to have discussions about so many different aspects of Oregon Pinot Noir. You really have a chance to understand the context of the wine from the site, the vintage and the winemaker.” The weekend closes with a big tasting event, the Passport to Pinot, Oregon’s largest international tasting of Pinot Noir. This event includes 35 featured winemakers and special food selections crafted by 15 Pacific Northwest chefs. Do not miss this special summer wine event. 

Chehalem

Focused on high quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Ribbon Ridge AVA in the Willamette Valley, Chehalem is one of the pioneering wineries of Oregon, first planting their Ridgecrest Vineyard in 1980 by Chehalem Founder Harry Peterson-Nedry. March forward a decade later, their first Pinot Noir was created. Three years later Bill Stoller joined Harry in the winery operation and later planted a vineyard on his family farmlands at the southern end of the Dundee Hills. Two years later Chehalem purchased Corral Creek, the vineyard surrounding the winery, in 1995. It became the third estate vineyard sourced for Chehalem wines.

Earlier this year Bill Stoller purchased Harry’s stake in Chehalem. The new wines by Chehalem had marvelous finesse and tension. One of the top Rose wines out of Oregon, the 2017 Chehalem ‘Three Vineyard’ Rose (WWB, 90) sources from all three estate vineyards. This delightful wine is a serious, stand alone Rose that displays a dazzling minerality.  Even better was the 2015 Chehalem ‘Three Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) which shows wonderful earthy and citrus notes and is downright delicious in the glass. Learn more about this great historic Oregon winery at chehalemwines.com Here are the great new release wines by Chehalem. 

2017 Chehalem ‘Three Vineyard’ Rose- This outstanding wine shows a feminine streak. Red cherry, red currant and watermelon flavors beautifully mingle with bright acidity. The mouthfeel is excellent here. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2016 Chehalem ‘Inox’ Chardonnay- This light colored Chardonnay starts off with brioche, pear and starfruit on the nose. This shows fantastic length, richness and minerality. Roasted pineapple, vanilla cream and poached pear flavors impress. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Chehalem ‘Three Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This deep colored Pinot Noir begins with bright aromas of red currant, sandalwood and forest floor with a touch of blood orange. The palate his deep and lithe, showing a nice range of red fruits with citrus overtones. Delicious, with good acidity, this will cellar well into the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 91

Alloro Vineyard

A gorgeous property set in the Chehalem Mountains, Alloro Vineyard was first planted in 1999. The vineyard itself is a 34-acre parcel planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Muscat set on a west-to-east southern aspect on deep, wind-blown loess topsoil over decomposed basalt at 450 –700 feet. The wines from this site are terroir driven and have wonderful earthy character. David Nemarnik serves as vineyard manager and Alloro CEO while Tom Fitzpatrick serves as winemaker. Tom has an master’s degree in enology and viticulture degree from the esteemed UC Davis and has worked winemaking positions across the globe, from California and New Zealand, to Burgundy and Oregon. 

HIs new release wines were seriously good across the board. Look to their 2014 Alloro Vineyard ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which shows remarkable depth and concentration while maintaining a silky texture. This outstanding offering and very good value Pinot Noir will cellar well for a decade or more. Alloro is open year-round from Thursday to Monday. Learn more about this great winery at https://www.allorovineyard.com Here are the great new wines by Alloro Vineyard. 

2015 Alloro Vineyard Chardonnay- Nutmeg and hazelnut flavors connect with peach on the nose. There is good weight and minerality to this wine. Pazzaz apple, starfruit and creme brûlée flavors impress. Enjoy this over the next five to ten years. Drink 2018-2028- 90

2014 Alloro Vineyard ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Chehalem Mountain AVA, the wine starts off with aromas of wet rock, peat moss and wild blackberry. The mouthfeel here is really excellent. Black tea, blackberry pie and forest floor flavors connect with a lovey weight and tension. Enjoy this outstanding wine over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2014 Alloro Vineyard ‘Riservata’ Pinot Noir- This barrel select Pinot Noir begins with aromatics reminiscent of cinnamon stick, forest floor, black tea and loganberry. The wine has a marvelous mouthfeel, revealing black tea, peat moss and orange rind flavors, showing some really good range. This is an outstanding release by Alloro Vineyard.  Drink 2018-2028- 92

Gran Moraine

Happy Memorial Day to you all. This is a great time to reflect on the brave men and women that have served our country and to remember all of those who have come and gone throughout our lives. 

Nearing the end of Oregon Wine Month we bring you one of the stars of the Willamette Valley. Gran Moraine is named after the cataclysmic floods that occurred in the northern Willamette Valley of Oregon during the last ice age. As the flood waters receded, they impacted the region, leaving small indentations or mini valleys (moraines), similar to those in the the Côte ’Or in Burgundy. Located in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, Gran Moraine has 220 acres planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Winemaker Shane Moore is an Idaho native and crafts some outstanding rereleases for Gran Moraine. He has a bachelor of science in enology and viticulture from Washington State University and previously spent three years gaining international winemaking experience in Canada, Western Australia and Israel’s Golan Heights. In 2011 Shane began working for Jackson Family Wines winemaking team as an enologist, crafting cool climate California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Shane helped build the Gran Moraine winemaking team and was named winemaker in 2016. HIs new releases were truly outstanding across the board. One of the best Rose wines out of Oregon in my 2018 Rose Report, the 2017 Gran Moraine Rose (WWB, 92) is a stunner, showing an amazing range of flavors and aromatics, displaying a wonderful mouthfeel and long finish. This is a wine not to be missed. Even better is their new Pinot Noir release, the 2015 Gran Moraine ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which has everything you want in a great Oregon Pinot Noir, which incredible depth and acidity. Learn more about this fantastic winery at https://www.granmoraine.com Here are the great new releases by Gran Moraine. 

2017 Gran Moraine Rose- This limited release Rose is a striking effort from this estate. Made from Pinot Noir grapes, this starts off with wild mushroom, red cherry and guava on the nose. The palate reveals a silky texture, leading to ripe strawberry, guava and cran-raspberry flavors. Crisp and delightful for a hot summer day, this outstanding effort shows both lovely poise, elegance and weight from this exciting vintage in the Willamette Valley. Drink 2018-2024- 92

2015 Gran Moraine ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Chardonnay- The nutty character on the nose mingles nicely with Challah bread and lemon cream. The palate shows a lean, mineral driven edge, with good structure and lighter cantaloupe and Pink Lady apple flavors. This elegant wine finishes long with vanilla cream. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2015 Gran Moraine ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Pinot Noir- The deeply seductive nose entices with forest floor, fennel, red cherry preserves and teaberry aromatics. The palate shows wonderful weight, tension and minerality. The mouth-watering acidity brings you back to the glass for more. Elegant, yet showing the warmth of the vintage, this is a simply outstanding wine that will cellar well for the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2018-2033- 93

Raptor Ridge

Continuing our great journey through Oregon Wine Month, we bring you one of the historic Oregon wineries. Raptor Ridge was founded in 1995 and almost immediately gained national acclaim for their Pinot Noirs. Founder and co-winemaker, Scott Shull, first started making terroir driven wines in 1995. Originally from Missouri, Scott is a self-taught winemaker, having learned by doing, reading, and attending extension service courses on viticulture and enology offered by U.C. Davis and Oregon State University.

Shannon Gustafson, combines with Scott Shull to make a great team. Shannon has been making wine out of her hometown of Paso Robles, CA for the past fourteen years. Having previously worked harvests in McLaren Vale, Shannon worked as winemaker for Hawks View winery in Oregon prior to coming to Raptor Ridge. The new releases were gorgeous across the board. One of the great Oregon Rose wines that I sampled in my 2018 Rose Report, the 2017 Raptor Ridge Rose (WWB, 90) shows really good poise and range. This is a downright delicious Rose that is impossible to resist. Even better is the stunning 2015 Raptor Ridge ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which has everything you want from a great Shea Vineyard bottling. Deep and dark, yet earthy, this is a gorgeous wine that will cellar at least for another decade. Learn more about this fantastic historic Oregon winery at http://www.raptorridgewinery.com Here are the great new releases by Raptor Ridge. 

2017 Raptor Ridge Rose- This Rose was actually barrel fermented for a short time. The nose has cantaloupe with wild mushroom and red fruits. Really good acidity marks the mid-palate as the silky smooth mouthfeel impresses. Candied raspberry, guava and red cherry flavors persist. This is an outstanding effort by Raptor Ridge. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2016 Raptor Ridge ‘Gran Moraine Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Sourced from one of the great vineyards in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, the wine begins with intense aromas of brioche and creme brûlée with lemon zest. The palate is rich as the wine improves when enjoyed at a warmer temperature. Vanilla creme brulee, Meyer lemon meringue and poached pear mark this delicious effort. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Raptor Ridge ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This deep colored wine starts off with smoke, black truffle and black cherry compote on the nose. The weight and minerlality to this wine is outstanding. Black tea, black cherry and wild blackberry cobbler flavors impress. There is almost a dash of milk chocolate on the finish. Burly, considering the AVA, this wine impresses in a hot vintage. Drink 2018-2028- 92