La Rata

Elizabeth Bourcier poured her wine for me with delight as I was immediately drawn in to the intoxicating aromatics of her wine. ‘Wow!’ Thinking to myself, I was immediately overcome with the intense range of this wine. It was truly something special in the glass. Cayuse assistant vigneronne, Elizabeth Bourcier, has made this wine now for several years and it has reached its cult status in Washington wine stardom. 

I have yet to find another producer making a wine like ‘La Rata’ in North America. Originally inspired by the insanely good Clos Erasmus wines of the Priorat region, Elizabeth saw a great potential to blend both Grenache and Cabernet together, since they wines tend to ripen at the same time. Elizabeth chose to use Grenache from Armada Vineyard and Cabernet from En Cerise Vineyard. Now she has added a touch of Syrah to the equation. The wine was named “The Rat.” And then Spanglish-cized: ‘La Rata’. The name ‘La Rata’ also connects with Elizabeth, as her zodiac sign is the rat.  

The new 2015 ‘La Rata’ Red Wine (WWB, 95) is a bit deeper than other bottling with the addition of the Syrah. It shows captivating poise, texture and range. It is so good you will have to try it for yourself. The 2015 ‘La Rata’ will be offered by Full Pull Wines and is very challenging to find in the retail market even on winebid.com. Learn more at http://laratawines.com/wines.html Here is my review of the scintillating 2015 La Rata Red Wine by Elizabeth Bourcier of Cayuse Vineyards.

2015 La Rata Red Wine- The 2015 ‘La Rata’ Red Wine is a blend of 54% Grenache with 26%Cabernet and 10% Syrah. Inspired by the top wines of Priorat, Elizabeth Bourcier decided to make a small tank of co-fermented Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon. The name was called ‘La Rata’ based on Spanglish and the resulting red blend ended up a remarkable success. This year displays a slightly darker color than previous vintages, likely due to the addition of the Syrah. The nose takes on some stunning aromatics with horse manure, red cherry candy, guava puree, teaberry, black truffle oil and Umami. Seriously perfumed, the intoxicating bouquet brings you back to the glass for more. The texture to this wine entices and beautifully coats the mouth. The savory and saline quality to this wine is quite striking, showing charcuterie with red cherry puree, cran-guava, white truffle, and Umami flavors. A downright stunner, this gorgeous wine will cellar well over the next decade but is impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2028- 95

Interview with Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Writer and Wine Reviewer

A man hardly needing any introduction, I thought it would be fitting as part of Washington Wine Month to include an interview from one of the most respected Washington wine writers and reviewers. Jeb Dunnuck has become one of the most influential wine reviewers in the world. Jeb talks about his start with the Rhone Report in 2008 that grew a cult following. Several years later he began working for Robert Parker as his following became even greater then. Last year he took the leap of faith and started his own website, jebdunnuck.com which has been very well-received since its inception. Jeb reviews wines from California to Washington to France and I think you will very much enjoy his story in wine. Here is my interview with Jeb Dunnuck, wine writer/reviewer and founder of Jebdunnuck.com

WWB: How did you decide to launch the Rhône Report in 2008? Were you surprised how popular your publication became?

JD: Creating the site in 2008 was really an impulse decision. I had always loved wine and had visited most of the benchmark growing regions, as well as taken a part time job in retail to learn as much as I could, but had no driving professional aspirations and still loved engineering. I had some free time on one of the holiday breaks and decided to create a website. It started out as a simple blog, but I hated the general attitude of most bloggers, so I quickly built a database for tasting notes and moved the site to a quarterly publication. I was happy with how it was received, and I think there’s a place for comprehensive, consumer-based publications, even today.

WWB: How did you start writing for Robert Parker in 2013? How did that process evolve to becoming his senior editor?

JD: I received an email from Robert Parker asking me to write for him. The Rhone Report was doing well and growing, but I was getting tapped out doing Aerospace engineering during the day and writing until 2 am every night on the Rhone Report. I considered sticking with the Rhone Report, but at the end of the day I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Bob, who I’d always admired and respected.

WWB: In 2017 you took the plunge and stated your own publication, JebDunnuck.com. What have been some of the challenges with starting your own publication and reviewing wines across the globe, from California to Washington to Southern France?

JD: It’s been relatively straightforward. The new site is based on the old Rhone Report database and matches how I work, so it’s quick and easy to publish. I traveled extensively for The Rhone Report and later the Wine Advocate, so there’s been little change in that regard as well. I also have a team that helps with logistics and travel planning, as well as editing and formatting. Nevertheless, I keep everything as efficient and streamlined as possible, and I love the work and am not afraid to work hard. The goal is to deliver timely reports that help subscribers make purchasing decisions, and I gear everything I do around that simple idea.

WWB: How have you seen the Washington wine industry evolve since you started the Rhône Report in 2008?

JD: Unquestionably, the Washington Wine industry has come a long way, and I still remember my first visit, driving into Walla Walla, and wondering if I had made a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in Nebraska! Today, there are more wineries, more talented winemakers, more vineyards, and overall just a better focus on producing quality wine. Washington has made great wine for a long time now, but the largest change is the number of wineries today truly focused on producing world-class wines. Also, the dining scene in Walla Walla is light years better than in the past. Unfortunately, the recognition of all this work and effort isn’t as large as it should be, primarily due to most wineries working direct to consumer and not enough wine ending up on restaurant wine lists and retail shelves.

WWB: What are some of your ‘epiphany’ wines that you’ve tried throughout your lifetime? What are some of your favorite wines in your personal cellar?

JD: I never had an epiphany wine, per se, and I continue to love great wines from throughout the world. Certainly, I’m a Francophile and probably 90% of my personal cellar is French, but there are truly world-class wines coming from numerous regions today. It’s an incredible time to be a wine lover!

HALL Wines

HALL is one of the most gorgeous wineries in Napa. Having tasted there for more than a decade, HALL was founded by.Kathryn and Craig Hall who acquired the historic St. Helena Bergfeld Winery in 2003 and re-opened as HALL St. Helena in July of that year. This winery’s location was previously home of the Napa Valley Co-Op, producing 40% of Napa Valley’s wines. In 2013, The Hall family completed the restoration of the 1885 Bergfeld Winery and merged history and innovation with the completion of California’s first LEED® Gold Certified winery. Vibrant and modern, this is a stunning facility to try their amazing new wines. HALL has more than 500 acres of estate vineyards, primarily growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. 

HALL winemaker Steve Leveque is an exceptional talent.. Previously working at Robert Mondavi Winery as well as Chalk Hill Estate Winery in Sonoma, his new HALL lineup was seriously impressive. The new 2014 HALL ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 97) is an ethereal wine that is truly up there with the best in Napa with its wonderful purity and seamless quality. Even better The wine is a remarkable achievement by HALL. Even better was the 2015 HALL ‘Rainin’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 99) which is the best wine that I have tried all year. This remarkable wine is part of their ‘Platinum Collection’ that is one for the most serious collector. Learn more about these special wines at http://www.hallwines.com Here are the stunning new releases by HALL wines. 

2015 HALL ‘Coer’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Coer’ is a Santa Helena appellation red blend, primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon. HALL sources this wine from host of estate vineyards located in this appellation both in the hills and the valley floor. This shows a marvelous purity of fruit on the nose with creme de cassis, mocha, anise and blueberry compote. The palate shows wonderful richness and depth, showing a seamless quality. Blueberry compote, and gobs of dark fruits, with espresso bean mark the palate shows wonderful viscosity and tension. This will be another long ager. Drink 2018-2040- 94

2015 HALL ‘Bergfeld’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the 20 acre property at HALL, this wine is largely Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Merlot. Some vines on this property go back to the 1870s. The wine begins with deep aromas of graphite, Turkish coffee, blackberry compote and wonderful tannins. The silky texture and purity of fruit provides the mouth a wonderful smoothness. This is a monster that needs time to fully amalgamate. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to give this at least a two to three hour decant. Drink 2019-2040- 95

2015 HALL ‘Eighteen Seventy-Three’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The Eighteen Seventy-Three is an amazing wine that was sourced from the eastern side of the Napa Valley, where HALL has vines planted on the Vaca Range. The nose shows massive dark fruits with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee and a graphite edge. The palate shows wonderful earthy edge with tremendous dark fruits and chocolate flavors that delight the senses. This will age marvelously over the next two plus decades. If enjoying in its nascent phase, be sure to give this beauty at least a two hour decant. Drink 2019-2040- 96

2015 HALL ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘Katheryn Hall’ follows up the scintillating 2014 bottling. The wine is sourced from the Sacrashe Vineyard as well as many other vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. The nose takes on a wonderful herbal edge with red bell pepper combined with massive creme de cassis, espresso bean, sweet pipe tobacco and red cherry compote aromas that marvelously build in the glass. Immediately you are drawn to the silky texture of this marvelous wine. The seamless quality to this wine is remarkable as this glides through the mid-palate. Blueberry compote, blackberry pie, Turkish coffee and dark chocolate shaving flavors all impress. While this is simply marvelous now this truly beautiful wine can be enjoyed over the next two plus decades. Drink 2018-2040- 97

2015 HALL ‘Jack’s Masterpiece’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Former HALL head winemaker, Mike Reynolds, heads the blending of this wine which is intended to be a deeper expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is a vineyard selection of the more dense fruits. The nose is highly complex and intense with espresso, dark chocolate and gobs of creme de cassis currently on parade. The hedonistic nose brings you back to the glass for more. Creme de cassis, pencil lead, dark cherry compote, mocha, anise and red bell pepper flavors all marvelous build in the glass. Very intense and focused, with moderate tannins, this is an extremely long ager that needs at least one more year of bottle age. Drink 2019-2040- 96

2015 HALL ‘Stag’s Leap District’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Stag’s Leap District’ wine is typically harvested earlier than wines from the other AVAs for HALL. The nose is a beautiful combination of red and dark fruits with dried herbs and dusty terroir. Hugely bright, yet dense, the combination of tannin, fruit weight and acidity really invigorates. Creme de cassis, mocha, red cherry cordial and sweet pipe tobacco flavors all marvelously combine in the glass. Drink 2018-2040- 96

2015 HALL ‘Exzellenz’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the Sacrache Vineyard, this is a barrel selection wine that shows a wonderfully dark profile. The nose shows marvelous herbaceusjness and ripe dark fruits with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, toast and tobacco leaf aromatics. The mouthfeel really entices as the smooth texture glides across the mid-palate. Espresso bean, black tea, mocha, creme de cassis, graphite and dusty earthy flavors all marvelously combine in the glass. Rich and layered, this is a decadent treat that needs at least a two hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2018-2045- 97

2015 HALL ‘Rainin Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Located at the northern end of Napa Valley on Diamond Mountain, this 8 acre vineyard falls on a hillside, loaded with conifer trees and largely rocky soils. The ‘Rainin Vineyard’ is a barrel select from this special vineyard. The nose is scintillating, currently displaying Turkish coffee, creme de cassis, dusty terroir, red bell pepper and red cherry compote. The insanely good mouthfeel coats the mid-palate as the entry is insanely decadent. The texture to this wine is downright ethereal. Creme de cassis, red bell pepper, creme de cassis, sour black cherry compote, mocha and Asian spice with tea leaf flavors all impress. The seamless quality of this wine is simply amazing. This is near perfection in the bottle. Drink 2019-2045- 99

2015 HALL ‘The Bishop’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Named after the winemaker, Steve Levesque, whose last name means ‘The Bishop’ in French. The 2015 vintage is a blend of Howell Mountain and Diamond Mountain fruit. The nose is deep and intoxicating with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee graphite and blackberry compote all mingling together in the glass. Once in the mouth, the silky texture marvelously coats the mid-palate. Black fruits dominate the mid-palate with coffee ground flavors and sweet pipe tobacco beautifully come together in the glass. Decadent and rich, this will age marvelously over the next three decades. Drink 2019-2045- 97

2015 HALL ‘Sacrashe Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Sacrashe Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the Rutherford AVA. This wine is a 12 barrel selection entirely sourced from this vineyard. The nose takes on sweet pipe tobacco, creme de cassis, graphite and mocha flavors that all create a wonderful layered effect. The mouthfeel and intensity of this wine is superlative. The fruit weight and tannins structure of the wine really impresses with gobs of dark fruits like blackberry compote, cassis, and also yielding espresso bean, sweet pipe tobacco, and dark chocolate fudge flavors. Massive and somewhat of a slumbering giant, this will cellar well for the next three decades. Drink 2019-2045- 98

Col Solare

Continuing our voyage through Washington Wine Month we bring you one of the great Washington wineries, Col Solare, a partnership between Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Antinori Family. Starting with their first vintage in 1995, Col Solare’s mission has been to amalgamate these two distinct viticultural and winemaking backgrounds to create a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon-based red wine from choice Red Mountain fruit. Each year Col Solare crafts one of the best red blends in the state. The talented winemaking team is highly focused. Both winemaker Darell Allwine and assistant winemaker Will Wiles are truly talented and you can taste the level of dedication and commitment in the glass. Col Solare has a great newly redesigned tasting room in Chateau St. Michelle Winery and an even more gorgeous setting on Red Mountain. I highly recommend you stop by their facility on Red Mountain which is truly a world class winery, with sweeping views of the valley.

Until recently Col Solare made only two wines. Their signature blend, Col Solare, is typically made from around 70 percent Cabernet, depending on the vintage, and their second wine is called Shining Hill. They now offer a number of wine club wines under their ‘Component Collection’ label. The new 2015 Col Solare Red Wine (WWB, 93) is a powerful, seductive wine that is showing marvelously, considering obvious challenges with producing red wine in a very hot vintage and hot setting. This is the first vintage that the Col Solare has been 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the best Malbec wines produced in Washington, the 2015 Component Collection Malbec (WWB, 94) is a stunning wine that shows incredible intensity and range. Learn more about Col Solare at https://www.colsolare.com Here are great new Col Solare wines.

2015 Col Solare Red Wine- The 2015 Col Solare is the first vintage that they have utilized 100% Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine. Prior to bottling the wine saw 100% new French oak for 21 months. The oaky influence is secondary to the hedonistic aromas of wild blackberry cordial, mocha and crushed mint that build in the glass. There is a feeling of decadence on the palate as the toasty oak wraps around the silky mouthfeel. The plush texture delights, as does the black fruit flavors that combine with black tea, espresso bean and chocolate fudge. While this is not my favorite rendition of Col Solare, considering the heat spikes and challenges presented during this vintage, particularly at hotter sites like Red Mountain, this is an exceptional effort. Drink 2018-2035- 93

2015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Red Wine- One of the great wines made from this estate, the 2015 Col Solare 'Component Collection'' Red Wine is a massive, limited release wine that is a one of a kind blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. Intensely dark, this begins with dark fruits, anise and black tea on the nose. The palate has wonderful viscosity showing blackberry compote, mocha and anise flavors. Gorgeous and layered, this is a total stunner and should cellar well over the next ten to fifteen years. This is truly one of the wines of the vintage. Drink 2018-2035- 95

2015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Cabernet Franc- The 2015 'Component Collection' Cabernet Franc is a limited production bottling, which was sourced from Col Solare's estate vineyard. Deeply perfumed, this starts out with crème de cassis, anise and mocha on the nose. On the palate, Anise, mocha and red bell pepper flavors are intense and highly gratifying. The mouthfeel is gorgeous as this finishes clean with dark fruits and minerals. This will cellar nicely over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2018-2035- 94

2015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Syrah- The 2015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Syrah is a truly outstanding bottling that shows some good aging potential. The bouquet takes on a smoky edge with smoked brisket, and creosote aromatics building in the glass, lined by black fruits. Once in the mouth, the palate takes on copious dark fruits with good minerality. Tertiary flavors of mocha and sage also build. An outstanding Syrah, this is irresistible but will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Malbec- This shows an intoxicating bouquet that is quite complex and novel. Blueberry compote, Turkish coffee, tar and blackberry pie with smoky undertones. I love the silky texture here that envelops the wine. Blueberry cordial, smoked brisket, wet stone and blackberry jam flavors come to mind. Showing some really nice range and a seductive edge, the 2015 ‘Component Collection’ Malbec by Col Solare is up there with the best in the state. Drink 2018-2030- 94

Reynvaan Family Vineyards

Happy Washington Wine Month to you all. Matt Reynvaan has done it again. Chatting with him last week at his estate, he mentioned how excited he was about his energetic 2016 red wines. I was super impressed with his head-turning lineup. For those who are less familiar with this great Washington winery, Reynvaan is a limited production small winery founded by Mike and Gale Reynvaan. Reynvaan Family Vineyards focuses on producing wines from their estate vineyards, both in the Walla Walla Rocks region and their ‘Foothills Vineyard’ set at roughly 1600 feet near their family home in the Bluewood Mountains. Matt Reynvaan, is making some of the best wines in Washington state. I am enamored by what he produces from these two outstanding vineyards. I am particularly amazed with their ‘Foothills Vineyard’ which is starting to capture more of a stony character and amazing herbal tones in their wines. Both vineyards show a remarkable level of purity, elegance and range that is nearly impossible to find in any Syrahs produced in North America.

Now I realize that I have recently written about these wines. It is very rare for me to post about a winery twice in a month, but I simply cannot keep these amazing pre-release wines a secret. The 2016 Reynvaan red wines come from another warm vintage in the Walla Walla Valley. While there were not quite as many heat spikes as 2015, 2016 was another warm vintage somewhat similar to 2014 in terms of weather patterns. I am absolutely crazy about his 2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Foothills Reserve’ Syrah (WWB, 96) which has a stunning wine that shows insanely good range and tension. While this will cellar marvelously for a decade, why wait when it is this good? Even better and one of the best wines that I have tried all year is the 2016 Reynvaan ‘Stoneessence’ Syrah (WWB, 97) which is a remarkable wine that maintains amazing poise and shows amazing weight and complexity of flavors. Learn more about these amazing wines at https://www.reynvaanfamilyvineyards.com Here the exciting pre-release wines by Reynvaan Family Vineyards 

(All wines will be released in Fall 2018.) 

Great photo here of Matt Reynvaan with his wines. 

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘In The Hills’ Syrah- The smoky aromatics grip you as well as the lifted qualities from the Viognier. The wine weighs in at 13.8% alcohol and shows smoked brisket, wet rock, and Umami, bacon fat and blood orange rind on the highly perfumed nose. The palate shows an insanely good mouthfeel with wonderful freshness and minerality. The combination of richness and tension is hard to resist right now. The stony character and herbaceousness to the wine really shimmers in the limelight. Black tea, wild blackberry, orange zest and a touch of milk chocolate flavors brings a wonderful array of flavors to the palate. While this will cellar well for a decade, it is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2028- 94

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Foothills Reserve’ Syrah- The 2016 ‘Foothills Reserve’ is a phenomenal wine that is truly one of the best that I have sampled from Washington in the past year. The nose takes on incredible range from blood orange, to charcuterie to black fruits and olive tapenade. The seductive nose brings you back to the glass for more. The palate shows remarkable freshness and intensity. Asian spice, Hoisin sauce, black tea, blackberry pie and wet stone characters all come to play on the palate. There is a seamless quality to this wine that glides through the palate. Fresh and energetic, while highly refined, this wine will cellar marvelously over the next decade. I adore the range here. Drink 2018-2029- 96

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘In The Rocks’ Syrah- The 2016 Reynvaan ‘In The Rocks’ Syrah is a phenomenal wine made by superstar winemaker Matt Reynvaan. With 4% Viognier blended in the nose is highly perfumed with wet stone, Umami, white rose and lychee as well as blood orange and red raspberry cordial. The lifted aromatics from the Viognier are truly outstanding. The palate shows wonderful tension, range and verve with wet stone, Umami, blood orange, red cherry candy and a touch of horse manure. Seductive, with insanely good range, this is a stunning effort by Reynvaan. Drink 2018-2028- 95

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘The Contender’ Syrah-This wine weights in at 13.2% alcohol has 4% Marsanne blended in. The nose is highly seductive with beautiful white flowers, lychee with black tea, orange zest and milk chocolate. The range here is simply insane. The palate shows really good range as well with a wonderful tension and verve. Milk chocolate, black tea, sagebrush, wet stone and smoked pork shoulder flavors are all remarkably coming together in the glass. The citrus aspect at the finish is simply outstanding. Drink 2018-2028- 95

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Stonessence’ Syrah- The 2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Stonessence’ Syrah is a simply gorgeous effort by this storied estate. The nose is rather intoxicating with horse manure, blood orange, red cherry cola, and black tea with a touch of green olive tapenade. The minerality and freshness of the wine is simply astounding as is the wonderful mouthfeel. Wet stone, wild blackberry, Umami, and satsuma orange flavors all come together in the glass. The mouth-watering acidity makes this stunner nearly impossible to put down right now. A remarkable wine, this will cellar marvelously for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 97

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘The Classic’ Red Wine- (Release April 2019) The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet with the remainder Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine initially fermented in new puncheons and then was aged in neutral French oak prior to bottling. This takes on wonderfully smoky character on the nose with wet stone, green bell pepper, mocha and crushed mint. The wine has a wonderful minerality with great freshness and a wonderful mouthfeel. This shows mouth-watering acidity and wonderful dark fruits that mingle with green olive tapenade, cigar box, wild blackberry pie and Asian spice. This may be the best ‘The Classic’ I have tried. Drink 2018-2026- 94

Kerloo Cellars

As part of Washington Wine Month we bring you one of the great faces of Washington wine. Ryan Crane has made a great success of Kerloo Cellars, founded roughly eight years ago in Walla Walla. Ryan has created a major following for his releases that range from Rose to Chardonnay to now Cabernet Sauvignon. Ryan is a super energetic guy that is a blast to taste wine with. Highly knowledgeable, Ryan crafts wines that show an old world feel and typically show wonderful range. A few days ago I visited the modern Kerloo tasting room in the SoDo district of Seattle and tasted with Ryan. Some stuff out of the barrel was amazing and shows serious potential, including his upcoming Tempranillo release and a Syrah from the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Ryan got his start at Animale Cellars in Seattle, and then later trained under Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron Cellars while completing his degree in Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.

The new 2015 Kerloo Cellars ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache (WWB, 94) is one of the best wines that I have tried from this exciting winery. This wine has tremendous range and showcases this very special vineyard. For a great value, check out the 2017 SoDo Cellars ‘Love Birds’ Rose (WWB, 90) which shows wonderful weight and tension which makes it impossible to resist on these last few days of summer. Learn more about Kerloo and their impressive lineup of wines at www.kerloocellars.com. Here are the great new releases by the talented Ryan Crane and his Kerloo Cellars.

2017 Kerloo Cellars ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc-  The 2017 Kerloo Cellars ‘Boushey Vineyards’ Sauvignon Blanc is an awesome wine that is up there with the best of its kind made in the state. The tension and weight to this wine is truly outstanding as tree and citrus rind flavors develop marvelously in the glass. Showing a seductive edge this is a simply stunning Sauvignon Blanc by superstar winemaker Ryan Crane. Drink 2018-2022- 92

2017 Kerloo Cellars ‘Painted Hills Vineyard’ Grenache Rose- The wine begins with aromas of gooseberry, starfruit and red cherry candy. The palate shows wonderful freshness and reveals melon and starfruit flavors with a touch of guava. This shows some pretty serious range. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2016 Kerloo Cellars ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache- The wine underwent 50% whole cluster fermentation and was 100% fermented in concrete. The wine shows a wonderful pretty aromatic profile with very good range. Rose petals, red cherry candy and cran-guava aromas show nicely. The palate has a silky texture and a wonderfully satisfying mouthfeel. The freshness shows beautifully as does the range of flavors from red fruits to citrus. This is just an insanely good effort that shows great tension and poise in this warm vintage. Drink 2018-2028- 94

2016 Kerloo ‘Upland Vineyard’ Tempranillo (barrel sample)- 91-93

2017 SoDo Cellars ‘Love Birds’ Rose- Ryan Crane crafts this great value Rose which was first aged in stainless and then transferred to neutral oak barrels for five months to age. The wine shows marvelously with beautiful red fruits and a touch of bright citrus rind flavors rounding out this awesome value Rose. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Interview with Advanced Sommelier, Chris Lara of John Howie Steak

If you come to John Howie Steak in Bellevue, ask for Chris Lara. Chris has served as John Howie wine director for more than three years and has some of the best wine service that I have seen. This includes dinners at Eleven Madison Park, Daniel or any Michelin star rated restaurant I’ve dined at. Just a wonderful guy, Chris has an incredible way with his guests. An Advanced Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Chris is currently working hard to gain his master somm pin. He is dedicated, down to earth and I think you will very much enjoy hearing more about his story in wine. Here is my interview with Chris Lara, Advanced Sommelier at John Howie Steak.

WWB: What were your first restaurant jobs and how did you get interested in becoming a sommelier?

CL: It is funny but Erik Liedholm, who is my current boss, was the first person who influenced my wine knowledge. Erik was at the Hyatt Hotel and he blew everything out of the water for me with regards to wine. He was gracious and funny with guests, just the kind of person you want in service. Shortly after opening 727 Pine at the Hyatt John Howie whisked Erik Liedholm away to open Seastar. I was at the Hyatt for four years. There were other opportunities there to help or learn about wine, I wasn’t sure that I would wanted to have as serious wine job yet. After the four years I then went to Crush which was a small restaurant, ten tables total. That wasn’t a lot and the owner, Jason, was impressed with my passion for food and I wanted to help him out, so he let me do the wine ordering. At the time I was just ordering what Chef Wilson wanted. It wasn’t until I made a bold move and put on Tempier Bandol by the glass that anyone took notice. Everyone raved about that wine and from that moment on I became the wine guy at Crush. This was a large undertaking as the wine list grew from four pages to 17 pages and I was learning as I went. I met my good friend Chris Tanghe at Crush, we would study together as we both moved up through the Courts levels.  Chris Tanghe achieved his Master Sommelier certification a few years ago and as always been an inspiration to me.  I would also say that as Shane Bjornholm, Erik Liedholm and Nelson Daquip at Canlis have always been beacons of inspiration as well.

WWB: You are one of relatively few (there are 44 in the city, while that is a low number it is super high for this area) Advanced Sommeliers in Seattle How challenging was it passing your advanced sommelier exam? What was the most difficult part for you (deductive tasting, theory or service)?

CL: For me and it still is, theory is a great challenge I don’t do well with numbers and it isn’t who I am. I am service oriented, that comes naturally to me. The test keeps getting harder every year and there are more areas to learn about as time passes.  Thankfully the court as moved slowly away from rote memorization to connecting the dots and “why” this or that is done.  I do much better learning the how’s and why’s.  In the end theory is my Achilles heel.

WWB: I have always been highly impressed with your level of service which is truly best in the Seattle area?

CL: Connecting with the guests is all about listening and paying attention. Having good service is finding out what guests love and giving them what they want. Guest will often ask what is your favorite wine or steak.  I don’t like this question because it focus on me and really its about their wants and desires.  I will try and ask them in return what are some of their favorites.  In the end this helps me guide them to the best choice.  In the end its about their dining experience, For me I don’t know how to say how it comes naturally, its just something that I’ve learned over 30 years in service. The Court of Master Sommeliers has given us the guidelines and using the small wine tables was my boss, Erik Liedholm’s brilliant idea, instead of larger guerdons typically used. Its funning but when watching Downton Abbey some of my favorite scenes are the dinner service scenes.  Something about the phenomenal attention to detail they had to have, everything had to be perfectly placed, speaks volumes to me.

WWB: You’ve been diligently studying for the coveted master somm exam. What is the most difficult portion of this incredibly challenging exam for you? Leading up to the exam where is your head at in terms of bringing all the parts together?

CL: It took me three tries to pass the Advance exam, again theory was the killer for me.  I still feel the same for Masters. Cara de Lavallade the Wine Director at Willows Lodge and Barking Frog is my study partner.  She is brilliant and pushes me each week.  I sat Masters theory last year and failed.  For me this year, it is about getting all the parts together. Having Cara to bounce ideas off of or having her tell me that’s too geeky helps.

WWB: You have a wonderful wine list and some really thoughtful glass pours at John Howie Steak. What are some of your favorite unusual wine and steak pairings?

CL: A classic and perfect pairing to me, for an A5 Japanese Wagyu Filet mignon is aged Bordeaux. Matching the rich concentrated flavors of a cabernet blend, that offers a harmony of savory and earthy components, with a layered and silky texture. An unusual pairing, one that I offer quite often, is California Pinot Noir. This pairing is all about understanding the guests’ palate. Our average guest enjoys a wine that is dominated by fruit, yet shies away from tannin and structure. A wine like Sea Smoke Ten from Santa Rita Hills offers exactly that. And is still loaded with enough fruit and character to stand up to the richness of a steak with that much flavor.

Our guests here at John Howie Steak are very classic. We sell a lot of California and Washington wines.  Funny for some of our out of town guests, California is local.  We structure our wine list for our guests.  My motto is: “We are here to serve our guests and not our egos”.

Maysara Vertical Tasting

One of the great historic Oregon wineries, Maysara dates back to 1997 when Moe and Flora Momtazi purchased 496 acres of what was an abandoned wheat farm just south of their home in McMinnville, Oregon. Moe’s vision for the Momtazi Estate was revolutionary. Pinot Noir clones were then planted in 1998, as Mo opted for biodynamic farming to improve soil quality and vine health. The vineyard health is apparent as plants looked wonderfully healthy during my vineyard tour. It is no wonder that some of the top Oregon wineries, like St. Innocent, have been sourcing from this great vineyard for decades.

My tour also was an opportunity to gaze into the amazing diversity of soils in the vineyard — from marine sedimentary towards the bottom of the hill and pure volcanic soil at the top. At a dinner with Mo Momtazi he talked about the aging potential for his wines. I was delighted when he poured his 2008 ‘Asha’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which showed a brilliant minerality and was still going strong despite its age. Intrigued by older Maysara wines, I embarked on a mini-vertical tasting which showcased a range of wines and vintages. 2007 was panned by many critics as an unfavorable vintage with lean, angular wines that were simply not ready upon release. These wines improved considerably after some time, which fooled most wine critics (including myself). The 2007 Maysara ‘Asha’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 90) is a gorgeous wine that has wonderful terroir and a Burgundian character. This still has at least another five years of life left. In terms of new vintage wines, I was very impressed by the 2014 Maysara ‘Cyrus’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which is a wine that shows marvelous terroir, richness and balance — essentially everything that you want in a great Oregon Pinot Noir. Learn more about these fantastic wines at https://maysara.com/ Here are the wines that I tried in my Maysara vertical tasting. 

2003 Maysara ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The 2003 ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir is a remarkable age bottling by Maysara. Straight away once in the glass the Pinot Noir shows some nice smoky notes with wet rock, white truffle crudo and peat moss with boysenberry on the nose. The wine has wonderful tension and shows a delightful range right now from lighter earthy and citrus tones to red and dark fruits that all mingle in the glass. A downright delicious bottling, this will cellar well over the next five years. This is truly an outstanding wine from a challenging vintage. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2007 Maysara ‘Asha’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from a cool vintage in the Willamette Valley, the 2007 ‘Asha’ by Maysara opens with lighter red fruits with forest floor and wild mushroom on the nose. The palate displays a nice freshness and shows Burgundian overtones with smoke, peat moss, wet stone and red raspberry with blood orange flavors that come together beautifully in the glass. Lithe, and on the leaner side, this feminine style Pinot Noir still has five to ten years left in the bottle.This is truly an outstanding wine from a challenging vintage. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2008 Maysara ‘Asha’ Pinot Noir- Tried beside Mo Momtazi during IPNC, the 2008 Maysara ‘Asha’ PInot Noir has aged remarkably well considering that it is a ten year old bottling right now. Blinded I would have guessed this was a 2012 or 2013 Oregon Pinot Noir. The freshness and acidity to the wine is remarkably retained, as the wine dazzles through the mid-palate with wonderful earthy terroir and dark fruits parading. Lithe and sleek, this medium bodied Pinot Noir still has another ten plus years of enjoyment. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2014 Maysara ‘Cyrus’ Pinot Noir- The 2014 Maysara ‘Cyrus’ Pinot Noir shows remarkable balance and poise in this warm vintage. Straight out of the gate the wine displays an insanely perfumed nose with cigar ash, mulberry, red currant and dried herbs. The palate shows marvelous tension and weight with a sterling minerality. Citrus rind, red currant and cigar box flavors mingle in the glass. Complex and downright delicious this is a stunning effort by Maysara. Drink 2018-2035- 93

2015 Maysara ‘Immigrant’ Pinot Noir- Mo Momtazi has dedicated this wine to the lives of immigrants that have made their way to the United States, as he forged his way to the Willamette Valley many decades ago. There is a lovely balance here between fruit and terroir on the nose. Medium bodied on the palate, the wine shows nice brightness with dark and red fruits and a touch of peat moss with smoky undertones. This has wonderful poise in this warm vintage. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Quilceda Creek

As part of Washington Wine Month we bring you one of the world’s top producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. A winery needing no introduction, Quilceda Creek has received more 100 point scores by Robert Parker than any other North American winery. I have been enamored by these wines since I first tried them in the late 1990s. I have memories of some of my favorite ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignons. The stunning 2005 comes to mind, celebrating a special occasion. More recently I tried a 2011 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon which was truly one of the monumental wines made in this highly challenging vintage. 

2015 was not an easy year for many Washington winemakers. With heat spikes and an early growing season, many winemakers were forced to pick rather early. Speaking with Quilceda Creek superstar winemaker, Paul Golitzin, he mentioned how good practices in the vineyard led to a later growing season for his Cabernet in 2015. He absolutely nailed his new set of releases. One thing that I saw throughout his tasting is the truly seamless quality that shines through his wines, as they glide through the palate. There was also a marvelous purity of fruit, whether it was his entry level wine or his top ‘Columbia Valley’ bottling. Paul is a truly gifted winemaker and you can see his reach for perfection in the glass.

I am amazed by the 2015 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 98). I tried this wine briefly at a wine event earlier this year and was not quite as enamored by the wine. I sat with this wine later in the day and was amazed by how the wine showed seduction yet restraint. There was marvelous weight to the wine but a silky elegance. It is the best wine that I have sampled this year. Learn more about this insanely good lineup of wines at quilcedacreek.com Here are the new wines by Quilceda Creek.

2015 Quilceda Creek ‘CVR’ Red Wine- The wine is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The plush mouthfeel shows a beautiful texture. Black tea, black cherry compote, mocha and a touch of herbal notes mark this wine that shows wonderful poise and tension. The wine is showing marvelously right now but be sure to give this an extended decant prior to enjoying. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Quilceda Creek ‘Palengat’ Red Wine- The Cabernet has been increasing in this blend, now up to 81% with 13% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Franc. This wine was aged for 20 months in 100% new French oak prior to bottling. The wine shows some heady aromatics off black tea, creme de cassis, mocha and tar with a touch of blue fruits shining brightly as well. There is a beautiful purity of fruit on the nose. The mouthfeel is plush, as the wine takes on a dense and decadent soft texture. Black tea, creme de cassis, Turkish coffee and blueberry compote flavors all mingle brilliantly.  There is a wonderful purity of fruit with this gorgeous bottling as this glides through the mid-palate. Only 725 cases made of this outstanding wine. A long ager, the 2015 ‘Palengat’ Red Wine  will cellar marvelously over the next two plus decades. Drink 2018-2035- 95

The mesmerizing 2015 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon (photo by Jason Tinacci).

2015 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 Quilceda Creek ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon is the best red wine that I have sampled from this vintage in Washington. The wine was sourced from the Champoux (roughly 70% of the fruit), Palengat, Wallula and Lake Wallula Vineyards. While this has the Columbia Valley AVA on the bottle, it is primarily a Horse Heaven Hills wine. The wine shows creme de cassis, pencil lead and black tea with a touch of red cherry compote on the nose. The heady aromatics bring you back to the glass for more pleasure. The palate is silky smooth and marvelously coats the mouth. Lightly tannic, the wine slowly unveils blueberry compote, blackberry cobbler, mocha, and creme de cassis flavors that build in the glass. The minerality, weight and overall presentation of the wine is simply astounding, as is the long and lingering black fruit and mineral driven finish. There is a seamless quality to this wine really shines through with every lingering sip. This is a truly monumental effort in a vintage that was challenging due to severe heat spikes throughout the summer growing season. Drink 2018-2035- 98

2015 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ is every bit as good as the 2015 ‘Columbia Valley’ bottling, as this wine has become quite divergent to its big brother. The wine has 5% of Cabernet from the Lake Wallula Vineyard blended in. The wine displays an inky color in the glass and takes on a more masculine, dark fruit profile than the ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet, which shows a touch of lifted rose petals that creep in. Creosote, blackberry compote, black tea, Asian spice and creme de cassis aromatics generously coagulate in the glass. The palate shows absolutely wonderful terroir with marvelous intensity and verve. Vibrant acidity marks this wine that shows rich black tea, tar, creme de cassis and anise as dark fruit and non-fruit flavors dominate the palate. This has wonderful grip and precision, marvelously showcasing what is one of the top vineyards in the state. Drink 2018-2035- 97

2010 Reynvaan Syrah Retrospective

“2010 was my greatest achievement,” explained Matt Reynvaan. “I’ve been revisiting these wines from 2010 and I was amazed how they turned out,” Matt continued, “which is why I wanted you to revisit these wines.” 2010 in my estimation was not an ideal vintage in Washington State. Marked by cool weather, many typically full-bodied wines were leaner and more angular. Particularly upon release many 2010 Bordeaux varietals were tannic and difficult to approach. Syrah tended to fare better — particularly Syrahs from the stony terroir of Milton-Freewater. My colleague, Sean Sullivan, likes this vintage more than I do, but I have particularly liked the 2010 red wines made from the Walla Walla Rocks District. 

2010 was the first vintage where the Reynvaans made the wine at their estate. In 2010 Christophe Baron helped them with processing the fruit and then the fruit was loaded onto a truck and the fermentation was done at the Reynvaan estate. Matt Raynvan did a majority of the work and pump-overs by himself, which he mentioned was a great challenge. At one point Matt averted disaster as mentioned while working in a fermenter his foot hit the clip, connecting the attachment piece and juice of the bottom of the tank started pouring out from the pressure from the top. He had to stop the wine from flying out and he could not find the cap. Fortunately his mother was called and he had to grab the cap after gallons of wine was lost. Having tried these great wines I can’t imagine how disheartening that event must have been for Matt.

Sitting next to him I noticed a particular glimmer in his eye as he tasted two of his wines from the 2010 vintage. I can imagine how satisfying it is tasting these high flying wines, now eight years of age. I do not mean this lightly saying that the two 2010 wines by Reynvaan, ‘In The Rocks’ and ‘The Contender’ are two of the absolute top wines that I tried from that vintage. The 2010 Reynvaan ‘In The Rocks’ Syrah (WWB, 94) shows wonderful stony character and a lifted, highly perfumed nose from the 4% Viognier blended in. The range of this wine is captivating, as is the mouth-watering acidity that remains. This still has another five to ten years of life left. Just as good was the 2010 Reynvaan ‘The Contender’ Syrah (WWB, 94) which had a wonderful meaty character and a strong floral nose from the Marsanne. Bringing in lighter milk chocolate tones, this was a complete stunner by Matt Reynvaan. While these gems are not available (might try winebid.com), they are reminders of how top winemakers produce top bottlings in even the most challenging of vintages. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.reynvaanfamilyvineyards.com 

2010 Reynvaan ‘In The Rocks’ Syrah- The wine weighs in at 14.9% alcohol. 4% Viognier was co-fermented into the Syrah. Bacon fat and green olive are shining right now, as the wine has an incredible savory nose. The palate shows incredible poise and acidity with blood orange rind, red cherry, cigar shavings, leather and smoked meats. The stony aspect of the wine really gives this an added touch of class. Drink 2018-2024- 94

2010 Reynvaan ‘The Contender’ Syrah- The wine has 2% Marsanne co-fermented. Matt Reynvann mentioned the strong floral character to the wine, which I notice as well. Rose petal, honeysuckle, black tea, wet stone and smoked brisket mark the highly perfumed nose. The palate is viscous and intense with black tea, Asian spice, milk chocolate and smoked brisket. The long finish and mouth-watering acidity is simply stunning. Drink 2018-2024- 94

Auction of Washington Wines Private Barrel Auction

Washington Wine Month is finally here! One of the great wine trade events each year in the Pacific Northwest, the Auction of Washington Wines is held each year in August in Woodinville. This year’s event will be at the gorgeous Januik/Novelty Hill winery. Last years Auction of Washington Wines raised over $4.1 million dollars and the Private Barrel Auction raised $135,000.00 for Washington State University’s viticulture and enology program. Limited to trade and a few chosen wine collectors, the auction event showcases some of the best Washington wineries. Wine collectors can also have wine retailers bid on their wines. One great thing is that wines from previous auctions are now available to consumers and can be located on their website. This years auction includes 31 lots from great producers like Col Solare, Leonetti Cellar, Betz, Baer and DeLille. 

One of the state’s great winemakers, Bob Betz, MW, of Betz and Col Solare fame, explains “The wines from Washington have never been better and it is all driven by quality vineyards and quality winemakers. . . today Washington is home from over 900 wineries and over 50,000 acres of quality vineyards. The best opportunity for the trade to participate is the private barrel auction of Washington wines. You have about 30 of the very top wineries in Washington producing one of a kind, not to be found elsewhere, wine blends in five case lots the they will be offering only to the trade. These are barrel blends, these are single site blends, they are unique wines that the wineries and winemakers have put together simply fore the trade barrel auction and you can’t find these anywhere else.” This exciting video by Bob Betz is located here: Leonetti Cellar has offered a really exciting Cabernet wine for the auction, sourced from the Walla Walla Rocks AVA and their esteemed Holly Roller Vineyard. Superstar winemaker, Chris Figgins mentions that this is a truly one of a kind wine that has been made by Leonetti and goes into more detail here.   If you are in the wine trade, you do not miss this special event. Learn more at https://auctionofwawines.org

Interview with Roy Hersh, Founder of For The Love Of Port

One of the world’s foremost experts on wines from Portugal, Roy Hersh is the founder of For The Love Of Port , a subscription based online publication that focuses on the beautiful wines of Portugal. I’ve followed Roy for many years as I, too, am enchanted by the wines of this incredible country. Roy not only reviews and writes about Portuguese wines but he leads tours of the regions of Portugal, including trips to Douro and even Madeira. Roy talks about his absolute top wines from this amazing country and I think you will very much enjoy learning more about his story. Here is my exclusive interview with Roy Hersh, founder and executive editor of For The Love Of Port

WWB: How did you first become enchanted by the wines of Portugal?

RH: At 16 years of age, I was hired to work after school and on Saturdays as a stock boy in a very busy wine shop in Douglaston, NY and I continued to work there through the end of High School. One Saturday night after the store closed and I was cleaning up, the general manager asked if I would like to try a glass of wine. As a 17 year old, of course I said, yes, even though the drinking age was 18 back then. We went up to the office and he poured me a couple of ounces from what was an under $2 bottle. It was a very popular seller in the shop and I wanted to understand what all the fuss was about. It was a bottle of Casal Garcia (Aveleda) which is a Vinho Verde from the Minho district. This was the first sips of wine I ever took and with a fizziness that was almost like a soda but no sweetness. The fact that he poured a Portuguese wine for me may seem like quite a coincidence. But, I think not.

Almost a decade later, after attending culinary school in upstate NY and obtaining another degree in hotel and restaurant management, I wound up getting a job at one of NYC’s top restaurants back in the day, The Water Club. The Somm, Sam Correnti had recently installed one of America’s earliest Cruvinet systems, in 1983. He had a couple of cases of 1963 Sandeman Vintage Port and decided to offer them by the glass at $15 per. Each time he opened a bottle, he would call me into the bar area and show me how to decant through cheesecloth, secured inside a funnel. The first couple of times, I was amazed at how much sediment came out of those bottles and into the cheesecloth. Then he would rinse out the bottle to remove more of the sediment in the bottom of the bottle. He would then ratchet the cheesecloth from a few inches above my head, into my mouth. From the first sip I was hooked. I’ll never forget the experience of tasting my first Vintage Port and also remember when Sam trusted me to decant one of those twenty year old bottles of Sandeman. I thought this was super cool, never having any clue, Port would become a significant focus in my life.

WWB: How did you decide to launch your website For The Love Of Port?

RH: My passion for Port continued from that very first sip. In college and university I took wine classes and soon thereafter, a Sommelier Course in DC. I enjoyed learning about wines from around the world, but there was something unique about Port that captivated my attention. It took 11 years from that first experience to save up enough money to FINALLY visit Portugal. In the meantime, I had purchased more than 60 books on Port, many from the early 1900’s and rabidly read every page of all of them. I was a walking encyclopedia about Port wine: the Quintas and vineyards of the Douro, the history, and had the ability to discuss every major declared vintage back to 1820. Port had even superseded my number one hobby, which had always been skiing.

By April 1994, I was offered yet another promotion while working for Marriott Corporation. It would be triple the work and a lot of territory to cover, for a raise that was disillusioning, at best. I realized turning this down would end my future with the company. My only alternative was to say no to the offer and receive a lucrative severance package. Sad to think of leaving the company I had always wanted to work for, until retirement. I consulted with my brother and remember his advice, “Bro are you crazy? Take the money and run. Now is your chance!” ‘Run, where to Mitch? The job market here in Virginia is not like up in New York.’ He chuckled and told me, “All the way to Portugal, it’s where you’ve always wanted to go!” And little did my younger brother know, I likely never would have done that if he had not made the recommendation. And so, he literally changed the course of my life. Several weeks later, in May 1994, I headed to Europe for the first time and brought my girlfriend along, to share the experience in Portugal, as she also loved Port. I wrote to Michael Broadbent’s son Bartholomew, who ran an import company for the Symington family, out of an office in SF, CA. Although we had never met, he helped me arrange some incredible visits, both in Porto and Gaia as well as up in the Douro. We were absolutely spoiled and over lunch at the legendary Factory House (in Porto) I sat next to James Symington on one side and two of his cousins, Michael and Peter on the other side. To me, this was better than being with royalty. The other 18 gentlemen at the table were the last generations’ Masters of the Port Universe, famous winemakers and managing directors of all the major British Port firms. I scared James Symington that day. He turned to me during lunch and asked if I really knew as much about Port, as he had been told by Broadbent. He was stunned when I told him that I could recite the names, birth and dates of death for all of his grandparents. He said nothing, and I will never forget the puzzled, almost worried look on his face when I blurted out those details. He sat there very quietly and probably thought I was some kind of stalker, or worse, but back then I took my Port history a little bit too seriously and used to have a great memory for details. I likely could’ve done the same for the majority of people at the table.

We spent three weeks in Portugal and loved it. Lisbon – Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia and then up to the Douro Valley. 1994 turned out to be a pretty great vintage and made our vacation even more memorable. Upon return, I began writing lots of articles on Port for two wine related websites, one of which still exists today. In the spring of 2003, I was contacted by the Confraria do Vinho do Porto, to let me know I would be inducted into their brotherhood in June, based on my writings. This was the game changer. I brought my wife, and infant daughter to Portugal, (Taylor was born the prior fall) and my mother as well, to take care of the baby while my wife videotaped the ceremony. There were only two American inductees back then. Once back in the states, I quit my day job and began writing a newsletter, For The Love Of Port in February 2004, to honor the oath that I took during the ceremony. A year later, the website of the same name began and as importantly, our Portuguese wine tour business was launched. In 2016, I was inducted into Madeira’s Confraria too and the FTLOP website was the first-ever non-human entity to become a member of the Confraria do Vinho do Porto. In 2017, I wound up being promoted to the highest achievable level within the brotherhood of Port wine, outside of the Port trade. It was a very humbling 18 months, being the first person in the world to be inducted into both the Port and Madeira Confrarias, beyond the Portuguese wine industry.

WWB:You are known as one of the world’s experts in Port wines, launching For The Love Of Port in 2004 and traveling extensively there over the past few decades. How have you seen Porto and the Portuguese wine industry evolve since you first visited Portugal in 1994?

RH: Advances in viticulture come immediately to mind. I am a purist with Douro, so what I am about to say may sound hypocritical to those that know me. While I love the tradition of the old-vine field blend vineyards that often contain over 30 different varieties, I do understand how block planting has made harvesting easier and more focused. That being said, give me old-vine field blends and I’ll take my chances any day, especially for Ports. Robotics started to show up in the late 1990’s in the Douro and have been used not only to either punch down, or even take the place of human foot treading in lagares, but also in the vineyards. The newest technology that was introduced recently is vineyard data gathering robots, introduced by the Symington Family Estates in mid-2017. These expensive new toys may gain traction as their price comes down in the future, but their scope of capabilities is impressive in measuring water levels in the vines, canopy temperatures, and even the levels of phenolic ripeness to assist in picking decisions, and so much more.

Some of the other advances are found in the wineries and techniques used. Examples are: the higher quality of the fortifying spirit used in creating Ports, (Madeira, Sherry and others) known as aguardente. This has made a vast difference in overall quality along with tannin management, which doesn’t get enough credit. Together they have enabled modern day Vintage Ports (generally speaking) to be consumed earlier, whereas in the past, it was almost unpleasant to drink the astringent tannic Vintage Ports during their youth. Nowadays, it is fun to taste the vibrant fruit of a young Vintage Port; while there is no sacrifice in most Vintage Port’s ability to age for several decades, or even a century or more with the very best examples.

Regulation changes have allowed for small and mid-sized single quinta Port producers to bottle and market their own wines from the Douro without having to transport the wines down the Douro River to Vila Nova de Gaia for aging, sales and marketing. The traditional way to do this was by barcos rabelos (boats), but that ended in the 1960’s when the Rio Douro was dammed and used for hydroelectric power, when electricity was finally brought to the region. In more recent times, even the biggest producers have begun saving time, space and from tying up capital, by maintaining Port warehouses in the Douro, as temperature controls have improved dramatically in all three sub-regions. Nonetheless, the biggest change in the past quarter century has to be the major qualitative improvements of Douro wines, plus Portuguese wines as a whole. In a region like Douro, where Port has always been King; DOC table wines prior to the early-1990’s were often rustic, lackluster and occasionally downright unpleasant, with few exceptions up until about 2000. That said, there were wines made by a couple of producers such as Quinta do Côtto in the 1980’s and Ferreirinha’s iconic red wine, Barca Velha, the first vintage of which was 1952. However, these were anomalies in the Douro. In my opinion, 2000 is really the beginning of modern winemaking techniques and improved quality within the Douro’s table wine scene.

There are other regions in Portugal, such as Colares, Bairrada and Dão which had some fairly renowned table wine production prior to the Douro region catching on. Yet Portugal’s wine regions began to see an influx of professional winemakers from other countries in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. A few top notch oenology/viticulture schools sprung up in the Algarve, Lisbon and especially UTAD, (University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro) which really helped expand the knowledge of students and their grasp of new technologies; another reason why Portuguese wines improved rather dramatically.

Opportunities did not really exist for women in the workplace in Portuguese culture a quarter of a century ago, and many were homemakers. Some women did work jobs in restaurants or as bakers, teachers or nurses (similar to post WW2 America) and/or helped at vindima (harvest time) picking grapes. But for the most part, the wine industry was dominated by Portuguese men. In the Douro, the onset of the new millennium saw the attitudinal sclerosis change and women slowly began to enter the Port and DOC wine world, with degrees from the aforementioned schools. Within the past ten to fifteen years, the quantity of women working in all facets of Portugal’s wine business has grown quickly and exponentially; as has the improvement in wines nationwide. There are now several dozen women entrepreneurs throughout the country, whom have opened up their own wineries and either run the business or make their own wines, or both. This can be found in all wine regions of Portugal nowadays, in far greater percentages than in Washington State, Oregon or California!

WWB: What are some of the most memorable wines from Portugal, both Port and dry reds, that you’ve been able to sample over the years?

RH: Listing a handful of my all-time greatest Ports will be unfair to the many that I leave off the list. That being said, some standouts in no particular order are Vintage Ports – from 1812: Rabello Valente. 1815: Ferreira. 1851: Warre’s. 1896: Dow’s. 1900: Taylor’s. 1927: Niepoort, Taylor’s and Fonseca. From 1931: Tuke Holdsworth, Quinta do Noval and Noval Nacional. 1935: Sandeman and Taylor’s. 1945: Croft, Graham’s, Fonseca, Niepoort, Dow’s and Taylor’s. 1948: Fonseca, Graham’s and Taylor. 1963: Noval Nacional, Sandeman, Fonseca, Graham’s and Taylor’s. I can keep listing oldies but let me consider some of the most promising young Vintage Ports too. 1994: Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Noval Nacional, and Taylor’s. 2000: Niepoort, Fonseca, Gould Campbell and Taylor’s. 2003: Quinta do Portal, Fonseca and Graham’s. 2007: Dow’s, Sandeman, Niepoort, Quinta do Vale Meão and Rocha. 2011: Alves de Sousa, Fonseca, Dow’s, Graham’s, Niepoort, Noval, Taylor’s and their Vargellas Vinha Velha. This doesn’t take into account the many wood-aged Tawnies, Colheita and White Ports, but that can be included in another entire article.

A few stand out White table wines deserve inclusion: 1991 Luis Pato Branco Reserve, 2014 Cartuxa’s Pera Manca Branco Reserva, 2011 Soalheiro Vinho Verde, 2005 Niepoort Redoma Branco Reserva, 2007 Quinta do Crasto Branco and 2010 Niepoort’s Coche are all standouts.

For red table wines, ouch, this can be an article unto itself: 1966, 1978, 1985 and 1990 Caves S. Joao Tinto Reserva. Mouchão Tinto 1985, 1992, 1995 and 2003. Quinta Vale Meao: 2004 and 2011. Quinta do Crasto: 2001 Touriga Nacional, 2004 Vinha da Ponte, 2005 Vinha Maria Teresa and everything they made in 2011. Niepoort: 1990 and 2004 Robustus; 2002 Charme, 2004 Redoma and 2011 Batuta. Quinta de la Rosa: 2004 and 2005 Tinto Reserve. Ferreirinha’s: Barca Velha 1966, 1991, 2004 and 2008. Quinta Vale d. Maria 2004 and 2009 Tinto and 2012 Vinha da Francisa and 2012 Vinha do Rio. Quinta do Mourão: Rio Bom 2003, 2004, 2005. Quinta do Vallado: 2004, 2007 and 2011 Tinto Reserva and 2007 Touriga Nacional. 2011 Quinta da Pellada Carousel, Wine & Soul Pintas: 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2011 and SO MANY MORE!!!

WWB: When you are not writing about Portuguese wines, what are some of your favorite wines from the Pacific Northwest?

RH: Unlike Portuguese wine, which clearly presents issues in selecting favorites, I am free to do so with Washington wines. I must admit that my recent experience with WA wines is a bit more limited, due to my lack of travel to the other side of the state these days. As Director of Purchasing for Cucina! Cucina! back in the day, (the job that brought me to live here 22 years ago) I also was responsible for wine list creation in the five states where we had a presence. I was in CA, OR and WA wine regions several times a year and visited a bunch of Italian wine regions too.

Now back to my favorite WA wine producers: I don’t get to drink many OR wines anymore, so my Top 12 list only includes three from the Willamette Valley and this list is in no particular order: Hamacher Wines (vineyards in a variety of AVA’s), L’Ecole No. 41, Delille Cellars, Betz Winery, Domaine Drouhin, Long Shadows, Cadence Winery, Beaux Freres, Harbinger Winery, Dunham Cellars, Novelty Hill Winery and Chateau Ste. Michelle (got married there). There’s only one PNW producer that I purchase year in and year out and still occasionally visit. It is Cadence Cellars. Ben Smith’s wines stand out from the crowd and really have appealed to me since I first tried the 1999 Klipsun. My fave from that vineyard was 2004, but if I had to choose my favorite vineyard site that Ben sources fruit from, it would be the more tannic, long lasting wines from Taptiel. Ben and his wife Gaye are two of the nicest people I’ve met in my wine travels, but it is Ben’s pure expression of grape and terroir driven wines that has captivated my nose and palate over the past nearly two decades.

Ruby

A great under the radar Oregon winery, Ruby sources from some of the state’s oldest Pinot Noir vines planted in 1973. Located only 30 minutes from downtown Portland, Ruby sources from vines planted on Laurelwood soils. Eric Hamacher serves as consulting winemaker, while Andrew Kirkland, a Seattle transplant, is assistant winemaker at Ruby. Eric has a storied career, possessing a degree in viticulture and enology at UC Davis, and has worked roughly 25 vintages at numerous wineries throughout world including stints at Chalone, Etude and Mondavi.

The new releases were all very good across the board. The 2015 Ruby ‘WIllamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) is an outstanding value, priced at a mere $22.00, showing wonderful richness from this warm vintage. Even better was the 2015 Ruby ‘Estate Blend’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) sourced from older vines and showing wonderful red fruits with lovely citrus accents. Learn more about this great winery at http://www.rubyvineyard.com Here are the great new wines by Ruby. 

2017 Ruby ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris- This golden colored wine starts off with pear and mango on the nose. The acidity is vibrant here with bright kumquat, starfruit and baking spice flavors. Enjoy this bright Pinot Gris in the short-term with some sushi. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2015 Ruby ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Rich, showing good poise considering the heat of the vintage, this showcases lovely red fruits on the nose and a similar profile on the palate. The sterling acidity and rich mouthfeel makes this impossible to resist. This is a truly outstanding value out of Oregon. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Ruby ‘Estate Blend’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from old vines planted in both 1973 and 1979 this pale colored wine begins with aromatics reminiscent of orange zest, red cherry cordial and suggestions of teaberry. The palate has a vibrant acidity, showing a feminine character with rose water, blood orange and red cherry preserves. Nicely balanced, this gorgeous Pinot Noir will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

Structure Cellars

A great winery founded by two of the nicest people in Washington wine, Structure Cellars focuses their program on high quality red wine that doesn’t break the bank. Headed by Brian and Brandee Grasso, Structure is located in the SoDo district and a nice buzz has been slowly growing over the past few years. I’ve noticed that the winemaking continues to improve, as Brian is a relatively new winemaker, whose wine story began in the restaurant industry where he was previously working as a somm. Eventually he internet at Baer and then followed by training under Chris Sparkman of Sparkman Cellars before starting his own winery. Brian is a really easy-going, down to earth guy. He’s passionate and dedicated to making high quality, good value wines.

Last week I stopped by their SoDo district winery. His new wines are some of the most recent releases from the 2016 vintage, which was another warm vintage that did not possess the heat spikes of the 2015 vintage. Brian is very optimistic about this vintage for red wines and I thought that the new releases were very good across the board. One of my favorite wines that I tried was the 2016 Structure Cellars ‘Bauhaus’ Syrah (WWB, 91) which had a wonderful range of red and dark fruits and was difficult to put down. herbaceous edge and shows a lovely texture and feminine quality. Even better was the 2015 Structure Cellars ‘Foundation’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 92) which has really good richness and tension, as this wine will cellar marvelously over the next decade. Learn more about these excellent wines at structurecellars.com Here are the great new wines by Structure Cellars.

2017 Structure Cellars Roussanne- This was sourced from the Olsen Vineyard. The nose \shows nice melon and gooseberry on the nose. The palate shows really good tension and weight on the mid-palate showcasing green apple and cantaloupe flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2016 Structure Cellars ‘The Newel’ Red Wine- The wines is a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Syrah sourced from the Destiny Ridge, Stillwater Creek and Red Willow Vineyards. The dill on the nose really drives this wine as does the pretty rose petals and red fruits. The palate shows a wonderful tension and viscosity. Red fruits dominate the palate alongside some nice mineral and earthy tones. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2016 Structure Cellars ‘Spire’ Merlot- This 100% Merlot wine begins with aromas of toasty oajk, red currant and red cherry preserves. The palate has really good tension and medium weight with red cherry and milk chocolate flavors with roasted fig. Drink 2018-2028- 90

2016 Structure Cellars ‘Bauhaus’ Syrah- The wine begins with aromas of red currant with red cherry and mocha. The palate is downright delicious showing a nice range of red and dark fruits with chocolate fudge. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2016 Structure Cellars ‘Foundation’ Cabernet Franc- This shows a really good herbaceousness on the nose with red and dark fruits dancing in the glass. The palate shows good tension and weight The wine shows off a wonderful dark and red fruits that mmic the nose. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2016 Structure Cellars ‘Foundation’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the Stillwater Creek Vineyard and Upland Vineyard this has a wonderfully herbal edge on the nose. The palate shows some wonderful richness an tension, showing copious dark fruits and a touch of dried sage and chocolate. Downright delicious, this will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Structure Cellars ‘Foundation’ Malbec- This deeply colored Malbec this is largely sourced from the Olsen Vineyard. The wine begins with aromas of mocha, black tea and anise. The palate reveals juicy flavors of blueberry compote, blackberry and black tea with cassis. Downright delicious, this will cellar marvelously for a decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

Southern Oregon AVA Report

It was a smoke filled voyage down to Medford during our dive into Southern Oregon wines. A region that continues to build momentum, Southern Oregon is divided into two sub AVAs, the Rogue Valley AVA and the Umpqua Valley AVA. Within each sub-AVA there is an exceedingly large range of microclimates where vineyards only a few minutes from each other can have remarkable changes in daytime and nighttime temperatures and soil types. There is essentially no typical soil type in the region, which ranges from red clay to blue clay to gravel and sand. Diurnal shifts in this region can be quite extreme. While some vineyards lie only 60-70 miles from the coast, the rainfall in this large AVA varies quite considerably which impacts the vineyards. Klamath Falls has only nine inches of rain each year, while closer to the coast has 109 inches of rain each year. 

This map is a great resource for breaking down the locations of the exceedingly large Southern Oregon AVA.

There are over 30 different varietals grown here which is quite remarkable. The range of wines is quite astonishing as everything from Pinot Noir to Chardonnay to Syrah is planted. I found that the wines showed a great amount of heterogeneity in terms of quality and flavor/aromatic profiles. For instance, the Syrahs typically did not seem particularly similar in terms of aromatic and flavor profiles. Pinot Noir grown in this region tends to be a bit less structured, offering ripe fruits and wines that are sometimes out of balance. The concern is that when these wines are made with less acidity, they become a bit simplistic and reductive. Similarly, I noticed concerns with having fresh acidity in the wines, yet having the wines hollow out in the mid-palate. That was a theme with many of the thicker skinned red grape varietals in this region — while some wines might have been some good acidity, many of the those wines were lacking in mid-palate richness.

In terms of producers, standing tall is Abacela, who produces an outstanding Rose, their 2017 Abacela Rose (WWB, 90) which is one of the top wines that I sampled from this region, showing wonderful tension and bright red fruits. Look to the 2014 Abacela ‘Reserve’ Tempranillo (WWB, 91) the best wine I have sampled from this region, which shows wonderful viscosity and tension, with dark fruit and earthy tones. Another standout Tempranillo was the 2015 Reustle ‘Reserve’ Tempranillo (WWB, 90) which has wonderful richness and good acidity which makes it difficult to resist right now. Look to Ryan Rose, a Southern Oregon winery that produces an excellent Cabernet Franc wine, the 2015 Ryan Rose Cabernet Franc (WWB, 90) which shows a wonderful rich mouthfeel and deep dark fruit flavors. One of the more intriguing wines that I tried, the 2012 Dancin Vineyards Port (WWB, 90) is made from Pinot Noir grapes and yields copious dark and red fruits with wonderful mouth-watering acidity. Here is a sampling of the recent red and white wines out of Southern Oregon.

Augustino Estate

2015 Augustio Estate ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- The Augustino Estate was started 18 years ago. The wine was aged in neutral oak for 24 months prior to bottling. This begins with aromas of bright pear and starfruit with a touch of white peach. The palate shows good weight and texture with pear, vanilla cream and a lingering cream driven finish. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2014 Augustino Estate ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Illini Valley, this wine was aged for 24 months in natural oak prior to bottling. Vines for this wine are set on gravel. This shows prune and candied red fruit on the nose. Copious red fruits mark the palate with laugher citrus tones. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Abacela

2017 Abacela Albarino- Goosberry and unripe melon mark the nose with light green apple tones. The palate shows green apple, kumquat and bright acidity, leading to the acid driven finish. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2017 Abacela Rose- Made from Grenache grapes this has watermelon and starfruit that mark the nose. The palate shows a good minerality with a good texture. Mouth watering acidity and red fruits drive the palate. This is extremely refreshing. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2015 Abacela ‘Fiesta’ Tempranillo- Toasty oak and red fruits dominate the nose. There is a soft mouthfeel with blackberry cobbler, mocha and crushed mint flavors that sit alongside some good minerality. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2014 Abacela ‘Reserve’ Tempranillo- Showing a darker hue than the ‘Fiesta’ bottling, this wine begins with lovely herbal and smoky overtones on the nose with dill pickle. The palate has a wonderful motuhfeel, showcasing black tea, blueberry compote, blackberry pie and dark chocolate shavings. Deep and seductive, this is an outstanding effort by Abacela. Drink 2018-2024- 91

Belle Fiore

2017 Belle Fiore Sauvignon Blanc- Right away you notice the citrus elements on the nose with gooseberry and ripe melon. The palate shows good astringency with green apple, kiwi and kumquat flavors that nicely combine. Drink 2018-2022- 86

2016 Belle Fiore ‘Icon’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Ashland area this was aged in 50% new French oak prior to bottling. This begins with aromas reminiscent of black tea and black cherry comoote. The palate mimics the nose with black fruits playing a strong role. This has good weight. Drink 2018-2024- 86

Cooper Ridge

2015 Cooper Ridge Tempranillo- This wine was aged for 23 months in French, American and Hungarian oak prior to bottling. Three is a touch of Merlot and Syrah blended in. The wine starts off with bright aromas of toasty oak and red fruits with a touch of smoke. The palate shows good astringency and texture with red cherry candy, guava, smoke and tobacco leaf flavors that sit alongside some moderate tannins.This is an excellent effort.  Drink 2018-2024- 90

2015 Cooper Ridge ‘Reserve’ Tempranillo- The wine is sourced from rather fertile soils on the north part of the Umpqua Valley. This begins with a darker fruit profile than the entry level bottling.  This Tempranillo shows a silky texture with moderate tannins and dark fruits with roasted figs. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Dancin Vineyards

2017 Dancin Vineyards ‘Capriccio’ Chardonnay- This wine isa blend of Robert Young 17, Dijon 76 and Went 72 clones which was aged in largely neutral oak prior to bottling. This shows toasty brioche and Pink Lady apple on the nose. The palate shows a nice rich mouthfeel with orange blossom, Gala apple and vanilla cream flavors that sit alongside some good minerality. Drink 2012-2022- 89

2016 Dancin Vineyards Barbera- The nose is reminiscent of blue fruits with a touch of smoke. The palate shows good acidity and bright red fruits with lighter citrus under tones. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2016 Dancin Vineyards ‘Septette’ Pinot Noir- This wine wasted in 29%new French oak for 11 months prior to bottling. Showing a nice translucence this begins with forest floor, wild mushroom and dark raspberry aromatics. The palate is a bit lean showing light to medium bodied red and dark fruits with lighter earthy undertones. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2012 Dancin Vineyards Pinot Noir Port-  This wine saw extended barrel age after the neutral spirit was added. Smoky and stewed fruit tones dominate the nose. The palate shows good balance and acidity with a nice combination of dark and red fruits with toffee and cigar ash.Drink 2018-2024- 90

Del Rio Vineyards

2017 Del Rio Vineyards Rose- Made from Grenache grapes, this shows a good acidity with gentle red fruits and a touch of citrus on the palate. This is well-made and comes in a touch sweet towards the back end. Drink 2018-2022- 87

2015 Del Rio Vineyards Syrah- This 100% Syrah bottling shows off an inky color and begins with aromas of smoke and blue fruit on the nose. The palate shows nice blue fruit and good dusty terroir. This forward style Syrah is best enjoyed in the next five to seven years. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Delfino

2017 Delfino Rose- The nose is delicate with white peach and red fruits. This Tempranillo wine shows good astringency and grip on the mid-palate with light red cherry, strawberry and guava flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2016 Delfino Tempranillo- This shows a deep hue with nice red fruits and smoky accents with pork shoulder and sweet pipe tobacco. Weighing in at 14% alcohol this shows a nice viscosity as this forward wine showcases copious dark fruits with milk chcolate. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Giradet

2012 Giradet Tempranillo- The wine was aged for 9 months in barrel. The wine is sourced from Abacela Tempranillo starts that were planted in the 1990s. Smoke, blueberry compote and black tea with Asian spice mark the nose. The earthy tones and acidity guides this wine. Black tea, blackberry cobbler and crushed mint flavors show good range, as the wine finishes with a nice comnbiatinon of minerality and dark fruits. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2013 Giradet Tempranillo- Aged for 30 months in largely neutral French oak, this wine is sourced from vines set on gravely loam soils. The nose takes on more oaky character with mulberry and wild blackberry aromas. The mouthfeel has wonderful softness as the wine reveals black tea, blackberry and coffee ground flavors. While light tannins finish off this wine, it can be cellared for the next five plus years. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Jaxson

2017 Jaxson Viognier- This Rogue River Valley Viognier begins with aromas of tropical fruits with kiwi and lighter melon tones. The palate shows good mid-palate richness with vanilla cream, oranger zest and roasted pineapple that comes in a touch cloying on the mid-palate. Drink 2018-2022- 87

2013 Jaxson Tempranillo- The wine shows some over-ripe red fruits on the nose with earthy and oaky tones. Medium to full bodied, the wine shows gobs of ripe fruits on the palate. Drink 2018-2024- 86

Ledger David

2017 Ledger David Rose- Made from Sangiovese grapes, this begins with lighter aromas of red fruits with a touch of citrus. The palate shows good astringency but the wine struggles with some balance. Drink 2018-2020- 86                   

2015 Ledger David Cabernet Franc- This deep colored wine begins with aromas of green bell pepper, blackberry compote and black tea. The palate shows. Good acidity and a smooth mouthfeel, revealing dark fruits with a touch of dried herbs and chocolate. This shows good acidity and weight. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Plaisance Ranch

2015 Plaisance Ranch Mourvedre- This begins with aromas of rose water, smoke and black fruits. The palate shows good acidity and elegance with bright red fruits and a touch of smoke. This is a bit lean through the middle but the bright acidity really drives this wine. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2015 Plaisance Ranch Mondeuse-  The varietal from Savoire in France, and is in the Syrah family. Dark in the glass, this begins with aromas of smoke and prune that are quite primary. The palate shows bright acidity and medium weight with light tannins towards the back end. Drink 2018-2024- 88

2015 Plaisance Ranch Carmenere- This wine was a challenge for the winemaker to grow properly. This starts off with lighter spicebox aromas with red fruits and an herbal edge. Light to medium bodied, this shows good astringency and tension with dark fruits and a touch of chocolate flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Quady North

2017 Quady North Rose- The Rose is largely Grenache and Syrah, as the wine starts off with aromas of white peach and delicate red fruits on the nose. The palate shows very delicate red fruit flavors with a touch of orange zest. Drink 2018-2020- 85

2017 Quady North ‘Pistoletta’ White Wine- Largely Viognier and Grenache Blanc, this starts off with aromas of citrus blossom and unripe melon. There are delicate tree fruit flavors with a touch of gooseberry. I would prefer a bit more acidity here. Drink 2018-2020- 85

2015 Quady North ‘GSM’ Red Wine- The wine is a blend of 43% Mourvedre with 31% Grenache and 26% Syrah. The wine begins with aromas of smoke and blue fruit with wild blackberry on the nose. The palate shows good acidity and the wine reveals red fruits on the palate with a touch of smoke. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Reustle

2016 Reustle Grenache- This dark colored Grenache has red fruits and rose petals on the nose. The palate shows medium weight with red fruits and prune coming out hot right away. Drink 2018-20922- 88

2015 Reustle Tempranillo- Coming from a warm vintage this wine was aged in both French and American oak prior to bottling. The toasty oak elements are showing nicely with a good combination of red and dark fruits intermingling. The palate shows good tension and viscosity with a really nice mouthfeel. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2015 Reustle ‘Reserve’ Tempranillo- The nose is even more perfumed than the entry level Tempranillo bottling. Prune, toasty oak and black fruits with milk chocolate come together in the lass aromatically. The wine shows a good tension and weigh on the mid-palate with black tea, blackberry pie and mocha flavors that show marvelously. Moderately tannic now, this will cellar well for the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 90

Ryan Rose

2016 Ryan Rose Chardonnay- Sourced from the Chehalem Mountain Vineyard in the Willamette Valley, the wine was aged for 11 months in a combination of new and used oak prior bottling. this starts off with aromas of brioche, roasted hazelnut and vanilla cream. The palate shows nice mid-palate weight. The wine yields bright banana, creme brûlée and vanilla cream flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2015 Ryan Rose Cabernet Franc- Sourced from the Sarah Vineyard in the Applegate Valley the wine was aged in 50% new French oak for 20 months prior to bottling. Dark fruits dominate the nose with lighter damp earth and cigar ash tones coming in. The palate shows good richness and intensity with blackberry jam, cigar box, and blueberry compote. This shows pretty bright acidity considering the obvious heat of the vintage. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Schultz

2016 Schultz ‘Homeward’ Chardonnay- This wine is founded by two Louisiana natives who first planted a small vineyard in the Rogue Valley in 2010. The wine saw native yeast fermentation and was aged in natural oak prior to bottling. This starts off with aromas of pineapple, vanilla creme brûlée and apricot. The palate shows a good tenson and mid-palate weight with vanilla bean, Meyer lemon creme bruulee and Brandy soaked pear flavors. This will cellar well for the next five plus years. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2014 Schultz Merlot- This Applegate Valley AVA wine opens with a bouquet of red cherry, tomato leaf and red bell pepper. The palate shows good poise and medium weight. There is a really nice sense of place and balance to this wine. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Schmidt Family Vineyards

2016 Schmidt Family Vineyards Viognier- This was aged for roughly four months in stainless steel. The wine begins with aromas of gardenia and lychee with roasted pineapple. The palate shows nice brightness with banana, lychee and creme brûlée. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2014 Schmidt Family Syrah- This comes off with lighter smoky and earthy tones with red cherry on the nose. The palate shows good balance as this medium weight wine shows a nice combination of red cherry, wild blackberry and huckleberry. Drink 2018-2022- 88

South Stage

2014 South Stage Pinotage- The nose takes on pruny character with stewed strawberry and figs. The acidity and weight of the wine is really nice, as the wine moves into forward red fruits, particularly guava and strawberry shining the most brightly. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2013 South Stage Cabernet Franc- Dark fruits dominate the nose with lighter earthy aromatics coming in. The palate shows medium concentration with some ripeness issues. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Triple Oak

2015 Triple Oak Tempranillo- This wine, sourced from Tempranillo clone 5, was aged for 12 months in French oak prior to bottling. Oaky on the nose with lighter red fruits, the palate delivers a nice richness and intensity, showing off red fruits that dance with dark fruits and a touch of mill chocolate. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Troon Vineyard

2017 Troon Vineyard ‘Kubli Bench Blanc’ White Wine- This is a blend of Marsanne and Viognier. The wine shows some nice lychee and exotic fruit. The palate shows a good astringency with tree fruits and a touch of bitterness towards the back end. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2017 Troon Vineyard Riesling- This orange wine, sourced from 17 year old Riesling vines, starts off with aromas of gardenia, white peach and white rose. The palate. Shows good weight and astringency revealing a nice combination of tree fruits and citrus rind. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2016 Troon Vineyard ‘Cuvee Cot’ Malbec- The wine has a small amount of Tannat blended in. The wine was aged for 15 months in used oak prior to bottling. Smoke and blue fruits mark the nose with lighter earthy tones. The palate has bight acidity but is quite hollow through the middle. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Warwick

2015 Warwick ‘Reserve’ White Wine- This is a blend of Chardonnay and Viognier which was occasionally stirred the lees. The wine was not racked for one year. The wine shows lychee and apple aromas on the nose. The palate shows a nice mouthfeel and a soft texture. Lychee, lemon creme brûlée and Pink Lady apple flavors mingle with some good acidity. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Weisinger

2015 Weisinger Gewurtztraminer- Weighing in at 7g/l residual, this shows nectarine and Pink Lady apple aromatics once in the glass. The palate has a touch of sweetness but needs acidity to drive through. Drink 2018-2022- 85

2017 Weisinger Sauvignon Blanc- Aged on the lees in neutral oak (60%, the remainder stainless) this begins with toasty oak and tree fruit aromas that build in the glass. The palate shows some delicate tree fruit flavors with a light astringency. Drink 2018-2022- 87 

2015 Weisinger Tempranillo- You are greeted with a whiff of American oak on the nose with lighter red fruits. The palate shows good texture but lacks fruit in the mid-palate. Drink 2018-2022- 86

Woolridge Creek

2014 Woolridge Creek Tempranillo- The wine was aged in natural French oak for 18 months (no American oak) prior to bottling. This shows nice smoky and earthy tones on the nose with lighter red fruits. The palate is lithe showing good acidity and intriguing blue fruit undertones on the palate. This finishes with some light tannins. Drink 2018-2022- 88

The Eyrie Vineyards

One of Oregon’s historic wineries, The Eyrie Vineyards was planted to 60 acres in five different vineyards in the Dundee Hills AVA of the Willamette Valley.  David Lett is known for making the first Pinot Gris wines in North America. In 1965 he and his wife left California for Oregon and he began making wines I970. Lett sadly passed away in 2008 and his son, Jason, serves as head winemaker for the winery. The tasting room boasts many very cool older wines that they have cellared remarkably from the 1980s and 90s. They have been on a huge run of successful vintages and this years releases are no exception.

Jason’s current releases were fantastic across the board. One of the best Pinot Gris bottlings that you will find in North America is the absolutely stunning 2015 The Eyrie Vineyards ‘Original Vines’ Pinot Gris (WWB, 93) which is showing marvelously right now. This can’t miss effort is truly one of the best of its kind. Their new Pinot Noir release, the 2015 The Eyrie Vineyards ‘Original Vines’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) has marvelous weight and tension which makes it nearly impossible to resist right now. Learn more about this fantastic and historic winery and their wines at http://www.eyrievineyards.com Here are the outstanding wines by The Eyrie Vineyards. 

2015 The Eyrie Vineyards ‘Original Vines’ Pinot Gris- The 2015 The Eyrie Vineyards ‘Original Vines’ Pinot Gris is a stunning example of the varietal. Ripe peach, lychee, starfruit and wet stone flavors come in, as does the wonderful tension in the wine. The texture and weight to this wine is simply marvelous. This will age gracefully for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 The Eyrie Vineyards ‘Original Vines’ Chardonnay- Intensely perfumed and showing a wonderful opulence, the ‘Original Vines’ Chardonnay opens with bright nectarine, vanilla cream and macadamia nut on the nose. The palate is both rich and lithe, showing wonderful richness and intensity. Meyer lemon creme brûlée and ripe pineapple flavors come to mind. This will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 The Eyrie Vineyards ‘Original Vines’ Pinot Noir- Showing some heat of the vintage there are wonderful dark fruits on the nose that connect with lighter citrus and earthy tones. The palate shows a good combination of weight and balance with bright red fruits with a touch of blood orange rind and wild mushroom. Bright and intense, this fantastic wine will cellar marvelously over the next decade or more. Drink 2018-2030- 92

Andrew Rich

One of the great lineups that you might not have recently tasted, Andrew Rich is crafting some seriously good under the radar wines from Oregon. Located in the Carlton Winemakers Studio, Andrew Rich started out as magazine editor in NYC. Wanting a more hand-on job in wine, he elected to attend winemaking school in Burgundy. Back in the states after his education Anderew landed at Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, working with California iconic winemaker, Randall Grahm for five years. Andrew then got the nerve to start his own winery in Oregon. He makes a huge range of wines from Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet Sauvignon. 

One of the best Sauvignon Blanc wines that I have sampled in the past year out of Oregon is the 2016 Andrew Rich ‘Croft Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc (WWB, 90) which has marvelous ‘richness’ and poise. This is one not to be missed. A downright delicious bottling, the 2014 Andrew Rich ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) which shows marvelous earthy tones and a wonderful mouthfeel. Learn more about these awesome wines at www.andrewrichwines.com Here are the great new wines by Andrew Rich.

2014 Andrew Rich Roussanne- This begins with a bouquet of lemongrass and honeydew melopn. Think and rich, this takes on almost an unctuous character with lychee, Meyer lemon and cantaloupe flavors that sit alongside some good minerality. Finishing with vanilla cream, enjoy this great Roussanne in the short-term. Drink 2018-2022- 91

2016 Andrew Rich ‘Croft Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- One of the few sites for Sauvignon Blanc in the Willamette Valley, this pale colored wine begins with aromas of lemon zest and kumquat with a touch of petrol. Round and rich, this has a wonderful mouthfeel, showing off lemon zest, green apple and kumquat flavors with good acidity. Drink 2018-2022- 90

2015 Andrew Rich ‘Prelude’ Pinot Noir- This earthy wine begins with aromas of black tea, forest floor and black cherry syrup. Rich and forward, with good acidity, the palate delights with red and dark fruit flavors. The mouthfeel here is outstanding. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2014 Andrew Rich ‘Eola-Amity Hills’ Pinot Noir- The nose shows nice red and dark fruits with earthy undertones. There is a good sense of place and elegance to this medium bodied, red fruit driven, Pinot Noir. Drink 2018-2025- 90

2014 Andrew Rich ‘Marine Sedimentary’ Pinot Noir- This earthy wine begins with aromatics of wild thyme, forest floor and peat moss with a touch of orange rind. Lithe and elegant, this has a wonderfully smooth mouthfeel, revealing cran-raspberry and forest floor flavors. Drink 2018-2025- 91

2016 Andrew Rich ‘Rich Table’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Inky colored, this starts off with mocha, crushed mint and black raspberry aromas. Dense and plush, dark fruits mingle with dark chocolate flavors. This is an outstanding wine that will cellar well over the next eight plus years. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2014 Andrew Rich ‘Glacial’ Red Wine- A blend of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache from the Columbia Valley, this begins with aromas of white pepper and smoked meats. Generous, with a rich mouthfeel, the wine shows blackberry jam, smoke and peppercorn flavors that connect with a good minerality. Drink 2018-2025- 91

2018 Oregon Report

Dear Friends,

As International Wine Report senior editor, I have been working hard over the past six months tasting roughly 500 wines from Oregon. The region has been blessed with a wonderful run of compelling vintages. The 2014 vintage saw warm, near perfect conditions which was backed by another sensational vintage in 2015, which despite a few heat spikes during summer, the crop ended up in marvelous condition. The 2016 vintage shows great promise as well, with potentially even more tension in the wines from the slightly cooler growing season. This reports covers the latest releases from primarily from 2014-2016 and highlights the exceptional wines from these vintages which earned 90 points or higher.

With a number of fantastic wines from these outstanding vintages, few stand out more than Big Table Farm, who has cemented their place at the high table. Big Table Farm's talented Brian Marcy has crafted an incredible portfolio, which includes an impresive range from the stunning 2017 'The Laughing Pig' Rosé to the gorgeous 2016 'Earth' Pinot Noir. Another stellar lineup comes from Mo Ayoub, who is crafting some absolutely scintillating Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at his Vineyard and Winery in the Dundee Hills. Do not miss out on the 2016 Ayoub Chardonnay or the 2016 Ayob 'Estate Vineyard' Pinot Noir, both possessing a sterling minerality and wonderful range.

A perennial standout is Domaine Serene, who consistantly earns its spot amongst the apex of Oregon wine. Do not miss out on the 2015 Domaine Serene 'Evenstad Reserve' Pinot Noir, which is absolutely one of the most impressive wines from group. Just as compelling is their 2014 Domaine Serene 'Recolte Grand Cru' Chardonnay which is simply captivating with its intensity and minerality.

Other wineries that performed remarkably were lineups from Evening Land Vineyards, Toil, Willakenzie Estate, Argyle, Stag Hollow, Alexana, St. Innocent, Tendril, Cristom, Trisaetum, Lingua Franca, Gran Moraine and Brittan Vineyards.

Some of the worlds finest wines come from Oregon and its diverse AVA's, you will find everything from fantastic value wines to wines that are amongst the highest quality in the world. This has never been more evident with nearly 300 wines which have scored 90 Points or more in our recent tasting. Here is the link to our Oregon Report. 

Tenet Wines

One of the great minds in modern wine, Philippe Cambie has a background in microbiology, and boasts a masters in oenology from the University of Montpelier. More recently he has gained prominence with his consulting for outstanding Rhone wineries such as Domaine Grand Tinel, Bosquet des Papes, Jean Royer and many others. The knowledge of Cambie and Chateau St. Michelle head winemaker Bob Berthau make the 'Pundit' and the 'Tenet'  truly outstanding.

Look to the 2015 Tenet Wines ‘The Pundit’ Syrah (WWB, 91) shows wonderful richness and depth for the price. This is one of the great values in Washington wine. The 2015 Tenet Wines ‘Tenet’ Syrah (WWB, 93) is a dense beast that needs some time to age. This gorgeous wine will cellar well for a decade or more. Learn more about these great wines at tenetwines.com Here are the new releasees by Tenet Wines.

2015 Tenet Wines ‘Tenet’ Red Wine- This deep colored wine needs more than an hour decent to fully develop. After the long decant the 2015 ‘Tenet’ starts off with black olive tapenade, black cherry syrup and blackberry cobbler with milk chocolate shavings on the nose. The viscosity and plush mouthfeel entices and glides across the mid-palate. Black tea, black cherry cordial and mocha flavors beautifully connect with some solid tension. Enjoy this great wine over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2015 Tenet Wines ‘The Pundit’ Syrah- The nose here is gorgeous with bacon fat, roasted dates and milk chocolate. Plush and downright decadent this delivers dark cherry, prune, and coffee ground flavors that connect with a nice tension. This is just an awesome value Syrah out of Washington that is nearly impossible to put down right now, as this overdelivers both richness and minerality in a hot vintage. Drink 2018-2025- 91

Avennia New Releases and 'Sestina' Vertical Tasting

One of the top Woodinville wineries, Avennia is the partnership between superstar winemaker, Chris Peterson, formerly of DeLille fame, and former Microsoft exec, Marty Taucher. Both are downright awesome guys to chat wine with. The initial idea behind Avennia was based on a meeting between the two in 2009 at North Seattle’s Fiddlers Inn, where they connected their respective strengths and experiences to create their partnership. By the end of 2010, 16 tons of fruit were transformed to wine and the first releases were met with resounding acclaim. Avennia sources from some of the top vineyards in the state, including Boushey and Champoux.

Winemaker Chris Peterson is a hugely talented guy. Soft-spoken and thoughtful, Chris crafts some of the state’s best Rose, a downright killer Sauvignon Blanc and a truly outstanding range of red wines. While tasting with he and Marty we had the great opportunity to try some of the older bottles of their acclaimed ‘Sestina’ Red Wine, which is their left bank style (Cabernet based) red wine. I was absolutely blown away with how the 2012 Avennia ‘Sestina’ Red Wine (WWB, 95) was currently showing. The range of this wine was simply dazzling as the wine embodied everything from green peppercorn to coffee grounds to dark fruits. The current releases were highly impressive across the board, including the gorgeous 2017 Avennia Rose (WWB, 92) which had marvelous weight, tension and texture. Even better was the 2015 Avennia ‘Valery’ Red Wine (WWB, 94) which showed very pretty aromatics and a wonderful purity of fruit. Learn more about these gorgeous wines at avennia.com Here are the great wines of Avennia. 

2017 Avennia Rose- The 2017 Rose by Avennia is a captivating blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvdre. The wine was 75% aged for a few months in neutral barrels which adds to the textural elements to the wine. This begins with aromas of rose petals, smoke and red cherry candy. The palate has wonderful showing a great combination of tension, weight, and texture. This show a great elegance while maintaining wonderful range from red fruits and a touch of citrus. This is truly up there with the upper echelon Rose in the state. Drink 2018-2024- 92

2010 Avennia ‘Sestina’ Red Wine- Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (73%), the wine is showing a very pretty aromatic profile with red fruits and sagebrush on the nose. The herbaceousness of the wine comes in towards the end. The palate shows wonderful weight and tension with sweet pipe tobacco, red bell pepper, coffee ground, wild blackberry, crushed mint and black tea flavors. There is a seamless quality to this wine. Still youthful, this Bordelaise effort will age gracefully over the next decade. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2011 Avennia ‘Sestina’ Red Wine- This cool vintage wine is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon (Bacchus Vineyard), 19% Merlot (Red Willow Vineyard) and 9% Cabernet Franc (Bacchus Vineyard). The wine opens with a intense bouquet of green olive tapenade, green bell pepper and wild blackberry pie. This shows good grip as the light tannins coat the mid-palate. The wine shows an old world feel, with a nice combination of red and dark fruits with sagebrush accents. Lithe and mineral driven, the wine shows a youthful component. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2012 Avennia ‘Sestina’ Red Wine- The 2012 ‘Sestina’ has the exact same blending as the 2011 ‘Sestina.’ This stunning wine is a simply intoxicating bouquet. Green peppercorn, black tea, blackberry cobbler and crushed mint with sagebrush accents mark this seductive nose. The mouthfeel is simply stunning. Black tea, blackberry, crushed mint and coffee ground flavors all beautifully come together in the glass. There is a wonderful seamless quality to this wine that has an exceedingly long life in the cellar. This is a graceful, pretty wine considering it is Cabernet based as the mouthwatering acidity marks this gorgeous wine. Given an hour in the glass the wine keeps getting better. Drink 2018-2033- 95

2012 Avennia ‘Gravura’ Red Wine- This wine is a bend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. The nose is gorgeous with dark and red fruits and cigar ash coming through. The palate is silky smooth, showing off wonderful dark and red fruit flavors with black tea and herbal tones that connect with the lovey tension. Deep, balanced and impossible to resist right now, the wine still will have a long life in the cellar. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Avennia ‘Sestina’ Red Wine- This has a touch more Merlot blended in. The wine begins with aromas of black tea, anise, creme de cassis and sagebrush. The heady aromatics bring you back to the glass. The wine showcases a wonderful mouthfeel and texture. The wine shows mouthwatering acidity with a nice combination of dark and red fruits. The weight and tension of the wine is gorgeous. The tension is particularly striking considering the obvious heat of the vintage. Drink 2018-2040- 94

2015 Avennia ‘Valery’ Red Wine- The wine is a blend of 70% Merlot sourced from the Boushey Vineyard, and 30% Cabernet Franc sourced from the Champoux Vineyard. This begins with aromas of rose petals, red cherry candy, tar and dried sage. The wine shows a wonderful purity of fruit. With beautiful acidity the wine shows coffee ground, black tea, anise, and black cherry compete flavors. Wonderfully balanced, with light tannins, this will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. Drink 2019-2035- 94

2015 Avennia ‘Justine’ Red Wine- The 2015 'Justine' Red Wine is flat out sexy, delivering both wonderful richness and balance. The wine opens with a bright bouquet of rose petals, red currants, red cherry preserves and suggestions of bacon fat. The weight and plush mouthfeel entices as black cherry syrup, black olive tapenade, smoked meat and blood orange flavors complete this highly impressive wine that shows wonderful range. Texturally elegant, yet rich, this awesome effort by winemaker Chris Peterson will cellar marvelously over the next decade or so. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Avennia ‘Gravura’ Red Wine- The ‘Gravura’ is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot that was sourced from some of the state’s top vineyards. The nose brings out lovely Asian spice with black currant and black tea aromatics. Rich, with a lovely mouthfeel, the wine shows off sexy mocha and crushed mint flavors, alongside some good tension. Bright and rich, make sure to give this a long decant before enjoying. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Avennia ‘Champoux Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc- This limited production wine was bottled by superstar Chris Peterson as he felt that this stood alone in blending trials. The powerful, intoxicating nose really drives this seductive bottking, black tea, star jasmine, dried sage ands blueberry compote come into play on the nose. The palate shows a silky texture and wonderful mouthfeel. Deep and rich, the wine shows a wonderful combination of blue and dark fruits with herbal elements rounding out this gorgeous wine. The herbal qualities are gorgeous. Silky and seductive, enjoy this great wine over the next fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2019-2035- 94