Beaulieu Vineyard

I won’t forget my first Georges de Latour. One of the great historic Napa estates, Beaulieu Vineyard began in 1900, when Georges de Latour's wife, Fernande, first laid eyes on the land that would become their original Rutherford vineyard — and she named it "beau lieu," or "beautiful place." De Latour saw the potential of the land and sold his thriving cream of tartar business, purchasing the four-acre ranch and later founding Beaulieu Vineyard.  I have really loved the ‘Georges de Latours’ from the mid-90s which at the time were some of the best of Napa. Winemaker Trevor Durling is making some incredible wines. Originally from Sonoma County, Trevor has a degree in viticulture and enology from the esteemed University of California, Davis.

I am enamored by the 2021 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Rutherford Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) which is a killer wine for the price, showing great concentration and soil character  Don’t miss out on the incredible 2021 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Georges de Latour’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 98) which is amongst the finest of these wines in recent memory. Learn more about these beautiful new wines at https://www.bvwines.com Here are the new releases by BV.

2021 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a juicy and delicious bottling that is very impressive at the entry level. Smooth and silky throughout the drinking experience, this delivers cassis and mocha tones alongside suggestions of espresso grounds. Smooth and refined, this is generous and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon that will age well for another decade. Drink 2024-2034- 91

2021 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Rutherford Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The brilliant 2021 ‘Rutherford Reserve’ by winemaker Trevor During combines nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon, with small portions Petit Verdot and Malbec that was stored for 21 months in all new French oak before bottling. This is very concentrated in the glass, offering alluring dark currants, potpourri and anise notes alongside dark chocolate shavings and tar. The palate is deep and rich with layers of dense dark fruits alongside its silky texture and good sense of weight. Enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2040- 94

2021 Beaulieu Vineyard ‘Georges de Latour’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘George de Latour’ is a beautiful follow-up to the outstanding 2020 which is one of the brilliant wines of the vintage. This is inky and dark in the glass, revealing in its loamy soil character on the nose, alongside violets, and Black Forest cake. The palate is wonderfully gratifying in terms of power, length and weight, with bright underlying acidity. Everything is clockwork here, with plenty of damp earthy character and a loaded core of black and blue fruits. Usually this wine needs time but it is really hitting its stride right out of the gate. This will easily be a 20 year wine. Drink 2024-2046- 98

Kevin White

A great way to spend a Friday, I walked into the French-inspired tasting room in Woodinville. I was excited to taste the latest by Kevin White, who founded his namesake winery fourteen years ago back in 2010. Inspired by the wines of the Rhone Valley, Kevin sought to learn more and more about wine, taking classes in chemistry, microbiology and enology. Kevin started making his wines at nearby Baer before opening his tasting room in the warehouse district of Woodinville.

Kevin is very bullish on the new vintage coming from 2022. This vintage could have been a disaster for red varietals if there was an October freeze. Fortunately for Washington producers the vintage saw warm fall temperatures which helped with ripening. I love the 2022 Kevin White ‘Memoire’ White Wine (OB, 93) which shows great underlying finesse with plenty of richness. Even better is the sensational 2022 Kevin White ‘Pionnier’ Grenache (OB, 94) which offers very pure red fruits with a silky texture. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.kevinwhitewinery.com Here are the great new wines by Kevin White.

2022 Kevin White ‘Memoire’ White Wine- The ‘Memoire’ is a southern Rhone-inspired blend of Roussanne (90%) and Grenache Blanc (10%) from the Boushey and Olsen Vineyard. Stored in 15% new French oak, this offers gooseberry, Japanese pear and cantaloupe notes alongside copious minerals and a smooth texture on the palate. Showing good finesse, this is a great showing from this cooler vintage. Drink 2024-2031- 93

2022 Kevin White ‘Pionnier Boushey Vineyard’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Pioneer’ blends 88% Grenache with 12% Mourvedre coming from the Boushey Vineyard. Stored in all neutral oak the nose shows off beautiful red rose petals alongside red currants, blood orange zest and black tea.  The palate is plush and very fresh with a refined texture. Smooth throughout the drinking experience, with beautiful red fruits, this is drinking very well in its heady south. This saw a small amount of stem inclusion, as this should be enjoyed over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 94

2021 Kevin White ‘Les Terrasses Weathereye Vineyard’ Grenache- The 2021 ‘Les Terrasses’ Grenche is sourced from this south facing, high elevation northern slopes on Red Mountain which is managed by Ryan Johnson. Stored in neutral oak barrels, this offers yarrow notes that combine with red rose petals, anise, and red raspberry notes. The palate is soft and refined with silky tannins that frame a beautiful core of red fruits, with beef drippings and herbal accents. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Kevin White ‘La Fraternite’ Red Wine- Sourced from the Boushey Vineyard, this combines 57% Grenache with smaller portions Mourvèdre and Syrah. The nose shows off Linzer torte with garrigue, sage, white pepper and shades of kumquat rind. The palate is soft and elegant with good texture and underlying verve. Drinking beautifully now, enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2022 Kevin White ‘La Paysanne’ Mourvedre- The 2022 ‘La Paysanne’ is a gorgeous 100% Mourvèdre bottling from the Boushey, Olsen, and WeatherEye Vineyards. Herbal accents combine with grilled venison, green peppercorns and middle eastern spices on the nose.  The palate is soft and refined with a great sense of texture and bright acidity. Very savory and showing a brilliant core of red fruits, this is drinking well in its vibrant youth. Drink 2024-2036- 94

2021 Kevin White ‘En Hommage’ Syrah- Coming from the Olsen and Boushey Vineyards, this 2021 Syrah was stored in only 15% new French oak before bottling. Right away this opens with black pepper dusted bacon, Kalamata olives, menthol, beef drippings and shades of anise on the nose. The palate is dense and fresh with refined tannins that combine with rich blackberry and huckleberry flavors. This is beautiful stuff. Drink 2024-2042- 95

2020 Kevin White ‘Heritage DuBrul Vineyard’ Red Wine- Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (75%) with the remainder Merlot, the wine was stored in 50% new French oak before bottling. This offers sagebrush and dark currants with tar and tobacco leaf on the nose. The palate is soft and refined with silky tannins that frame a beautiful core of black fruits and chocolate. Drink 2024-2029- 93

Corison

A beautiful, historic winery in the Napa Valley, Corison is known for producing great wines in tough vintages. I fondly remember Cathy Corison’s 2011 wines which was arguably the toughest vintage in the past 20 years. Her wines in 2020 were without a doubt some of the finest made in Napa.

For those not familiar with Cathy Corison, she is one of the famed women in California winemaking. Corison is a master’s degree graduate of the Enology program at UC Davis and has previously served as Chappellet winemaker prior to starting her own winery. For years Corison has implemented a trademark more Bordelaise, and restrained style to her Napa wines. If you have never had the opportunity to try these beautiful wines, you will find them to be highly elegant and a wonderful contrast to wines that simply focus on power or concentration. I

While I loved her 2020 wines, her 2021 wines are even better, showing more poise, concentration and power. Don’t miss out on the 2021 ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 96) which is dense, highly refined stuff with loads of nuance. This will easily be a 20 year wine. Learn more about these elegant Napa wines at https://corison.com/ Here is my review of her new Corison wines.

2021 Corison ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A gorgeous wine from a great vintage, the 2021 Corison ‘Napa Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon is already beautifully evolved right now. On the nose this displays tar, anise and beautiful black rose petals, with a graphite edge. The palate is soft and refined with a seamless texture. Layers of dense black and blue fruits parade with stony minerals, espresso ground and loamy soils. A total knockout, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next twenty years. Drink 2024-2044- 96

2021  Corison ‘Helios Sunbasket Vineyard' Cabernet Franc- The 2021 ‘Helios Sunbasket Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc is a stunning wine coming from this warm vintage.  Once on the nose this exudes class with black rose petals, anise, black currant cordial and rocky soils. The palate is soft and refined with a pillowy texture and great sense of tension and length.  A knockout wine from a great vintage, showing great herbal character with plenty of power and finesse, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 97

Marques de Murrieta

A fantastic tale of Rioja, Marqués de Murrieta was initially founded under the Marqués de Murrieta, who brought production techniques to Spain from Bordeaux. It was back in 1852 that the Marques produced his first wine in Logroño, moving into the Ygay Estate in the late 1870s. Located at the heart of La Rioja, the Estate is home to Ygay Castle, headquarters of the Marqués de Murrieta wineries. A sight to be seen, this historic castle is set on 300 hectares of vineyards as the Castillo Ygay accommodates the whole of Marqués de Murrieta’s winemaking history, a history that laid the foundations of the Rioja Designation of Origin DOCa.

Fast forward to 1983, the Cebrián-Sagarriga family continued Murrieta’s tradition In 2007, they commenced meticulous restoration work on Ygay Castle that was finished in 2014 – the year the winery reopened its doors. Visitors can now tour the vineyards and century-old facilities, in addition to tasting the Estate’s wines. Inside the castle are the historic production cellar, the cask ageing rooms, and the collected wines dating from 1852 to the present.

The new wines were fantastic across the board. I love the 2014 Marques de Murrieta ‘Gran Reserva Finca Ygay’ Rioja (OB, 96) which is flat out stunning and dense with a pillowy texture. Learn more about this amazing historic house in Rioja at https://marquesdemurrieta.com/ and here are my reviews of the beautiful new wines by Marques de Murietta.

2018 Marques de Murrieta ‘Capellania’ White Wine- The brilliant 2018 ‘Calellania’ was sourced from the 4.8-acre Capellanía vineyard, originally planted in 1945. Dense and viscous with a seamless texture, this offers Macadamia nut, white peach, lychee, and shades of baking spice dusted Yakima cherry on the palate. Finishing exceedingly long, this is rich and heady stuff that is not for the weary. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2019 Marques de Murrieta ‘Dalmau’ Rioja- The 2019 ‘Dalmau’ is a sensational new  and modern style of Rioja that comes from the 9-hectare (22 acres) Canajas Vineyard. This site is set a 465 meters and was first planted in 1950 on iron clay and a stony topsoil. This is seamless, absolutely stunning Rioja with a serious weight and glorious mouthfeel. Dense dark fruits greet you alongside coffee grounds, toasty oak and shades of salty soils on the palate. Powerful and dense, this is going to be a 20 year wine. Drink 2024-2044- 96

2015 Marques de Murrieta ‘Gran Reserva Finca Ygay’ Rioja- The stunning 2015 ‘Gran Reserva Finca Ygay’ is composed of 80% Tempranillo  and 9% percent each of Graciano and Mazuelo, with a dash of Garnacha all coming from the 741-acre Ygay Estate. Vines are set between 320 meters to 485 meters above sea level. This is fleshy and soft with beautiful bright acidity that combines with rich red fruits, menthol and orange rind flavors. Finishing exceedingly long, this is a stunning effort that will easily live on for another twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 96

Robert Biale

A winery that is steeped in history, Zinfandel was California’s signature varietal long before Cabernet was king. Robert Biale has roots in the 1930s where Pietro Biale planted Zinfandel on the Napa Valley floor. HIs son, Aldo, took over making wine during the Prohibition, using the code name ‘Black Chicken.’ Aldo’s Vineyard still stands today in Napa and is one of the premium vineyard sites that Robert Biale sources from, as well as esteemed spots like the Monte Rosso Vineyard and the Stagecoach Vineyard. I lhave loved these wines for years that are truly one of a kind and a throwback to old-school Zinfandel that shows not only good concentration but fantastic, bright acidity.

Winemaker David Natali is a New York native, David graduated from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and developed a passion for winemaking after bottling at a friend’s small winery. He formerly served as cellar hand at Clos Pegase Winery and later studied at the University of Montpellier in France, where he received his master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. After two and a half years of living and studying abroad in Montpellier, France, and Udine, Italy, David returned to California. He became the Assistant Winemaker for La Rochelle Winery, later taking the Assistant Winemaker position at Robert Biale Vineyards. He managed the cellar and lab’s daily operations to implement new winemaking techniques under the guidance of Winemaker Tres Goetting. In 2022, David was promoted to Head Winemaker.

I adored the 2021 Robert Biale ‘Black Chicken’ Zinfandel (OB, 93) which delivers plenty of richness and herbal accents. One of the best Zinfandel wines I have tried this year, the  2022 Robert Biale ‘Varozza Vineyard’ Zinfandel (OB, 95) which is one of the finest Zinfandel wines I have tasted all year. Learn more about this storied Napa property at http://biale.com Here are the great new wines by Robert Biale. 

2022 Robert Biale ‘Black Chicken’ Zinfandel- The 2021 ‘Black Chicken’ is sourced from a range of vineyards in the Oak Knoll AVA. throughout Sonoma and Napa Valley. This shows good richness and depth with juicy red fruit flavors alongside Earl Grey tea and freshly tilled loamy soils. This is fantastic Zin with depth and poise. Drink 2024-2032- 93

2022 Robert Biale ‘Old Kraft Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The 2022 ‘Old Kraft’ comes from this site located in St. Helena with vines that date back to the1890s. Needing about an hour in the decanter to fully unwind,, the Zinfandel delivers black cherry and menthol notes on the palate, with milk chocolate and suggestions of ripe strawberry with good freshness. Showing a smooth texture this is already nicely evolved stuff. Savor this beauty over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Robert Biale ‘R.W. Moore Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The stunning 2022 ‘R.W. Moore Vineyard’ comes from this ancient Coombsville vineyard first planted back in1905. This is soft and elegant Zin that is simply impossible to resist right now. This is soft and refined on the palate, showing a smooth texture and good sense of weight. Black raspberry and tar notes combine with sadness of Black Forest cake on the palate. Showing good freshness, this is delicious Zinfandel that is already showing really well. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 Robert Biale ‘Bedrock Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The famed ‘Bedrock Vineyard’ dates all the way back to 1850s and is currently owned by the Peterson family, as one of the oldest vineyards in the entire state. The palate is concentrated with a fantastic combination of dense red and dark fruit flavors. This is powerful and rich stuff that is neatly layered and silky smooth upon entry. Laden with stony minerals alongside rich red and dark fruits, with tar, tobacco leaf and chocolate notes, this is a total masterpiece that is fantastic to consume right now. Drink 2024-2037- 95

2021 Robert Biale ‘Varozza Vineyard’ Zinfandel- One of the most consistently great Zinfandel bottlings in North America, this 2022 ‘Varozza Vineyard’ hails from this century old Zinfandel site in Sanit Helena. Right away notes of fresh sage, allspice dusted strawberry, and chocolate all combine on the nose, with hints of garrigue. The palate is dense and concentrated, loaded with rich dark plum, fig and milk chocolate flavors. Very seamless throughout the drinking experience, this is a massive achievement considering the intense heat spikes at harvest at this warm site. Drink 2024-2036- 95

2022 Robert Biale ‘Stagecoach Vineyard’ Zinfandel- Years ago Robert Biale asked Stagecoach Vineyard proprietor to plant Zinfandel at this high elevation and highly scenic site that peers over the Oakville AVA. This 2022 Zinfandel offers dusty earth notes on the nose alongside red currants, red cherry candy and fresh thyme notes on the nose. The palate is plush and soft with good tension and richness. Layers of rich red and dark fruits parade with chocolate and notes of sandalwood. Enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 95

2022 Robert Biale ‘Dickerson Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The 2022 ‘Dickerson Vineyard’ comes from the St. Helena appellation which was first planted in the 1920s by Charles Volpi. The palate is fresh and viscous with salty accents and rich dark fruit flavors. Silky and refined, with a smooth texture, offering figs, red currants, menthol and chocolate notes, this is already drinking beautifully now. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 Robert Biale ‘Palisaides Vineyard’ Petite Sirah- The 2021 Robert Biale Palisaides Vineyard Petite Sirah comes from the Calistoga AVA.Rich and viscous, this tannic beauty delivers dark chocolate shavings, mocha, tar and loamy soil notes on the palate with sandalwood accents. Drink 2024-2034- 94

CASU Wines

A brand new Washington winery project, it is my pleasure to feature this house that was formed during the Pandemic. A lot of bad things happened in 2020. This winery was not one of them. Not a lot is known about this winery. They had their first release last fall and I am the first critic to taste the wines. The team is Andrew Kowalski, Eric Gava and John Sandoval.

I am often approached as the first critic to taste wines from a winery. Sometimes the wines show well and many times they do not. These were consistently great wines. I love the new 2021 Casu Rose (OB, 90) which is Merlot based coming from the Desert Wind vineyard. Even better is the fresh and vibrant 2021 Casu ‘Stoneridge’ Riesling (OB, 91) which is gonna be a killer wine for summer. Learn more at casuwines.com and here are my reviews of the CASU wines.

2021 Casu Rose- made from Merlot grapes, the 2021 Casu Rose was stored in stainless steel before bottling. This offers flinty tones with delicate red fruits and citrus rind accents on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2024-2028- 90

2021 Casu ‘Stoneridge’ Riesling- The 2021 ‘Stoneridge Riesling’ is neatly textured with good richness. Stony minerals collide with bright Japanese pear and starfruit flavors on the palate. Drink 2024-2029- 91

2021 Casu Cabernet Sauvignon- This warm vintage bottling comes from the Lawrence Vineyards and was stored in 50% new French oak before bottling.  This 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon displays juicy dark currant and tobacco leaf flavors on the palate, with shades of tar and mocha. Drinking beautifully now, enjoy over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 91

Merryvale

One of the great stops in Napa, Merryvale's historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and has become a favorite destination for visitors to the valley. This is a beautiful wine country setting, surrounded by French oak barrels and casks. I’ve enjoyed visiting this beautiful property many times and the surrounding serene vineyards. The property is owned by the Schlatter family. Winemaker Andrew Wright has crafted a beautiful range of wines. I love. The 2021 Merryvale ‘Carneros’ Chardonnay (OB, 92) which is wonderfully smooth and has a salty edge. The best wine I tasted and the finest I have ever had from this property, the 2019 Merryvale ‘Profile’ Red Wine (OB, 96) is a seamless, beautiful wine that has a long life head of it. Learn more at https://www.merryvale.com and here are the beautiful new wines by Merryvale.

2021 Merryvale ‘Carneros’ Chardonnay- The 2021 ‘Carneros’ Chardonnay delivers salted peach and pear flavors alongside nutty and earthy accents. Refined and elegant in its structure, tension and smooth mouthfeel, this is drinking marvelously now. Drink 2024-2031- 92

2021 Merryvale ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 Merryvale ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir is an outstanding effort that is shining brightly now at the three year mark. Once on the nose this takes on layer of cranberry and volcanic earth that combine with damp earth and salty soil notes. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture. This is very impressive stuff to consume now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2019 Merryvale ‘Profile’ Red Wine- The 2019 ‘Profile’ is a striking blend of almost all Cabernet Sauvignon with just a kiss of Cabernet Franc blended in. The wine was stored for 20 months in 80% new French oak before bottling. Brooding in the glass, this slowly unveils aromatics of pencil lead, creme de cassis, mocha, and scorched earth notes. The palate is refined and ultra-smooth, as this is utterly seamless throughout the drinking experience. Loaded with concentrated black and blue fruit flavors, with graphite and stony accents, this far and away the finest wine I have tasted from this estate. Drink 2024-2044- 96

WeatherEye Vineyard

One of Washington State’s great wine brands, WeatherEye Vineyard is the brainchild of Cameron Myhrvold, longtime advocate for the Washington Wine Industry. It was 20 years ago back in 2004 that Cam purchased this property based on an idea to grow grapes where no one had attempted before — on the top and north face of Red Mountain. Today most of the fruit is sold to 10 different wineries and a small portion is held back for WeatherEye Vineyard. The site is farmed by Ryan Johnson former vineyard manager at Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. Ryan also co-founded the Force Majeure Vineyard and has unparalleled knowledge of Red Mountain’s upper slopes. With WeatherEye he utilized everything in his 20 years of vineyard management experience to create a vineyard space that is unlike anything in the Pacific Northwest.

Winemaker Todd Alexander needs no introduction, formerly with Bryant Family before transforming the Force Majeure Vineyards program. I had the pleasure of tasting the recent wines with Todd and he made some incredible new wines from the 2022 vintage.  — one that showed good warmth but also maintained excellent freshness. I am enamored by the new 2022 WeathereEye Vineyard Roussanne (OB, 97) which is arguably the finest Washington white wine that I have tasted in the last year. This is deep and concentrated stuff that has beautiful underlying finesse. . Rich, layered and polished with an unctuous texture, this beauty is absolutely singing right now. I was blown away with the new 2021 WeatherEye Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 99) which is definitely one of the finest Cabernet wines made in Washington. This held incredible weight and underlying finesse. Learn more about this famed property at https://www.weathereyevineyard.com/ and here are my reviews of the new WeatherEye Vineyard wines.

2022 WeatherEye Roussanne- The 2022 Roussanne was stored in 30% new French oak with the remainder amphora and neutral oak for 10 months before bottling. Bright honeydew melon fruits combine with honeycomb, lychee and pineapple notes on the nose. The texture is insanely good with good freshness and beautiful sense of weight. Finishing exceedingly long, this is a heady, dense and delicious Roussane bottling that is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2024-2034- 97

2022 WeatherEye Marsanne- This 2022 Marsanne has 14% Roussanne blended in. Stored in 20% new French oak with the remainder stored in neutral and amphora prior to bottling. Marzipan and rich cantaloupe tones combine with Macadamia nut and lychee tones on the nose. The palate is plush and soft with a refined texture, as this deftly walks the tightrope between weight and underlying finesse. Drink 2024-2036- 97

2022 WeatherEye ‘L’Atomique’ White Wine- The 2022 ‘L’Atomique’ combines Viognier (36%) with 32% Roussanne and the remainder Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Marsanne. This was unfined and unfiltered. This is a massive white wine that is gorgeous to consume right now. Tangerine zest, lemon curd, almond paste and shades of mango all combine on the palate. Refined and deep, with serious concentration, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 97

2021 WeatherEye Grenache- The 2021 WeatherEye Grenache underwent 30% whole cluster fermentation. Stored in large format French oak for 18 months. This comes from several blocks of Grenache across the property. Soft, refined and plush, this delivers very concatenated red and dark fruit flavors alongside coffee grounds and sagebrush tones. Totally stunning and generous in its fleshy youth, enjoy now and over the next twelve years. Drink 2024-2036- 96

2021 WeatherEye Mourvedre- The 2021 Mourvèdre underwent 15% whole cluster fermentation. Stored in large format used French oak, this offers smoked meats and anise notes alongside black olives and rich dark fruits. This is really dense and delicious wine with plenty of nuance. Very herbal with loganberry, beef drippings and wild blackberry fruit flavors, alongside scorched earth, this is a gorgeous, generous effort that is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2024-2036- 97

2021 WeatherEye Syrah- This deep, viscous and downright stunning 2021 Syrah has 3% Graciano blended in. Stored in all French oak (60% new) before bottling, this delivers heady aromatics of black currants, orange blossom, white pepper and venison drippings. The palate is incredibly tense and tension-filled with intense black and blue fruits alongside copious minerals and tar notes. Drink 2024-2038- 98

2021 WeatherEye ‘The Ravens Share’ Red Wine- The 2021 WeatherEye ‘The Ravens Share’ Red Wine combines Cabernet Franc (36%) with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder Merlot. This is beautifully floral on the nose with dark rose petals alongside potpourri and garrigue notes alongside dark chocolate, creosote and shades of boysenberry liquor. The palate is ultra-refined and fresh with refined tannins and a pillowy texture. Light on its feet with serious weight and verve, this powerful wine is a total stunner that will drink well for decade to come. Drink 2024-2040- 99

2021 WeatherEye Cabernet Sauvignon- The stunning new 2021 WeatherEye Cabernet Sauvignon combines 5% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Stored in 75% new French oak barrels, this offers amazing texture, weight and underlying finesse. Deep and concentrated, with very concentrated black and blue fruit flavors, sweet pipe tobacco, with pencil lead and garrigue notes, this is going to be a really long-aging wine that is best enjoyed a year from now and over the next twenty years. Drink 2025-2050- 99

Hors Catégorie

It is my pleasure to present to you today one of the great wines of the word. Translated to ‘beyond categorization’ Hors Catégorie is an ultra-pure expression of terroir in a bottle. Sourced from a very hilly, 2-acre vineyard hidden in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, the Hors Catégorie Vineyard is a sight to be seen. This is is without a doubt one of the most scenic spots you will find in the Walla Walla Valley.  The vineyard has incredibly tight spacing and Syrah clusters are cropped at less than a ton an acre. The terroir is largely stony with thick broken basalt sprinkled everywhere. When you are there you can truly feel the struggle of the vines in this stony terroir.

I was blown away with what they accomplished in 2020. I can say that along with the 2020, the 2021 leaves no doubt that this is a perfect wine. You won’t find novelty like this stunning terroir anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. The 2021 Hors Catégorie Syrah (OB, 100) is a mind-bending wine descending on mesmerizing flavor and aromatic range. You could buy Guigal ‘La Landone’ and pay more than twice the price. But would you get a better wine with your purchase? I don’t think so. Learn more about this world-class Syrah at https://horscategorievineyards.com/horscategorievineyards/ Here is the new review for the incredible 2021 Hors Catégorie Syrah. 

2021 Hors Catégorie Syrah- A stunning wine that is every bit as good as the 2020, the 2021 Hors Categorie Syrah is cut from a fleshier style of this bottling, reminiscent of the 2018 and quite divergent from the 2019. Like the 2020 bottling, this is perfection in the glass, yielding its mind-numbing flavor and aromatic range. A deep core reminiscent of the 2020 starts us off with scorched earth and wintergreen notes that combine with Nori, white peppered brisket, iodine, and boysenberry preserves. The palate is plush and soft, loaded with underlying finesse. Very stony and impeccably balanced, this is an unforgettable effort by director of winemaker Elizabeth Bourcier that is amongst the finest Hors Categorie ever produced. Do not miss out on this total stunner. Drink 2024-2034- 100

Cuvaison

I think most would consider Cuvaison one of the top spots in Carneros to visit. For many years now Steve Rogstad has made these wines and has a beautiful style of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that focuses on poise and texture. I have long admired these wines and fondly recall tasting some impressive early 2000s Chardonnay when I was in graduate school. It is hard to believe that this winery was first founded back in 1969. Then in 1979 they acquired 400 acres of highly prized land north of San Pablo Bay in the Los Carneros district of Napa Valley which is a site that is highly influenced by fog and cooler temperatures from the bay.

The new Cuvaison which come from the 2020 and 2022 vintages. I adored the new 2022 Cuvaison ‘Kite Tail’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is dense and rich with serious tension despite the heat at harvest in this year. Learn more about this outstanding producer at https://www.cuvaison.com and here are the killer sparkling wine, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir releases by Cuvaison.

2020 Cuvaison ‘Brut Cuvee’ Sparkling Wine- The ‘Brut Cuvee’ comes from their estate Tai Estate Vineyard. A blend of 60% Chardonnay with the remainder Pinot Noir, this offers bright pear and green apple flavors, alongside loads of salty minerals on the palate, with salted Macadamia nut accents. 7.1 g/l dosage but you only get the slightest kiss of sweetness. This would be a fabulous match for top nigiri. Drink 2024-2033- 92

2022 Cuvaison ‘Kite Tail’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Kite Tail’ comes from the Estate Tai Vineyard in the Carneros region. Stored in 40% new French oak, this offers rich banana and creme brûlée flavors combine with salty minerals and shades of poached pear on the palate. Fresh, neatly textured and downright fabulous to enjoy now, this has some great aging potential. Drink 2024-2032- 93

2022 Cuvaison ‘Debut Cru’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Debut Cru’ is the first vintage release of their Pinot Noirs and was stored for nine months in 33% new French oak before bottling. This offers a beautiful combination of finesse, richness and texture. Rich Morello cherry combines with sassafras, cola, red currants and loamy soils on the palate, with sea salt accents. Drink 2024-2036- 93

TruthTeller

TruthTeller is a fun, vibrant brand out of Walla Walla that was founded by Chris and Dawn Loeliger. They make a beautiful range of wines from crisp Rose and Albarino to ink Cabernet. The Loeligers have a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla that I have visited before, and they make roughly 1,800 cases of wine a year. Chris is a Northwest Wine Academy graduate.

The wines that he makes are seriously good. I think they are getting better and better.

I love the new 2023 TruthTeller ‘Frolic’ Viognier (OB, 92) which has plenty push/pull in terms of weight and tension. I love the new 2023 ‘Quip’ Rose (OB, 92) which is fresh and vibrant with lovely earthy tones. Learn more about this fantastic Walla Walla based winery at truthtellerwinery.com and here are my reviews of the new TruthTeller wines.

2023 The Miscreant Project ‘Hedonista’ Albarino- This unique bottling offers sea spray drenched pear and apple flavors with a smooth texture on the palate. Lithe and polished, enjoy this on a hot summer day. Drink 2024-2028- 90

2023 The Miscreant Project ‘Scamp’ Pinot Gris- Nicely done, this 2023 ‘Scamp’ Pinot Gris offers a round mouthfeel with nutty tones that collect momentum with shades of Pink Lady apple and ripe cantaloupe melon flavors. Drink 2024-2029- 90

2023 TruthTeller ‘Frolic’ Viognier- This 2023 Viognier offers vanilla cream tones that combine with rich nectarine and Japanese pear notes, with hints of star jasmine water. Really good, enjoy over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2023 TruthTeller ‘Quip’ Rose- Made from Sugarloaf Vineyard Mourvèdre grapes, this 2023 Rose delivers a smooth mouthfeel with pretty guava, strawberry and ripe peach tones with damp earthy accents on the palate. Drink 2024-2029- 92

2021 TruthTeller ‘Repartee’ Gamay Noir- This 2021 Gamay comes from the Carousel Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. Juicy red cherry and red raspberry flavors mingle with bramble and stony minerals on the palate. Drink 2024-2030- 91

2021 The Miscreant Project ‘Boldfaced Lie’ Red Wine- A blend of nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (89%) with the remainder Merlot, this delivers a smooth mouthfeel with layers of chocolate covered black cherry, tobacco leaf and shades of black licorice all combine on the palate. Really good now, this is a fantastic bottling that over-delivers for the price. Drink 2024-2032- 91

Review: British Airways Business Class Club Suites Seattle to London

A very polished business class product, my experience in the Club Suites from Seattle to London Heathrow was really good. Of course there are some snags, but the overall flying experience that they delivered was excellent. Starting my journey I made my way to the lounge at Sea-Tac airport. I was able to use the very tiny First lounge due to my One World Emerald Status.

The lounge has changed a bit since my last visit as there is a better array of foods and champagnes than last time. More food was placed out as time evolved, with small sandwiches and some salads. This was still a fairly spartan setting for a first lounge and nothing like you would see at the fabulous London Heathrow First Lounge.

I ordered a glass of NV Pol Roger which retails for about 50 dollars USD. It really did hit the spot. The champagne quality has improved since my last visit to the BA First Lounge in Seattle. I noticed that on their wine list there are also several decent white and red wine selections available.

One of my friends from the wine industry was also on my flight, NFL legend Drew Bledsoe. We shared a glass and caught up as he was heading out on a skiing trip.

I was feeling hungry so I ordered something more substantial, a Reuben sandwich which was quite a bit better than anticipated. Everything was neatly grilled with rich Swiss cheese.

Bathrooms were located down a small corridor outside of the lounge. They were very small with no showers but did have BA Elemins products.

It was now time to board as I waited patiently for Group One. Boarding was a breeze as I was the first in my area to be seated. I was seated in 7K which is a window seat in the top cabin of business class. This is one of the preferred seats in Business.

It is worth noting that usually business class is referred to as Club World, but this class has long been in the process of being upgraded to Club Suites. Due to the Pandemic this has been quite a delay of full rebranding and some planes have the old Club World product which do not have full lie-flat beds. The new Club Suites hard product is outstanding.

The Club Suites has 4 seats in a row, which is a 1-2-1 formation. These forward-facing seats have doors which close which gives you a great deal of privacy and no awkward climbing as all open directly on to an aisle. Televisions are touch-screen and easy to use. There was loads of entertainment and WIFI (which was not dependable) was at least reasonably priced (you can choose to use by the hour).

As you can see from the many photos, the seats are stylish and very functional. There are small storage areas and great looking wood trim. The lie flat seat is really a game-changer for someone who is 6’4’’ like me. The seat itself was well-made and sturdy with a firm frame. Generous windows around made this a very bright window seat.

Headphone quality was adequate, as was the toilet bag products by The White Company which would be consistent in quality with other business class products. The toilet kit came with toothpaste and a toothbrush as well as lip balm, a pretty lean eye mask and hand cream. I ordered a glass of pre-flight Champagne which brightened this Club Suites experience immediately. I had a chance to visit the food menu and wine list.

The wine list is adequate considering Business Class, offering mostly value wines and a relatively poor selection of red wines, with all reds and whites being under 20 dollars SRP. Same was true with the whites. I decided to stick with the champagne selection, the entry level NV Heidseick & Co Monopole, which was unspectacular but the best choice available. The port offered was also very inexpensive and not desirable. The British Sparkling Wine offered, NV Wiston Estate was also entry level, inexpensive and not inspired.

Shortly later flight attendants came by to take the food orders. I chose the ahi starter and the salmon main, as well as the cheese course to finish. We were now ready for takeoff.

I had a visit to the bathroom and was disappointed with the small layout and uninspired bathroom products. BA is not exactly known for their bathrooms but I think they could have done better with the design and functionality.

For as poor as the coach-esque bathroom was, this flight was really all about the hard product seat. The plugs were easy to use as was the remote and touch screen TV.

Tuna apps is not typically something I do on a plane, but I was feeling adventurous. This was actually very good and not fishy at all with a kick from the spicy mayo. The bread was pretty much stale.

Even better, albeit not much to look at, was the salmon entree. The texture was outstanding as this did not at all taste frozen. The mashed potatoes were also excellent. I’ve had fish several times on Emirates First and BA First flights, as fish mains are never easy to do to make it moist and delicious. Considering this was a business class meal, I think it is a pretty polished product for a main course.

As for the cheese plate, that was completely uninspired. Not recommended.

It was now time for bed. Dinner service has been excellent, with great cadence and no long wait. I decided to have a glass of scotch as I was winding down for some rest. I made my bed into the lie flat position which was really easy and placed the comfy comforter over me.

I was fortunate to grab several hours of sleep on the flight. I will say that there is a very narrow opening at the top of the seat for your feet. That is only an issue for people my size, well over 6’0. I woke up and decided to check out the breakfast product, ordering a breakfast burrito with some coffee to start my day. It was actually pretty tasty.

Service for breakfast was clockwork and the plane began its descent into London Heathrow Terminal 5. The flight had lasted one hour longer than anticipated due to trade winds. Service was consistently good throughout my journey to London. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve experienced this on all of my long haul business class flights. My flight attendant in particular was really kind and thoughtful. This really does add the extra touch to a long journey.

BOTTOM LINE:

As we prepared for landing, I was feeling relatively well-rested from my flight where I had slept several hours. The new Club Suites is a very polished hard product. Other than the spartan bathroom and cheese plate, the experience was really good. Service was fantastic and very attentive as some of my colleagues complain of British Airways service, I have found them to be pretty consistently good. The wine list certainly could have been better, but was standard with other Business Class experiences. The salmon entree was excellent. I will happily do the Club Suites flight again which is one of the better Business Class hard products you will find in the sky.

Dunham Cellars

I have such fond memories of visiting Dunham Cellars in the early 2000s. This location was a seminal wine memory I have tasting with my father and trying the consistently great lineup. Founded by the Dunham family in 1995 these are wines that tend to completely over-deliver for the price. They have a range of wines starting with their entry level ‘Three Legged Red’ up to their top Artist Series wines that are truly beautiful.

Dunham relies on the talented hands of winemaker Rob Campisi, who was formerly assistant winemaker at Dunham. Rob trained under eminent Washington winemaker, Dan Wampfler who is now at Abeja. 2020 was tough sledding for most Washington wineries but he has crafted and incredible 2020 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) which comes off very clean and soft. This is a stunning wine made in a tough vintage. I also adored the fresh new 2023 Dunham Cellar Rose (OB, 92) which is very vibrant and nuanced. Learn more about these beautiful wines at dunhamcellars.com Here are the great new wines by Dunham Cellars.

2023 Dunham Cellars Rose- The 2023 Dunham Cellars Rose is a blend of 80% Cabernet Franc with the remainder Syrah coming from the Lewis Vineyard. The Cabernet Franc was entirely aged in stainless steel, as this offers juicy peach and starfruit notes on the nose alongside pretty guava and red cherry fruits. The palate is very fresh and mineral-driven with a juicy core of red fruit flavors, alongside kiwi and stony minerals. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2022 Dunham Cellars ‘Lewis Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The really good 2022 Dunham Cellars ‘Shirley Mays’ Chardonnay was stored in roughly a third new French oak before bottling. Coming from the Kenny Hill and Lewis Vineyard, this offers brioche and creme brûlée notes on the nose alongside baking spices and ripe pear. The palate is soft and inviting with good richness, depth and concentration. Beautifully balanced, this is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2024-2031- 93

2022 Dunham Cellars ‘Three Legged Red’ Red Wine- Made from equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, this was stored in almost all neural oak before bottling. Tar and anise combine with rich dark fruits and chocolate on the nose. The palate is fresh and shows good viscosity on the palate. Polished and showing good balance, this medium bodied effort is already showing beautifully right now. A steal at only twenty dollars. Drink 2024-2029- 91

2021 Dunham Cellars ‘Trutina’ Red Wine- This brilliant 2022 edition of Dunham Cellars Trutina has a higher percentage of Merlot (64%) than most vintages. Stored in roughly 30% new French oak, this offers rich toasty oak with chocolate, black currants, mocha and coffee ground notes. The palate is rich and velvety with great balance and poise. Rich and viscous, with a silky texture, this is drinking beautifully right now. Enjoy now and over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2020 Dunham Cellars ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon was stored in 40% new French oak before bottling. Sagebrush and fresh thyme mark the nose alongside anise, creme de cassis and suggestions of cocoa powder. The palate is fresh and lithe with a soft texture. Medium to full-bodied, this is a total home-run considering the challenges of the vintage. No reason to cellar this beauty. Drink 2024-2039- 94

2021 Dunham Cellars ‘Columbia Valley’ Syrah- The outstanding 2021 Dunham Cellars ‘Columbia Valley’ Syrah was sourced from the Lewis and Kenny Hill Vineyards. Stored in mostly neutral oak barrels, this delivers mocha, tar and dried herbal tones on the nose alongside iodine tones. The palate is soft and refined with a gorgeous texture. Black florals mingle well with loganberry preserves, asphalt and suggestions of garrigue on the palate. A beautiful wine made from this great vintage, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 94

2021 Dunham Cellars ‘Artist Series’ Syrah- The beautiful 2020 Dunham Cellars ‘Artist Series’ Syrah has original artwork that was given by Dunham founder Eric Dunham to Dunham GM John Blair. This limited production bottling comes entirely from the Lewis Vineyard as this displays beautiful purple rose petals alongside creosote, creme de violette and shades of cassis. The palate is plush and soft with a refined texture. Loaded with rich dark fruits, this beauty is already drinking marvelously at the four year mark. Drink now. Drink 2024-2028- 95

DeLille Cellars

It has been such a pleasure to see the evolution of DeLille Cellars over the past ten plus years. Their director of winemaking Jason Gorski, has consistently crafted incredible wines regardless of vintage. DeLille Cellars was the first winery in Washington to focus on creating Bordeaux style wine blends and makes arguably the best Bordeaux style white wine in North America with its ‘Chaleur Blanc.’ There is little doubt that Chaleur Blanc will challenge some of the finest white wines you will find in Bordeaux.

DeLille sources from their estate, 20-acre vineyard in Red Mountain as well as premier vineyards in the Yakima Valley. Their new Woodivinlle winery is a must visit as it boasts modern decor with a fantastic rooftop that even boasts views of Mt. Ranier.  It has fantastic hospitality with a killer adjacent restaurant, The Restaurant.

Jason Gorski and his team made some great wines in 2020 — some of the finest in the Pacific Northwest. His wines in 2021 are even better. He has made one of the most consistently great Rose wines over the past five years made in the Pacific Northwest. Don’t miss out on the 2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Four Flags’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 95) which is a stunning, beautifully balanced Cabernet Sauvignon with serious structure and flavor density. Learn more about this fantastic winery at www.delillecellars.com Here are the great new release wines from DeLille.

2023 Metier Sauvignon Blanc- Coming from the Horse Heaven Hills, the 2023 Metier Sauvignon Blanc offers pink grapefruit blossom and kiwi alongside shades of gooseberry on the nose. The palate is soft and showing serious nerve with Gravenstein apples, green papaya and lemongrass notes. This is an awesome value for under 20 bucks. Drink 2024-2029- 91

2023 DeLillle Roussanne- The outstanding 2023 DeLille Cellars Roussanne is a gorgeous edition of this wine that deftly combines weight and finesse. Stored in a combination of neutral oak, concrete and stainless steel this offers bright honeysuckle on the nose alongside kiwi and brie cheese notes. The palate is soft and refined with a smooth texture and great sense of weight. Beautifully balanced, coming from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, this is another stunning release of this wine. Drink 2024-2031- 94

2032 DeLille Cellars Rose- This 2023 DeLille Cellars Rose is a complex blend of near equal parts Grenache and  Mourvèdre and a touch of Cinsault. Wild mushroom and pretty red florals mark the nose alongside red cherry candy and strawberry notes. The palate is beautifully textured and fresh with good length and depth. Melon and ripe red fruits combine with stony minerals and damp earth accents on the palate. Drink 2024-2031- 93

2022 DeLille Cellars ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This is the inaugural edition of this 2022 Washington Chardonnay, coming from older vines in the Red Willow Vineyard. This wine is a blend of Chardonnay clones, showing rich. Japanese pear, macadamia nut, and vanilla cream tones. The palate is soft and refined, showing rich citrus and melon fruit flavors alongside good weight and underlying tension. Finishing long, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next seven plus years. Drink 2024-2031- 93

2023 DeLille Cellars ‘Chaleur Blanc’ White Wine- Not yet bottled, the 2023 ’Chaleur Blanc’ is a beautiful blend of 69% Sauvignon Blanc with the remainder Semillon. A beautiful golden color, this opens with aromatics of walnut and starfruit tones alongside Japanese pear and orange blossom. The palate is plush and also very fresh. Finishing long with nutty and earthy tones alongside shades of buttercream, this is beautiful wine that is drinking marvelously in its tension-filled youth. This is going to age gracefully for another ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Marguerite’ White Wine- A truly outstanding Washington Sauvignon Blanc, the ‘Marguerite’ is named after the Marguerite daisy which is a symbol of patience. Stored in 75% new French oak, this wine was sourced from some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc in the state. This is very rich and refined with a seamless texture. Bright cantaloupe and kiwi flavors combine with beautiful weight and fantastic tension. Finishing long with smoky and stony tones, this is a delicious, complex wine that is built to age. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Le Dessein’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘’Le Dessein’ is a combination of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. This is very dark in the glass, offering menthol and blood orange zest alongside cracked black pepper, bright red fruits and smoky accents. Showing good weight and nerve, this is beautiful stuff to savor now and over the next eight years. Drink 20240-2032- 93

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Signature’ Syrah- The 2021 ‘Signature’ Syrah is a beautiful new wine coming from the Yakima Valley. Inky in the glass, once on the nose this exudes class with iodine, black currants, white pepper dusted brisket and shades of violets. The palate is loaded for mouth-watering acidity. Finishing long with plenty of herbal and floral nuance, this is a stunning, heady and fresh Syrah that will drink marvelously now. This was tasted three times over three days with consistent notes. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Grand Ciel’ Syrah- A beautiful wine from a great vintage, the 2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Grand Ciel’ Syrah (clone 383) was stored in 30% new French oak before bottling. Loganberry and black olive tapenade mingle well with salty soils and smoked meats on the nose. The palate is dense and rich with smoky and stony undertones. Elegant and refined, with loads of power, this has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Doyenne’ Red Wine- Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre, this beautiful Provence inspired bottling offers sagebrush and tar notes that combine with a beautiful core of black tea, Asian spices and rich dark fruits. Lithe and dense, enjoy this heady wine now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Syrah- Coming from the oldest Syrah vines in the state, this 2021 ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ delivers garrigue, orange peel, and rich red fruits on the nose. Very fresh and lithe, with green peppercorns, umami, fresh sage and wild blackberry flavors, this is refined and delicious stuff that is drinking marvelously now. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Malbec- Inky and outstanding, the 2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Red Willow Vineyard’ Malbec shows chocolate, violets and creosote notes on the nose. The palate is dense and chewy with refined tannins that shine through a core of heady dark currant, huckleberry and baking spices on the palate. Rich and having great energy, enjoy over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2020 DeLille Cellars ‘Minuit’ Red Wine- The 2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Minuit’ Red Wine combines Malbec (70%) with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. This shows good poise and richness offering sagebrush and anise notes alongside rich dark fruits and loads of chocolate. The palate has good richness and bright underlying acidity, as you are greeted with herbal accents that kine a core of dense dark fruits, with copious minerals. Drink 2024-2040- 94

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘D2’ Red Wine- The 2021 ’D2’ combines 58% Merlot with the remainder 34% Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Everything is in clockwork balance here. Chocolate covered cherry, roasted dates, anise, sagebrush and allspice flavors mingle well with a refined texture on the palate. Really good now, enjoy over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Le Colosse’ Red Wine- This 2021 by DeLille showcases all Merlot coming a range of sites in the Yakima Valley. The nose is gorgeous with red rose petals, tar, tobacco leaf and heady red fruits. The palate is silky and refined with rich red and dark fruits that parade with sagebrush and chocolate. Finishing very long, this is gorgeous showing that has al long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Red Willow’ Red Wine- Coming from this famed site in the Yakima Valley, this has considerably more Cabernet Franc (76%) than the 2020 edition of this wine. This is wonderfully herbal with sage and mint alongside red bell pepper and dense black raspberry aromatics. This is beautiful wine that has a killer combination of poise, flavor density and flavor range. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Discovery Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- DeLille has been sourcing from this site in the Horse Heaven Hills since 2012. The 2021 ‘Discovery Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon offers pipe tobacco, anise and gravel accents alongside a core of rich blackberry fruits. The palate offers copious minerals that mingle well with milk chocolate and dense dark fruits. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Four Flags’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Four Flags’ is a beautiful wine from four different vineyards. All Cabernet Sauvignon this offers alluring dusty soils and black rose petals that combine with coffee grounds and boysenberry aromatics. The palate is very balanced and soft with good richness and underlying verve. A beautifully balanced wine, this has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Shaw Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Shaw Vineyard’ is 100% variety and comes from one block in the vineyard. On the nose this is powerful with a massive wall of black fruits that combine with shades of roasted figs, and espresso grounds, with pencil lead notes. The palate is push and soft with a refined texture and beautiful sense of flavor density and length. Finishing long with saturated dark fruits and copious minerals, this is drinking marvelously in its full-throttle youth. Drink 2024-2040- 96

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Klipsun Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A beautiful wine made on Red Mountain, the 2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Klipsun Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon delivers tar and anise notes alongside dark chocolate shavings and roasted dates on the nose. The palate is refined and dense with serious tension and salty minerals, this is a stunning edition of this wine that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2042- 96

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Harrison Hill Vineyard’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Harrison Hill’ combines mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this offers tobacco leaf and graphite tones on the alate alongside wild blackberry and shades of espresso grounds. Refined and elegant, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2024-2040- 94

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Chaleur Estate’ Red Wine- The 2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Chaleur Estate’ Red Wine is a delicious combination of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a dash of Petit Verdot. Sweet pipe tobacco, leather and dusty soils combine with wild blackberry and green bell pepper accents on the nose. This is rich and also very elegant left bank inspired wine that has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 DeLille Cellars ‘Grand Ciel’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Grand Ciel’ comes form the DeLille estate vineyard on Red Mountain. Anise, tar and dense dark fruits all line the nose. The palate is very rich and loaded with texture. Turkish coffee, creme de violette, anise and shades of huckleberry all combine on the palate. Dense and chewy with a seamless mouthfeel, give this an hour of air if consuming now. Tasted three times over three days. Drink 2024-2042- 97

2022 DeLille Cellars ‘Le Petit Doux’ Late Harvest Semillon- The beautiful 2022 DeLille Cellars ‘Le Petit Doux’ Late Harvest Semillon comes from the Klipsun Vineyard and has a whopping 88G/L residual sugar. Right away this delivers beeswax and honey on the nose alongside lemon blossom and poached pear. Semi-sweet, with good freshness and texture, this is beautifully balanced desert wine that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2036- 94

Champagne Taittinger

One of the champagne houses with an amazing history, Champagne Taittinger dates back to 1734 when a wealthy textile merchant named Jacques Fourneaux founded a Champagne house named Forest-Fourneaux. At the time he was working with Benedictine monks in learning howe to make sparkling wines. This house remained intact until the 1930s when Pierre Taittinger bought the house and named it after himself, also purchasing the estate vineyards.

After years of developing the brand, Taittinger became wildly popular in the 1950s and today it is one of the largest houses in Champagne, producing roughly 5-6 million bottles annually. Most people are familiar with their great NV Taittinger ‘Brut La Francaise’ (OB, 91) which embodies most of their production and is a killer value with really good range. Taittinger has also been a hit in James Bond movies, as Bond enjoyed Taittinger in “Casino Royale.” Taittinger also founded Domaine Carneros in 1987 which has become one of the finest sparkling wine houses not only in California but North America. They also make a killer, very delicate NV Rose Champagne (OB, 92) showing off very pretty red fruits and citrus notes. Learn more about this famed house at https://www.taittinger.com/en and here are my reviews of the new releases by Champagne Taittinger.

NV Taittinger ‘Brut La Francaise’ Champagne- The NV ‘Brut La Francaise’ is a great blend of Chardonnay (40%), Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (60%), sourcing from over 35 different vineyards and vintages. This is a very fresh and beautifully textured champagne, with a refined mousse. Biscuit and salted Marcona almond combine with green apple and kumquat rind on the palate. Offering good freshness, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 91

NV Taittinger ‘Brut Rose’ Champagne-The NV Taittinger Rose offers bright red rose petals and orange blossom tones aromatically, alongside suggestions of honeydew melon and strawberry. The palate is refined with a smooth mousse. Showing excellent poise, and a delicate core of red fruits, with orange peel accents and plenty of stony minerals, this beautiful wine is best consumed now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 92

NV Taittinger ‘Prelude’ Champagne- The NV ‘Prelude’ Champagne os a beautiful wine that was aged for more than five years on the lees and is a blend of equal parts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir entirely sourced from Grand Cru vineyards. Given 6 G/L dosage, this delivers salted French bread and pastry crust nots on the nose alongside shades of lime zest and Macadamia nut. The palate is rich and enticing with a dense texture and beautiful sense of weight. Very viscous, enjoy this outstanding champagne now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 93

Gainey

Dan and Diane Gainey have a strong family history in the Santa Ynez Valley. Their story began more than 60 years ago when Dan’s grandfather and father, Dan J. Gainey, acquired 1,800 acres of undeveloped land. He called the landl the ;Home Ranch’ and ran cattle and horses while growing 600 acres of fruit, vegetables, flowers and hay. In 1984, Dan’s father converted 50 acres to grapevines and Gainey Vineyard was born.

Gainey Vineyard is now in its fourth generation. The wines were very good across the board. I love the 2022 Evan’s Ranch ‘Morgan’s’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which is rich and viscous with lovely salty soil character. Learn more about this great Santa Barbara County house at https://gaineyvineyard.com and here are my reviews of the new wines by Gainey

2022 Gainey Sauvignon Blanc- Coming from the Santa Ynez Valley, this 2022 Sauvignon Blanc offers loads of peach and pink grapefruit flavors alongside good tension and weight. Delicious now, enjoy over the next few years. Drink 2024-2029- 91

2021 Gainey Chardonnay- This beautifully salty 2021 Chardonnay offers saline drenched pears and apples alongside lemon zest on the palate. Smooth and silky, with a soft mouthfeel, enjoy now and over the next five to seven years. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2022 Evan’s Ranch ‘Caitlin’s’ Chardonnay- Coming from this site set on sandy soils, the 2022 Evan’s Ranch ‘Caitlin’s’ Chardonnay delivers ripe Pink Lady apple and vanilla cream flavors on the palate with good richness and verve. Full-bodied and opulent, enjoy now and over the next seven years. Drink 2024-2031- 93

2021 Gainey Pinot Noir- The 2021 Gainey Pinot Noir comes from a range of sites throughout the Santa Rita Hills. This shows ripe red currants that collide with orange rind, tobacco and salty minerals on the palate. Lithe and beautifully textured, this is really good stuff to enjoy now, and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 92

2022 Evan’s Ranch ‘Morgan’s’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Morgan’s’ Pinot Noir is a beautiful new wine by Gainey. Once on the nose this takes on layers of dark roses alongside red raspberry and orange blossom. The palate is soft and refined with a smooth mouthfeel, showing great flavor density. This has some really good aging potential. Drink 2024-2038- 93

2019 Gainey Merlot- Plush and juicy, this 2019 Merlot delivers black currants and allspice dusted black cherry on the palate alongside good verve. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy now and over the next seven plus years to come. Drink 2024-2031- 91

L'Ecole No. 41

One of the great wineries to visit in the Walla Walla Valley, I first tasted at L’Ecole No. 41 more than 20 years ago. After walking through their big double doors I fondly recall settling in to my tasting there and thinking how remarkably consistent the lineup was. For several years now winemaker Marcus Rafanelli has been crafting a beautiful range of wines. Last year I had a chance to visit with him and GM Marty Clubb, as we tasted some older releases. The new L’Ecole wines come from a knockout vintage. For consistency’s sake, these are some of the most consistently great set of wines from Rose to Cabernet.

Another killer value at only 27 USD retail, the 2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Columbia Valley’ Syrah (OB, 92) is dense and chewy, loaded with black fruit flavors. I adored the highly refined 2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Ferguson Vineyard’ Red Wine (OB, 96) which is even better than the 2020 edition. This beauty will easily be a 20 year wine. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://lecole.com/ Here are the great new wines by L’Ecole No. 41.

2023 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Alder Ridge Vineyard’ Rose- This 100% Grenache wine comes from this site that is. set on a steep, south-facing ridge in the southern end of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. This comes off juicy and delicious with a smooth texture. Layers of pretty watermelon and pomegranate seed flavors combine with orange peel notes and copious minerals on the palate. A truly outstanding value at 20 dollars, this is one to purchase by the case. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘GSM’ Red Wine- The really good 2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘GSM’ Red Wine comes from the Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA. A blend of equal parts Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache, this shows a deep color with red currants, smoked brisket and white pepper alongside suggestions of damp soils. The palate is soft, refined and very juicy, offering a delicious core of red and dark fruits alongside chocolate, scorched earth and smoky notes. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Columbia Valley’ Syrah- This 2021 Syrah comes from a range of sites including Stone Tree, Bacchus and Candy Mountain Vineyards. Rich dark raspberry parade with chocolate, roasted figs and blackberry cobbler. Delicious and showing good weight and underlying freshness, enjoy in the next eight years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 92

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Seven Hills Vineyard’ Syrah- Inky in the glass, this 2021 ‘Seven Hills Vineyard’ Syrah comes from this site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and was stored in 25% new French oak before bottling. Tar, dark chocolate shavings and pipe tobacco notes all combine with shades of sagebrush on the nose. The palate is dense and chewy with a fantastic sense of verve and finesse. Chalky minerals combine with a brilliant core of black fruit flavors, alongside fennel and tar notes. Drink 2024-2038- 94

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Candy Mountain Vineyard’ Red Wine- The brilliant 2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Candy Mountain Vineyard’ Red Wine is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) with the remainder Merlot. Fresh sage and thyme mark the nose alongside scorched earth and black currants. The palate is soft and refined with smooth tannins and medium to full bodied dark fruits with shades of Black Forest Cake. While this is beautifully structured I would prefer a touch more richness considering the vintage. Drink 2024-2036- 92

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot- A great wine under 30 dollars, the 2021 ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot has 12% Cabernet Franc blended in with a touch of Malbec and Petit Verdot. Dark chocolate covered cherry and roasted date with anise notes all fill the nose. The palate is soft and delicious with a refined texture. This is a killer value. Drink 2024-2032- 92

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Estate’ Merlot- Coming from the Seven Hills and Ferguson Vineyards, the wine has 14% Cabernet Franc blended in as well as 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Chocolate cake and dark currants alongside sagebrush and blackberry notes all fill the nose. The palate is soft and refined with a great sense of richness and verve. Incredibly balanced, this is a total knockout at under 50 bucks. Drink 2024-2038- 94

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Cabernet Franc-Merlot’ Red Wine- The really good 2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Cabernet Franc-Merlot’ Red Wine was stored in only 15% new French oak before bottling. Equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc form the Seven Hills Vineyard, this delivers red bell pepper. Milk chocolate, tar, and dried herbs on the palate. Drink 2024-2038- 93

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- 100% varietal the 2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a range of site throughout the Columbia Valley. Dark in the glass, this offers rich figs and milk chocolate notes alongside blackberry and tobacco on the nose. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and good sense of weight. Drink 2024-2032- 92

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘50th Leaf Bacchus Vineyard Block 3’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon coming form the Bacchus Vineyard is remarkably in its 50th leaf, coming from one of the oldest sites in the Columbia Valley. The wine shows beautiful fresh herbs on the nose alongside dark cherry and wild blackberry notes. The palate is soft and refined with a great sense of verve. Finishing long with tobacco leaf and milk chocolate this is a refined, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2039- 94

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 100% varietal wine was sourced from the Pepper Bridge, Seven Hills, Summit View, Eritage and Yellow Jacket as well as Wailer Vineyards. Stored in 25% new French oak barrels before bottling, this delivers black currants and dark rose petals that combine with wet stone and black raspberry notes. The palate is soft and layered with good refinement and underlying texture. A killer wine from a killer vintage, savor this beauty now and over the next fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2024-2038- 94

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Perigee’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Perigee’ comes for the Seven Hills Vineyard and combines 50% Cabernet Sauvignon with 24% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Stored in 40% new French oak before bottling, this is a full-bodied joyride of a wine that is sumptuous and delicious to consume now. Creme de cassis, anise, loganberry cordial, pencil lead and copious garrigue notes all combine on the palate. This is seriously good wine for the price. Give this at least an hour of air if consuming now. Drink 2024-2044- 96

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Apogee’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Apogee’ is a knockout wine that has bene made since the 1993 vintage. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Stored for 22 months in 40% new French oak, this offers dark currants and stony accents on the nose alongside sagebrush, dark chocolate shavings and tar. The palate is soft and refined with good richness and copious minerals. Really good now, this needs about a year or two in the cellar for everything to come together. Drink 2025-2044- 95

2021 L’Ecole No. 41 ‘Ferguson Vineyard’ Red Wine- A stunning wine from this warm vintage, the 2021 ‘Ferguson Vineyard’ comes from this unique site that is set on fractured basal with a thin layer of windswept loess. This 2021 edition combines 56% Cabernet Sauvignon with 18% Merlot with the remainder Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Wet rock and graphite tones that combine with sandalwood, dark chocolate shavings, black florals and suggestions of menthol on the nose. The palate is rich and layered with a gorgeous sense of verve and great flavor density. Very stony, showing serious tension and terroir, this is a stunning new bottling that will live for another twenty plus years to come. Drink 2024-2045- 96

Elentone

Today we share one of the electric sparkling wine producers on the west coast. A small production winery out of Washington, Elentone is the brainchild of winemaker Chris Sherry. Sherry hails from Brighton in southern England, which is somewhat of a stone’s throw from England’s premier sparkling wine country. Sherry is an avid Brighton football supporter and shares the same passion for sparkling wines. He has formerly trained under Morgan Lee at Two Vintners.
Each wine is crafted in the traditional Champagne method and are given a limited dosage (2G/L in both wines I tasted). Just as the last releases by Elentone, these are very fresh and show fantastic underlying acidity with a soft mousse. Most wines stand en tirage for more than three years. Both 2020 and 2021 were warm vintages that Sherry is bullish on. Sherry said that in 2021 “Everything was thick and fast. I was at Two Vintners at the time and we were picking Zinfandel at 28 brix in August. We picked these wines at the right time and the acid had not dropped off. It was still very acidic.”
I love the wines coming from the Rainmaker Vineyard in the Columbia Gorge AVA. This site produces wines with serious nerve and lovely salty character. I love the new 2020 Elentone ‘Brut Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 93) which shows good richness from this warm vintage and also beautiful melon and nutty tones. Learn more about these beautiful wines at elentone.com and here are the outstanding new wines by Elentone.

2021 Elentone ‘Willow Blanc de Noirs’ Sparkling Wine- This Pinot Noir sparkling wine come from the Clos Cheval Vineyard in the Lake Chelan AVA. Given 2G/L dosage this was harvested early in August. Guava and ripe melon tones combine with ripe strawberry on the nose. Showing a soft mouthfeel, this offers good richness and a refined mousse. The palate has very delicate and red fruit tones. Beautifully balanced, showing good weight and freshness, enjoy now and over the next eight plus years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 93

2020 Elentone ‘Brut Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine- Coming from the Rainmaker Vineyard, this was given zero dosage. Barrel fermented, this was aged on the lees for three years prior to disgorgement in March 2024. All Chardonnay, this was picked considerably before the smoke event in September. This comes off very rich with honeyed almonds, toasty buttered brioche, Japanese pear and suggestions of honeydew melon on the palate. Drink 2024-2034- 93

Brittan Vineyards

I have long admired the wines by Robert Brittan, former winemaker at Stags’ Leap Winery in Napa. Brittan is a former graduate of the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology program and founded Brittan Vineyards in 2004, acquiring a 128-acre hillside property with soils that are a mixture of glacial deposits and volcanic material, with a predominant presence of broken basalt. There is nothing quite like this rustic, stony property in the Willamette Valley — only a few others have vines set like this.

The stony nuance in the wines is just mesmerizing. The Brittan Estate Vineyard has Pinot Noir planted as well as 4 acres of Chardonnay and 1.5 acres of Syrah have been planted. In addition to his own wines, Brittan serves as the winemaker for several other brands.

The new Cru wines come from the 2021 vintage, one that was warm and exceptionally good throughout the Willamette Valley. I adore the new 2021 Brittan Vineyards ‘Basalt Block’ Pinot Noir  (OB, 96) which is wonderfully stony and is amongst the finest of these wines made. Learn more about the great wines of Brittan Vineyards at http://www.brittanvineyards.com Here are the brilliant releases by Brittan Vineyards.  

2022 Brittan Vineyards ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 Brittan Vineyards ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir offers ash and stony essence on the nose alongside red rose petals, orange peel and suggestions of menthol. The palate is fresh and concentrated with vibrant underlying acidity. Showing good weight and length, this beauty has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2036- 93

2021 Brittan Vineyards ‘Basalt Block’ Pinot Noir- A stunning wine, the 2022 ‘Basalt Block’ is comes from estate Pommard and Dijon clone 667, 777, 115 and Swan clonal selection Pinot Noir vines. Stored for 12 months in only 15% new French oak, this is very inky in the glass. Boysenberry and iodine tones combine with smoldering stones, forest floor and shades of cardamom laced orange zest. The heady aromatics bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment. The palate is fresh and polished with a fantastic sense of verve and richness. Thrilling with its stony profile and bright underlying acidity with a seamless texture, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 96

2021 Brittan Vineyards ‘Cygnus Block’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 ‘Cygnus Block’ comes from this southeast facing edge in the Brittan Estate Vineyard that was planted in 2008 to Swan selection. Once on the nose this exudes class with white pepper dusted huckleberry, marionberry, peat moss and suggestions of wet stone. The palate is soft and refined throughout the drinking experience. Showing no rough edges with a brilliant core of black fruits and stony minerals, this is a downright classy Pinot Noir that has a long life ahead of it. Enjoy this medium to full-bodied beauty now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2040- 96

Cayuse Vineyards

Today we share some of the finest wines in North America. Famed Cayuse Vineyards is a story about singular terroir. Christophe Baron was raised in Champagne and was was the youngest heir of the famed Champagne house, Baron Albert. His ancestors had worked the land at Baron Albert since 1677. As a young boy Christophe worked harvests and eventually studied viticulture in Burgundy and Champagne. After some travels he was drawn to the Willamette Valley, and was set on making great Pinot Noir. One day he was outside of Walla Walla and saw terroir inspired by the stony galets of Chateauneuf du Pape. We are all thankful that he decided to plant his vineyard back in 1997 and the rest has been history. Christophe has had unparalleled success in the Walla Walla Valley since that time, crafting stony wines that show an incredible combination of tension, range and terroir.

While I regularly sit with Christophe and Bionic Wines director of winemaking, Elizabeth Bourcier, to taste their wines, this year I took my time with the wines in my home over many hours. 2021 is turning out to be a beautiful vintage for red wines. Elizabeth Bourcier makes some of the finest Rose you will taste in the New World. I was blown away with the 2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose (OB, 95) which is texturally elegant and very layered with serious nuance. Don’t miss out on the perfect 2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine (OB, 100) which is very Chateau Rayas in its mouthfeel, silky texture and pure red fruits. Equally good is the 2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah (OB, 100) which is a total masterclass, with gobs of stuffing and mouth-watering acidity. Learn more about these incredible future release wines at https://cayusevineyards.com Here are the incredible wines by Cayuse Vineyards (release fall 2024).

2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Viognier- This stunning 100% Viognier was soured from the stony Cailloux Vineyard, planted in 1997 and set outside the town of Milton-Freewater, Oregon. The 2022 Viognier was aged in both concrete eggs and stainless steel prior to bottling. The wine is aromatically stunning with star jasmine and honeysuckle tones that combine with Macadamia nut and wet rocks. The palate is silky smooth throughout the drinking experience, with impeccable balance in terms of weight, verve and texture. It is best consumed on the warmer side. Rich honeydew melon, starfruit and shades of mango, with copious stony minerals all combine on the palate. A wow-factor white wine from this story terroir, consume this beauty now and over the next seven plus years. Drink 2024-2031- 96

2022 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Edith’ Rose- Another knockout Rose release, the 2022 ‘Edith’ was sourced from the Armada Vineyard and is 100% Grenache that was aged for10 months in a combination of stainless steel and concrete. A gorgeous pink hue, this opens with wet stone, juicy nectarine and bright red fruits, with light red rose petal and white grapefruit blossom tones. The palate is remarkably smooth and textured, with fabulous underlying finesse. Very pretty strawberry and guava fruit flavors combine with pomegranate, tangerine zest, with stony essence. This may just be the finest edition of this wine made as this is arguably the finest Rose from the Pacific Northwest that I have ever tasted. Only 149 cases made. Drink 2024-2032- 95

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine- Showing a deeper core than the 2020 bottling, the stunning 2021 ‘God Only Knows’ Red Wine has a small amount of Syrah blended in. Coming from the stony Armada Vineyard , planted in 2001, the Grenache was stored for 21 months. Once on the nose this exudes class with its dizzying array of aromatics, ranging from red currants, wet stone and Hoisin sauce to black truffle shavings, Nori and shades of tangerine zest. The palate is deep and concentrated, as well as exceedingly stony. Not for the weary, this produces a silky texture and has serious weight yet reminds very light on its feet. Very fresh, showing great underlying finesse, this is generous in its core of downright sexy red fruit flavors, with copious minerals. Reminiscent of the 2018, this is nothing short of perfection in a bottle. You could buy Chateau Rayas and pay five times the price of this bottle. Save your money and purchase this stunner while you can. Only 538 cases made. Drink 2024-2034- 100

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Flying Pig’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Flying Pig’ is a stunning blend of mostly Cabernet Franc (59%) with the remainder Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is marvelously stony, as it was aged in 30% new French oak before bottling. Garrigue and wet stone parade around chocolate, allspice dusted black currants and bacon fat tones on the palate. Gorgeous and full of life, with bright underlying tension, enjoy this beauty now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 96

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘The Lovers’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘The Lovers’ has a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon (90%) than the previous 2020 bottling. Thyme and crushed mint flavors mingle well with bright Bing cherry, wet stone, anise and shades of steak tartare on the palate. Refined and generous with its broad mouthfeel, richness and length, this is a fabulous effort that is drinking marvelous now and will continue to produce enjoyment for another ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 95

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Camaspelo’ Red Wine- The brilliant new 2021 ‘Camaspelo’ is a silky combination of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller portions Cabernet Franc and Merlot that was aged for 19 months in 30% new French oak. The wine shows off oyster sauce notes on the palate alongside scorched earth, coffee grounds and Umami notes on the palate, alongside pure red fruit flavors. The mouth-watering acidity is really impressive as this beautiful wine will show well for another decade. Drink 2024-2034- 96

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Widowmaker En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- One of the great Cabernet Sauvignon wines from this region, the 100% varietal ‘Widowmaker’ was stored for 18 months in 30% new French oak before bottling. Initially alluring with violets and black tea as well as tar and kirsch with sandalwood accents all line the noes. The palate is deep and rich, loaded with rich black fruits, stony essence, orange peel and exotic spices. A stunner in this warm vintage, as the seamless texture makes this beauty glide, enjoy this fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon bottling now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2038— 96

2020 Cayuse ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ Syrah- A world-class wine from the stones, the 2021 ‘Cailloux Vineyard’ has only 3% Viognier blended in. Stored for 18 months in large format oak barrels (15% new) this site was first planted all the way back in 1997. An inky color, this opens with a gorgeous bouquet of Mandarin orange blossom, gunpowder, smoked brisket and seaweed notes. The palate is fresh and refined with a silky texture and great sense of underlying tension and weight. Showing some serous stony character, this is a beautiful wine that will cellar well over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 98

2020 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah- The 2021’En Cerise Vineyard’ Syrah comes from this location that was formerly a cherry farm that was planted to Syrah by vigneron Christophe Baron back in 1998. Stored for 18 months in 15% new French oak, this opens with wet stone and Nori notes that combine with pretty pink grapefruit blossom and shades of bulls blood, garrigue and charcuterie. The palate is vibrant and deep with a silky texture, showing no rough edges. A joy to consume now in its fresh and full-throttle youth, savor this beauty over the next decade. What a wine! Drink 2024-2034- 99

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘En Chamberlin Vineyard’ Syrah- The incredible 2021 Cayuse ‘En Chamberlin was first planted to phyloxera resistant rootstock in 2000 as this ten acre site is set on ancient cobblestones. The nose is beautifully fragrant with pink florals that combine with smoke, Herbs de Provence, white pepper dusted bacon and shades of green olive tapenade. The palate is seamless and wonderfully stony, as this flirts with perfection showing a very pure black and red fruit profile, loaded with stony and Umami nuance. Everything is in marvelous balance here in terms of weight, texture and underlying freshness. Drink 2024-2034- 99

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ Syrah- A total stunner, the 2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Bionic Frog’ is a bigger, bolder edition than the outstanding 2020. Aged in 20% new large format French oak before bottling, the heady aromatics hit you with roasted dates, black currants, Nori, smoldering stones, iodine and shades of menthol that all meld in the glass. The palate is plush, round and generous with an opulent texture and great sense of underlying tension. The push-pull between richness and verve is perfection and pure silk to consume. A sensational wine to indulge in now, this has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2036- 100

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah- The intoxicating 2021 ‘Armada Vineyard’ Syrah is an otherworldly effort from this warm vintage. Planted at roughly 1800 vines per acre, this 7-acre vineyard, created in 2001 was the highest density planting in the Walla Walla Valley until 2008. Weighing in at 14.1% alcohol, this opens with an intense bouquet of iodine, chorizo and red rose petals that combine with orange blossom, tar and sweet pipe tobacco. The palate is viscous and smooth with a marvelous sense of mouthfeel, weight and finesse. This bottling is considerably better than the outstanding 2020, as this is utter perfection in the glass with its oyster sauce and rocky soil accents on the palate. Loaded with mouth-watering acidity and weight, what a pleasure this is to consume now. Drink 2024-2034- 100

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Wallah Wallah Special #15 Syrah (1.5L)- This ebullient, magnum-only ‘Wallah Walla Special #15’ Syrah is sourced from a range of Christophe Baron’s vineyards which he and director of winemaking Elizabeth Bourcier have chosen to make this blend. This may be the finest edition of this wine to date. Stored in roughly 15% new French oak for 18 months, the wine is highly refined and a stunning combination of savory, stony and black fruits. Tar and tobacco leaf mingle well with Umami and charcuterie notes on the palate, as this is beautifully textured and flirts with perfection. An incredible wine made in a great vintage, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen years. But why wait? Drink 2024-2038- 99

2021 Cayuse Vineyards ‘Impulsive’ Tempranillo- Coming from the En Chamberlin Vineyard, the 2021 ‘Impulsivo’ is a hedonistic, beautiful wine from this outstanding vintage. On the nose this takes on layers of hoisin sauce and bacon fat that parade with wet stone, dark currants, crushed wet stones, huckleberry compote and beautiful black florals. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and beautiful sense of elegance. Finishing long with stony, chocolate and herbal accents, this is a stunning new wine that has a long way to go in the cellar. Drink 2024-2038- 98