Cellar Selection: 2018 Quilceda Creek 'Galitzine Vineyard' Cabernet Sauvignon

While I am sent a nonstop cornucopia of wines for review, one of my favorite things at the end of the week is to reach into my cellar and find a great pull. I have had the chance to be revisiting many of the older Quilceda Creek wines over the past year and this time I ran into the otherworldly 2018 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon. For me this has to be one of the finest ‘Galitzine’ wines made.

This wine is sourced from this small site in the Red Mountain AVA, which is typically the warmest appellation in Washington State and an ideal region for growing red wine grapes. The location is farmed by Vineyard Manager Dan Nickolaus, and the 17-acre Galitzine Vineyard was planted in 2001-2002 exclusively to Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 8. The vineyard is clearly really coming into its own right now at the twenty year mark. Wines from this site have massive power with beautiful tar and scorched earth notes from this hot site. This is usually one of the earlier sites to be harvested by Quilceda Creek.

Onto the wine, as it comes from the epic 2018 growing season — one that was warm but did not see many 100+ degree days. For my palate this is one of the finest vintages in Washington State history, up there with the legendary years of 2005 and 2002. Enough with the intro, here is my review of the absolutely epic 2018 ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon by Quilceda Creek.

2018 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauviginon- A totally different animal to the ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet, but just as good, the incredible 2018 Quilceda Creek ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ is a perfect wine that shows very inky in the glass, taking on a glass-staining deep purple. Violets, tar, tobacco leaf and scorched earth notes combine with shades of Turkish coffee on the nose. The palate is weightiness and dense, with good underlying nerve and a seamless finish. The combination of flavor density and flavor complexity with its deep core of black and blue fruits, really makes this tick. Impressive now, I can see this cellaring well for another fifteen years to come — and potentially more. Drink 2024-2039- 100

Interview with Zach Richardson, Winemaker at 14 Hands

Today we share an interview wth the head winemaker of one of the United States’s most popular wine brands, 14 Hands. You can find 14 Hands wines everywhere from wine shops to 7-Eleven and of course Costco retailers. 14 Hands was initially launched in 2005 as a restaurant focused brand. Due to popular demand, it was introduced at retail in 2011. By 2012, 14 Hands had reached 1 million cases nationally. Earlier this year Zach Richardson was named winemaker at this eastern Washington-based brand. Zach does not originally have a background in winemaking but was inspired to take the WSU enology program. I think you will very much enjoy hearing his story in wine and here is my interview with Zach Richardson, winemaker at 14 Hands.

OB: How did you decide to be a winemaker and complete the WSU Enology program?

ZR: I decided to become a winemaker after being exposed to the industry as a temporary lab technician at Columbia Crest in 2015. I never really realized such an amazing industry was hiding in my backyard growing up in the Tri-Cities.

OB: How did you decide to first work for Ste. Michelle? 

ZR: After working as a temporary lab technician at Columbia Crest in 2015, I was fortunate enough to be offered the position of full-time lab technician at 14 Hands. Having that experience at Columbia Crest allowed me to learn about the wine industry and fueled my desire to continue my career with 14 Hands.

OB: You have a bachelor's degree in geotechnical engineering. Do you see any crossover with the work you do as 14 Hands winemaker?

ZR: There is some crossover with geology and winemaking. For example, knowing the soil types in which the vineyards are planted helps when scouting for grapes. Chemistry was also a main focal point in earning my degree and that has been key in being able to have constructive conversations with our analytical lab team.

OB: 14 Hands makes a wide range of value wines. How do you battle popular demand for sweeter style wines yet creating structure in the wines?

ZR: It has been a fun challenge to develop sweeter yet structured wines. We just introduced our Sweet Red Blend which I believe rides that wave very well. It is on the sweeter end which could help bring in new wine drinkers, and the structure of the Sweet Red Blend is a great entry point for these consumers to explore other wine products without too big of a shock to the palate.

OB: What are some of your favorite producers or wines of the world? 

ZR: The world is a big place and has many great producers, but I believe Washington State makes some amazing wines! I try to drink up all that I can from the state. Kiona and Frichette on Red Mountain come to mind when I want to try something new – I always look to see what they come out with.  For producers around the world, I can’t come up with a favorite per se.  I love Rhone Varietals and look for wines from that region to try. Carménère is also a favorite varietal and I enjoy different Chilean styles.

Tendril

Today we share one of the best out of Oregon. Winemaker Tony Rynders has worked a range of head winemaker positions over the years, formerly at Domaine Serene and Hogue. He has an esteemed master’s degree in Enology and Viticulture from UC Davis, and obtained more 90+ point scores from the Wine Spectator magazine than any other winemaker during this period of time.

Today Tony makes a range of wines for other producers such as Open Claim. He as a brilliant range of wines and is even making some excellent bubbles. The NV Child’s Play ’Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 91) is fresh and vibrant with a smooth mousse. I love the 2019 Tendril ‘Tightrope’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is a late release wine that is drinking beautifully right now at the five year mark. Learn more about these beautiful wines at http://www.tendrilwines.com Here are the gorgeous new wines by Tony Rynders and Tendril.

NV Childs Play ‘Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine- The really good NV Childs Play ‘Blanc de Blancs’ Sparkling Wine is creamy and rich on the mouth with bright pear and starfruit flavors that mingle with suggestions of guava and stony minerals. This is very well-made, showing good richness and finesse. Drink 2024-2030- 91

2022 Child’s Play Chardonnay- The 2022 Child’s Play Chardonnay comes from sites throughout the Willamette Valley. This is rich and viscous wine that is drinking beautifully right now. Melon and Meyer lemon cream combine with suggestions of poached pear. Enjoy now and over the next six plus years to come. Drink 2024-2030- 91

2019 Tendril ‘Enchanter’ Chardonnay- The 2019 ‘Enchanter’ Chardonnay spent more than fifteen months in mostly neutral oak barrels before bottling. This comes off soft and seamless through the mid-palate. Oyster shell and salty minerals combine with suggestions of lemon rind, baking spice laced pie crust and rich apricots on the palate. Showing good length, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2019 Tendril ‘XL’ Chardonnay- The ‘XL’ saw extended barrel age (30 months) in neutral barrels before bottling. This is loaded with richness and texture, giving an outstanding sense of weight but also underlying finesse. Macadamia nut, white peach, star jasmine water and suggestions of toasty oak all combine on the palate. Wait for the near minute-long finish in this very Montrachet v Oregon Chardonnay. A total masterclass, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2024-2036- 96

2021 Tendril ‘Pretender’ White Pinot Noir- Truly one of the outstanding white Pinot Noirs in the world, the 2021 ‘Pretender’  was entirely sourced from Chehalem Mountain Pinot Noir grapes. Stored in natural oak for 16 months before bottling, this delivers orange blossom and hazelnut on the nose alongside shades of red raspberry and pretty guava notes on the nose. The palate is soft and generous with serious texture and weight. The flavor range is scintillating here, from nutty and earthy notes to bright red fruits, and copious saline drenched melon flavors. A stunner from this warm vintage, this is already nicely evolved stuff that has a long life ahead of it in the cellar. Just don’t serve too cold! Drink 2024-2040- 96

2022 Child’s Play Pinot Noir- The really delicious and juicy 2022 Child’s Play Pinot Noir comes from sites throughout the Willamette Valley. Guava, red cherry candy and dusty soils combine with pomegranate seed notes in this very juicy Pinot Noir. Enjoy now and over the next eight years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 91

2019 Tendril ‘Tightrope’ Pinot Noir- A barrel selection wine from this slightly cooler vintage the 2019 ‘Tightrope’ is a gorgeous rendition of this wine by winemaker Tony Rynders. This saw extended bottle age and opens with red rose petals, salty soils, tobacco leaf and shades of anise. The palate is soft and refined with serious texture and good underlying verve. Shades of pine needles, salty red fruits and black truffle shavings all combine on the palate. Deep and concentrated considering the coolness of the vintage, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 95

2019 Tendril ‘Extrovert’ Pinot Noir- The awesome ‘Extrovert’ is a 100% whole cluster fermented wine that offers the boldest expression of Pinot Noir. This is beautifully structured stuff that has a long life in the cellar to go. Rich black fruits parade with salty and stony soils, menthol and shades of exotic spices on the palate, with cedar notes. Full-bodied and delicious, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 Child’s Play Malbec- The 2021 Malbec offers violets, tar and rich dark chocolate shavings on the nose with shades of pencil lead. The palate is full-bodied, dense and delicious with good structure. A killer wine made at a great price, enjoy now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 92

2018 Tendril ‘Octave Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) with the remainder Cabernet Franc, this comes for the high elevation Octave Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. This has great a combination of weight and finesse with dense dark fruits, chocolate, green herbs and suggestions of chocolate pie on the palate. Full-bodied and full of verve, watch this outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon evolve over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2019 Tendril ‘Octave Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2019 Tendril ‘Octave Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from this slightly cooler vintage in the Columbia Valley. Inky in the glass, this has 23% Cabernet Franc blended in. Red bell pepper and blackberry compote combine with anise, black currants and pastry crust accents on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with good verve this is an outstanding effort considering the challenges of the vintage. Drink 2024-2034- 94

Big Table Farm

A spectacular winery, Big Table Farm is nothing short of a pillar of consistency in the Willamette Valley. Big Table Farm was founded by Clare Carver and Brian Marcy — two of the great people in Oregon wine. Marcy has a longstanding history in the wine industry, formerly serving as winemaker for Neyers prior to moving north and settling in the Willamette Valley.These are wines that age brilliantly and are known for great texture and beautiful pure red and dark fruits, with loads of nuance. They will soon make wines from their estate vineyard.

They make a world-class Rose each year. This year might be the finest edition of this wine that I have tasted yet. The 2023 Big Table Farm ‘Laughing Pig’ Rose (OB, 94) is a total stunner in terms of richness, flavor range, flavor density and underlying tension. Learn more about Big Table Farm at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines by Big Table Farm.

2023 Big Table Farm ‘Laughing Pig’ Rose- This beautiful new 2023 ‘Laughing Pig’ Rose was stored in neural barrels for several months after bottling. Texturally beautiful, this offers red rose water, pretty cran-cherry, pomegranate seed and Satsuma orange zest on the palate. Fresh and lithe, with a polished texture, this is an incredible wine that is showing brilliantly in its bright youth. Drink 2024-2030- 94

2022 Big Table Farm ‘Elusive Queen’ Chardonnay- The top Chardonnay made by Big Table Farm, the ‘Elusive Queen’ is made from less than 5% of their Chardonnay production, as this is a barrel select wine. White peach and honeysuckle notes mark the nose alongside Japanese pear and salty minerals. The palate is seamless and beautifully textured, capturing light toasty oak accents that mingle well with the generous citrus and orchard fruit flavors. A gorgeous bottling to consume now, this has both the weight and pose to cellar well for another fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2038- 95

2022 Big Table Farm ‘Earth’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 ‘Earth’ is a barrel selection wine made from this slightly cooler vintage where harvest continued into November in the Willamette Valley. This is dense, heady and concentrated, with damp earth and peat moss accents that collide with loganberry, black cherry compote, black truffle shavings and suggestions of kumquat rind. A complex and delicious Oregon Pinot, this gorgeous new bottling has a long life ahead of it and is one of the finest from the Willamette Valley that I have tasted in the past year. Drink 2024-2040- 96

Beaux Frères

It is my great pleasure to share the story of Beaux Freres, one of Oregon’s finest producers of Pinot Noir. Michael Etzel founded this famed Ribbon Ridge outpost more than twenty years ago. While on vacation in 1986 Michael came across an 88 acre pig farm and after some consideration he decided to purchase the land with his brother in law, Robert Parker — and the rest became Oregon wine history. Michael focused on his job as vineyard manager by planting Pinot Noir in the Ribbon Ridge AVA and while planting his vineyard he interned at Ponzi Winery. It was all the way back in1990, that Michael harvested his first estate fruit and sold the grapes winemakers Ken Wright and Dick Ponzi. Michael came to see that there was something exceptional about fruit from his vineyard and began making focused, mineral-driven Pinot Noirs from this special site. The wines were subsequently reviewed with incredible acclaim.

I adore the purity of these wines. There is something about this location that produces a purity of red fruit that is quite simply unparalleled with anything found in the Willamette Valley. The wines show some of the most aging ability that you will find in this region.

The 2022 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) is deep, rich and concentrated with fantastic finesse. This is elegant, concentrated Pinot noir that has a long life ahead of it. I was blown away with the 2022 Beaux Frères ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 97) which is one of the finest Pinot Noirs from Oregon that I have tasted in the past year. This beautiful wine will easily cellar for another twenty years. Learn more about this famed winery at beauxfreres.com and here is my review of the new Beaux Freres wines.

2022 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay- The stunning 2022 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay comes from Star Mooring and Doration as well as Pearlstad vineyards. This was stored in 30% new French oak for one year before bottling.The nose offers beautiful nutty tones alongside chalky soils, white peach, baked apple and baking spice laced pie crust notes. The palate is big, showing off an unctuous texture and beautiful length. Deeply rich and layered, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 95

2021 Beaux Frères ‘Doration’ Pinot Noir- This comes from the Doration Vineyard which was planted by Mikie Etzel back in 2015. This site has predominantly been planted to California clones such as Calera and Swan. This shows beautiful red florals on the nose alongside salty soils, red currants and shades of tart cranberry. The palate is refined and concentrated as this has great elegance, richness and underlying tension. A total stunner, this is already nicely evolved and will live on for another twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 96

2022 Beaux Frères ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2022 Beaux Frères ‘Sequitur Vineyard’ is sourced from this famed Ribbon Ridge site that was planted back in 2012 by Carey Critchlow and Michael Etzel. This 12 acre location is planted to 17 separate Pinot Noir clones. The nose shows gorgeous red florals alongside red cheery, lavender, loamy soils and suggestions of guava puree. The palate is ultra-lush and refined with serious texture and chewy tannins. Dense and chewy, loaded with bright red fruits, this will easily be a 20 year wine. Only 12.4% alcohol. Drink 2025-2045- 97

2021 Beaux Frères ‘The Beaux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Another wine with serious aging potential, the fabulous and flamboyant 2021 Beaux Frères ‘The Beaux Freres Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from Dijon clone Pinot Noir. Also very dark in the glass, this reveals rich wild blackberry and black cherry notes on the nose with stony soils, cigar box and shades of milk chocolate. The palate is plush as silky tannins frame this gorgeous core of black fruit flavors alongside crushed mint, cardamom dusted red raspberry and rich fig notes. Big and bold, this has incredible richness yet comes across weightless on the mid-palate. Give this an hour of air if enjoying now, as this beauty will live on for easily another twenty years to come. This is one of the great wines of Oregon that I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in the past year. Drink 2025-2045- 98

Januik/Novelty Hill

JIt is always a great time tasting with Andrew Januik, a man who makes a beautiful range of wines from crisp Rose to deep and concentrated Malbecs. For many years Andrew trained under his father, Washington wine icon Mike Januik, who was formerly head winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle and Col Solare before starting his own winery. Mike is a master of crafting great wines from literally any varietal. For years I have admired his Chardonnay wines that show insanely good aging potential — even from hot sites like the Cold Creek Vineyard. These guys are also crafting some of the greatest values wines in the state.

I love visiting this beautiful, modern facility in Woodinville. My wife and I love coming here on a bright summer day where you can taste their beautiful range of white wines. Food quality here also has gotten really good.

I adored the 2023 Januik ‘Sagemoor’ Sauvignon Blanc (OB, 92) which is beautifully textured stuff that has bright underlying acidity and really good flavor range. Even better is the 2022 Januik ‘Cold Creek’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is drinking beautifully right now and is also wonderfully textured, with great length.  Learn more about these great wines at  https://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/ and here are my reviews of the great new wines by Januik/Novelty Hill.

2023 Januik ‘Sagemoor Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- Bright and rich, the 2023 Januik ‘Sagemoor Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc offers kiwi, gooseberry and ripe melon tones on the palate, with good richness and texture. Lithe and lush on the mouth, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next five to seven years. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2022 Januik ‘Cold Creek Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Cold Creek Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from this cooler vintage — albeit from a warmer site. This is fat and ripe on the palate with figs, alongside buttercream, Japanese pear and suggestions of juicy peach. Smooth and generous, this is fabulous Chardonnay that is drinking brilliantly now. Drink 2024-2032- 93

2021 Januuik ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot- This beautiful 2021 Merlot offers ripe fig and sagebrush flavors alongside milk chocolate covered black cherry on the palate. Round and generous, with great structure, enjoy now and over the next ten years to come. Nearly all Merlot (91%) with smaller parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 Januik ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Cabernet Franc- Coming from this great site for Cabernet Franc, the 2021 ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ delivers beautiful dried herbs on the nose with potpourri and chocolate pie tones. The palate is fresh and lithe with serious texture and good underlying verve. This is seriously good stuff that has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2024-2040- 94

2021 Januik ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Januik ‘Columbia Valley’ comes from ten different sites, with a large portion coming from Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain. This Cabernet Sauvignon shows sagebrush and Turkish coffee notes alongside sandalwood tones. The palate is very fresh and polished with a smooth texture. Drink 2024-2034- 92

2021 Januik ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A beautiful wine to consume even now, the 2021 Januik ‘Ciel du Cheval’ Cabernet Sauvignon offers gorgeous black florals on the nose alongside coffee grounds and shades of black currant cordial. The palate is plush and round, with a generous texture and good depth. Drinking beautifully now, watch this evolve over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2040- 94

2021 Januik ‘Quintessence Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This beautiful new 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Quintessence Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA. On the nose this shows roasted figs and espresso grounds alongside scorched earth tones. The palate is soft and refined with plenty of texture and juicy dark fruits. Rich and layered, enjoy now and over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2040- 94

202 Januik ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon is dense and dark in the glass. The palate is loaded with rich chocolate, sagebrush and dark currant flavors alongside granite and tar tones. Coming from a blend of sites on Red Mountain, this fleshy and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon is a total home-run. Drink 2024-2040- 94

2021 Januik ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Weinbau Vineyard’ comes from this site that has older plantings on the Wahluke Slope. On the nose this takes on layers of huckleberry alongside coffee grounds, wet gravel and fresh sage. The palate is soft and refined with loamy soils alongside rich dark fruits and chocolate. Drink 2024-2040- 94

2021 Januik ‘Reserve Red’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Reserve Red’ is a beautiful barrel-select wine by Andrew Januik. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, this offers a smooth texture and comes off very seamless throughout the drinking experience. Turkish coffee, creme de violette, and blackberry compote all combine on the palate, alongside loamy soils. A total stunner, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2042- 96

Domaine Serene

Today we share one of the finest houses in Oregon. An Oregon winery needing no introduction, Domaine Serene consistently produces some of the great wines that you will find in the Willamette Valley. At the helm is winemaker Michael Fay who is former Goldeneye winemaker and has now been at Domaine Serene for many years. I’ve been tracking his illustrious career for more than a decade. Last Friday I had the chance to sit down and taste his 2021 wines. They were really serious across the board, including his new collection of French wines. The new sparkling wine program remains one of the finest you will see in the Wiillamette Valley. Inspired by the MV wines of Krug, these wines now are using reserve wines along with their base, going back to the 2014 vintage. I adored the Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ M.V. 6 Brut (OB, 95) which is rich and viscous with serious tension and a silky mousse. The best wine I tasted was the new edition of their ‘Monogram’ which comes from the somewhat challenging 2019 vintage. I think that the 2019 Domaine Serene ‘Monogram’ Pinot Noir (OB, 99) is every bit as good as the otherworldly 2018 bottling. This is the finest wine from this vintage that I have ever tasted. Learn more at domaineserene.com and here are my reviews of the new Domaine Serene and Chateau de la Cree wines.

Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ M.V. 6 Brut- The Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ M.V. 6 Brut comes from a base wine from the 2019 vintage (70%) with wines all the way back to the 2014 vintage. The nose shows baking spice laced pie crust, toasted hazelnuts and apricot notes with ginger accents. The palate is deep and concentrated, with serious tension and good richness. The reserve wines are truly shining here. Drink 2024-2035- 95

Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ M.V. 5 Brut Rose- The Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ M.V. 5 Brut Rose utilizes a base from the 2019 vintage, with older reserve wines blended in. This offers ripe red raspberry and guava notes on the palate with shades of gooseberry and salty soils. Refined and elegant, enjoy over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 95

Domaine Serene ‘Fleur de Vie’ M.V. 5 Demi-Sec- This MV 5 Demi-Sec is juicy and round with ripping acidity once on the mouth. Juicy pear and green apple flavors parade with marzipan and sweet peach. Lithe and showing a polished mousse, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 Chevalier de la Cree Saint Roman- This is a new wine to the Chateau de la Cree portfolio of wines. This Saint Roman shows beautiful verve and nerve with a smooth viscosity and good sense of length. Toasted almonds and nectarine notes combine with shades of salty minerals on the palate. Refined and elegant, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 93

2021 Chateau de la Cree ‘Les Tillets’ Mersault- The brilliant 2021 Chateau de la Cree ‘Les Tillets’ Mersault offers toasty oak alongside starfruit and baking spice laced golden delicious apple on the nose. The palate is big and bold with beautiful underlying tension. Lemon oil combines with green apple, peach and limestone on the palate. A joy to consume now, enjoy over the next twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 96

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Aspect’ Chardonnay- The 2021 ‘Aspect’ Chardonnay comes from a Clos de Lune and Triple Crown locations in the Evenstad Estate. The nose shows off brioche and banana notes alongside toasted macadamia nut accents. The palate is deep and concentrated with serious tension and richness. Great now, enjoy over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 Maison Evenstad ‘Les Vignes Longues’ Montagny- The stunning 2021 Maison Evenstad ‘Les Vignes Longues’ Montagny is a seamless wine that is already shining brightly. The wine is a barrel selection wine from this single vineyard site in Montagny. On the nose this takes on rich mixed nut and pastry crust notes alongside apricots. The palate is soft and seamless throughout the drinking experience. Heady and dense with good nerve, enjoy over the next fifteen plus years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 96

2021 Chateau de la Cree ‘Clos des Angles’ Volnay- The 2021 Volnay comes from the Clos de Angles which was purchased by the Evenstads. Black truffle shavings, wild blackberry and cranberry notes combine with peat moss on the nose. The palate is lush and big with serious weight and texture. A stunning wine, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2036- 95

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Yamhill Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 ‘Yamhill Cuvee’ was stored in 45% new French oak before bottling. This comes off dense and chewy with lush red fruits that ingle well with dusty soils, and black cherry, flirting with cola accents. Delicious, round and generous, this is arguably the best bottling of ‘Yamhill Cuvee’ that I have tasted. Drink 2024-2032- 93

20021 Domaine Serene ‘Two Barns’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 ‘Two Barns’ come from the west side of the Dundee Hills at lower elevation. This site has both Jory and Willakenzie soils. The wine shows off juicy yakima cherry and red raspberry accents alongside guava puree, orange peel and damp rocky soils. Showing a bright sense of tension and salinity, this gorgeous bottling is shining brightly right now. Drink 2024-2036- 95

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Jerusalem Hill’ Pinot Noir- This wine comes from a site set on Woodburn soils which are moderately well drained soils that formed in silty stratified glacio lacustrine deposits. This high elevation site is strongly influenced by the Van Duzer Corridor. Dense and chewy with a soft texture and good sense of weight, the wine shows off wild blackberry and black cherry at its core, with exotic spices and shades of blood orange zest. Delicious and lithe with a polished texture, enjoy now and over the next ten to fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Winery Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This beautiful 2021 Pinot Noir comes from this site that is set on Jory soils. Bitter orange and juicy cherry flavors combine with pomegranate seed, iron and shades of wet rock. Showing a smooth texture and good sense of weight, this is already neatly evolved stuff that is drinking beautifully right now. Drink 2024-2040- 95

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Aspect’ Pinot Noir- This beautiful new Pinot Noir is a blend of Grace, Mark Bradford and Fleur De Lis Vineyards which were planted from 1993-1996. This is dense, delicious and beautifully textured wine that is already beautifully evolved. Dense dark fruits parade with copious minerals and a seamless texture throughout the drinking experience. This shows no rough edges. Enjoy now and over the next fifteen to twenty years. This is a world-class Pinot Noir. Drink 2024-2040- 97

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Fleur De Lis Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2021 Domaine Serene ‘Fleur De Lis Vineyard’ Pinot Noir comes from this site that was planted in the mid-90s. This shows pretty red rose petals alongside tar, anise, red cherry notes and shades of bergamot. The palate is plush and lush wit ha soft texture and great sense of underlying tension — showing loads of mouth-watieng acidity. No need to cellar this beauty but it will easily cellar for another fifteen years. Drink 2024-2036- 96

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Grace Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 ‘Grace Vineyard’ comes from this southeastern facing site originally planted back in 1993, set on volcanic soils. Black raspberry and beautiful black florals mark the nose alongside damp earth, white truffle and boysenberry notes. Powerful and sturdy with tons of flavor density, this really needs a few years of bottle age. . . but the potential is absolutely there. Try to put this in the cellar for a few more years before savoring. Drink 2026-2050- 97

2021 Domaine Serene ‘Mark Bradford Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Mark Bradforrd Vineyard is a western facing site that is slow to ripen and was named after the Evenstad’s sons. Bllack cherry compote, dusty soils and hazelnuts combine with shades of white pepper and wild blackberry combine on the nose. A gorgeous wall of black fruits combine with stony soils. Over time truffle notes combine with peat moss, alongside the core of wild blackberry and black raspberry flavors. Refined in terms of texture and viscosity, with serious underlying tension, this will easily be a 20 year wine. Try to stash this beauty away for a few more years. Drink 2026-2050- 97

2019 Domaine Serene ‘Monogram’ Pinot Noir- The 2019 ‘Monogram’ is a barrel selection wine that comes from the Grace and Cote Sud Vineyards, as Mark Bradford vineyard was not blended into this. Leaving no doubt of its stunning flavor density and flavor range, this is brooding and intense wine that has massive cellaring potential. The nose has otherworldly aromatic range from red and black florals to dusty soils, blood orange zest, wet rock, and shades of black raspberry. Dense and seamless on the mouth, this effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. Weightless yet massive in terms of dense dark fruits, this is a stunning wine that is absolutely on par with the otherworldly 2018 ‘Monogram’ bottling. Enjoy now and over the next twenty plus years. Drink 2025-2050- 99

2021 Rockblock ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Rockblock ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Double Canyon Vineyard. Violets, tar and tobacco leaf all combine wth heady dark fruits on the nose. The palate is plush and refined with great structure and flavor density. Rich and layered, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2024-2035- 94

Jachter

A great story in wine, for 27 years, Dave Jachter owned and operated several successful car dealerships in Oregon. Over decades, Dave cultivated a passion for wine, and a cellar to match. After selling his dealerships Dave has travelled to France, Italy, and California wine regions, and tasted wines from around the world.  He studied at UC Davis, completing a variety of viticultural courses as he and his wife, Karen, purchased 120 acres in the Chehalem Mountains AVA in the heart of the Willamette Valley.

These were the first releases that I have tasted from this estate and I was really impressed. I love the 2021 Jachter ‘The J. Reserve’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is dense, bold and shows off its silky texture. These wines were refined and consistently great from this warm 2021 vintage. Learn more about this exciting new Oregon house at

2021 Jachter ‘Chehalem Mountains’ Chardonnay- The 2021 ‘Chehalem Mountains’ Chardonnay delivers great nerve and texture on the mouth. Pink Lady apple and orange peel notes combine with wet stone and lemon blossom water on the palate. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2021 Jachter ‘The J. Reserve’ Chardonnay- The 2021 ‘The J. Reserve’ is a barrel selection wine that was stored in 50% new French oak before bottling. Showing good tension and texture, this offers lemon oil and rich melon flavors alongside copious minerals on the palate. Big and round, enjoy this brilliant, warm vintage Chardonnay now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 Jachter ‘Case Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This 2021 Pinot Noir was sourced from the Case Vineyard, located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. This is plush and ripe wine with dense red fruit flavors alongside sea salt, peat moss and orange rind notes. Complex and delicious, enjoy over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 92

2021 Jachter ‘Cuvee Karen Ann’ Pinot Noir- The 2021 ‘Cuvee Karen Ann’ was crafted from Wadenswil and Pommard clone Pinot Noir grapes. This comes off very elegant and refined with boysenberry and strawberry fruit flavors alongside Mandarin orange zest, and salty minerals. Nicely textured, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2021 Jachter ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir- Dark in the glass, the 2021 Jachter ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir comes from Pommard selection grapes set on Jory soils. This offers a silky mouthfeel with rich dark fruits, tobacco and loamy soils on the palate. Fresh and showing good length, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten plus years to come. Drink 2024-2036- 93

Lopai Cellars

Today we share a world-class brand new winery. Lopai is led by a father and son team, Paul and Brian Lopez. Their estate-driven wine project located in the Willow Creek district of Paso Robles, California. The Lopez family has roots in San Luis Obispo County of the Central Coast dating back to the late 1800's. Paul (P-Lo) was a popular grocer in Paso Robles for 35 years before entering the wine business. With 14 vintages under his belt and stints at Villa Creek and Alta Colina, he's currently the Cellar Master at Denner Vineyards. Brian pursued a career in software engineering and technology before becoming the estate's full time vineyard manager. The LOPAI estate is located 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean, benefiting from the Pacific's steady coastal breezes. Temperatures at the estate are on average 10 to 25 degrees cooler than in downtown Paso Robles.Brian Lopez purchased the land upon which the LOPAI estate sits in 2019, and their inaugural release was in 2023.

I was floored with the overall quality of the wines. I adore the 2022 Lopai Semillon (OB, 92) which comes from the famed Vogelzang Vineyard and offers tons of texture and depth. I love the 2019 Lopai ‘Heliotrope’ Red Wine (OB, 94) which is dense and chewy — a treat to savor now. Learn more at lopaicellars.com and here are my reviews of the new Lopai wines.

2022 Lopai Semillon- The outstanding 2022 Lopai Semillon comes form the Vogelzang Vineyard in Happy Canyon. This is rich and neatly textured stuff delivering kiwi and pear flavors alongside honeydew melon notes on the palate. Great now, enjoy over the next few years to come. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2020 Lopai ‘Jada’ Syrah- The 2020 ‘Jada’ comes from the Willow Creek District and its namesake vineyard. Smoked brisket, tar and tobacco leaf play well with deep dark fruits on the palate. Delicious now, enjoy over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2020 Lopai ‘La Montanita’ Syrah- Coming from the La Montanita Vineyard in the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA, this is inky in the glass, offering alluring aromatics of anise and black rose petals alongside bergamot and dark currants. Plush and hedonistic on the mouth, this has a gorgeous layer of black fruits that greet you, alongside stony minerals and good tension. Drink 2024-2030- 93

2020 Lopai Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the Willow Creek District, this has 13% Petit Verdot blended in as well as 4% Petite Sirah. This comes off soft and juicy with  bitter chocolate and black currant flavors alongside good tension and viscosity. Enjoy now and over the next several years. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2019 Lopai ‘Heliotrope’ Red Wine- The 2019 ‘Heliotrope’ combines Cabernet Sauvignon (63%) with smaller portions Mourvèdre and Cabernet Franc coming from the Denner Vineyards. This is a total stunner with creme de violette, tar, anise and black currant jelly on the palate. Delicious and very viscous, enjoy over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

The Setting

What Jesse Katz touches seems to turn to gold. Such is the case with The Setting which is a world-class producer of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, Oregon and Sonoma. The wines from Sonoma were part of my spring Sonoma report and I am sharing my reviews of the incredible new wines from Napa as well as a new Oregon project.

Katz has a longstanding history in the industry, and is formerly the youngest-hired head winemaker in the US at Lancaster Estate. He has worked 23 harvests at famed wineries like Pétrus and includes time on the winemaking teams at Screaming Eagle Winery, Robert Foley Winery, and Viña Cobos and Bodega Noemia in Argentina. His Devil Proof wines have receive 100 point scores from wine critics across the globe. They are without question benchmark new world Malbec.

These were the first wines from Oregon that the winemaking team had produced and they were both knockouts from the warm 2021 vintage. I adored the 2021 The Setting ‘Chehalem Mountain’ Pinot Noir (OB, 96) which is deep, concentrated and beautifully textured stuff that will hold well for at least another ten years. One of the finest Sauvignon Blanc wines that I have tasted over the past year, the unabashedly bold 2022 The Setting ‘Barrel Fermented’ Sauvignon Blanc (OB, 95) is rich and viscous with great underlying finesse. A perfect wine from 2021 The Setting ‘The Glass Slipper’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 100) is a total stunner with its concentration and depth. The flavor density and flavor range is absolutely stunning — literally a mind-bending Cabernet. Learn more at https://www.thesettingwines.com/ and here are my reviews of the wines by The Setting.

2022 The Setting ‘Barrel Fermented’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2022 ‘Barrel Fermented’ Sauvignon Blanc sees a touch more new French oak than the Aperture bottling. 100% Sauvignon Blanc coming from the west side of Dry Creek, the wine was stored in 38% new French oak before bottling. This comes off very complex with bright underlying acidity that makes your mouth water. Ripe pineapple, mango, lemon rind and loads of mouth-watering acidity greets you. Despite the heat of the vintage this is remarkably nervy. Drink 2024-2032- 95

2021 The Setting ‘Chehalem Mountain Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2021 The Setting ‘Chehalem Mountain Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from a range of clonal selections and was aged in 50% new French oak before bottling. The wine shows a seamless texture with great sense of weight and length. Ripe Japanese pear and nutty accents mark this beautiful bottling, with a near minute-long finish. Drink 2024-2036- 95

2021 The Setting ‘Chehalem Mountain Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This 2021 ‘Chehalem Mountain Vineyard; bottling was stored for 21 months in 50% new French oak before bottling. Sleek and downright sexy on the mouth, this shows a gorgeous core of red fruits alongside orange peel, and salty soils. Showing excellent length, this is an elegant, downright stunning new bottling that is up there with some of the finest Oregon Pinot Noir that I have tasted over the past year. Drink 2024-2040- 96

2021 The Setting ‘Pearl’s Farm’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The glorious 2021 The Setting ‘Pearl’s Farm’ Cabernet Sauvignon also come from this site in Coomsville set on loamy soils with a seasonal creek that flows through the vineyard. Cabernet Sauvignon is planted southern fasting at this vineyard. Dark currants, graphite, and creme de violette with espresso grounds all collide on the palate, with loamy soils with stony accent. Drink 2024-2045- 98

2021 The Setting ‘The Glass Slipper’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes form this site that has six different clonal sections. Soils here are richer than at Pearl’s Farm. Inky dark in the glass, this offers black rose petals, mocha, allspice dusted blackberry and shades of loamy soils on the nose. The palate is astonishingly good with poise, flavor density, richness and flavor range. Tobacco leaf and rich dark and blue fruits follow this stunning wine that flirts with perfection. Drink 2024-2045- 100

2021 The Setting ‘Oakville’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This comes from a vineyard between Rudd and Screaming Eagle. Aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak this offers creme de cassis, anise, tar and loamy soils on the palate, with lifted tannins and a refined mouthfeel. Chocolate and graphite notes complete this beautiful wine is refined and rich that is showing beautifully right now. Drink 2024-2044- 96

2021 The Setting ‘Rockpile Ridge’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 ‘Rockpile Ridge’ comes from this stony site that is set on very steep hillsides. This is massively dark in the glass. Very seamless and soft on the mouth, with bright underlying acidity this is a stunning bottling that caresses the palate. Finishing very long with stony tones and rich cassis notes, enjoy this over the next twenty plus years to come. Drink 2024-2044- 98

Massican

Today we share one of the most intriguing brands of the Napa Valley. It is hard to believe that Massican was founded all the way back in 2009. The brand is the brainchild of innovator and winemaker Dan Petroski, who sought to make old-world inspired white wines in the Napa Valley where Cabernet is unabashedly king. These wines continue to be affordably priced, where entry level Chardonnays in Napa command 100 dollars and sometimes more. For years Dan made world-class wines at Larkmead which rivaled some of the finest wines of the region — at a fraction of the price of cult competitors.

These wines have been impressive regardless of vintage. It is no surprise that Dan sold his winery to Gallo in September 2023. This is going to be an electric brand for them. Look to the gorgeous 2023 Massican ‘Gemina’ White Wine (OB,94) which is a stunning combination of indigenous Italian varietals, mainly Greco. This is a truly unique, world-class wine. Learn more about these novel, one of a kind wines at massican.com Here are my reviews of the gorgeous new Massican wines.

2023 Massican Pinot Grigio- The 2023 Massican Pinot Grigio is very light on its feet with its kiwi, gooseberry, stony minerals and green papaya flavors. Soft and showing good tension, enjoy over the next few years. Drink 2024-2028- 92

2023 Massican Sauvignon Blanc- The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc comes from sites in both Sonoma and Napa. And is inspired by the wines of Friuli. This opens with white grapefruit and nectarine skin notes alongside sweetened gooseberry and shades of kiwi, with white tea accents. The palate is soft and refined with serious texture and good verve. Showing good length, this beautiful wine is best consumed now and over the next few years to come. Drink 2024-2030- 93

2023 Massican ‘Gemina’ White Wine- The 2022 ‘Gemina’ is a unique blend of 60% Greco with the remainder Falanghina as well as Fiano. The name is inspired by an ancient varietal that dates back to the first century AD, called Aminea Gemina. This is a gorgeous wine with plenty of nutty tones alongside Japanese pear, walnut and shades of lychee. Medium to full-bodied with a smooth texture, I can’t think of another wine like this in the new world. Drink 2024-2031- 94

2023 Massican ‘Annia’ White WIne- The 2023 ‘Annia’ is an astonishingly good combination of Tocai Friulano (43%", Ribolla Gialla (34%), and Chardonnay (23%). Lightly colored in the glass, this delivers nutty aromatics alongside cantaloupe, green apple and shades of pie crust. The palate is soft and refined with a smooth mouthfeel and good sense of verve. Really well-done albeit a bit leaner than other vintages, enjoy now and over the next six years. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2023 Massican ‘Hyde’ Chardonnay- The 2023 ‘Hyde’ Chardonnay is a stunning new bottling from this famed site in the Carneros region founded by Larry Hyde back in 1979. This is beautifully textured stuff that comes off nicely salty. Pear, peach and shades of mango all combine on the palate, with good viscosity and tension. Medium to full-bodied with great finesse, this is somehow drinking beautifully already. Drink 2023-2031- 94

Soos Creek

Year after year Soos Creek produces some of the finest value wines in Washington State. This small production winery was founded all the way back in in 1989 by David and Cecile Larsen. David Larsen has crafted wines for more than 30 vintages now. Originally starting to make wine in the Boeing Wine Club (and even blackberry wine), David caught the wine big thanks to inspiring trips to Europe and Napa Valley. He is a great dude to chat wine with.

David mainly began creating a model after Quilceda Creek, producing only one Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Over the years he has expanded his lineup. He sources from some of the great sites in the state including Ciel du Cheval and Klipsun in Red Mountain, David makes roughly 2,000 cases each year focusing on high quality red wines. 

Last year I tasted some of his older wines with him that were still showing brilliantly at the twenty year mark. Don’t miss out on the 2021 Soos Creek ‘Champoux Vineyard’ Red Wine (OB, 94) which is pillowy and soft from this famed site in the Horse Heaven Hills. Learn more about this great boutique winery at http://www.sooscreekwine.com Here are the excellent new wines by Soos Creek.

2021 Soon Creek ‘Palisaides’ Merlot- The 2021 ‘Palisades’ comes from the Beverly, Champoux and Mattawa Vineyards as this was stored in neutral oak barrels before bottling. Soft on the mouth, this delivers black cherry compote, mocha, tar and suggestions of creme de violette on the palate. A delicious and dense treat to savor now, enjoy over the next fifteen years. Drink 2024-2039- 93

2021 Soos Creek ‘Champoux Vineyard’ Red Wine- A beautiful and also very delicious blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot, this saw 50% new French oak before bottling. This is lush, pillowy and soft on the mouth. Loganberry cordial, anise and creme de cassis flavors all mingle well with refined tannins and brilliant structure. Enjoy this fabulous wine now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2039- 94

2021 Soos Creek ‘Sazon’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Salon’ is a Merlot dominant wine (64%) with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah that were all stored in neural oak barrels before bottling. Smooth and round, this shows a seamless texture throughout the drinking experience as medium to full-bodied blackberry and black cherry flavors mingle well with coffee grounds and freshly tilled loamy soils on the palate. Enjoy now and over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 92

2021 Soos Creek ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A follow up to the excellent 2020 bottling, the 2021 Soos Creek ‘Red Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon has 4% Merlot blended in and was sourced from the acclaimed Heart of the Hill Vineyard. Creosote, BBQ brisket and black currants mark the nose alongside pencil lead notes. The palate is tension-filled with bright acidity and smooth texture as generous dark fruits parade with dark chocolate shavings, rabbit brush and Turkish coffee notes. Fabulous now, watch this evolve over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2039- 94

2021 Soos Creek ‘Soleil’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Soleil’ combines 70% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Merlot and Syrah. Aged in neutral oak barrels, this delivers black currants and espresso grounds on the nose alongside shades of crushed mint. The palate is soft had juicy with a smooth texture. Enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 92

2021 Commander Comet Syrah- A new bottling from the Soos Creek collection, the 2021 Commander Comet comes from the Discovery Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Inky in the glass, this delivers tar, sagebrush and allspice dusted blackberry on the nose. The palate is soft and refined with a silky texture and great sense of flavor density with its black fruit and chocolate core. Delicious now, watch this develop over the next decade. Drink 2024-2034- 93

Lucius

Today we share a brand new project by the talented Andrew Latta. Latta Wines was founded in 2011 by winemaker and owner Andrew Latta. Andrew came to wine through years of restaurant work, from bussing tables in his home state of Kentucky all the way to a Sommelier position in Thailand, directing one of the finest wine programs in the country.

Formerly with K Vintners, Latta has been at his SoDo location since 2015. He has a new line of wines called Lucius which is named after his grandfather. I had the chance to sit down with Latta yesterday as he described the wines as “pushing the envelope” and “Wanting to do something different with typical and atypical varietals.” The wines were seriously good across the board. I love the 2022 Lucius ‘Concrete’ Albarino (OB, 93) which is a steal at only 25 bucks and has serious texture, weight and poise. Learn more at lattawines.com and here are my reviews of the new Lucius wines.

2022 Lucius ‘Concrete’ Albarino- Coming from the Lawrence Vineyard, this was mainly stored in concrete before bottling. Texturally this is really outstanding as this shows good freshness with pear, nectarine and kiwi fruit flavors alongside nutty nuances. The combination of freshness and mouthfeel really drives this beautiful wine. Drink 2024-2029- 93

2023 Lucious ‘Concrete’ Albarino- Big and bold, with a serious sense of weight, the 2023 Lucious Albarino offers a rich melange of citrus, and orchard fruit flavors with mango and nutty accents. Totally dazzling with good freshness, enjoy now and over the next few years. This saw extended skin contact compared to the 2022 bottling. Drink 2024-2030- 93

2022 Lucious ‘Skin Contact’ Viognier- The 2022 ‘Skin Contact’ comes from the Lawrence and Freewater Rock Vineyards. Right away this shows beautiful white florals on the nose alongside white peach and pear notes. The palate is lush and refined with a silky texture and fantastic sense of weight. Very juicy, with loads of mouth-watering acidity, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 94

2022 Lucious ‘Carbonic’ Mourvedre- A really unique wine coming from the Upland Vineyard, the 2022 Lucious ‘Carbonic’ Mourvedre offers purple flowers and juicy red currants on the nose alongside bright strawberry tones on the nose. The palate is very fresh and lovely with a silky texture and beautiful sense of finesse. What a wine for the price! Drink 2024-2030- 93

2021 Lucious ‘Bojo Cru’ Syrah- The 2021 Lucious ‘Bojo Cru’ Syrah was sourced from the Stoneridge Vineyard. Very inky in the glass, offering compost and black currants alongside violets, wet stone , soy sauce and suggestions of Kalamata tapenade. Very fresh and lively with a serious sense of texture and weight, this is a stunning bottling that is a total steal at 30 bucks a bottle. Drink 2024-2032- 94

2020 Latta Wines ‘Weathereye’ Syrah- This is a fall release Syrah wine that has 5% Viognier blended in. Given 60% whole cluster fermentation. Coming from Block 9 where there are five different clones on the block, this is sourced from the northern slope of the vineyard. Very inky in the glass, this offers hoisin sauce, blackberry compote, smoked brisket and suggestions of Oyster sauce on the palate. Drink now. Drink 2024-2029- 94

Cellar Selection: 2012 Domaine Serene 'Mark Bradford Vineyard' Pinot Noir

A few nights ago I decided to dip into my cellar and revisit the beautiful 2012 wines by Domaine Serene. 2012 has taken a long time to develop in the bottle. Moderate temperatures throughout the growing season led to balanced, tension-filled wines that needed a lot of time upon release. 2012 was a welcome departure to 2011 which was a really challenging, cool vintage in Oregon — one where flavor density was an issue.

Domaine Serene sits atop the Dundee Hills with expansive views of the Willamette Valley. The Mark Bradford Vineyard is a high-elevation site located on the west-facing slope of the Evenstad Estate. It was the first vineyard planted at Domaine Serene, named after Grace and Ken Evenstad’s son. The wine needed about 30 minutes of air to really get going. Right now this is a totally stunning wine that still has a long way to go in the cellar. I found this wine to be a welcome surprise as I had opened a 2012 Domaine Serene ‘Grace’ for my birthday two years ago and it was really tight, austere and really still needed time in the cellar. The 2012 ‘Mark Bradford’ is a bit more plush and ripe in terms of its current development. Don’t be afraid to uncork this beauty. Learn more at domaineserene.com and here is my review of the stunning 2012 Domaine Serene ‘Mark Bradford Vineyard’ Pinot Noir.

2012 Domaine Serene ‘Mark Bradford Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Named after Ken and Grace Evenstad’s son, the 2012 ‘Mark Bradford’ was the first site planted at Domaine Serene. The wine needs about 30 minutes of air to fully be aroused. Once it gets going there is a literal kaleidoscope of beautiful red fruits that greet you alongside Mandarin orange peel, menthol, rocky soils and suggestions of peat moss. A joy to consume now, this has at least another ten years in front of it. Drink 2024-2034- 97

Willamette Valley Vineyards

Today we share the new wines from one of Oregon’s oldest wineries. Willamette Valley Vineyards founder, Jim Bernau, purchased the winery’s estate back in 1983 and  planted Pinot Noir (Pommard and Wadenswil clones), Chardonnay (Dijon and Espiguette) as well as Pinot Gris. Bernau took winemaking classes at UC Davis and finally started the winery full time in 1989. Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown considerably in the past 20 years, as they merged with Bill Fuller of Tualatin Vineyards (established in 1973), the O'Briens for Elton Vineyard (established in 1983) and Loeza Vineyard (planted in 2015). They make a wonderful range of wines including some great vintage bubbles and complex range of Pinots, as well as Pinot Gris and even a great Pinot Blanc.

The new 2023 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Blanc (OB, 92) is a great wine for the price with a neat texture and nutty undertones. Here are the new releases from Willamette Valley Vineyards and learn more at http://wvv.com

2023 Willamette Valley Vineyards Gruner Veltliner- Fresh and nicely textured, the 2023 Willamette Valley Vineyards Gruner Veltliner offers kiwi and bright gooseberry notes alongside white grapefruit pit on the palate. Showing bright tension, enjoy this outstanding wine now and over the next six years to come. Drink 2024-2030- 91

2023 Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Blanc- This brilliant 2023 Pinot Blanc comes from the Tualatin Hills AVA with vines set on Laurelwood soils. Best served at a warmer temperature, this has fantastic weight with walnut, pear and baked apple flavors alongside honeydew melon and suggestions of baking spice laced brioche. Bold and rich, enjoy over the next six years to come. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2022 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Tualatin Estate’ White Pinot Noir- This 2022 White Pinot Noir utilizes clones 115, 667 and Pommard. Stored in neutral oak barrels for nine months before bottling, this offers a slightly pink core with layers of melon and starfruit flavors alongside a smooth texture and beautiful length on the palate. This shows much better warmed up a bit. Drink 2024-2032- 92

2022 Willamette Valley Vineyards ‘Whole Cluster’ Pinot Noir- Like the bottling suggests, this underwent 100% whole cluster fermentation and utilizes a range of clonal selections and soil types. The wine shows a great core of crunchy red fruits alongside a smooth texture, with blood orange zest, dusty minerals and shades of salty soils on the palate. Drink 2024-2032- 92

Robert Biale

A winery steeped in history, 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 have 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. While David replaced a world-class winemaker, he is making a name for himself at Biale. The last two sets of releases come from the difficult 2022 vintage which saw a heat dome at harvest which led to intense heat spikes and early picking decisions. Despite this David did an amazing job maintaining acidity in the wines. These are wines that are concentrated, plush and very enjoyable now. I love the 2022 Robert Biale ‘Monte Rosso Vineyard’ Zinfandel (OB, 94) which is a killer effort from this mountaintop spot. Learn more about this storied Napa property at http://biale.com Here are the great new wines by Robert Biale. 

2022 Robert Biale ‘Pagani Ranch’ Zinfandel- The 2022 ‘Pagani Ranch’ comes from this site that was planted by Felice Pagani back in 1920. Today this historic site for Zinfandel is operated by his granddaughter. Very concentrated in the glass, this offers black raspberry and bramble on the nose alongside shades of black licorice and salty soils. The palate is soft and refined with generous red and dark fruits alongside milk chocolate and leafy accents. This is already nicely evolved stuff that will drink well over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Robert Biale ‘Royal Punishers’ Petite Sirah- Year after year, the Robert Biale ‘Royal Punishers’ is one of the great Petite Sirah wines that you will taste out of the Napa Valley. This 2022 edition is more evolved than most from the heat spikes at harvest. Generous and heady, this offers gorgeous black currants and blueberry compote flavors that meld well with iodine, graphite, tar and dark chocolate shavings. Full-bodied, enjoy this delicious rendition of this wine now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Robert Biale ‘Grande Vineyard’ Zinfandel- An ancient site for California Zinfandel, the Grande Vineyard was planted by an immigrant from Venice, Theodore Grande, back in 1920. White pepper and chocolate mark the nose alongside blackberry fruits and shades of sage. The palate is soft and refined with a generous mouthfeel and good sense of weight and length. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Robert Biale ‘Monte Rosso Vineyard’ Zinfandel- A hilltop site that is very large, the Monte Rosso Vineyard is considered to be one of the outstanding, historic sites in Sonoma County. Blackcurrants, allspice and milk chocolate mark the nose alongside its herbal undertones and freshly tilled volcanic soils. The palate is plush with a refined texture and a lengthy finish. Fantastic now, enjoy over the next ten years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Robert Biale ‘Aldo’s Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The tiny ‘Aldo’s Vineyard’ is set right outside the town of Napa in the Oak Knoll Vineyard. Vines here were planted back in 1937. This is juicy and rich Zinfandel with bright red cherry and red raspberry notes alongside thyme, exotic spices and shades of chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, with bright acidity, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Robert Biale ‘Beatty Ranch’ Zinfandel- The Beatty Ranch Vineyard is set on Howell Mountain as this high elevation site overlooks the Napa floor. This shows a pretty core of red fruit flavors on the palate with a soft mouthfeel and bright orange zest notes alongside rocky soils. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years to come. Drink 2024-2034- 93

Cellar Selection: 2015 FIGGINS Red Wine

Occasionally I have the chance to enjoy wines from my cellar and I am always excited for the next cellar pull. On this occasion I had the chance to taste the 2015 FIGGINS Red Wine (OB, 95) a wine that came from a less than easy vintage. 2015 was the earliest harvest in Washington wine history. This led to some of the regions struggling with obtaining phenolic ripeness in the wines. Some reds from this vintage ended up on the flabby side or jammy side, lacking flavor density and underlying finesse. Even top producers tended to struggle in 2015. I have recently tasted through many of these wines and have found them to be a significant step down to those made in 2014 and 2016.

However, there are always vintage outliers. The 2015 FIGGINS Red Wine is a total stunner that is drinking right at its peak now. This is showing more non-fruit than fruit character right now and don’t be afraid to open this beauty if you have some in your cellar. Learn more at FIGGINSWINE.com and here is my review of the 2015 FIGGINS Red Wine.

2015 FIGGINS Red Wine- Taken from this challenging vintage, the wine was stored in mainly new oak barrels before bottling. Tar, tobacco leaf and espresso ground flavors all parade on the palate, alongside good tension and sense of weight. This is seriously good stuff that has stood the test of time —and does not come off at all overblown. Give this about 10-20 minutes of air and enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 95

Altesino

One of Brunello’s great wineries, set in the eeastern hills of Montalcino near Siena in central Tuscany, stands the magnificently elegant 14th century-built Palazzo Altesi, home to the Altesino winery and a marvelous resort. Altesino was purchased in 2002 by Elisabetta Gnudi Angelini, owner of nearby Tenuta Caparzo.Today's winemaking team, led by Simone Giunti and Alessandro Ciacci. Currently they have over 100 acres under vine and produce roughly 22,000 bottles each year.

The new wines were fabulous and well-structured, generous bottlings. I was blown away with the 2019 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino (OB, 95) which was dense and chewy with loads of concentration and serious aging ability. Learn more about this famed Tuscan house at https://www.altesino.it/en/ and here are my reviews of the new Altesino wines.

2022 Altesino Rosso Di Montalcino- The 2022 Rosso di Montalcino opens with roasted figs and red cherries alongside shades of lavender, thyme and damp soils. Medium to full-bodied, showing good weight and depth, this is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2024-2032- 92

2019 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino- The sinfully good 2019 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino is a sensational new release from this house that is already drinking marvelously at the five year mark. Once on the nose this takes on orange rind and Amaro notes alongside dusty soils, worn leather and tart cranberry tones. The texture here is insanely good as this glides throughout the drinking experience. Showing a fabulous sense of weight and length, this elegant, well-structured and dense Brunello will cellar well for another twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2040- 95

Orr Wines

Today we share the beautiful wines of Erica Orr. Orr Wines is a brand with a passion for service in the wine community. Founded by Erica Orr, it is amazing that all proceeds from her 2020 Royal Slope Red generated $11,000 which Erica Orr donated to the Columba Basin Health Association Mobile Unit “And I wanted this to go back to the vineyard workers who grew these grapes” she said.

She has made a name for Chenin Blanc in Washington State, being a big part of the varietal’s revival. I adored the new 2023 Orr Wines Chenin Blanc (OB, 93) which is mineral-laden and shows a smooth mouthfeel with serious texture. Don’t drink this one too cold! Learn more about these beautiful wines at https://ericaorrwines.com/ and here are the new releases by Erica Orr.

2023 Orr Wines Chenin Blanc- This 2023 Chenin Blanc combines fruit from the Upland and Roza Hills Vineyards. Pale in the glass, this was stored in a combination of neural French oak and stainless steel drums. This saw a touch of lees stirring and offers salted cashew nut and ripe pear that combines with melon tones on the palate. This is fresh and polished stuff that will pair with millions of foods. Drink 2024-2031- 93

2022 Orr Wines Grenache- The 2022 Orr Wines Grenache comes from the Lawrence and Stillwater Creek Vineyard. Stored in neutral oak barrels, this opens with red cherry candy, lavender and shades of baking spice with pomegranate seed on the nose. The palate is soft and elegant with a great purity of red fruits. Tobacco leaf and bay leaf flavors combine with salty minerals on the palate. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2021 Orr ‘Royal Slope Red’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Royal Slope Red’ is a Merlot wine that was stored in all neural oak barrels before bottling. Ripe black plum, fig and chocolate mark the nose. The palate is seamless and smooth on the mid-palate with a beautiful melange of black with red fruits, coffee grounds and coffee ground flavors. Drink 2024-2034- 93

2022 Orr ‘Royal Slope Red’ Red Wine- This 2022 ‘Royal Slope Red’ has 8% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. Also stored in all neutral oak before bottling this opens with anise and black currants alongside tar and tobacco leaf. The palate is very elegant and refined with good structure and underlying finesse. A beautiful wine to savor now, enjoy over the next eight years to come. Drink 2024-2032- 92

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Today we present one of the famed Washington wine houses. Chateau Ste. Michelle has been a pillar of consistency over the past twenty plus years gaining awards and accolades from virtually every wine publication. There have been many changes at this house including working towards wines with lower calories and lower alcohol levels. I spent the afternoon with their team and we chatted about what this process has been like for them. They mentioned that since 2018 the winemaking team was working on finding lower alcohol wines and worked on it over several years. The brand team came to winemaker Katie Nelson and she described this process. She noted “It is not easy to make a wine with lower calories. 80 calories and 9% alcohol and we go out to the vineyards and look at the grapes that are naturally lower in alcohol. We take it into reverse osmosis and end up with a lower alcohol wine with also lower sugar. We are looking at balance in the wine and you have to be careful with alcohol and we look at balance and texture.” She stated “we talk about the younger consumer but I can’y tell you how many times that we hear from older people that we can’t drink higher alcohol wines. We have had great press from that.” She explained “For this wine we are sourcing from the Yakima Valley because we want a wine that is lower alcohol and a cooler site. The same is true for the Chardonnay.”

I haven’t been tasting many lower alcohol and lower calorie wines but these are definitely the best that I have tasted yet. I really enjoy the 2023 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Light’ Sauvignon Blanc (OB, 89) which is crisp yet maintains a really nice texture. The best wine I tasted in the tasting was the 2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘XLC’ Riesling (OB, 94) which is a legit GG style wine that is dense, heady and full of texture. This is a world-class Riesling. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.ste-michelle.com/ and here are my reviews of the new wines by Chateau Ste. Michelle.

2023 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Light’ Sauvignon Blanc- Only 80 calories, the 2022 ‘Light’ Sauvignon Blanc was stored in stainless steel before bottling. Right away this shows gooseberry and kiwi on the nose alongside green apple notes. The palate shows wonderful bright acidity crisp pink grapefruit zest, Gravenstein apple and copious minerals with a smooth texture. Drink 2024-2028- 89

2023 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Light’ Chardonnay- This 2023 ‘Light’ Chardonnay was barrel fermented in neural oak before bottling. The wine is soft and approachable with pear and apple flavors with green melon notes and minerals. Drink 2024-2028- 88

2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘XLC’ Riesling- The 2020 ‘XLC’ comes form the Evergreen Vineyard. At the end of the season their favorite block is picked for this wine and then the wine is given native yeast fermentation and was stored in oak tank for two years and is later released three years later. The wine is made in a Trocken style, as this opens with petrol and white flowers on the nose alongside lemon rind and ripe peach. The palate is lithe and polished with a bright sense of acidity. Soft and broad-shouldered, this is a gorgeous rendition of this wine that is showing beautifully. Drink 2024-2034- 94

2022 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Eroica’ Riesling- The 2022 ‘Eroica’ was given 2G/L residual sugar. Honeydew melon and bight pear mark the nose alongside orange blossom notes. The palate is fresh and smooth with bright sense of tension and mouth-watering acidity. This is nearly impossible to put down when opened. Drink 2024-2030- 93

2022 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Canoe Ridge Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2022 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Canoe Ridge Vineyard’ Chardonnay was stored in only 15% new French oak before bottling. The palate is fresh and nicely textured with baking spice dusted pie crust and bright pear alongside shades of marzipan on the palate. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2019 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Cold Creek Vineyard’ Merlot- This outstanding Merlot was stored for 18 months in 37% new French oak before bottling. Juicy and soft on the mouth, this delivers bright Bing cherry and red raspberry flavors that combine with shades of salty and loamy soils. This is already nicely evolved stuff. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2021 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Indian Wells Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2021 Indian Wells was made with 84% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Syrah. Stored in a combination of French and American oak, this is delicious, full-bodied wine this shows roasted dates, espresso grounds, dark chocolate shavings and shades of black licorice on the palate. Really good now, enjoy over the next six plus years to come. Drink 2024-2030- 92

2021 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Cold Creek Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Coming from this site planted back in 1973, the 100% varietal anew opens with a beautiful bouquet of black florals, tar and tobacco leaf on the nose. The palate is polished and well-structured with a delightful core of black fruit flavors. Delicious now, savor this beautiful wine over the next eight plus years. Drink 2024-2032-93

2019 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Ethos’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The beautiful, 100% varietal 2019 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Ethos’ Cabernet Sauvignon was stored in 56% new French oak before bottling. Tar, mocha, anise and black currants all mark the nose. The palate is smooth and shows good richness considering the coolness of the vintage. Well-structured and tannic, this has a long way to go. Drink 2024-2036- 93

2020 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Artist Series’ Red Wine- The 2020 ‘Artist Series’ is a beautiful red wine that is made from near equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small parts Malbec and a touch of Cabernet Franc. This is soft and approachable now with dried herbs, bitter chocolate, anise, black currants and toasty oak on the palate. This is a really nice effort considering the challenges of the vintage. Drink 2024-2028- 91