I can’t think of a more passionate dude in the Washington wine industry than winemaker, Gilles Nicault. His zeal for wine, passion for life and people can only be truly appreciated if you get the chance to meet him in person. One could say that being french-born slanted him to be this way but his level of passion is hard to fake or duplicate. Gilles puts his whole heart into everything he touches and because of that, everyone should have the chance to try his wines – even if at the end of the day your palate doesn’t agree with them.

Long Shadows hires talent from around the world to work with Gilles on various projects – this is part of the success model for the winery as they get to to employ the expertise from some of the world’s most celebrated winemakers.

2006 Pirouette – W.E.P. Rating: 80%

Technical Details:

Blend: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 5% Syrah

Alcohol: 14.6%

pH: 3.93

TA: 0.53 grams / 100ml

Release Date: May 2009

Production: 1,733 cases

Price: $55

Nose: Waves of dark chocolate covered blueberries and blackberries. white pepper, wild game, road tar and spice.

Taste: Nice doses of black and white pepper with fresh deer meat, a touch of baby poo, radishes, blackberry, plusm, anise, and chocolate. This is an interesting wine in that it offers some nice layers of complexity and had good acids, but for a $55 wine the finish seems a bit awkward for me. It finishes with some black licorice, pencil lead and ink but all that goodness gets a bit choked out by being a touch too hot – I’d like to try this wine again in 3-5 years.

2006 Feather – W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Technical Details:

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Alcohol: 14.2%

pH: 3.72

TA: 0.57 grams / 100ml

Release Date: April 2009

Production: 2,238 cases

Price: $55

Nose: Cherries, dirt, raspberries, freshly-tanned leather, saddle soap and big-league chew.

Taste: Nice dose of what I’m going to call “dirty cherries” – it’s like you took a handful of cherries, dropped them in the dirt and then ate them – Good stuff. Across the mid-palate, I get some cool flavors of lavender, rose petal, charcoal, black raspberries and leather. Good finish that lingers nicely with flavors of black pepper and spice – would be a great pick for a grilled rib-eye steak.

2006 Saggi – W.E.P. Rating: 95%

Blend:42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Sangiovese, 19% Syrah

Alcohol: 14.6%

pH: 3.81

TA: 0.55 grams / 100ml

Release Date: October 2008

Production: 1,725 cases

$45

Nose: Crayola crayons, christmas fruit cake, cherry, blueberry,  glue,  star anise and some fresh road-kill.

Taste: Blackberry-laced leather straps that have been covered in molasses, cherries, pie crust, chocolate, nutmeg and wild game. There is a lot going on in the taste of this wine – it’s very complex, offering a great variety in layers of flavors. Good acidity and tannin structure – for me – make this wine an easy pick for lasagna or meat-filled ravioli or any sort of italian-styled meat and red-sauce dishes. Good velvet-action on the palate with a finish that hangs out like that annoying neighborhood kid who doesn’t “get it” on when it’s time to leave.

On the web: www.longshadows.com

By Darin Pemberton

Lynfred Winery is  a 30-something year old establishment just west of Chicago, IL.  The winery opened its doors in 1979 based on the dream of Fred and Lynn Koehler.  Now in a facility encompassing some 24,000 square feet, Lynfred maintains ‘Tasting Devine’ in nearby Wheaton, IL, and Naperville IL.    Like to stay all night? Good – Lynfred also operates Lynfred Suites, Bed & Breakfast! For more info, please see www.lynfredwinery.com

There’s a saying regarding the sum is greater than its parts.  Diving into my latest sampling from Lynfred Winery, I was hoping to find my next-best-favourite wines.  On paper, the Cab Sauv-heavy Cuvee had all the right players, co-starring with Zin, Merlot and Petite Syrah.   While this wine was crafted in Illinois, it features grapes grown in Washington and California, by favorite growers of the wine maker.

Technical details:

44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Zinfandel, 14% Merlot, 12% Petite Syrah, 7% Syrah, 5% Petite Verdot, 1% Pinot Noir and 1% Grenache

Aging:  French and American Oak

Alcohol: 13.5%

Residual Sugar: .2%

pH: 3.63

Total Acidity: 7 g/L

MSRP: $30

On the Nose: Sniffing through my Riedel, after sitting open about 20 minutes, I picked up notes of Licorice, Blackberries, Spices, a kind of musty-leather, and the smell of an old, wet Clarinet reed.

On the tongue: Strong vegital mixed with bitter-sweet cocoa. Jammy and fruity – tasted like rose petals and smokey butter.  I drank this wine with a large slab of fresh-grilled T-Bone steak, and frankly, the steak was too much for the Cuvée.  Suggested foods based on the information card received with the wine suggest peppercorn steer, brownies, and New York strip steak.   Because of that I was a little surprised at how the Cuvée had a difficult time with my meal – sides were wasabi mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini.  I suspect the bottle I sampled was a little off, as I was left with a slightly bitter aftertaste.   I’m going to have to give the Cuvée another shot – because the blend, the grapes, and Lynfred’s other products are right up my alley.

While over all the wine was acceptable, and I’d gladly serve it, the bottle I sampled, at an MSRP of $30 left me wanting.   Especially compared with the Zin I’ve recently reviewed from Lynfred, I didn’t feel the Cuvée was right for me at that price point – thus my

W.E.P. Rating:  70%