Avennia Winery is a relative new-comer to the Washington wine scene and specializes in what I feel is one of Washington’s strong-points and that is red blends. It does make a Sauvignon Blanc and straigh Syrah as well but those are for a different review.
Technical Data:
Appellation: Columbia Valley
Blend: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon
40% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc
Vineyards: 31% Red Willow Cab, planted 1985
24% Bacchus Cab, planted 1972
24% Red Willow Merlot, planted 1985
15% Klipsun Merlot, planted 2000
6% Bacchus Cab Franc, planted 1998
Ageing: 50% new French oak for 20 months
Cases: 350
Retail: $35
Release: February 2013
On the nose: Violet, bing cherries, raspberry, black licorice, black currant, allspice, old leather glove, dark cocoa and peppercorns.
On the palate: Good complexity of flavors mentioned on the nose but I’m also getting a bit of nice tartness, sort of reminds me of a little rhubarb action and I appreciate that quite a bit. Good acids and tannin structure should help this wine lay down for 8-12 years and go well with beef, blackened salmon, bison or an herb-crusted lamb-chop.
Unfortunately, not too many producers make a Cabernet Franc – it’s either because they don’t have access to quality fruit or perhaps worry that not enough folks would buy it. Thankfully, Justin Wylie of Va Piano Vineyards has neither of those concerns as he has his own estate fruit and has no problems selling all he makes of this wonderful wine only to the winery’s wine club.
Vineyard Sources: Va Piano Vineyards Block 8 Cab Franc, Va Piano Vineyards Block 3 Merlot
Appellation: Walla Walla Valley
Oak Composition: 40% New French / 60% Neutral French
Barrel Aging: 21 months
Chemistry: Alcohol 14.4%
pH 3.66
TA .59g/100ml
Case Production: 150 cases
Price: $48
Nose: Black cherry, hazelnut, cigar wrapper, dark chocolate, cola and tar bubble.
Taste: Raisin fruit roll-up, mocha, pencil lead, match stick and dried blueberries. Firm tannins with a good acidity lead into an inviting finish that begs you for more. This is a new-world-style Cab Franc in that it doesn’t have the “veggie” action we tend to see from the old world. Lots of reach-around on this bottle – should age well for another 10 years or more.
CC Wines is a joint venture between famous Sommelier, Richard Betts and Castle Brands – his motto’s are: “I will not drink bad wine” and “wine should be a grocery, not a luxury”. It’s clear to me, after spending time with both the cab, that those concepts have carried through into the wine.
This is a stunning cab in that it’s from Napa – which isn’t cheap these days – and destroys many other Napa-area cabs I’ve had for a fraction of the cost.
Technical Data:
VA: .091
pH: 3.80
TA: .62
RS: .07
Alc: 15.58%
Price: $20-$25
Nose: If you took some rainier cherries, wrapped them up in a dirty old cigar wrapper and found a way to smoke it – that’s what this nose reminds me of. Layers of cherry, chocolate, vanilla and modeling clay.
Taste: Hello smoothness, how fond I am of thee – okay, this is a serious cab and opens up even better after some decant time. The tannin structure is right on the money as is the mid palate and finish. This – to me – this what good California Cab is all about. The crazy thing is, that 15.58 is a bit on the higher side for me, but the fruit does a great job of masking some of the heat ans comes off very well balanced. Complexity, smoothness and a finish that simply is BEGGING you to have a steak with it.
My only real concern with this wine is the misleading pricing from CCWines – they clam it’s $20, however, when you search the online merchants from its website, the cheapest this cab sells for is $23. When I asked CC about this, they claimed that they have no control over what the retailers ultimately sell it for. I know this may seem like I’m splitting hairs but I feel I have an obligation to point out areas that I feel could be potentially misleading.
Having said all that, this wine is still well worth it, even at $25 .
Robert Smasne’s wines have garnered a lot of good press over the past couple of years – he has a good knack for sourcing quality fruit and not dinking with it too much. This is great for folks like me who have a profound appreciation for wines that stay relatively true to the terroir.
Malbec has exploded in the world of wine in that time as well and for food reason. It’s very fruity, has really nice flavors and generally goes great with food as well – especially meat dishes.
Technical Data:
Varietal – 100% Malbec
Vineyard – Phinny Hill
Appellation – Horse Heaven Hills
Aged 28 months in 100% French Oak
Price: $35
Nose: Black cherries, blackberry pie filling, pepper, spice and a splash of clove and black licorice.
Taste: Deep black fruits that come thining thru with a hint of peppered venison jerky. Good mouthfeel, tannin structure and overall finish make this an easy malbec to keep going back to.
Conclusion: I’ve had equal quality from Argentina Malbecs for $20 – so for me, it’s kind of a tough sale at $35. Having said that, I understand why it’s priced the way it is – it’s from small production and the cost of fruit is more up here in WA as well. If you want a quality WA malbec and like supporting the “home-team” then give this one a whirl.
Petite Sirah does very well in the heat of California and the vineyards in Ed Dorado country – in the Sierra foothills – are well known for their elevation and cooler nights which is a great combination for great fruit. Crystal Basin Cellars is in this area, in a city called Camino, and has been producing quality red wines for awhile now. I was first introduced to its wines last year and have been a huge fan ever since.
Technical Data:
Alc: 14.2
Brix: 25.5
ph: 3.75
Price: $27
Nose: Peppered jerky, bell pepper, blueberries, blackberry and the inside of an old leather shoe.
Taste: Very good combo of black fruit flavors coming through with a light dusting of cinnamon and blueberries. I get a good black licorice-laced leather component across the mid palate with very nice tannin structure. A young wine that drinks good now and should age another 5-8 years or so. Goes great with barbeque, steaks, hamburgers or even wild game.
Producer Roberto Felluga has a sense of passion and drive in the way he talks about his family’s long-standing (now in its fifth-generation) business. His family’s winery produces two different brands under the same roof – Marco Felluga and Russiz Superiore and each one has its own distinct style.
Here’s a map so you can see where the two wineries are at geographically:
The wines that have the Russiz Superiore brand are all aged in oak – even the whites and all the grapes come from the immediate property.
On the other hand, Marco Felluga wines are vinified in stainless, the vineyards are in Farra d’isonzo, Cormons, San Lorenzo and San Floriano - all still within Collio. It’s cellar is in Gradisca d’Isonzo.
Roberto and his staff sat us down at a super-long table and proceeded to pour us each one of their lovely wines – each one had its own distinctness to it and his red was one of the highlights of my trip. I realize, that Collio’s production consists of 80% white but one should not discount their ability to churn out very food-friendly red wine as well. The thing that strikes me so profoundly about the wines here are their near-perfect “sense of place, this is where it’s made damn-it” – yes, terrior.
Soil, sandstone, rock, basalt, sea-floor – it’s all in there and Roberto does an awesome job of expressing all that in his wines. It’s hard to fully express through pictures alone, what it’s like to walk through a winery like this – one that’s been around so long and has a pedigree of producing such amazing wines – luckily, for us in the USA, they do have an importer so chances are your favorite wine shop may carry these wines already or should be able to order them in.
If you want an awesome expression of Collio and would like to “travel there” without leaving your home, then you should taste the Russiz Superiore or Marco Felluga wines soon.
There’s no question that Argentina – as a wine producing region – is on fire and that has mainly been because of its successful malbec wines. Due to a variety of reasons such as cheaper labor, land and grape prices, you can often find wine from Argentina are far superior quality-per-dollar than other leading regions.
2009 Malbec:
W.E.P. Rating: 90%
Technical Data:
Composition: 100% Malbec
Vineyards: Valle de Uco, 1100 m.a.s.l., Agrelo 1050 m.a.s.l.
Oak aging: 6 months in American oak barrels.
Analytical Data
Alcohol % v / v: 14.
Residual sugars: 4.90 g/l.
Total acidity tartaric: 5.15 g/l.
Volatile acidity in acetic: 0.48 g/l.
Color: Intense red with purplish highlights.
Price: $12
Nose: Plums, cedar smoke, tanned leather, cocoa, cinnamon and clove with a hint of blackberry.
Taste: I get a good mix of blackberry and plum-pie filling right off the bat – this is very fruit-foward, new-world style malbec. Decent tannins and overall mouthfeel, however, the finish is a bit too short for me – overall not a bad wine for the money.
2008 Cab:
W.E.P. Rating: 80%
Technical Data:
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyards: Valle de Uco, 1100 m.a.s.l.
Oak aging: 6 months in American oak barrels.
Alcohol % v / v: 14.2.
Residual sugars: 4.03 g/l.
Total acidity tartaric: 5.17 g/l.
Volatile acidity in acetic: 0.60 g/l.
Color: Deep ruby red with mahogany shades.
Price: $12
Nose: Spiced cherries, top soil, leather, sea foam, chocolate, roses and tar.
Taste: The top-soil effece and tar come on really strong at first and then lead way into a spiced-cherry frenzy. Decent mid-palate, however, the tannins are sort of weak for me and it always doesn’t finsih near as strong as I’d hope for. Not a bad effort at all, however, there are far more interesting cabs out there.
Family-owned and operated Gifford Hirlinger resides right on the border of Washington and Oregon on well-named Stateline Road near Walla Walla. Its winemaker, Mike Berghan, loves what he does and if you ever get the chance to talk to him, you’ll see the passion teaming from him.
His family started the winery several years ago and have enjoyed a good amount of fanfare, awards and it’s no surprise. His wines tend to do a good job of reflecting the Walla Walla terrior without breaking the bank as many wines of that region tend to do.
Mike uses estate-grown fruit which means he has superior working-knowledge of the vineyard management and that helps help in making wines that don’t get in the way of the terrior coming through.
Technical Data:
Case Production: 342
Varietal Composition: 79% Malbec, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Tempranillo
Barrel Aging: 18 Months
Oak Program: 40% New Hungarian Oak, 60% Neutral Hungarian Barrels
Price: $26
Nose: Spicy plums and blackberries have a date with a touch of cedar box and spice. Lots of dark, spicy fruit on the nose here.
Taste: Inky plumsauce with spiced blackberry jam on top. Good tannins, a touch of vanilla and dark chocolate. Really nice finish that lingers nicely.
Some wine lovers out there haven’t even heard of the grape, Petit Verdot so that alone makes them somewhat intrigued. What is it? Well, it’s one of the six red Bordeaux varietals that for the longest time was only used for blending. The reason for this is because it generally has a longer ripening time than the other Bordeaux grapes in France so it sort of fell out of favor there. However, in the New World, where hotter temperatures can help it ripen faster, it has attracted a lot of winemakers.
Richard Funk, owner and winemaker of Saviah Cellars in Walla Walla Washington has fallen in love with this wonderful grape and his current 2007 release totally reflects that love and passion.
Technical Data:
Appellation: Walla Walla Valley
pH 3.63
TA 0.54 g/100mL
Alcohol 14.7% By Volume
Fermentation: 36-hour cold soak; Open top fermenters with cap punched down by hand three times per day. Secondary fermentation finished in barrel.
Barrel Aging: 100% New French oak barrels
Aged 21 months
Cases Produced: 190 cases
Bottling Date: June 11, 2009
Release Date: October 1, 2010
Price: $30
Nose: Smells like a blackened prime-grade New York Steak – very “meaty” on the nose. Good aroma’s have charred wood, plumsauce, boysenberries, blueberry and blackberry jam.
Taste: First off, this wine kicks some major ass – it’s like a Slip-N-Slide flavorama of black licorice, blackberry jam, squid ink, plums and beef. The mouthfeel couldn’t be better and the overall “hang time” of the finish is obnoxiously long – in a good way. Easily the best Petit Verdot I’ve had anywhere at anytime. Would pair well with grilled steaks, veal meatballs or game.
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.
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.
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.
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
Dusted Valley Wines, headquartered in Walla Walla Washington, came onto the scene a few years ago and most recently won “Winery of the year” Wine Press Northwest magazine. Its owners and winemakers launched back in 2003, becoming the 52nd winery to open in Walla Walla.
They’re one of the few wineries in Washington that have gone all screw-cap and that hasn’t seemed to bother their fans nor the critics.
Oak Program: 25 % New French Oak, 15% New American Oak
Production: 242 Cases
Price: $35
Nose: Blueberry, cinnamon, allspice, cedar, peppercorn, clove, leather and chocolate.
Taste: Excellent attack of black pepper, cinnamon, blueberry and a nice hint of blackberry coming thru for me as well. I get a spicey chocololate note that picks things up across the mid-palate transisition. The finish brings lingering flavors of blueberry, Christmas spice, leather, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf. This is an extremely solid effort and a Syrah that does a good job of showcasing how well WA State can do this grape.
It’s been said the only constant in our lives is change. Not the kind you find under your couch cushions – the kind that takes us from one state of being; one point of view; one condition to the next. Last week my wife celebrated her 32nd birthday. Folks have asked me what I got for her – what present did I buy. I gave her the gift of change. Up until last week one of my wife’s favourite wines was made by the late Colvin Vineyards of Walla Walla – their Allegresse. Not a lot of folk I’ve met realize how good that juice was; it’s a shame the winery is no longer around. The Colvin Allegresse is a wine my wife and i use as a measuring stick. It’s generally asked like this:
“…did you like it better than the ‘gresse?”
I believe our new question may be more like “…how does that compare to the Lynfred Zin?”
The three-decades-old Lynfred Winery is located in Roselle, Illinois – just about 45 minutes west of Chicago – and is the creation based on “the love and ingenuity” of Fred and Lynn Koehler. Starting with a turn-of-the-last-century home, the Koehlers created and organized a cellar during the house renovations. Securely encased in 18″-thick walls, the cellar provides ideal conditions. I can attest to that – based on the bottle I sampled for this review.
Thoughtfully included with the wine for this review was an information sheet which contained background information about the wine, as well as a suggested recipe – Savory Beef Stroganoff. Thus, armed with an open bottle, a plate of Stroganoff, my wife and I sat to enjoy her Birthday dinner.
Technical Notes:
Aged: American and French oak
Residual sugar: 0.1%
Alcohol percentage: 14
Titratable Acid: 6.67 g/L
pH: 3.67
MSRP: $25.25
Awards
Beverage Tasting Institute: Gold – 91 points
Finger Lakes International: Silver
San Diego International: Silver
Smells like: Strong notes of pepper, leather, a little musk and earthiness, sweet/fruity
Taste: When sipped my first thought was “Now that’s a zin!” The wine seemed to jump out of my glass and breakdance on my tongue. The taste invoked images of smoking a pipe while walking along a path in an evergreen forest after a spring rain. I could ‘taste the smell’ of wildflowers, maybe a little nuttiness and butter – very aggressive yet non-offensive taste. Very smooth across the tongue. After about 15 minutes of smelling and tasting the wine I realized I’d forgotten about my dinner. The Stroganoff was a spot-on match for this wine. The flavors of the dinner blended and complimented what I was drinking. Within 30 minutes my wife and I had polished off all but about half-glass worth of the Zin. I re-corked the wine and placed the bottle in the refrigerator. Before dinner the next day I poured what was left into a glass and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Swirl, snif, drink – again, the Zin was fantastic. I was shocked, really, as I’ve had many wines lose half their moxie after an over-night in the chill box.
Don’t wait for your, or your mate’s birthday to crack open a bottle of this Zin – even if you have to rummage through your couch cushions, or under your car seats – dig up enough change to pick up a bottle of this wine. Don’t wait for your birthday…go now.
Australian winery, d’Arenberg, has been producing wines in the McLaren Vale region for a long time and uses vines that are well over 100 years old. For many Aussies, they are a go-to brand that have and should continue to offer quality wines for generations.
One of its higher-end wines is the Sticks and Stones blend that incorporates Tempranillo, Grenache and two grapes I’m sure a lot of folks haven’t heard of – Tintacao and Souzao – both of which are Portuguese varietals.
Fermentation: Cultivated yeast fermentation in cement and stainless steel vessels
Oak Maturation: 10 to 12 months in French and American oak
Price: $40
Nose: The smell of high-school pottery class while eating a handful of raspberries, gooseberries and cherries.
Taste: Tart rhubarb that’s been dusted with red dirt and modeling clay. The mid palate does have some of the nice red fruits I picked up in the smell, however, the finish on this wine is very jacked up for me – not feeling it at all. Yeah, hot finish, very bitter and too short – I’d avoid this wine like the plague right now. Sticks and Stones may only break bones but this finish is gonna kill me.
Like most small wineries, Willis Hall prides itself on staying as close to the “purity of the fruit” as possible and sources from the best vineyard sites it can get its hands on. Winemaker, John Bell, is extremely passionate about his craft and is always eager to share the wines he produces.
Willis Hall has sort of carved out a small cult-like following and is one of the wineries that are starting to put Snohomish County on the map (well, that and some help from the scores Quilceda Creek wines have garnered).
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting John a few times now over the past several months and am always impressed on how personable he is and the gleam in his eye whenever you get him started talking about wine – it’s great to see his passion.
Barrels – 100% French Oak (50% New; 50% One Cycle Used)
Ageing – 22 Months
Price: $32
Nose: Cherries, raspberries, black cherries. The smell reminds me of a warm, safe place where as a child I’d Hide (Guns n’ Roses rocks!) – seriously, this wine has comfort-101 all over the nose. It’s pleasant, soft and full of fruit that you’d love to pound by the fistfull.
Taste: The sheer balance of tannin structure and dark fruits of this wine are “off the chain” – this is a Cab Franc that is truley world-class and shows good evidence as to why Washington State kicks ass with this grape. It has the classic darker berry fruits on the front-end with an incredible mid-palate transition that layers on a sort of caramel-pie-crust-like layer and the finish lasts for weeks.
2005 Dolcetto – W.E.P. Rating: 90%
Alcohol by Volume – 13.7%
Blend – 91% Dolcetto; 9% Sangiovese
Vineyards – Morrison Lane; Snipes Canyon Ranch
Barrels – 100% French Oak (40% One Cycle Used; 60% Neutral)
Ageing – 22 Months
Price: $28
Nose: Shampoo, black cherries, rhubarb, sour cherries, white pepper, bubble gum and beef jerky.
Taste: Good amount of an ocean-spray tartness that goes on in the fruit attack of this wine – flavors of cherries, raspberries and lognberry. A solid mid-palate transition that brings on some nice layers of cocoa, white pepper and a hint of medicine cabinet. Good finish that lingers on nicely for hours.
Liberty Lake Cellars, near Spokane Washington, started off in 2004 by producing small amounts of wine which was sourced from Red Mountain AVA. It’s owners, Doug and Shelly both have “day jobs” while working the winery in their off-time. It’s a winery built on hard work and a lot of heart.
They were participants in the #WaMerlot Tweet-up a couple of months ago and I was really drawn in to their passion via a few emails I’ve had with them.
Price: $22
Alcohol: 13.4%
Nose: Blackberries, dark cocoa, forest floor, cherry-flavored Robitussin, vanilla and oak.
Taste: There is some black fruit going on here, however, it seems to be overwhelmed with oak. Across the mid-palate I get notes of chocolate, tobacco and black pepper but again, the oak comes in and just kills it for me. The finish leaves a sort of black pepper-laced fruit roll-up on the tongue – but again, for me, it’s way too much oak coming through. If you’re a fan of the “California-styled” wines that do have that more pronounced oak/vanilla flavor, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this merlot.
Located in the city that’s not really a city – Benton City WA – Chandler Reach is no stranger to success with its wines and adoring fans around the northwest. It’s one of the larger wineries you’ll find in the greater Red Mountain area and has been producing wines since 2000. It’s Parris line of wines are its reserve program, named after its founders, Len and Jane Parris.
Technical Data:
100% Sangiovese
Alcohol: 13.9%
Total pH: 3.56
Total Acidity: .66
Price: $36
Nose: Black currant, black pepper, plumsauce, pencil savings, toasted oak, forrest floor and the rubber from a sneaker shoe.
Taste: Definitely hit hard with the pepper-crusted plums on the initial attack – the mid palate does bring on the toasted-oak a bit that I know many will appreciate. The finish leaves a skid-mark of tobacco, dark chocolate and black pepper on the tongue and that’s something I really do get into. This wine is a total no-brainer with ANY tomato-sauced pasta dishes with meatballs or veal.
Powers Winery in the Richland WA, has been producing wines for longer than most other wineries in the state – its legacy extends back to 1982, which for WA is a decently long time. Started by brothers Greg and Bill Powers, they also produce wine under another label called Badger Mountain. It was also one of the first wineries in our state to transition to 100% organic grapes back in 1992 – long before it was the savvy thing to do.
2006 Reserve Meritage: W.E.P. Rating: 90%
Technical Data:
Vineyard Sources and Grape Varities: 31% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coyote Vineyard (Wahluke), 22% Merlot from Katharine Leone (Wahluke Slope, Milbrant), 21% Malbec from Goose Ridge (Columbia Valley), 18% Petite Verdot from Alice Vineyard (Wahluke), and 8% Cabernet Franc from the Estate (Columbia Valley)
Copperage: The Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec both were in new wood (French), the rest in 3-4 yr old.
Bottled in August of 2008
ph: N/A
Alcohol: 14.2%
240 cases made
Price: $35
Nose: Blackberries, tar, pie crust and some herbaceousness.
Taste: Black plum, blackberry and black cherries combined with some leather, sweaty sock, firm tannins and a finish that lingers quite well. This wine should easily lay down for the next 5-10 years.
Nose: Obvious cherries, blackberries and big league chew, pomagrante, brussel sprouts on the nose along with some vanilla-laced tobacco.
Taste: I get dried cherry, shoe-leather, dark chocolate, tobacco, anise, not a bad mouth-feel, hints of smoothness and a good finish. This wine would be a natural pairing with prime rib or grilled steaks topped with blue-cheese; however, at it’s price of $30, there are some better values out there – to me this wine is currently bringing about a $20 experience.
XYZin is an arm of Ascentia wine estates in California and as its name implies, it aims to be the final word in Zinfandel. Its winemaker, Ondine Chattan, grew-up in Marin country so she’s been around the wine regions of that area most of her life. As one can tell from the way XYZin names its Zinfandels, one of the things it does is to showcase a span of history of what young-to-old vines can do in the bottle and ultimately, your glass.
In this review, we take a look at their 2007 “10″ and 2006 “50″ – made with 10yr old vines and 50yr old vines respectively.
2007 10 – W.E.P. Rating: 60%
Technical Data:
Wine Type:Red Wine
Varietal:Zinfandel
Appellation:California
Harvest Date:September 4th – October 15th, 2007
Acid:5.8g/L
PH:3.70
Alcohol %:14.2
Price: $16
Nose: bright cherries like cherry-flavored kool-aid action as well on the nose – a little fake-smelling. I also get subtlties of rose petal.
Taste: Tightly-woven, young tannins give way to a fruit-bomb with some bits of cherry/raspberry jam and white pepper. A finish that’s too short with tannins that are completely out of control and fruit that tastes too fake. Quite frankly, at $16, there are far better zins out there but I do appreciate the relatively low alcohol for a Zin as it helps to create a more balanced finish.
2006 50 - W.E.P. Rating: 70%
Technical Data:
Wine Type:Red Wine
Varietal:Zinfandel
Appellation:Russian River Valley
Acid:5.9 g/L
PH:3.7
Aging:Aged 15 months in French Oak
Residual Sugar:Dry
Alcohol %:14.3%
Price: $35
Nose: Bigtime raspberry/blackberry jam with nice hints of plum-sauce, white pepper and euchaliptus and rhubarb.
Taste: Bright raspberries topped over rhubarb pie - add in hints of pepper and you have the front-end palate of this wine. I’m also getting some fruity-pebbles action along with red vines licorice. A decently long finish resounds with a lace of leather, vanilla, and white pepper, however, it’s doesn’t have near the overall mouthfeel and pizzaz a wine of its price range should have in my opinion. To me, this is a Zin that should be more appropraitely priced at $20-$25 to make it more competitive to what else is out there.
Texas wineries have been doing quite well with both spanish and rhone grape varieties for awhile now and have vastly been under-the-radar for most of the greater wine-drinking community at large. While there are cleary some wines in Texas that show the immaturity of that region, yet others which provide a glimpse of promise and hope to how great it can be as well.
Kim McPherson, winemaker and owner, of McPherson Cellars in Lubbock Texas has been making wine in Texas for 20 years and learned his chops in Napa and from UC Davis. He’s no stranger to what it takes to make great wines and seems to be doing a good job of producing quality wines at price points which should do well – even in today’s economy.
2006 Rose of Syrah-Grenache – W.E.P. Rating: 90%
Technical Data:
Grape Variety:77% Syrah, 23% Grenache
Appellation:Texas
Production:1000 Cases
pH:3.51
Total Acid:6.4 gm/L
Alcohol:13.1%
Residual Sugar:4.0 gm/L
Aging:Stainless Steel
Price: $12
Nose: Dirty strawberries with some rosepedal, socks, laundry-detergent and some cherry pop-rocks.
Taste: Rubarb, cherries and strawberries for days – it has an insanely long finish which I find very pleasing. A little bit on the hot side for me but chilling the wine would help take some of that out. Also get some red-clay action.
2005 Grenache Mourvedre – W.E.P. Rating: 92%
Technical Data:
Grape Variety: 51% Grenache, 49% Mourvédre
Appellation: Texas
Production: 357 Cases
pH: 3.67
Total Acid: 6.4 gm/L
Alcohol: 13.1%
Residual Sugar: 5.2 gm/L
Aging: 100% in 2 year old American and French barrels for 14 months.
Taste: Good berry component going down the hatch which does an admirable job of coating the mouth with some smooth velvet action. If you took some spicey, cherry jam and coated it with dirt shoe-laces and fresh flowers – that’s what you’d have with this wine.
It’s very pinot-esk in its approach and it’s not going to be geared towards the lovers of Cabs and Merlot’s. The finish lingers quite nicely and overall I’d easily hit this with a bowl of taco soup, spicey italian sausage-pasta or other heavily seasoned foods.
Nose: Bright cherries, raspberries, hints of straw and sandstone – smells like vegas air. I’m also picking up some cherry-cola action as well on the nose.
Taste: Very kool-aid-like in its fruit-forward approach – the finish is rather weak and doesn’t leave much on the palate very long. This wine seems rather disjointed to me as if it doesn’t know who or what it’s trying to be.
