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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.

W.E.P. Rating: 90%

On the web: www.chandlerreach.com

When Don and Judy Phelps started this winery a few years ago they drew inspiration from the old brothel that once “served” the local mining community of the greater Lake Chelan area. For those not familiar with the landscape of this beautiful region in Washington State, it is indeed a bit different than Columbia Valley. Lake Chelen itself is one of the deepest lakes in the world and is has plenty of high hills in its general area – cooler climate grapes do very well in this region and Judy has the winemaking prowess to know what works there and what doesn’t.

2008 Pinot Noir Rose’ – W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Technical Data:

Nose: Cherries, white pepper, strawberries, ripe kiwi and a touch of fabreeze

Taste: Refreshing fruit attack on the front palate with a solid transition into the mid-region that starts layering those good cherry and strawberry components. I get a nice white pepper action on the finish which I feel compliments the strawberry flavor rather nicely.

I went 90% on this wine because at the $15 mark there are whites from other regions like Spain and Argentina which offer a bit more complexity at the same price-point.

2008 Shameless Hussy Roussanne – W.E.P. Rating: 85%

Technical Data

• Cases Produced75
• AppellationColumbia Valley
• VineyardWhite Heron- Mariposa
• Harvest DateSeptember 25 , 2008
• Brix at Harvest24˚
• Blendn/a
• Barrel Regimenone
• Final Analysis Alcohol 13.8%
• TA  0.8 g/100ml
• pH 3.5  • R.S 0.7%
• Release DateJune 2009
• Price: $15

Nose: Apricots, sea water, coral, peach skin and pears.

Taste:A spritzy tongue-bath of apricots, peaches, pears and a hint of carmel. I get an rather interesting vanilla-like mid-palate transition that hits me pretty good. Decent finish on this wine – a bit too hot for me, however. Would be an easy pick for shellfish, sea-bass or just to enjoy on the patio with the sun out.

2006 Cabernet Franc – W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Technical Data:

• Cases Produced: 180
• Appellation: Wahluke Slope
• Vineyard: Riverbend
• Harvest Date: October 20, 2006
• Brix at Harvest: 24.8˚
• Blend: 100% Cabernet Franc
• Barrel Regime: 50% American 50% French : 30% new
• Alcohol 14.1%
• TA 0.53 g/100ml
• pH 3.8
• Release Date: September 2008
• Price: $25

Nose: Candied rose petals, cherries, vanilla, creme brulle.

Taste: Good balance of black licorice, roses, carmel and black cherries on the intitial taste. I like the mid palate transition which gives way to notes of leather, dark chocolate, tobacco and tar. A nice finish that lingers on for hours and makes you want more.

2006 Syrah – W.E.P. Rating: 75%

I love wine duels as I believe they can help shake-up the many stereotypes we have as wine lovers. I’ve been witness to quite a few that have shaken preconcived ideas and also helped to enlighten peoples minds and palates to the wine-world around them. And honesly, that’s a great thing, right?

California has really taken on a following all its own for the good job it does with so many of the red bordeaux grapes – Cab and Merlot top that list. The simple truth is that California has been producing award-winning Merlot longer than any other state in the union and for that they should be commended and saught out.

However, as many of us know, the state of Washington has really come a long ways in a short amount of time and really shaken things up a lot – not only here in the “new world” but in the old as well. Its eastern climate is ideal for growing grapes that ripen well and produce amazing fruit – talk to any vineyard owner there and they’ll talk about that area for hours.

2006 Pedestal Merlot by Long Shadows Winery – W.E.P. Rating: 95%

Long Shadows vintners, founded by long-time Washington wine pioneer, Allen Shoup, is one of those Walla Walla-based wineres to watch and has garnered praise on most of its wines from critics around the world. In fact, it’s 2005 Pedestal Merlot recently won international acclaim at a wine tasting in Canada. There’s little doubting that this winery and the people behind it are about as passionate as anyone can get when it comes to the potential for Washington wine.

• AVA: Columbia Valley
• Alcohol: 14.7%
• pH: 3.83
• TA: 0.51 grams / 100ml
• Blend: 86% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec
• Release date: February 2009
• Production: 1,877 cases
• Winemaking Overseer: Michel Rolland
• Price: $55

Nose: Blackberry jam for days on end, combined with stellar notes of leather, peppercorn, shoe-polish, stinky stocks, tobacco and dark chocolate.

Taste: Incredible layers of flavors going on here – blackberry pie (fresh out of the oven) combined with spices and black pepper. I also get in the mid-palate transition a good amount of leather, tobacco and chocolate for days. Superb mid-palate action where the dark chocolate notes really start to take center stage. Good mouthfeel that makes you beg for more and a finish that has some of the best hang-time I’ve had from any wine at any price.

2006 Double Eagle Merlot by GOS Winery: W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Double Eagle started off as a pet-project from some friends who simply wanted to make some good wine for themselves to share. From the leather label to the waxed top, it’s clear that the presentation of this wine was made to impress. Fast-foward a few years, and it caught-on so much that Michael and crew made it available to the public. While you probably won’t find it in wide-spread availabillity you can always order it directly from the winery.

• Varietal: 92% “Grieve Vineyard” Merlot,  8% Cabernet Sauvignon
• AVA: Napa Valley
• Vineyard: Grieve Family Vineyard (Lovall Valley)
• Elevation: 650 feet
• Density: 1,040 vines per acre
• Vine Age: 9 years
• Harvest Date: 11/2/06
• Brix at Harvest: 25.7
• Winemaker: Michael Sebastiani
• Cold Soak: 1 ½ days
• Fermentation: 14 days with additional maceration of 5 days
• Oak: 100 French, 20% new, 40% one-year and 40% two-year
• Alcohol: 15.4%
• pH: 3.86
• Bottled: 8/27/08
• Cases Bottled: 200
• Price: $40

Nose: Intense dark chocoloate, cinnamon, black plums, black licorice, vanilla, pomagranate and charcoal.

Taste: Cascading black fruit that gives way to a piece of freshly tanned leather soaked in currant, cinnamon and chocolate undertones which are firmly grasped by a nice tannin structure with excellent acidity and mouth feel. The finish lingers very well and keeps rewarding your tastebuds long after its slid gently down the hatch.

I had the chance to sit down with Brennon not too long ago after a huge wine-tasting Efeste held for its club-members.

It should be noted that while we try our best to keep it “G or PG” on Winefoot, that Brennon can be a bit “colorful” with his choice of words at times – we love his passion but just wanted to warn the easily offended.

Winery website: www.sweetvalleywines.com

It’s not too often we get the chance to see an up and coming winemaker from his/her humble beginnings – on the path to “wine rock-stardom” – this is the case with Sweet Valley Wines’ own Josh McDaniels and his team. Still fresh out of college, Josh’s zeal and passion for his wines is as clear as his witty and fun attitude on life, which I think is refected very much so in the wines he makes.

Sourcing the best fruit he can get his hands on from Walla Walla and Columbia Valley means that Josh is like the fat-kid in a candy store with a go-pass – except his liquid candy helps improve our lives. While there are pro’s and cons to sourcing fruit vs. estate (I get it, really) – I do think that for most smaller wineries having the flexability of multiple vineyards is a bonus.

Sweet Valley’s Righteous-series wines are more value-priced, QPR (quality-to-price ratio) -driven and are priced in such a way to help the winery get its products out to a larger audience and it makes sense in today’s economy.

2007 Righteous Malbec – W.E.P. Rating: 85%

Technical Data:

• Vineyard Source: Alice Vineyards at King Fuji Ranch on Wahluke Slope
• Alcohol: 14.1
• Cooperage: 18-months in 500 liter puncheons – French and American oak
• Cases produced: 92
• Price: $16

Nose: Red vines licorice that’s been doused in white pepper, cherry soda and some blackberries and cinnamon stick.

Taste: Cherry blossom, apple core, black peppercorn, bosch pear (I know and odd one in a red wine), tobacco leaf, rose petal. Excellent mouthfeel, lingering finish – a no-brainer of a Malbec for the money.

A very youthful wine that honestly would do well to sit in the bottle another year or so – very tight tannin structure with good fruit forward action. A solid effort from a young winemaker which should please those looking to try a decent alternative to the infamous Argentina malbec commotion.

2007 Righteous Red Wine – W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Technical Data:

• Coulmiba Valley (80% Walla Walla Valley)80% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Syrah, and 2% Petit Verdot
• Vineyard Sources: Forgotten Hills, 7 Hills, Arete Vineyards and Alice Vineyards
• Alcohol: 13.6%
• Cooperage: 18-months French and American Oak
• Cases Produced: 792
• Price: $12

Nose: Eucalyptus-laced plums, black cherries, drakkar men’s cologne, dill, anise, gym sock, burnt almonds.

Taste: Cherry coke, white pepper, cacise, rhubarb, black pepper, cherry-flavored cough syrup. Good general mouthfeel with tight, young tannins. This wine will be better in the next year or two – it’s very youthful right now and a fun dinner wine or party-time red.

James and Poppie Mantone founded Syncline Cellars a few years ago in the small town of Lyle Washington and decided to focus mainly on Rhone grape varities. Their passion for wine started for both of them years before meeting as both were working at LaVelle Vineyards – which is where they met.

As a small production winery, Syncline has the luxury of being able to have full artisitic control of the direction it wants to take its wine – it sources quality fruit from all over the Columbia Valley AVA.

2007 Subduction Red – W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Technical data:

• Vineyard Source: Varies
• Grape varieties: 35% Syrah, 21% Mourvedre, 16% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and 13% Counoise
• Alcohol: 14.1%
• Harvest Dates: Early September – late October
• Year planted: Varies
• Price: $18
• Production: 1750 Cases

Nose: Crushed peppercorn, blackberry, blueberry, elderberry and cinnamon.

Taste: Good amounts of leather, shoe-polish, tobacco, cocoa, eucalyptus, black fruit and some nice cedar box action – good acidty and tannin structure in this wine make it an easy daily-drinkier with a decently long finish.

2007 Mourvedre – W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Technical Data:

• Vineyard Source: Coyote Canyon
• Fruit: 100% Mourvedre
• Harvest Dates: Mid October
• Alcohol: 14.2%
• Time on oak: 16 months
• Price: $30
• Production: 225 Cases

Nose: Tons of oak coming off the nose within the first few minutes of opening – fast forward a day after opening and some nice scents come flowing off this wine like dried blueberry, pencil lead, fruit cake, blackberry, vanilla and cocoa.

Taste: Some good amount of fruit on the front attack which brings in layers of caramel, prunes, blackberry, cassis – tons of black pepper and a similar tar-hint that I found in the subduction red. The finish is okay, however, a bit too hot for me – this would be a good wine with tomato-sauced pasta dishes and veal.

Winery website: www.synclinewine.com

Duckhorn Winery, based in St. Helena California, produces bordeaux-style wines and has considered one of that regions top-quality producers for almost two decades. Its unyielding commitment to quality has long been cemented by its award-winning merlot which it now produces over 30,000 cases of. 

This merlot was one of my “gateway” wines back in my early days of getting into red wines – I remember it have a finish to die for – lush, velvety and just full of excellent fruit which still sticks in the back of my mind even to this day.

This “Napa Valley” Merlot features grapes harvested from 36 different vineyards and really underscores the blending talents of the winemaking staff at Duckhorn. Getting the right comination of blend percentages can be a tricky process, much less working from 36 varrying vineyards and microclimates.

Technical Data:

• Varietal Content: 96% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot
• Appellation: Napa Valley
• Harvest Dates: September 9 — October 31, 2006
• Average Sugar at Harvest: 25.6 degrees Brix
• 36 Vineyards Harvested
• Cooperage: 100% French Oak Château-style Barrels (60 Gallons)
• Barrel Aging: 16 Months
• Age of Barrels: 30% new, 70% second vintage
• Alcohol: 14.5%
• 0.67 g/100 ml titratable acidity
• 8-10 days fermentation at 80?F
• pH: 3.33
• Bottled: April 2008
• Price: $52

Nose: Blackberries, currant, dark cherries, saddle soap with hints of rose petal and leather. 

Taste: Firm tannin structure with the classic black fruit that Merlot is known for – fruit hits heavy on the palate like pepper-laced blackberry jam and then brings in nice subtleties of cedar and spice. The finish isn’t nearly as long as it should be and at its pricepoint of $52 – I think there are plenty of better wines out there. The tannins should mellow out a lot over the next 3-6 years and I’d be interested in trying this wine again at that time.

I ended-up putting the cork back on the the bottle and tracked its progress over the course of a few days – it defintely started to relax a lot which showed-off the blackfruits even more and helped balance the finish a bit more; however, it’s still not remotely being worth the price being asked for it so on that alone, I’d have to give this wine a huge pass.

W.E.P. Rating: 50%

Winery website: www.duckhornvineyards.com

Vin du Lac winery, based in Lake Chelan WA, started producing wines in that region back around 2002 and has developed quite a loyal following. Its winemaker, Larry Lehmbecker, started off has a hobbyist and eventually made the transition into fulltime winemaker.  He really grew his palate during his law school days in San Francisco through frequent trips up into Napa Valley.

2007 “LEHM” Dry Riesling – W.E.P. Rating: 100%

Technical Data:

Varietal:  100% Riesling

Harvest: October 27 -28, 2007

Crush Chemistry: Brix 21-22, pH 3.1-3.2, TA 9.0-9.2 g/L

Wine Chemistry: RS 0.2% fermentable, pH 2.9, TA 8.4 g/L, Alc 13.7%

Bottled: April 9, 2008/275 cases

Release:  June, 2008

Price: $20

Nose: Lemon-zest, green apple skins, limestone, clay and river stone – hints of grapefruit and kiwi as well.

Taste: Massive citrus assault on the palate with some sour-patch candy – take some fresh lemon juice and top it over some river rocks, add a hint of stump-moss and that’s what you have in this wine. It has an incredibly sour/dry finish that makes it a complete no-brainer for any kind of shellfish or even heavily sauced dishes where you want a dry wine to scrape your palate clean again. I’d pound this wine all day long with raw oysters, shrimp or clams.

2007 Vie!  Viognier – W.E.P. Rating:  100%

Technical Data:

Varietal: 97.5% Viognier / 1.5% Roussanne

Harvest Date: Sept. 22,28 / Oct 19, 2007

Crush Chemistry: Brix21.2 – 24.9, pH3.2 – 3.59, TA4.8 – 7.2 g/L

Wine Chemistry: RS 0% fermentable, pH3.40, TA6.2 g/L, Alc13.6%

Bottling Date: April 2007 (300 Cases)

Release Date: July 2007

Price: $18

For those of you who haven’t been to this event (or something similar) – it could seem fromt the outside looking in that it’s a wine-lovers dream-come-true. 200 wineries pouring quality vino with a supporting cast of local restaurants to help keep the palate in-check is a lot to take in during the relatively “short” 6-hours.

I think what always seems to mess with me at this event is time – the clock starts ticking down at 2pm and before I know it, it’s 8pm and everyone is packing up. It seems I get the chance to hang out with just a few people and “poof” – it’s over. I’d love to hear your stories about this event if you were there.

This year’s event saw – what seemed like – a much smaller crowd than last year and I’m sure that has a lot to do with the state of the economy. Most people I know are looking for ways to cut back on spending money, not shell out $90-120 dollars on a luxury like this event. All that said, it did seem like (from the wineries I did talk to) that everything was going well. They were able to meet their fans, make new ones or even make those who struggle to enjoy their wines feel more validated – who knows?

From our perspective, the Taste WA event is cool in that we get the chance to see industry friends and make new ones as well – one of the things I personally enjoy is seeing all the upcoming wineries striving to make their mark in today’s crowded industry. The guys at NW Totem Cellars, Sweet Valley and Efeste to name a few are part of the catalyst that’ll help shape the NW wine industry of the future – they are passionate, full of life and have the drive to pursure excellence.

What was striking to me, however, was the lack of passion so many “well-known” winemakers had – if they all had the pure, unadulterated, passion of Gilles Nicault – then we’d all be drinking much better wines.  Gilles has that personality that’s highly contagious, highly likable and quite frankly is a breath of fresh air – the wines he helps make seem to reflect that same spirit.

I felt that, overall, the food quality was better this year as well – there were a few mishaps in the house but I think most of them were sampling foods that adequately reflected their restaurants. A few of noteable ones were, Pike Place Chowder, Psalty’s and Kauzlarich Smoked Foods – Traci’s follow-up article will go into more details regarding the food.

So overall, I’m sure we’ll see the Washington Wine Commission releases stats that talk about what a great year this was for them and the industry, however, I think the real winners are the thousands of people like you and me who get to meet the great men and women behind the vino we all love to enjoy. If you’ve never been to this event, I’d encourage you to check it out next year – at least go once.

Find out who this dude in the glasses is by clicking here.

Related Links:
Taste WA – Official Site
2008 Taste WA Wrap-up
Traci’s 2008 Taste WA Thoughts

Efeste’s Brennon Leighton is a passionate, knowledgeable winemaker whose winemaking kung-fu can best be appreciated by the wines he crafts. He is a great example of what happenes when you combine top-shelf fruit with an incredible know-how in regards to not being too heavy-handed with the process.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the wines he makes as I think he’s offering some extreme goodness for the price-points Efeste is asking and that isn’t too common of a thing these days. All too many wineries get their heads in the clouds and try to overcharge for their wines. We try our best to help you avoid those wines.

The 22005 Ceidleight Syrah is a 100% Syrah, is priced just below the $30 mark and is poised be a kickin’ WA syrah for that price point – let’s see if they hit the mark once again:

Technical Data: 

• 100% Red Mountain AVA Syrah 
• 27% New French Oak
• Vineyards:  54% Ceil du Cheval Vineyard, 40% Klipsun Vineyard, 6% End of the Road Ranch Vineyard
• pH: 3.90
• TA (total Acidity): 0.56 grams/100mL
• Alc/Vol: 15.2%
• 100% malolactic fermentation
• Vintage: Aged 19 months in oak.
• Price: $29

Nose: Wild game, blueberries, bright cherries, an old leather bible and some cedar-box. I’m also getting slight hints of spicey-oak on the back-end but I’m not too worried as there’s plenty of fruit here as well. 

Taste: Firm tannins give way to plent of fruits across the mid-palate – such as: Blueberry, blackberry pie, canned cherries. A super long finsish that tastes like a piece of peppery-bacon-wrapped venison sliding down your throat. The finish on this wine is stellar but a bit on the hot side going down; however, that heat does blow off quite a bit with some decatnering and should become even more subtle as the bottle continues to improve (if properly stored) over the next 3-8 years.

W.E.P. Rating: 90%

Winery website: www.efeste.com

*Related Reviews:
2006 Efeste “Big Papa” Cab�
2008 Efeste Evergreen Riesling