A boatload of wine
2015 Board Track Racer Cellars “The Vincent” White (Columbia Valley, WA)… $15.
‘
Pears are prominent on the nose, joined by notes of dried herbs and apples. Creamy on the palate with pear notes hogging the show joined by an underbelly of apple. Herb notes sneak into the party on the back-end while pears dominate the long finish with a kiss of citrus. (B/B+)
2015 Board Track Racer Cellars Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, WA)… $28.
Aromas of slightly over-cooked pie crust along with lemon curd, pear and a kiss of butter. Loads of pears wrapped in a blanket of butter and dipped in lemon curd that flows seamlessly across the palate. Pie crust notes join up on the back of the mid-palate into the finish. (B/B+)
2014 Board Track Racer Cellars “The Vincent” Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $20.
Aromas of dark cherries, tobacco, bark, violets, rose petals and a little chocolate. Chocolate covered cherries on the palate backed by solid, grippy tannins. Acidity is there but well-integrated with the fruit and tannins. Violet notes hit on the finish and then swallowed by chocolate and cherry notes with a pinch of tobacco and licorice. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 25% Malbec (B+)
2014 Mark Ryan Winery “Lost Soul” Syrah Red Willow Vineyard (Yakima Valley, WA)… $48.
Toasty burnt marshmallows soaked in blackberry juice and violets on the nose. Meaty and toasty on the palate with notes of boysenberries and cherries on the front end, It expands on the mid-palate with notes of tobacco and violets joining up into the intensely meaty and long finish. Kisses of licorice and violets on the back-end with dark cherry notes lingering. (A)
2015 Board Track Racer Cellars “The Chief” Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $28.
Currants and red flowers on the nose with a little caramel, chocolate and black licorice action. Intense black currants on the palate backed by solid, structured, sweet tannins. Black raspberry notes hit on the back of the mid-palate into the finish. Excellent balance and integration of acidity that gives it a “Pop” on the palate and keeps it out to the goopy zone. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot (A-)
2014 Mark Ryan Winery “Dead Horse” Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain, WA)… $58.
Aromas of dusty currants and a little powdered sugar action joined by violets, tobacco and a pinch of old bark. Huge structure on this baby…Good acidity, sturdy tannins that have a little grip to them. This is a youngster. Notes of currants, tobacco, wilted rose petal and fresh violets. Tobacco notes linger on the back-end along with muted currant notes. Vibrant and crunchy, this needs 3-4 years to start reaching its potential. (A/A+)
2016 Balancing Act Rose` (Washington State)… $11.
Peach, apple and orange peel on the nose, with an underscore of watermelon. Quite expressive. Fairly creamy on the palate yet dry. Apple notes come through on the palate with slight orange and watermelon notes along with a pinch of peach juice. Good balance, somewhat one-dimensional. Finishes dry. (C+/B-)
2016 Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rose` (Pfalz, Germany)… $12.
Apples and watermelon on the nose with a little rose petal and watermelon rind thrown in. Ripe watermelon notes on the palate with a slice of orange. Fresh acidity that gives it a steely edge. Very lively on the palate with a hit of pink roses on the back-end and a kiss of orange. (B-/B)
Non-Vintage Adami Bosco Di Gica Prosecco (Valdobbiadene, Italy)… $18.
Pears and apples all day on the nose with a small pinch of dust. Small bubbles support notes of pears and baking spice on the palate. There is just a hint of hazelnut and apple pie on the finish. (B)
2014 Joseph Drouhin Macon Villages (Macon, France)… $13.
A touch of fig backs pears and apples on the nose with hits of lemon and wet stone. Wet stone and apple notes front to back on the palate with hints of lemon sneaking in. Nice balance and very mineral driven with a dry finish. An “8” in the delicious category. (B-/B)
2015 Leyda Pinot Noir (Leyda Valley, Chile)… $12.
A touch of stink action on the nose. Aromas of bark, violets, earth and cherries. On the palate. notes of sweaty leather soaked in cherries and a little dill pickle juice. There’s a smokey element front to finish with an underscore of red flowers and a citrus component on the back-end. Very interesting complexity and flavors. (C+/B-)
2014 La Grange de Piaugier Cotes-du-Rhone (Rhone Valley, France)… $10.
Aromas of tobacco, violets, earth and cherries. Solid core of acidity and tannins. Bright cherry and cranberry notes with a squeeze of lemon and orange. Slightly simple and acid driven. This baby needs food. (C/c+)
2015 Novelty Hill Sauvignon Blanc Stillwater Creek Vineyard (Columbia Valley, WA)… $16.
Wet stone, grass, lemon and melon on the nose. Dry and bracing on the palate. Notes of lemon, wet stone and steel front to finish. Melon notes hit on the mid-palate with a touch of sweetness. Finishes clean and fresh. (B-)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
