If I’ve ever had an ‘aha’ moment it was this year in October. Donald from Noble Wines (a Seattle based wine distributor) swung by my office to taste me on a couple of Washington wines he recently tried himself. Kerloo Cellars was the name of the winery, and the first wine I tried was called No Joke. This is a wine that is primarily Malbec (71%) with (29%) Cabernet Sauvignon from Stone Tree Vineyard located in the Wahluke Slope AVA. I have to tell you that I was stunned at the quality of this wine and was equally impressed with the Walla Walla Syrah. How could I have not known about this winery? It is true that things can slip by all of us, but to not have experienced these wines until now almost seemed sacrilegious.
Now I had to do my research. How could this winery slip pass my radar? Founded ten years ago (2007) by Ryan Crane (Kerloo is the call of the crane). Ryan got the wine bug while waiting tables in a restaurant. He had a stint as a wine salesperson for a distributor before picking up and moving to Walla Walla in 2005, where he pursued an AAAS in enology and viticulture. Before starting Kerloo, he had volunteered at Animale Winery and worked with Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron Cellars. He became assistant wine maker at Va Piano Winery, and it is there that he started Kerloo Cellars. He has developed into a wine maker of distinction and in 2013 was one of the wine makers featured by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Sean Sullivan who wrote that article called Ryan Crane one of the wine makers who are altering the landscape of northwestern wine. In that same year, Seattle Magazine in their Washington Wine Awards gave Kerloo Cellars the distinction as Emerging Winery. Now, in 2017 I have tried the wines and understand the fuss.
I found the wines to be vibrant and distinct. The 2014 Walla Walla Syrah had everything I look for in a Washington Syrah. Aromas of blueberries, blackberries, tar and tobacco. It has nice weight in the mouth without being overpowering. Boysenberry notes backed by fresh acidity. Smoke notes came through on the mid-palate leading into a raspberry, blueberry, bacon fat finish. This Syrah has excellent structure and balance (A-) The Malbec based 2015 No Joke red (71% Malbec, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon) was also rich and structured. Aromas of licorice. alfalfa, red flowers, red berries and bittersweet chocolate. Nice intensity and balance on the palate with notes of blueberries and blackberries on a bed of chocolate with a kiss of white pepper on the back end. Serious structure yet smooth with hits of violets on the mid-palate. Tannins have a little grip on the leather like finish. (A-)
Ryan Crane was quoted as saying… “Every single lot (vineyard site) tells a different story.” That is music to my ears and he certainly reflects his philosophy in the wines he creates. I am really looking forward to meeting Ryan, and I hope to interview him and share his thoughts with you. For now, as 2017 comes to a close, I wanted to let all of you know which winery stood out to me this year.
The price on the wines does not reflect the quality of what you are getting. Yes, they are in the 30-50 dollar range, but if they were from California they would be closer to $100. Thankfully they are not, and we can enjoy these fantastic wines without totally breaking the budget. I hope you get a chance to try them.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man aka The Blue Collar Wine Guy
