It is the state I reside in and I am very proud of the wines that are produced here. No longer a small player in the wine world, Washington State is the second largest wine producing state behind California. Some of the best wines in the world come from here and my favorite wine so far in 2012 is a red blend produced by Northwest Totem Cellars out of Woodinville WA called Qone. That is no small task considering all the great wines I have already tried this year.
So, how did the Washington wines fair this week in the Moleskine…. Let’s find out.
2008 Zero One Vintners “Sauce” Red (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $11.99
Actually this one made it as my “Pick of the Month” in May so you know I liked it.
At first glance, you may not take this wine too seriously. It has a picture of a group of young, nicely dressed men and women standing with a city as the background. I think they are shooting for the younger crowd, but I am not sure if they hit their intended target. Thank God you can’t judge a picture by the cover, because behind this peculiar label is an awesome bottle of wine.
Aromas of sweet black currants, damp wood and an interesting beef element. Don’t let the nose fool you however because on the palate you get what I would call as close to an Amarone as you can get without being one. Black currants up front backed by dark cherries, chocolate and mocha. A nice bright core backs the fruit with a hit of tobacco and currants on the mid-palate. This wine has a nice long finish of black currants, spice, chocolate and minerality backed by fresh tannins. Nice complexity, excellent balance and good structure make for an awesome bottle of red. For twelve bucks I believe it offers quite a bit of interesting juice. So, forget the label and buy it for what it is…Great wine. 80% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 6% syrah & 4% cabernet sauvignon. 90 points
2009 Zero One Vintners Wild Sky Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington) …
I don’t often use this descriptor on a wine but it seems appropriate for this cab. It is very pretty on the nose with perfumed notes of blackberries, currants and dark cherries. There is a little alcohol that comes through along with hits of vanilla and licorice. Chocolate dust comes in spades on the front of the palate backed by black currants on the mid-palate flowing nicely into a long finish showing some mineral components. Good structure and balance on this cab with some grip to it. 90 points
2009 Waters “Loess Vineyard” Syrah (Walla Walla, Washington) … $44.99
Let me say right at the get go, that this syrah is worth every penny they are asking for it! One of my favorites so far.
Aromas of bacon fat, char, black plums, boysenberries and a smokey edge. I think I could smell this wine all day. Big and seductive on the palate with notes of black licorice, boysenberries, smoke and bacon. Tobacco leaf and pepper show up on the mid and finish which is long and fresh. Powerful yet balanced. Nice balance of acidity and fruit never getting heavy in the mouth. This baby will age nicely over the next ten to fifteen years. 95 points.
2011 Red Diamond Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina) … $8.99
I’m putting this in Washington wines because Red Diamond is a Washington winery. Obviously they contracted some malbec from Argentina for this bottling and unfortunately I am not sure which winery down there did it for them. At any rate, this is a nice effort for nine bucks.
Dusty minerals come through on the nose driven by red cherries and underlying currants. (I’m not trying to be funny with that one) Plush dark fruit on the front of the palate. A hit of vanilla and mocha on the mid-palate. Smooth, silky tannins with some tar, tobacco and leather notes showing up on the medium finish. 88 points
2009 Columbia Crest Les Chevaux Red … $13.99
Aromas of ripe blackberries, tobacco leaf, vanilla and currants. Plush dark fruits on the front side with some spice, vanilla and mocha showing up on the mid-palate and into the medium length finish. Just a touch on the soft side and lacks complexity. An easy drinker that should go over well with most consumers. 87 points
2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $16.99
I really wanted to taste this one because we sell a boat-load at the store.
Interesting on the nose with notes of cherries, mint, beef jerky and underlying red currants and cassis. Notes of dark plums and cherries on lush, silky tannins. Hits of chocolate and tobacco on the mid-palate flowing into a smooth, smooth finish with just a touch of leather. I certainly understand why it sells. Silky smooth and delicious. Personally I found it a little boring, but that’s just me. 87 points
2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Ethos Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $23.99
Aromas of smoked boysenberries, black plums and just a whiff of stink. This baby is loaded with notes of smoke, tar, currants and plums backed by a nice core of spice. Flows nicely with good balance into a finish of tobacco leaf, tar and black currants with some wood tannins showing up. Spice lingers for some time. This is an intense syrah! 89 points
2007 Stella Maris Red (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $29.99
This is a Bordeaux style red that more then likely has a splash of syrah, but I could not find the exact blend anywhere. Aromas of smoke and black currants with hits of tar and alcohol. Plush tannins back notes of black currants and black plums. Notes of mocha and chocolate show up on the mid-palate with a hit of spice that flow into a long finish of tobacco leaf, blueberries, pencil lead and spice. There is a spike of alcohol that also shows up on the backside. 89+ points
2008 Beresan Winery “The Buzz” Red Yellow Jacket Vineyard (Walla Walla, Washington) … $19.99
Interesting on the nose with notes of tomato stem, tea leaf, cassis and perfumed blackberries. Very fresh on the palate with notes of cassis and pencil lead (Mint). Almost a mint tea element shows up on the mid supported by a herbaceous core. Fresh tannins on the finish with notes of currant and mint lingering. Very Bordeaux like and this will age nicely over the next ten to fifteen years. 89+ points
2009 Balboa Estate Syrah (Walla Walla, Washington) …$24.99
Aromas of bacon fat & plums with hits of brown sugar and black cherries with a little char action going on. Fresh tannins on the palate with notes of blueberries and cherries from beginning to mid-palate. Some spices show up on a somewhat thin finish of tobacco leaf and currants. For the price, I was a little disappointed in what this syrah had to offer. 86 points
2008 Beresan Winery Carmenere (Walla Walla, Washington) … $28.99
There is a couple of problems with this wine right from the start. There are not many consumers who understand what carmenere is, and this is a boat-load of money to ask someone to experiment with. Another words… I want to try a carmenere, but I don’t want to spend thirty bucks and be disappointed.
Carmenere is in many ways like a cab franc from Chinon. Very herbaceous. This is no exception. Aromas of Tomato stem, green bell peppers and red currants. Very minty on the palate with notes of cassis up front. Fresh tannins with a hit of mocha and vanilla on the mid-palate. Finishes with notes of tar, spice and black currants that linger for some time with hints of tomato stem. This carmenere never goes to the Chinon level of herbaceous and it is surprisingly smooth on the finish. 89+ points
2o10 Arbor Crest Sauvignon Blanc (Bacchus Vineyard, Washington) … $8.99
Interesting aromas of yeast, melon, grass and nuts. There is a creamy element on the palate with a background of brightness. Peach and grass notes show up on the mid-palate leading into a finish of peach pit and minerals. For nine bucks, this is not bad although it lacks complexity. 88 points
Non-Vintage Arbor Crest Cliff House Red (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $8.99
On the nose, aromas of perfumed spiced red plums, red flowers, oak and blackberries.Very soft mouth feel, but not flabby. Plums and boysenberries show up on the front of the palate with some hits of black currants. Hits of spice on mid and finish. Some tannins show up on the back end, but this is not an exciting wine, even for the price. Just a little too soft for me. 85 points
2009 Steakhouse Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington) … $9.99
Nice aromas of spicy cherries, currants and sweet menthol. Sweet currants up front flowing into barbecue spices, wood and vanilla. Some leather notes show up on on the medium finish. This cab has nice balance of acidity and fruit and is a pretty good bottle of wine for ten bucks. If you are looking for a cab to have with that grilled steak, this would be a nice choice. 89+ points
2007 Hogue Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Wahluke Slope, Washington) …. $20.99
I blew through this wine at the store and for good reason. This is an “Old School” cab showing very dry on the palate.
Aromas of oak and currants. Full on the palate with notes of currants, leather and tobacco leaf dominating. A nice spice hit comes through on a long finish. This cab has good balance and is as I said, on the dry side. This is a refreshing switch from many of the fruit-forward cabs on the shelves. 91 points
The Moleskine is still filled with Washington wines I have sampled, so stay tuned for next week… Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
