WEEK 2, DAY 2: WASHINGTON WINE REVEIWS.

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man

When someone in the audience asked Rob Griffin what makes one of his wines a reserve, he simply said…”Because I said so.” Everyone laughed of course, but it really highlighted to me Rob’s sense of humor and his humility. When he was asked a question that he did not have an answer to, he acknowledged that he just didn’t know or wasn’t sure.
I know why he designates a wine a reserve, expensive fruit, newer oak treatment and longer time in barrel, and bottle before release. Rob knows this, but why bore the audience with all the little details. As I said before, Rob not only is a wealth of knowledge, he is a good speaker with great timing. He is also good with the grape juice, and after thirty years plus in the business, he is still passionate about what he does. We tasted through some of his Tulip Label reds and reserves, here are my notes.

2010 Barnard Griffin “Tulip Label Merlot (Columbia Valley, WA) … $14.
Aromas of warm spice and cinnamon penetrate on the nose (a little Cinnabon action), along with some green tea , currants and mint. Plush yet structured on the palate (in other words, it wasn’t jammy and flabby), with notes of currants and warm spice. Notes of black licorice and tobacco show on the mid-palate flowing into notes of worn leather, currants and white pepper. There is this interesting beam of fresh mint from start to finish that is barely detectable but there. Excellent balance of fruit, acidity and tannins with a wonderfully plush mouthfeel. This is the second merlot from the ’10 vintage out of Washington State that has really impressed me….This is the best value so far. (A-)

2009 Barnard Griffin Ciel Du Cheval Merlot (Red Mountain, WA) … $40.
From the well-known vineyards of Ciel Du Cheval on Red Mountain (one of my favorite appellations in WA) Rob sourced fruit for this incredible Merlot (oops, did I just let the cat out of the bag?). O.K. , I really like this baby.
Aromas of violets, licorice, baked earth, cassis, plums and blackberries fill the nose in almost a hedonistic fashion. Hyperbole? I don’t think so. There is a lot going on with this Merlot, and it starts on the nose. Chalky, earthy tannins back intense bright notes od cassis, plums and violets with a back-end of tobacco. This baby has a vibrancy and intensity on the palate that expands into the finish with a spicy edge. Notes of red flowers, baked earth and cassis, with a dash of spice lingers for some time. This drinks wonderfully now, but will improve over the next five years. (A)

2010 Barnard Griffin “Tulip Label” Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, WA) … $14
Aromas of rose pedal, cherries and cedar. Notes of rose pedal, cedar, and tobacco on the front of the palate with a core of currants on structured, approachable tannins. Seamless across the palate with chalky minerals, and a tobacco, spice and currant driven finish that lingers. Like the Tulip Merlot, this is an incredible value. I cannot believe you can get either of these for under fifteen bucks. Crazy! (B+)

2011 Barnard Griffin “Tulip Label” Syrah (Columbia Valley, WA) … $14.
Aromas of smoky blueberries, mint with a hit of char and caramel. Delicate on the palate, with notes of blueberries and currants up front. On the light side, start to finish with notes of smoke and mint on the back-end and lingering char and currant. This is a nice effort by Rob from a very difficult vintage. (C+)

2010 Barnard Griffin Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley, WA) … $30.
Very meaty on the nose, with notes of menthol and blueberries. There is an interesting edge of rose petal, char and caramel that comes through. Sturdy tannins back concentrated notes of blueberries, currants and spice, with a little vanilla/mocha element sneaking in. A nice core of acidity magnifies on the mid-palate, into the meaty finish with notes of mint, currants and blueberries lingering for some time. There is also a nice worn leather component that comes through on the back-end. You could go out and spend sixty-bucks on a good Cote-Rotie from Northern Rhone, or spend half that and get this beauty with the same results. (A-)

If you are searching for great value, top quality wines, look no further than Barnard Griffin. If you want to get your hands on some of the limited reserves, join their wine club, visit their website, or stop by the winery for a visit, because you won’t find them in your local wine shop or grocery store. However, if your local wine shop doesn’t carry the Tulip Label wines, or some of the available reserves, get on their case, so you can get a case (or bottle of course…Just had to say that because it sounded clever.) Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

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WEEK 2, DAY 1: WASHINGTON WINE REVIEWS…

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man

I had the honor of hosting a wine event called “An Intimate Tasting With The Wine Maker” with Rob Griffin as the guest. Rob is a wealth of information, and he shared it with the large group that gathered to meet him. Rob started his wine making career in Washington at Preston Cellars in 1977. His experience with Washington vineyards and wine, surpasses anyone working in the Washington wine industry today. When he speaks, people in the Washington wine industry listen. He certainly had the rapt attention of all in attendance at this event. We tasted through eleven of his wines and I thought I would start week two with my reviews of the wines we tried.

I believe that Barnard Griffin Winery represents some of the best values in Washington wine that are available today. Here are my thoughts on the wines we tried.

2012 Barnard Griffin Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley, WA) … $10.

Aromas of pears and melons with hits of minerals. Hints of citrus come through with notes of white flowers and honey. Light pear and apple notes come through on the front of the palate with hits of minerality. Fresh and light on the mid-palate flowing into an apple/pear finish with hits of fruit skin and mineral element on the back-end. The flavors don’t “POP” but it’s a good wine. (C+)

2012 Barnard Griffin Fume Blanc (Columbia Valley, WA) … $9.

Aromas of honey and melon with hits of fig and white flowers with a backdrop of apple. There is a nice acidity that hits you on the front of the palate popping the fruit notes of apples and citrus with a little lemon pith thrown in. There is a trace of minerals backing the fruit notes from start to finish. The balanced acidity drives the fruit notes into a dry citrus/melon finish with a pithy edge to it. I think this may be one of the best vintages of the B.G. fume I have tasted in a while. (B+)

2012 Barnard Griffin Rose Of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, WA) … $11.
Aromas of watermelon, strawberries and cherries. There is a nice core of acidity backing notes of strawberries and watermelon up front through the mid-palate into a rhubarb, citrus finish. Rob Griffin has this rose dialed in. Year in and out this wine does very well in wine competitions and sells out quickly. Dry in style yet shows a backbone of delicious fruit. (B+)

2012 Barnard Griffin Roussanne (Columbia Valley, WA) … $25.
Watch out Rhone Valley, I think Rob just may have out-did himself on this one. Very aromatic on the nose with notes of honey, fig, and melon with hits of peach and tangerine (my mouth is watering just thinking of the nose on this baby). Rich on the front of the palate with a cutting edge of acidity. Notes of peach, fig and melon hit the front of the palate and expand on the mid-palate and linger on the fig-driven finish. There seems to be a citrus element that sneaks in on the finish and a trace of minerality. The balance of acid and fruit on this is near perfect, giving a richness with a bright edge. A “10” in the delicious category. (A)

2012 Barnard Griffin Riesling (Columbia Valley, WA) … $9.Aromas of apple, petrol (that’s a good thing friends), melon and an edge of honey and minerals. Edgy on the palate with minerals, petrol and pear notes coming through with just a touch of honey. Stays dry across the palate into a mineral, melon and pear finish with hits of petrol and honey. A little on the simple side, but for nine bucks it is unbelievably good, and I love the petrol edge (takes me to Alsace). (B+)

Stay tuned for round 2 of the Barnard Griffin wine reviews tomorrow. Cheers to good wine at great prices! Stan The Wine Man

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TASTING NOTES…DOES ANYONE CARE?

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man
Great deals on Italian wines, enjoy today.

Evidently someone cares, because it seems to be the hottest debate on most of the wine blogs or wine related blogs and websites these days. I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve run across recently that has addressed the subject of tasting notes by wine critics and their importance to the consumer. Are tasting notes helpful, or does anyone really care?

Most of the stuff I have read lately suggests that tasting notes are a complete waste of time, and most people do not even pay attention to them. I certainly am in no position to speak for everyone, but I will give my two bits based on my experience with the consumer. I run a wine department in a grocery store, and we sell a boatload of wine (there is no pun intended here, even if you have to take a boat to get to our lovely island). Everyday I hear how the customer feels about my tasting notes that I put up on my selections for the store. They like and read them. In fact, some have asked for copies of my notes so that they can take them home and use them when analyzing the wine they purchased. Go figure. Is this phenomena unique to my store only?

Based on my observations, and close contact with the consumer is that most like to read tasting notes. And why not? It helps them make a purchasing decision. Granted, there are some tasting notes that are better than others and most do not fall into the literary genius category. Seriously, how many ways can you describe dark cherry notes or sturdy tannins? However, the idea of tasting notes is not to keep the reader on the edge of their seat…It’s simply to help them understand what they are about to spend their hard-earned money on.

So, the question is…Why are so many wine writers taking a negative stance towards tasting notes? First off, most of these writers do not work with the public. They do not sell wine to them on the retail floor and listen to what they have to say. Sure, to be fair, they do get some input from their readers but that is limited. And, the ones that follow them are most likely in their camp of thought in the first place, so their comments are going to favor the writer.

Second, I think that most of these writers do not like the idea of doing tasting notes. Perhaps they are no good at it themselves. Perhaps they have a hard time identifying and describing certain characteristics in wine. Writing out tasting notes is a difficult task for sure, and takes a certain amount of dedication and creativity. It is certainly much easier to sit back and criticize or make fun of tasting notes rather then attempt to taste the wines and try to describe them in an interesting fashion.

Third, the worst thing a wine writer can do is rate a wine without penning any sort of descriptors to go along with the rating, whether it is a score, a grade, stars or whatever. Why do I say this? Think about it. Mr. or Mrs. so and so wine writer gives a wine 4 stars out of five. He or she says a bit about the wine, gives no description or a very incomplete one at best, and then rates it. How is the consumer to know what elements in the wine moved the writer to give the rating they did? There is really nothing to go on other than the writers so-called credentials.

I had a bad experience in this regard when I purchased a wine based on a rating by a well-known wine columnist from the east coast. He does not write any descriptors because he does not believe in them, but he has a good reputation. I bought the wine for around eighteen bucks and was very disappointed. To check myself, I purchased it again to see if I was mistaken the first time. NOT! If he had written some sort of descriptor of the wine, I would have had a better understanding of what he liked in a wine that would move him to rate the wine the way he did. That way the next time he rated a wine 4 or 5 stars, I would think twice about purchasing it.

Tasting notes have an important place in the wine world. They give the consumer some insight into what they are to expect out of a wine. I do not write out tasting notes for wine critics, I write them for the consumer. I could care less what another columnist thinks about my notes and I certainly don’t agree with their criticism of the notes themselves. I know it’s great fodder for columns, but it’s a lot of bu*^Sh#*. The consumer appreciates wine notes, I know this because they tell me. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

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WEEK 1 DAY FIVE…WASHINGTON WINE REVIEWS.

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Stan The Wine Man

We are wrapping up the first five days reviewing Washington wines for Washington Wine Month. As is to be expected, I have discovered many fantastic wines from the great state of Washington. In fact, I haven’t found a bad one yet (although I know it may happen). As difficult as it is to put up my tasting notes for 100 Washington wines, I am excited with what I am finding and having a blast doing it.

As promised, I will start today with two of the Mackey Vineyard wines that I have tasted and finish up with an assortment of others.

2009 Mackey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain, WA) … $50.

Aromas of red currants, baked earth (Red Mt. BABY!), cassis and red flowers. Round, plush currant notes on the front of the palate with tobacco and licorice notes coming out. Penetrating and concentrated on silky, structured tannins making it quite approachable. Long spicy finish with currant notes lingering. Excellent structure and a nice backbone of minerals make this one of the top cabs I have tasted out of Washington (a close second to Mark Ryan’s Lonely Heart cab). (A)

2011 Mackey Vineyards Riesling Off Dry (Columbia Valley, WA) … $16.99

Apples and pears “pop” on the nose with a backdrop of golden raisins and citrus. Tangerines all over the palate with a little cane sugar hit. A little petrol comes around on the mid-palate flowing into notes of tangerine sorbet, quince and pear on the finish. (B-)

2008 Kyra PSV Red (Purple Sage Vineyards… Columbia Valley, WA) … $17.99

Aromas of currants, red flowers and tomato stem. Notes of cherries and currants with a splash of tomato stem from front to back with some spice coming through on the finish that lingers. Soft tannins with a chalky minerality and a brightness that backs the fruit from start to finish. (C+)

2008 Tertulia Cellars Redd Brand Red (Columbia Valley, WA) ,,, $15.99

Aromas of rusty cherries with a bright edge, joined by notes of red flowers, tobacco and pencil lead. Chalky tannins back currant, cherry and rust notes. Black olive and a hit of tobacco show up on the mid-palate as it leans up on the leaner green bell pepper, clean finish. This is as seriously close to a Bordeaux as you can get without being one. If you lean towards “old world” style reds, you are going to love this one. 50% cabernet sauvignon 30% merlot and a splash of petite verdot, cab franc and malbec. (B+)

Non-Vintage Tertulia Cellars Redd Brand Malbec (Columbia Valley, WA) … $15.99

Very interesting on the nose with aromas of meat marinated in cassis juice with a background of violets, herbs, licorice and vanilla. Sage and black cherry notes hit the front of the palate backed by chalky tannins. There is a little blueberry hit on the mid-palate followed by notes of chocolate and tobacco on a dark brooding finish. I could smell this wine all day, it had so much on the nose, and its good wine to drink. (B+)

Well, that’s it for week 1 of Washington Wine Month. Twenty-five down seventy-five to go. I will start Monday with a recap of the Barnard Griffin wines that were tasted at last nights “Intimate Tasting With The Wine Maker”, featuring Rob Griffin. Rob did an excellent job speaking to the group, and the wines were drinking fantastic. We tasted through eleven wines, so that will be covered on Monday & Tuesday of week two. I will also include some thoughts on the event itself. Have a great weekend. Cheer! Stan The Wine Man

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