STAN’S PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2011 …

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

I know it would be appropriate for me to pick a wine of the month that would be compatible with the Thanksgiving meal. However, if most of you are like me, (and I believe you are), we drink wine all month, and Thanksgiving is just one day for crying out loud. Here is a wine that might, and I repeat MIGHT fit in to the holiday meal, but I would not put it in the top ten. I chose this wine because it ROCKS for eight bucks and that is what I am looking for.

2008 Los Ailos Syrah-Tannat (San Juan, Argentina) … $7.99

I am a huge fan of syrah, and I have this thing right now for Tannat. Tannat is most famous in Madiran, France. It produces deeply colored wines of great longevity. The wines that come from the Madiran region can be very tannic and need time in the bottle before they are approachable. However, I have discovered wines from Argentina that use Tannat as a blending grape, and the result is a deeper more complex wine.

That is what I discovered with the 2008 Los Ailos. Dense aromas of black currants, bacon and blackberries. Dark, intense fruits on the front of the palate. Notes of spice and bacon come through on the mid-palate that flow into a fresh finish. Tiny hits of black tea, vanilla and chocolate on the back end. Nice flow across the palate with good complexity. I’m telling you right now that this is a boatload of wine for eight bucks. My hope is that you will give this a try, and seek out more wines with tannat as a blending grape. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man 89 points

Posted in Stan's Pick of the Month | 2 Comments

EIGHTEEN MONTHS OR TWENTY YEARS… YOU MAKE THE CALL.

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

W. Blake Gray is now a columnist, the first one by the way, for Palate Press, an online wine information site. He has written about wine for the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits and a variety of other publications. I have read many of his articles and for the most part enjoy what he writes. However, I was disappointed in his inaugural article for Palate Press.

His article is entitled “Ten Things I Learned In the Wine Business.” Evidently Blake was part of the wine industry for a little over a year selling wine to retail shops. Based on this extensive experience, he writes with authority about ten things he learned about retail wine buyers and consumers. Excuse me for being a little sarcastic here but how much can you really know after only 18 months of experience. I was a grocery store manager for four years and I was told that you really do not get a grasp on things until the third year of managing. It was true. After three years things became a lot easier and there were less surprises. That’s three years my friends, at 18 months I was still wet behind the ears!

I have been in the wine business for over twenty years and I am still learning. I would like to share with you ten things I have learned in the wine business based on the list that Blake gives >http://palatepress.com/2011/10/wine/ten-things-i-learned-in-the-wine-business/

No. 1: Old wines are more unattractive to wine shops than old people.

I love old people, they are some of my best and friendliest wine customers. I am sorry that Blake felt a need to use this analogy. As a retail wine buyer, I love it when I am offered an older vintage, but it has to be good. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Gray was more then likely pedaling some questionable older vintages and was getting the “stink eye” from buyers. Give me a good wine that has a few years on it and I will sell it in a hurry, $$$.

No. 2: Wine publications love unusual varieties, consumers do not.

This may have some truth to it but it is a misleading statement. Consumers need to trust the person who recommends the unusual varietal and this is not the media I am talking about. They need to trust the guy or girl on the floor who is selling the wine to them. Deep down, most consumers desire variety… It is the spice of life you know. Given the opportunity they will try something new if it is endorsed by someone they know and trust. I have sold many bottles of bonarda, mouvedre, kerner, tannat, roussanne and other unusual varietals because people trust me. Consumers love unusual varietals as long as they can trust the person recommending it. It’s their money, they want to spend it wisely.

No. 3: Most people don’t care about food and wine pairing.

These days,most people do not buy wine to go with food. I read a recent article that pointed out the new trend in wine buying by Generation Y, better known as Millennials. They purchase wine to be consumed without food. Does this mean they don’t care about food and wine pairing. I don’t know. There may be some truth to Mr. Grays statement, but I cannot tell you how many times a week I am asked what kind of wine goes with a certain type of food. Again, it is a trust issue. You walk into an eating establishment and ask the Sommelier for his or her advice. They recommend some weird ass varietal that you have never heard of before, and it is going to cost you $50.00 a bottle. Yes, it goes well with spicy Indian fare, but you don’t know this person and it sounds like they showing off. I’ll take the cab please. Maybe people don’t care and Blake could be right on this one. Personally I think they care, they are just afraid to experiment with their money.

No. 4: Wine writers like to explore lesser-known regions, consumers do not.

Agreed! Most wine consumer’s do not have the time to worry about geography. Just give me a good wine and forget about where it came from. This subject is for wine nerds only. I love wines from Sardinia and Piedmont but who cares? The reality for all of us is, it has to be good juice no matter where it is from.

No. 5: Wine writers hate Robert Parker for a reason – he’s influential and they’re not.

I think that Stephen Tanzer, James Laube and Eric Asimov might have a valid argument against that statement. Trust is what it is all about. From a retail buyers standpoint, the Parker score can peak my interest, but I still need to try the wine before I can recommend it to my customer. Parker, Tanzer, Heimoff and Asimov all have a place in my heart and they provide a valuable service. They can make the wine buyers life a lot easier. As a wine writer, I appreciate the trail that Parker has blazed… I cannot and will not speak for other writers. Robert Parker Jr. is still quite influential and we have to be careful not to throw him under the bus. However, he is now joined by many other influential writers which gives the consumer new perspectives. In my area, Eric Asimov sways the consumer much more then Mr. Parker and at my store, Parker has no chance against my recommendation. As it should be!

No. 6: Nobody cares about gold medals.

I think they care, it just depends on where the medal came from. The joke in the wine world is that there are so many competitions out there that depending on how many entries you make with your wine, you are bound to get a gold medal. If the competition is local then yes, it matters. If it is eight states away then no, it doesn’t matter. If a local wine gets a gold from a local competition, it means a lot to the buyer and consumer.

No. 7: Gatekeepers are king

What Blake is saying is that the buyer at the retail level has a lot of leverage. Duh! We are the ones that have to sell the wine to the consumer. We know what they want, the wholesale guy does not. I cannot tell you how many times a sales rep has come to me pumped about a wine that they like, only to find out that it is so eclectic that maybe one out of a hundred of my customers might like it. No thanks, I would rather save the space on my floor for wines that will turn. What I hate as a buyer at the retail level is a salesman that continues to offer wines that I have rejected on a regular basis. My advice to them is, learn what I am looking for and offer me those. You will experience less rejection and have more success. I don’t want to be the King, I just want to find good wines that will sell.

No. 8: Very little of the wine’s retail cost goes to the winery.

Sad but true. Hopefully wineries understand this and make the proper adjustments so they can survive, like selling wine directly to the consumer or retail outlet. For those of you that do not know this, if a winery decides to use a distributor, they must lower their cost of goods by 30% to the distributor. The distributor then marks it up 20 to 30 percent to the retailer who in turn marks it up another 30%. This is not exact, but it is close. For small production wineries it does not make sense to go the distributor route.

No. 9: Winery economics are screwed up because many people don’t think of wine as a business.

Blake knows more about this then I do. I know there are a lot of “Flash” wine sites out there selling wine at a ridiculously low price. This is no doubt due to the glut of wines out there that are sitting in warehouses because the economy is in the tank. Wineries need cash, so they are practically giving their wine away to generate money. Yes, this has put many small wineries out of business and although sad, it is a reality.

No. 10: While wine is a business, it is almost as cool as you think it is.

Yes, it is a cool business to be a part of. Hard work? Yes. The one thing I hear a lot of is how nice it most be to taste so many wines. It is nice, but it takes a lot of effort to taste and take meaningful notes so that you can pass the information on to the consumer. It is never a burden, but it does take concerted effort.
I love hanging out with wine makers and vineyard managers. It is very cool to walk the vineyards and listen to wine makers talk about the grapes, eat grapes off the vines and tour the wine making facilities. Each one gives you a different perspective on wine making techniques and vineyard management. Wine is not an exact science, there is a lot of personality in each bottle. And yes, it is very cool to be a wine guy!

I will continue to read Mr. Blake and I am happy that he will be writing columns for Palate Press. However, I felt he missed the mark on some of his points in his first article, no doubt this is due to lack of experience on the retail level. Perhaps it was tongue and cheek, I am not sure. In either case I felt a need to give my two cents worth and hopefully it clarified a few things. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

Posted in Stan UnCorked... | 2 Comments

ON THE BUS IN WALLA WALLA…. CORDON BUS TOUR 2011

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

The intensity of this day could hardly be anticipated as we set out to visit 13 wineries and taste more then 75 wines in Walla Walla. Ken Avedisian, CEO and President of Cordon Selection kept warning all of us on Friday that it was simply a warm-up round. Since this was the first time for most of us, I do not believe we knew what we were in for. Our first stop was Long Shadows winery to meet with Gilles (Pronounced “Jills”) Nicault resident wine maker and keeper of this interesting project.

Founded by Allen Shoup who at one time ran the Ste. Michelle operation, Long Shadows concept is to provide a facility for well known wine makers from around the world to produce a
Washington wine in the distinct style they are known for. http://www.longshadows.com. Gilles makes sure their vision and style are accomplished. I have to say that I was impressed with the enthusiasm and hospitality of Gilles. As he tasted us on all their wine, he gave us a nice rundown of how each individual wine maker expresses their style. Here are the wines we tasted…

2010 Poets Leap Riesling (Armin Diel) $19.99
The freshness of this riesling leaps of the nose with bright acidity. Aromas of tangerine, limes and apricots. The wine has beautiful minerals on the palate backed by notes of lime sorbet and mandarin orange that penetrate the palate into a long finish. 94 points

2007 Saggi (Ambrogio & Giovanni Folonari) $44.99

Old world all over the nose on this one with hits of leather, red currants, cedar and perfumed herbs. Again the old world comes through on the palate with notes of black olive, spice, cedar and currants. Smooth fine grained tannins with a long creamy finish with hits of wood that linger. Who says you can’t make an authentic Italian style in Washington State? 92 points

2007 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon (Randy Dunn) $54.99
Wonderful aromas of dark berries, mocha, vanilla and spice. Good structure on the palate with notes of red and dark fruits present, cherry seeming to be dominant. Tannins are there but balanced nicely with the fruit. There is a slight tannic grip on the long finish which features mocha and chocolate notes. 92 points

2007 Piourette (Philippe Melka) $49.99
A Bordeaux style blend consisting of 59% cabernet sauvignon, 23% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 6% petit verdot and 2% malbec. On the nose I got some interesting smoke and bacon fat notes, very similar to a syrah, blended with notes of boysenberry. A nice sweet fragrance came through. Very smooth and silky (Unctuous as Parker would say) on the palate. Deep dark fruit notes penetrate the palate from start to a long finish. Hits of spice, black olive and oak come through. Excellent balance and structure, this baby, with some age will only improve. 94 points

2007 Pedestal Merlot (Michel Rolland) $54.99
True to his French back round, this is truly a blended wine being 75% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. Aromas of perfumed red berries, wet leather and cedar. Delicious palate of mocha, chocolate, currants and black olives. Very smooth with elegant tannins and hints of spice. You get the impression that this wine is holding a little back for the future. This is a sleeping giant waiting to roar. Beautiful now but will be even better in about eight to ten years. 96 points

2006 Chester Kidder (Gilles Nicault) $49.99
45% cabernet sauvignon, 36% syrah, 10% petit verdot and 9% cabernet franc this is Allen Shoup’s baby at the hands of wine maker Gilles Nicault. Aromas of red flowers, spiced cherries, leather and red currants. Big blast of dark fruits on the front of the palate along with notes of black olives and blackberries. Long finish with a spiciness that hangs on and on. 94 points

2007 Sequel Syrah (John Duval) $49.99
Beautiful syrah aromas of bacon fat and boysenberries. Excellent structure on the palate with notes of boysenberries, currants and hits of bacon fat. Smooth and silky but a little tight. This gem will improve with some age. 94 points

It was very hard to spit the wine at Long Shadows but I did my best. The facility was top of the line, I was very impressed. It was time to move on to Basel Cellars…

Basel Cellars had an impressive facility also but in a rustic sort of way. Once someones estate, it is now a winery. The tasting room is a remolded garage that was the home of many cars. The winery/barrel room is also a remolded garage. The grounds surrounding the facility are beautiful and well maintained with vineyards in the back, maybe front yard? Anyway, we were treated to a number of their wines and here are my notes.

2008 Basel Cellars Claret … $19.99
This is a classic Bordeaux style blend on the nose with notes of pencil lead and wet cedar. On the palate, notes of cassis backed by notes of cranberries and cherry with a hit of black licorice. The wine became brighter on the mid-palate and trailed off into a medium finish. I would call this an average red. 88 points

2008 Basel Cellars Tempranillo … (?)
Aromas of smokey dark berries and cassis. Thin on the palate with light mint notes and what seemed to me to be notes of venison and hints of cassis. Balanced acids but not much going on with this wine. If it’s $9.99 it would be worth a try, but I am afraid it is much more then that. 84 points

2007 Basel Cellars “Inspired” … $39.99
A blend of 72% merlot and 28% cabernet franc. This wine had interesting aromas of earth with a slight stink along with black olive, blackberry and cassis. Good structure on the palate with notes of blackberries and black currants. Very silky in the mouth with fine grained tannins. Nice spice hit on a long, pleasing finish. Nice balance of fruit and acidity. A little pricey, but I believe it is worth the investment. 92 points

I would love to review the cab and syrah that I tasted because they both scored well. The problem is that I did not write down whether they were the “Pheasant Run” Vineyard versions or not. Sorry, I will try to get my hands on a bottle of each to clarify. I was impressed with the Basel Cellars wines and I would recommend that you seek them out.

Now it was on to Tertullia Cellars, a winery I had not even heard of until recently. A friend of mine had purchased a bottle of their grenache and shared it with a group of us. It was a little “hot” but very tasty. I was excited to give their other wines a try.

2010 Tertulia Cellars Viognier … $17.99
100% stainless steel fermented made this viognier crisp and clean. A fresh bouquet of apples and pitted fruits. In the mouth, creamy notes of peaches, mangoes and papaya. Nice balance with a lighter mouthfeel (Which was nice) and a long pleasing finish. This would be killer with salads, sushi or shellfish. 90 points

2007 Tertulia Cellars “Sobra” … $19.99
61% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Malbec and 13% Petit Verdot. A bouquet of soft minty cherries. On the palate, this wine is bright and tight with notes of cassis and cherry backed by notes of mint toothpick. The back side and finish of this red is very austere, making a perfect compliment to the barbecue. 88 points

2007 Turtulia Celllars PepperBridge Merlot … $23.99
Aromas of black currants, black olive, oak and hits of cherries. Nice old world leather feel on the palate with a bright edge. Flavors of cherry and cassis that are driven on the palate by a bright acidity into a fresh finish with hits of mint. 89+ points

2007 Tertulia Cellars Syrah … $23.99
Love the aromas of char and dark fruits with whiffs of bacon fat coming through. This is what Washington syrah is all about. Red plums, cherries and char with nice hits of spice flow across the palate with a nice hit of bacon and mocha on a pleasing finish. Good price, great syrah. 91 points

2007 Tertulia Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills … $25.99
Aromas of vanilla, chocolate and some vegetation, maybe tomato leaf and some green bell pepper. A little challenged on the fruit side. Tomato stem and spice right up front on the palate. Cherries and currants come through on the mid-palate with a hit of mocha on a medium to short finish. Some folks will love this cab but it is not for everyone. 87 points

2008 Tertulia Cellars Phinny Hill Vineyards Carmenere … $34.99
I have not seen a lot of carmenere from Washington State so I was very interested in giving this a try. I loved the nose on this baby as it gave off aromas of marinated green bell peppers and onions. Kind of a South American nose with a little Washington love. In the mouth, the flavors of cooked green peppers came through along with cassis and cherry. Light on the finish. I found this to be a very intriguing red and although the price is a little steep, for those who like something different this may be worth the investment. 90 points

Thanks go to Ryan Raber, wine maker at Tertulia Cellars for taking the time out of his busy day to share his wines with the group. They did not disappoint. There was no time for small talk however, as we were ushered along to get on the bus and head to Va’Piano Vineyards for lunch, to taste their wines and also the wines of Zero One Winery and Chateau Rollat.

Va’Piano sits right next door to the famous PepperBridge Vineyard in Walla Walla. The vineyards are shaped somewhat like a bowl with the winery nestled in the bottom and the vineyards surrounding on all sides. Wine maker/owner Justin Wylie was most gracious, and gave the group a nice tour of his vineyards. He showed us how he buries his canes every year to enable the vineyard to survive any unexpected freeze such as the one that hit the valley hard in late November last year. As a result, he is able to harvest when many others loose a lot of fruit. We had a nice lunch at the winery and tasted through the wines of Va’Piano, Zero One and Chateau Rollat.

2011 Va’Piano Vineyards Bruno’s Blend II Sauvignon Blanc … $17.99
I am always on the look-out for good domestic sauv. blanc since there isn’t a ton of it available, and I have to tell you, I was pleasantly surprised with this effort. Fragrant notes of green apples, melon and sugar cane. Nice acidity with a little creaminess coming through. Notes of peach and melon with lingering papaya and peaches on a lingering finish. I really liked this sauvignon blanc and was happy to discover it. 90 points

2008 Va’Piano Vineyards Syrah … $39.99
Aromas of Boysenberries and plums with a hit of char. Soft and plush on the palate with notes of currants and blackberries. Seems to be a little soft until the finish where the acidity sort of pops giving the wine a little bacon fat and spice edge on a medium to long finish. I really hate to see a forty dollar price tag on this wine. I know we need to make money but c’mon! 89 points

2007 Va’Piano Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon … $39.99
A little challenged on the nose with hits of green bell peppers and cassis. Soft and sexy on the front of the palate with sweet tannins. Notes of white pepper, spice and plum. A little tannic grip on a medium finish. This wine is a little over-priced for the quality. 87 points

NV Va’Piano Vineyards Bruno’s Blend VII … $19.99
A little tight on the nose with notes of red currants and cassis. Very deep and rich on the palate with notes of black currants, chocolate and vanilla. This red is very sexy with lush dark fruits on the mid-palate that flow into a spicy, medium finish. This is a lot of wine for the dough. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 15% cabernet franc and 5% syrah. 90 points

2008 Zero One Winery “Sauce” Red … $11.99
Very light aromas of cranberries and cherries. Silky notes of black licorice, currants and green bell pepper. Hits of mocha come through on the finish. This is a fairly simple easy to drink red that is balanced with a finish that kind of just disappears. Not a bad price for what you get. 80% merlot, 10% cabernet franc, 6% syrah, 4% cabernet sauvignon. 86 points

2008 Zero One Winery Wild Sky Cabernet Sauvignon … $29.99
Aromas of rose pedal, cherries and anise. Solid and muscular on the palate. A little tobacco leaf on the front backed by notes of cassis and spice. Notes of chocolate come through on a lingering finish. Structured tannins come through on back side . This is a well built cab that is not heavy. Even at thirty bucks, this is a good value. 90+ points

After tasting the Va’Piano and Zero One wines we were invited to go below the winery to Chateau Rollat where Mike Golden wine maker showed us his stuff. Chateau Rollat shares the Va’Piano facility… One big happy family. I wasn’t able to take any notes on the Rollat wines since we were all crammed in the barrel room tasting the wines. I will say that I was very impressed even at the price of the wines. The Edouard goes for sixty-two bucks and the Rollat for thirty-eight. I will be doing something with these wines at the store. Now it was on to Waters/Substance Winery barely three blocks away. Not much time for the palate to rest!

I have been a fan of Waters syrah for some time so I was quite curious to see what they had to offer. I have to say right now, that nothing they presented let me down, although I did not have a chance to try them all.

2010 Waters Winery Rose … $14.99
Aromas of strawberries and grapefruit that were very fresh. Good acidity on the palate with notes of grapefruit and tart rhubarb. This is one of the best rose I have tasted this summer/fall. I could drink this everyday and not tire. It was both refreshing and delicious. 92 points

2010 Waters Winery Prelude … ?
Rich aromas of mangoe and melon. Lush on the palate with notes of peaches, mango and melon. Nice balance with mango all over a finish that lingered for some time. 94 points

2009 Waters Winery “Loess” Syrah … $44.99
Char and bacon fat all over the nose. (Love it!) Creamy notes of blueberry, blackberry and bacon flowed across the palate into a long, long finish with hits of bacon grease and vanilla. I am a real sucker for this kind of syrah. Brings me back to Northern Rhone. 94 points

200i9 Waters Winery “Forgotten Hills” Syrah … $59.99
Now this is a hefty price for a syrah, right up there with Shafer relentless. Would it deliver? The answer is a resounding… Yes! Aromas of black plum, barbecue spices, earth and burnt match. Silky smooth and seductive on the palate. Notes of blueberry, blackberry backed by balanced acids and underlying notes of bacon fat. The finish does not quit featuring some interesting spice notes. If you love syrah as much as I do, this could fast become one of your favorites. 95+ points

2009 Waters Winery “Interlude” … $29.99
Intense nose of black licorice and currants. Sweet tannins with flavors of blackberry and plum. Smooth, silky tannins with good structure and underlying notes of tar and spice. 92 points

2008 Waters Winery Cabernet Sauvignon … $49.99
What is it with these fifty dollar cabs? First Long Shadows, now Waters. Being the guy that I am, I cannot encourage you to go out and buy them considering the economic situation. However, I have to be honest in my evaluation and this is a damn good cab! A little restraint on the nose with notes of cassis and currants. Silky smooth on the palate with notes of black currants, plums and dark ripe cherries. A little char hit comes through on a long finish. This wine drinks well now and will age nicely over the next 5-8 years. 92 points

I have to tell you that by this point in the day, not only was my palate being tested to the limit, I was getting a serious buzz going. I had requested a light beer at this point, to cleanse my palate (This is a trick I learned a long time ago from a wine maker) and to clear my head. The guys at Waters came through with some PBR for us. Admittedly, the PBR did not stop the buzz but it helped to change gears as we moved on. The next stop was the town of Walla Walla and two tasting rooms… Walla Faces and Dama Wines. We all hopped off the bus and went to work. (It felt nice to walk a few blocks)

I had never heard of Walla Faces Winery before so I was quite curious. Here is what I found…

2009 Walla Faces Riesling … $15.99
Very intriguing nose of rubber boot, sugar cane and mandarin oranges. Sweet apricots on the palate with some sugar cane components. 87 points

2008 Walla Faces “Fusion” … $27.99
A blend of cab, merlot and cab franc. Aromas of pencil lead (mint), cherry and blackberry. A little tomato leaf on the palate with some spices along with notes boysenberry. There is spice all over the mid-palate with a little char hit on a long finish. Good balance on this wine. 92 points

2006 Walla Faces Cabernet Sauvignon … $32.99
Alcohol comes through on the nose with notes of ripe currants and mint. Plush on the palate with notes of black currants. This cab is quite soft but not wimpy with good acidity on the finish. 89 points

2009 DaMa Wines Viognier … $16.99
Aromas of apricot, housecleaner and sugar cane. Soft on the palate and a little flabby with notes of mango and peach. 80 points

2010 DaMa Wines Chardonnay … $21.99
Nose is quite closed with a slight hit of nuttiness. A little flabby but not terrible. Notes of melon, peach and apple with a tiny hit of alcohol on the finish. 84 points

2007 DaMa Wines Sangiovese … ?
Aromas of cough syrup. peppermint patty and cherry with hits of basil. on the palate, notes of strawberry, alfalfa, spice and anise. Hits of spice and chocolate linger on the finish. 88 points

2008 DaMa Wines Merlot … $24.99
Aromas of spice, vanilla and red currants. Currants are dominant on the palate with a hit of vanilla on the mid-palate. There is a slight tannic grip on a medium finish. 85 points

200i9 DaMa Wines Syrah … $24.99
Bouquet of sweet dark plums and bacon fat. Plush and full on the palate with notes of char, bacon, boysenberry and black currants on a silky, rich finish. 89 points

After walking through the town of Walla Walla a bit, my head had cleared and I was on for the challenge of visiting the wineries of Mackey Vineyards and Rasa Winery. I did not get a chance to taste all of the wines, but here are the ones that I took notes on.

2008 Mackey Vineyards Syrah … $31.99
Aromas of bright red currants and bacon. Bright acidity on the palate with notes of cranberry, red plums and char notes on a medium finish. 84 points

2008 Mackey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon … $31.99
Aromas of green bell peppers, tomato stem and cherry. Tobacco leaf and green bell pepper come through backed by a bright acidity. Very austere and young Bordeaux like with a New World nudge. 86 points

2009 Mackey Vineyards Concordia … $37.99
A blend of 77% syrah, 13% grenache and 10% mouvedre this wine exhibits aromas of sweet dark fruits and red plums. An interesting iron element on the palate (minerals) backed by notes of currants, boysenberry and spice. This red had a nice “Old World” feel to it in the mouth with a little leather action on the mid and finish. Old World with a little New World sunshine. 90 points

2009 Rasa Vineyards Cabernet Franc … ?
Very Chinon like on the nose and palate. Perfumed aromas of green bell peppers and cassis. Round fruit on the palate with notes of black currants, black olives and a little tannic grip. Excellent structure and good balance, this red screams for beef marinated in barbecue sauce or lamb. 90 points
( A little footnote to this… I looked on their website and could not find the cab franc. I am hoping this was something new and not a Mackey Vineyard product since they were right next to each other. In either case, it was a very good wine.)

2009 Rasa Vineyards PB Syrah Red Mountain … $24.99
Aromas of vanilla, cherries and blackberries. Red currants come through in the mouth with a bright backbone to the wine. A little hit of wet cedar comes through on the backside with a slight tannic grip on a medium to long finish. 88 points

2009 Rasa Vineyards QED … $48.99
Aromas of bacon fat and plump dark fruits. Concentrated notes of blackberry and char flow across the palate with good balance of fruit and acidity. The finish is intense and very long, leaving you wanting more of this excellent juice. 91 points

Whew! Wine after wine after wine, and now it was time to head to Corvus Cellars to have dinner and taste their wines along with Dusted Valley Winery. I was done taking notes by this time and like Fidelitas, I owe them some time on my blog to review a few of their wines. One wine did stand out to me at their facility and much to my chagrin there was none available to purchase. It was the Dusted Valley cinsault, and it was out of this world good. If you happen to run across it in your travels, I suggest you give it a try.

It was a great meal with good company and excellent hospitality. We got back to the hotel and I was exhausted, needing some sleep to recover. I was really looking forward to Sunday when we were scheduled to pick up Charlie Hoppes and do some vineyard touring. Stay tuned for my report on our Sunday with Charlie. Cheers! Stan The wine Man

Posted in Happenings and Whatever. | 2 Comments

THIS SYRAH HAS BELLS!

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Stan The Wine Man

I was recently with a group that had a chance to visit with Kent Waliser, General Manager for Sagemoor Vineyards, one of the largest grape producing vineyards in the state of Washington. He has a wealth of knowledge about the wine business and grape growing. Kent is on the Washington Wine Commission and oversees around 900 acres of vineyards including Sagemoor, Bacchus, Dionysus and Weinbau in the Wahluke Slope AVA.

While Kent brought up many interesting points for discussion, one of the things he said stuck with me. He was sad to see syrah experiencing a decline in production in Washington State. He said this because syrah expresses itself so beautifully in the soils of Washington. Perhaps not all vineyard sites grow great syrah, but there are very few that don’t. Unfortunately as he pointed out, wine makers are now only looking at specific vineyards for this varital including places like Red Mountain and Boushey Vineyards in the Yakima Valley.

I myself am sad to see a decline in interest for this versatile varietal. However, there is a silver lining behind every cloud and I have seen a bump in syrah sales in my department recently and that is encouraging. Not too long ago a friend of mine dropped off two bottles of syrah from a small (very small) winery in Seattle. She said they were very good and wanted me to give them a try. Eight Bells Winery is located in the Roosevelt/Revenna neighborhood of North Seattle. This is literally a garage winery as Sharon pointed out, saying there was not a lot of room to move around.

The two syrah that I tried were the ’09 syrah from Yakima Valley which has 15% grenache from Red Mountain, and the Red Willow Vineyard (Yakima Valley) syrah. I have to say that I was very impressed not only with the quality, but the diversity between the two wines. Here are my impressions…

2009 Eight Bells Syrah Yakima Valley … 24.99
85% syrah from the Les Vignes de Marcoux Vineyard in Yakima Valley and grenache from Red Mountain, this syrah has everything I look for in this varietal. Smokey dark fruit on the nose with hits of bacon fat. On the palate it is elegant and bold at the same time. Notes of black currants and boysenberries permeate the palate on silky smooth tannins. Smoke and bacon fat back up the fruit as it flows seamlessly into a medium finish. This is a great price for such a fabulous effort. 90 points

2009 Eight Bells Syrah Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley … 33.99
Talk about a difference in flavor profile. This syrah leaned toward the brighter fruit side. Fresh on the nose with notes of bacon fat and blueberry. On the palate the acidity drives the notes of blueberry and anise with hits of red flowers. Notes of bacon fat come through on a long finish. This syrah is intense in a different way then its’ sibling and that is not a bad thing. Look for this one to age nicely over the next 4-8 years. This one screams for marinated beef or barbecue sauce. 92 points

Look these guys up at http://www.8bellswinery.com/ and try to get some of their wines. They are reasonably priced and represent an excellent value in Washington syrah. I know I am going to take a trip to see them and try some of their other wines. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man

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