Washington

• Columbia Valley
• Horse Heaven Hills
• Red Mountain
• Wahluke Slope
• Walla Walla
• Yakima Valley

This is Syrah from Washington.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black olives, slight burnt rubber and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, there is lush black raspberry fruit with a bit of an herbal streak.  Good finish.  Overall, a pretty classic profile for a Washington state Syrah.  This is drinking well and nearing maturity but should drink well for another eight to twelve years.  It is very nice on its own and should work well with many foods.  It would pair well with Indian cuisine.  

Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is classic Washington Syrah.  Black raspberries, burnt rubber, black olives, black pepper and earthiness.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is up front and tasty with black raspberry fruit, earthiness and char.  Nice finish.  A big wine but not as exuberant as California Syrahs.  This needs a couple more years to develop until peak then should drink well for twenty.  Nice on its own, this would be a nice match with Indian food.

This is 97% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Merlot from Washington state.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, cedar and dust.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Flavors of black cherries, some cassis, spice and cedar.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  At age 18, this is getting close to peak but still packs a punch.  It is a big wine.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  It drinks well on its own and will work well with most (not seafood) dishes.  Roasted Chicken would work nicely.  

This is a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Syrah from the Powerline Vineyard in Walla Walla.  Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, graphite and an earthiness.  Medium bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black raspberries and slight black olives with good acidity. Long finish.  This drinks nicely on its own and worked well with Mushroom Burgers.  Still young, this should drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  

Washington’s Columbia Valley has long produced Cabernet. Though vine plantings started in the 1960s, it was the 1930s that saw the plantings of traditional grapes like Cabernet and Chardonnay. Now the Valley is well know and producing some very good wine. On initial opening of the 2022 Greenwing Cabernet, there is noticeable jammy fruit and as first an overt sweetness. But this Cabernet needs time to evolve and within 45 minutes the sweet fruit has subsided and the tannins and oak take over, giving you a quality Cabernet.

This is their basic Washington Cabernet Sauvignon.  It is a nice value and provides good quality for the money.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, slight bell pepper and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good balance.  On the palate, cassis and black cherries with underlying char.  Good finish. This drinks great on its own and will work well with typical Cab matches.  A nice wine with a sausage Pizza.  Drink over the next ten years.  

This continues to be a delightful take on Gruner from the Pacific Northwwest.  Light golden with green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has granny smith apples, limes and minerality. Medium bodied.  Good acidity. On the palate, apples and limes.  Nice finish.  This is an easy drinking wine that is nice on its own but a bit better with food.  Lighter foods such as chicken or tuna salad will work nicely.  Drink over the next three to five years.

This is a really interesting wine.  From the great Champoux Vineyard in Columbia Valley, Washington.  Deep purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has plums, black raspberries and char.  Full bodied.  Tannins mostly resolved but still present.  Nice texture.  On the palate, boysenberries with char.  Good finish.  This is a great wine to get a feel for the Petit Verdot grape.  It drinks ok, but is better with food.  This would work well with a steak or Prime Rib.  

This is a blend of red wines after they have completed their single varietal bottlings.  It differs from vintage to vintage but tends to have Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel as the main grapes.  It is always a great value.  Purple in color with ruby swirls.  The nose has black cherries and cherries with some spice and char.  Medium bodied.  Good energy and well balanced.  On the palate, this drinks easy.  Nice black cherry and cherry fruit.  Good finish.  This is a perfect wine for mid-week pizza night.  Drink over the next five years.