Washington

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

This is one of the best values in Washington Wine.  From what used to be young vines in the Champoux Vineyard, these vines are no longer young.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, plums and black cherries with spice and slight char.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is getting closer to peak.  Great fruits (Cassis and black cherries) with underlying scorched earth.  Complex, it unwinds in the glass.  Nice finish.  No hurry on this, it should drink great for the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks nicely on its own but will work better with food.  Roast Turkey would wo

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted herbs, slight burnt rubber, and a bit of cherries.  Full bodied.  Rich texture.  Lots of vibrancy.  On the palate, good fruit but not as boisterous as some vintages.  Black raspberries, black cherries, with underlying char and roasted meats.  Nice finish.  This is obviously young but drinking well.  It should mature for another five to ten years and drink well for eight to twelve after that.  It drinks great on its own and will work for big flavored foods.  Roasted chicken would work well.  

This is a Cabernet from Washington state.  It actually also has 4% Merlot.  Purple in color, a bit of ruby at the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with black cherries, plums, some baking spice and a slight liqueur note.  Full bodied but not over blown.  On the palate, this has juicy black cherries, plums, slight blueberries with some underlying char and a bit of minerality.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now but should go another seven to ten years.  It will work on its own but probably better with food.  It went well with pasta but would work well with r

This is a "Bordeaux Blanc" styles wine from Washington state.  It is 69% Sauvignon Blanc and 31% Semillon.  Very impressive and a dead ringer for a Bordeaux white in style and quality.  Light golden in color.  The nose has apples, wax, sweet herbs, minerality and a touch of cedar.  Light to medium bodied.  Nice texture.  On the palate, apples, slight citrus, wax with underlying minerality.  Fresh and lively.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Versatile.  This drinks great on its own and will work with with sea food, pork or fowl and also spicy Asian foods.  Drink over the next few years for its

This is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot from Washington state.  It is a nice value in Cabernet.  Deep garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cassis and an ash quality that is interesting.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, nice cassis fruit.  Medium tannins.  Nice finish.  This is a solid, easy drinking wine that will work well with steaks, roasted chicken or all but the lightest foods.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

At a recent tasting of United Ink Wines, this was the runaway crowd favorite.  It is a blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington state.  Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, chocolate and slight black raspberry.  Mice mouthfeel.  Light to medium tannins.  On the palate, nice black raspberry and black cherries fruit with some chocolate.  Firm tannins on the finish.  This is delicious.  It drinks (easy).  Great on its own, this would be great with a burger or other foods off the grill.  Drink over the next five year

This was a very enjoyable Riesling from Washington state.  The back label talked about dry wine, but this is semi-dry.  Screw capped.  Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is more about minerality than fruit.  Tight but opens with some air to show some tropical fruits.  On the palate, there is a nice pineapple streak with minerality and yes a bit of sweetness.  Enough acidity to balance this nicely.

My second time trying this wine.  Same overall impressions.  It is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Tempranillo.  Almost black in color, more ruby towards the rim.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries and the burnt rubber smell.  Medium bodied if not a bit thinner.  On the palate, this is a nice quaff.  Nice black cherry fruit.  Easy drinking.  No idea on what the pricing will be.  

A fantastic Washington state Syrah.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black pepper, black raspberries with some roasted meats.  Full bodied. Wonderful almost seamless texture.  On the palate, lots of black raspberry fruit with underlying char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This will continue to mature for another seven to ten years and drink well for twelve to fifteen after that.  It drinks well on its own and will require bigger flavors (less as it matures).  Spicy foods are a nice match.  

This is 100% Syrah from Washington state.  Inky purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is boysenberry, black pepper, slight roasted meats and a hint of burnt rubber.  Medium to full bodied.  Delicious.  On the palate, lush black raspberry fruit with underlying char.  Also some black pepper.  Very smooth.  Long finish.  This is still young and will no doubt continue to improve for another five to seven years.  It should drink well for ten to fifteen more after that.  Drinks well on its own and will work with bigger foods especially roasts or off the grill.