Silvery green in color. The nose has nice minerality with slight peaches. On the palate, this has a hint of sweetness. IT is very refreshing with good acidity. It is easy drinking on its own and would go with lighter foods. Nice finish. Drink in the next couple of years.
This was quite good. Not as big or expressive as expected. In fact, it drinks very Northern Rhone-ish. Purple in color. On the nose there is black raspberries, slight bacon fat, slight violets and underlying minerality. Nice texture. Layers unwind in the glass. Though still tight, there is a nice complexity with black raspberry fruit and crushed dusty rocks. Nice acidity as well. Should continue to improve for a while and be good for a couple of decades after that.
Purple in color with ruby swirls. This was tight but opened quickly to show black raspberries, slight roasted meats and a bit of pepper. On the palate, this has a silky texture. Black cherries. Light tannins. Nice finish. This is probably as good as this gets but should be nice drinking for five years. At $25 retail, this is fairly priced. Will work with medium and heavier foods.
This is a great value for around $20. Having had it in multiple vintages, it is very consistent. Inky purple in color. The nose is dusty with black raspberries, black pepper and some cedar. A bit of roasted meat as well. On the palate, this is big and fruity but there is also depth and complexity. Bright acidity. Good finish. This will work with big or spicy foods. It should last for 5 to 8 years but probably won't get better. That's ok, it is really good today.
Purple with ruby swirls. The nose is tight on opening but reveals smoky black raspberries. On the palate, this is sweet black raspberry fruit. It has a nice complexity to it and is more "elegant" than a fruit bomb. Drinking quite well, it will probably still improve with good cellaring. Food friendly for most foods. Nice finish. It retails for around $60.
Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper and a burnt rubber note that is present (in a good way) in many Washington Syrahs. On the palate, there is nice boysenberry fruit. Layered but tight with fruit and crushed rocks. There is an almost seamless texture to this wine that is really nice. It will work with a wide variety of food and has a nice backbone of acidity to assist. Good finish. This competes with wines at twice the price. Good now, it probably won't improve but should remain here for at least five and probably ten more years.
Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black cherries and a slight burn rubber note. On the palate, light tannins. Thinner in texture and body. Black raspberry fruit. Some spice. Easy drinking. This retail for under $20 and is a very nice value. Should be good for a few years.
In a tasting, two bottles were tasted side by side. They showed differently. Was it because the wines were in a different place in the line-up or the bottles came from different stores and had been treated differently? Hard to say, but tasted in a group, we had different reactions. There is an inherent bias that blind tasting removes prejudices and it probably does, but it also introduces its own set of biases that can not be discounted. Bottle #1 was the first glass tasted while bottle #2 was the 9th.
The name for this wine comes from the fact that way back in the day, these were the youngest vines in the Champoux Vineyard. They may still hold that distinction, but these wines are getting close to thirty years old now. This wine is a great example of Washington Cabernet. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cassis, cherries, slight spice and some leather. On the palate, this seems to be getting close but not yet at peak. Layers of cherries, cassis and dry earth. Mild tannins. Nice finish. This will go well with heartier foods. It may still have some upside and certain
Inky purple in color. The nose has black raspberries, black pepper and violets. On the palate, this is almost seamless. Black raspberry fruit, some black pepper. Great juicy but lush texture. Complex. Long finish. Needs big or spicy foods but there is enough acidity to handle them. This is delicious and so easy to drink now, but should continue to mature for another 5 to 7 years and be good for at least a decade after that.
