
Today’s Fresh Sheet – reviews of new and recent releases – includes wines from Savage Grace, Cadence, Walla Walla Vintners, Kiona Vineyards, Cloudlift Cellars, Northstar, and Stottle Winery.
Savage Grace
Savage Grace is a new winery located in Woodinville that made its first wines in the 2011 vintage. Founder and winemaker Michael Savage – whose wife’s name makes up the second part of the winery’s moniker – says of his interest in wine, “As long as I can remember I've loved wine and, maybe even more so, going to wine shops and browsing, trying to make sense of all the wine labels, styles, and regions.”
For Savage, his ‘Aha!’ moment came when he realized that wine could transform an everyday meal - and could do so without breaking the bank. “Rather than spending $50+ on a Napa Cab, for example, I could get a Loire Valley wine that went better with most meals,” Savage said.
Savage immersed himself in learning more about wine by taking the Wine and Spirit Educational Trust (WSET) courses, where he is currently in the middle of Diploma-level certification with the ultimate goal of taking the Master of Wine examination (“Although I don't expect to ever pass it,” he said of the notoriously rigorous test). He also studied winemaking at the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle Community College.
Savage says of the style he is striving for, “The winery focus is on wines that are vibrant, flavorful, textural, and food-friendly. Site-specificity is important to me, so I've tried to pick sites where I feel like this will lead to the strongest wine, as well a wine that somehow echoes that place. There needs to be something extra there to make the wine worth caring about.”
These are certainly wines worth caring about. The 2012 Cabernet Franc in particular is one of the more attention getting wines I’ve come across this year: a 2012 vintage red wine from the Rattlesnake Hills that comes in at an unheard of 12.5% listed alcohol. I know what you’re thinking…No, the aromas and flavors are far from green and unripe. Rather, it’s a focused, flavorful wine that only saw a limited amount of neutral French oak.
Like its Syrah-Grenache counterpart, the 2012 Cabernet Franc is a young wine that needs some additional time in the cellar or a few hours open to really show its stuff but is well worth the wait. Keeping with the desire to make food friendly wines that don’t break the bank, the Savage Grace wines are also well priced for the quality that’s in the bottle.
Savage Grace produced 550 cases in 2013 with plans to move up toward 850 next year.
Savage Grace Cabernet Franc Copeland Vineyard Rattlesnake Hills 2012 $22
91 points. This is a completely unique wine for the state, one that calls out more to the Loire Valley than to Rattlesnake Hills. Coming in at a cool 12.5% alcohol—in a vintage known for average temperatures—it brings detailed notes of flowers, cigar box, raspberry and moist earth. With nine months of neutral French-oak aging, there’s barely a trace of oak influence. It’s lighter in style but still brings good depth with a long, flavorful finish. As far from a cocktail wine as you can get; serve this one at the dinner table. Wine Enthusiast December 31, 2013
Savage Grace Syrah-Grenache Columbia Valley 2012 $23

Savage Grace Riesling Underwood Mountain Columbia Gorge 2012 $17
90 points. An immediately appealing wine with notes of freshly cut apple, apricot, mineral and jasmine. Though it has 17 g/L residual sugar, it drinks barely off dry with the vineyard’s electric acidity more than balancing out the midpalate’s sugar, providing a dry feel to the drawn-out finish. Equal parts phenolic feel and flavor, put it on the dinner table now to see it at its best. Wine Enthusiast, December 31, 2013
Savage Grace Chardonnay Celilo Vineyard Columbia Gorge 2012 $20
88 points. Aged in equal parts new and neutral French oak along with stainless steel—the latter with no malolactic fermentation—this wine brings out notes of toast, straw and citrus. It has a thick mouth-feel while alternately delivering good concentration and length. It has a thick somewhat ponderous, lemony feel while alternately delivering good concentration and length. It doesn’t quite feel entirely like Chardonnay but it’s quite delicious. Wine Enthusiast, December 31, 2013
Savage Grace Sauvignon Blanc Red Willow Vineyard Yakima Valley 2012 $15

Savage Grace Syrah Rattlesnake Hills 2011 $22
88 points. All coming from Dineen Vineyard, the grapes were whole-berry fermented and aged 18 months in neutral oak. Bright, fresh and fruity with notes of cranberry and red currant, it’s lightly styled, soft and supple with a sense of freshness and polish. This wine is drinking young and needs additional time in the bottle to flesh out but will deserve a spot at the dinner table. Wine Enthusiast, December 31, 2013
Cadence
A cooler vintage like 2010 plays right into the hands of winemaker Ben Smith at Cadence. Smith eschews the riper style favored by a number of Washington wineries and instead crafts wines that are built on structure. The result is some of the state’s finest and most ageworthy wines, and the 2010 Cadence releases are no different. Sampling these wines over the course of a week they continued to shine and should provide timeless cellaring potential.
While the 2010 releases from Cadence bring much to celebrate, the real story here might just be the 2011 vintage Coda, perhaps the winery’s finest to date. It’s a flat out beautiful wine that punches well above its weight class and shines a spotlight on the winery’s style. As with the other wines listed, this wine should age nicely in the cellar. Then again, it’s drinking so beautifully now, there’s really no reason to keep your hands off it. If this is the declassified juice, I look forward to what the 2011 vintage brings from Cadence.
Of note, Cadence has a revamped website – a substantial improvement – with plentiful information about the winery and wines.
Read previous posts about Cadence here and an article in Edible Seattle about the winery here.
Cadence Bel Canto Red Wine Cara Mia Vineyard Red Mountain 2010 $60

Cadence Camerata Red Wine Cara Mia Vineyard Red Mountain 2010 $60

Cadence Tapteil Vineyard Red Wine Red Mountain 2010 $45

Cadence Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Wine Red Mountain 2010 $45

Cadence Coda Red Mountain 2011 $25

Walla Walla Vintners
The latest releases from Walla Walla Vintners show the diversity of the winery’s offerings on full display. They include three Italian inspired wines: a Dolcetto, a Sangiovese, and a Super Tuscan-style blend. These wines are each of high quality but the Dolcetto in particular is a showstopper, as good an example of this variety as I’ve had from Washington.
Dolcetto is already exceedingly rare in the state but single vineyard, single varietal offerings are that much more so, let alone from the Walla Walla Valley. Seeing no new oak, Walla Walla Vintners’ 2011 Dolcetto is fresh, vibrant, and fruit filled; it is a wine to seek out.
Meanwhile, Vintners continues to shine with its Bordeaux offerings, including its trademark Cabernet Franc. As usual, the winery continues to offer high quality and extremely reasonable prices, such as its 2010 Sagemoor Cabernet Sauvignon coming from some of the oldest vines in the state.
Read previous posts about Walla Walla Vintners here.
Walla Walla Vintners Dolcetto Dwelley Vineyard Walla Walla Valley 2011 $22

Walla Walla Vintners Sangiovese Columbia Valley 2011 $25

Walla Walla Vintners Bello Rosso Sangiovese 50%/Cabernet Sauvignon 50% Columbia Valley 2011 $32

Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley 2011 $30

Walla Walla Vintners Washington State Cuvee Red Wine Washington State 2010 $28

Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2010 $36

Walla Walla Vintners Sagemoor Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2010 $40

Kiona Vineyards
Unlike Canada, which produces ice wine in abundance, in Washington these sticky, sweet wines are comparatively rare. Kiona Vineyards year in and year out not only makes one of the state’s best ice wines, it also makes one of the most affordable ones. The 2012 Kiona Chenin Blanc Ice Wine guarantees to make these cold winter days a little warmer without making the wallet that much lighter.
Kiona’s 2010 vintage Merlot also provides a lot of value. Though labeled as Columbia Valley, this is all Kiona Estate Vineyard fruit. Better still it’s one hundred percent varietal and all free run juice. Free run, Red Mountain Merlot at $25? Yes please.
Read previous posts about Kiona Vineyards here.
Kiona Vineyards Chenin Blanc Ice Wine Red Mountain 2012 $25(375ml)

Kiona Vineyards Merlot Columbia Valley 2010 $25

Kiona Vineyards Estate Bottled Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain 2010 $42

Kiona Vineyards Cyclops II Red Mountain NV $40

Kiona Vineyards Late Harvest Riesling Columbia Valley 2012 $15

Kiona Vineyards Estate Bottled Lemberger Red Mountain 2011 $15

Cloudlift Cellars
The latest releases from Georgetown’s Cloudlift Cellars include some impressive wines. Among them are two whites, one a Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend called Updraft and the second a Chardonnay. Both hail from Bacchus Vineyard in the Columbia Valley, part of Sagemoor Vineyards.
Winemaker Tom Stangeland tank fermented the Sauvignon Blanc and barrel fermented the Semillon in once used French oak. The result is a pleasing interplay of bright fruit flavors and creamy texture. The Chardonnay meanwhile was barrel fermented and then aged in new French oak for four months before being moved to tank.
Whereas a number of 2012 vintage wines tended to go over the top in terms of richness, bringing excess alcohol along with it, these two wines both dance relatively light but still deliver. The Halycon Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, is also a standout.
Read previous posts about Cloudlift Cellars here.
Cloudlift Cellars Updraft Columbia Valley 2012 $18

Cloudlift Cellars Chardonnay Columbia Valley 2012 $20

Cloudlift Cellars Halycon Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills 2011 $28
Moderately aromatic with high toned high toned herbs, vanilla, cherry, and medicine cabinet. The palate is on the lighter side of medium bodied, plush but with a lower alcohol feel, tart acidity, and a pleasing sense of balance. 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot. Alder Ridge Vineyard. Aged 20 months in French and American oak (33% new). 13.9% alcohol. 93 cases produced. (Wine Enthusiast review to be published in an upcoming issue).
Cloudlift Ascent Cabernet Franc Horse Heaven Hills 2011 $25
Vanilla and coconut are at the fore followed by cherry and herbs. It’s on the lighter side of medium bodied with abundant cherry flavors. 81% Cabernet Franc, 19% Merlot. Alder Ridge Vineyard. Aged 20 months in French and American oak (33% new). 14% alcohol. 60 cases produced. (Wine Enthusiast review to be published in an upcoming issue).
Cloudlift Cellars Panorama Horse Heaven Hills 2011 $26
A moderately aromatic wine with herbs, chocolate, and cherry. The palate is soft and supple in feel with abundant chocolate flavors and slightly gritty tannins. 57% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17% Cabernet Franc. Alder Ridge Vineyard. Aged in French and American oak (33% new). 13.9% alcohol. 100 cases produced. (Wine Enthusiast review to be published in an upcoming issue).
Northstar
Some interesting things are afoot at Northstar. The winery recently announced the launch of its Northstar Blending Experience, a 90-minute class that provides consumers with a hands-on opportunity to try blending wine at its Walla Walla winery. Uniquely, people not only get to create their own blends. They also get to go home with a bottle of their creation.
Long known for its Merlots – the reason the winery was founded – Northstar is also starting to shine a brighter light on some of its component wines, such as the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon reviewed below. This wine provides the opportunity to taste a 100% varietal wine from Cold Creek Vineyard, which recently celebrated its 40th birthday.
Read previous posts about Northstar here.
Stella Maris Red Wine Columbia Valley 2009 $29

Northstar Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2010 $40

Stottle Winery
Stottle Winery – named after founders Amy and Josh Stottlemeyer – is located in Lacey, Washington with a satellite tasting room in Hoodsport. Stottle offers an eclectic lineup of wines, including Barbera, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Viognier, Roussanne, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery sources its fruit from across the Yakima Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, and Columbia Valley appellations.
Stottle Winery Viognier Elerding Vineyard Yakima Valley 2012 $25

Stottle Winery Roussanne Marcela Vineyard Yakima Valley 2012 $24

Stottle Winery Lucille Late Harvest Viognier Yakima Valley 2012 $20

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