Northwest Wine Round-up March 15th to 21st 2015

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from March 15^th to 21^st. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

The Sacramento Bee writes about Washington Riesling.

The Independent Record writes about wines for spring with a couple of Washington mentions.

The Sioux Falls Leader writes about white wines for warmer weather with a callout to the A to Z Pinot Gris.

Salt Lake City Weekly writes about Pinot Gris.


From the blogosphere…

Wine Industry Adviser writes that vineyard plantings trend down in California, up in Washington.

Great Northwest Wine writes about Michelle’s new sparkling winemaker. They also write about L’Ecole’s Frenchtown Red, and the Washington Wine Hall of Fame inducting Don Mercer.

Seattle Refined gives a beginners guide to wine tasting. They also write about Taste Washington.

Northwest Wine Anthem gives a Taste Washington strategy.

AgInfo.net writes about tools for wine growers.

GoLocalPDX writes that good weather could hurt Oregon industries.

South Coast Today writes about Chateau Ste Michelle.

Examiner.com writes about the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet. They also write about the 2010 Goose Ridge First Flight.

Wagon Wine writes about wine essentials.

Lucha Vino writes about Seattle Wine and Food Experience.

Woodinville Wine Update writes about Taste Washington. Shona also writes about upcoming events.

Table Talk Northwest writes about Celebrate Walla Walla. They also write about the expansion of Taste Washington.


From the locals…

The Bellingham Herald writes about Thurston Wolfe. They also write that interest in Tempranillo is growing in the Northwest.

The Daily Sun News writes about Cote Bonneville’s new tasting room.

The Seattle Times writes about Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Dry Riesling.

Seattle Metropolitan writes about the Goose Ridge g3 Cabernet (article by yours truly).


Leftovers (posts missed from previous weeks)...

NWOutdoorgrrl updates on a New Year's resolution.


That’s all folks!

Come join me at Taste Washington

Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single region wine and food event, is coming up March 26^th through 29^th. I’ll be moderating two seminars at the event this year. The first is on Saturday, March 28^th and is titled ‘The Chardonnay Revival’ where we’ll be focusing on the resurgence of this variety in Washington of late (see a seminar description as well as the list of panelists and wines). Meanwhile on Sunday, March 29^th, I’ll be moderating a seminar titled ‘Appellation Spotlight: Red Mountain’ where we’ll discuss this viticultural area’s rise to preeminence (see a seminar description as well as the list of panelists and wines). Ticket information is here. Come say hello! Also, keep an eye out for suggested wineries to visit during the Grand Tasting at Seattle Metropolitan next week. Happy Washington Wine Month!

Early bud break in Washington presents challenges, opportunities

Growers in Washington are seeing bud break occur in certain varieties. The onset of the growing season looks to be historically early for some, even compared to the warm 2014 vintage.

“Bud break last year started April 5th, so we are certainly two weeks ahead of that,” said Ryan Driver, vineyard manager at Tertulia Cellars in the Walla Walla Valley. Driver has already seen bud break in Grenache at some of his vineyards.

Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellar and FIGGINS has seen bud break in his Sangiovese at Seven Hills Vineyard. “I remember bud break in March before but certainly not March 15th!” Figgins said.

Driver said the early bud break would make for a nerve-wracking start to the growing season. “All it takes is one major freeze event in the Walla Walla Valley and we would be looking at some serious setbacks,” he said. The frost threat in Washington historically subsides after Mother’s Day weekend.

While Figgins agreed that frost was a significant concern, he said an early bud break also has advantages. “I actually like an early bud break,” he said. “When you start early you have a chance of being on-time.”

Figgins also noted that some sites had seen significant damage to the phloem, part of the plant’s vascular tissue. He said the early bud break would provide time for it to heal before temperatures start shooting up. “An early bud break gives us lots more time,” he said. “Two extra weeks right now is precious.”

In addition to the early bud break, some growers in the Walla Walla Valley are reporting frost damage from last November’s cold temperatures, which occurred before the vines had fully hardened off. “Our Whistling Hills and Riviere Galets vineyards in Walla Walla were at 90% bud damage,” Driver said of his sites located near the Northstar facility and in the Rocks District. He noted that he had buried canes to prevent a crop loss. Driver saw less damage in his higher elevation sites.

Figgins said that one of the family’s vineyards in the Upper Mill Creek area had seen some damage. “Our worst is about 50% in Merlot in the bottom end of our Loess vineyard,” he said. However, Figgins didn’t see this as a significant concern in terms of eventual crop load. “We won’t thin as much fruit. We’ll be fine,” he said.

While some might be inclined to think the early start to the growing season would lead to an accelerated year, Kent Waliser at Sagemoor Vineyards in the Columbia Valley said that was not necessarily the case. “Everyone assumes with the early season we will have mature grapes in mid-August,” he said. “Hold your horses, way too early to predict.”

Overall, Figgins summed up the thoughts of many about the season getting under way, saying simply, “Here we go!”

Picture of bud break in Sangiovese at Seven Hills Vineyard courtesy of Chris Figgins. 

Northwest Wine Round-up March 8th to 14th 2015

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from March 8^th to 14^th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Wines & Vines writes about the Northwest’s early growing season.

The Poughkeepsie Journal writes about the Fox Farm Pinot Gris.

The Washington Times writes about Nevada lawmakers vetting a bill to ease restrictions on wineries.


From the blogosphere…

Wine Searcher.com writes about Leonetti Cellar.

Great Northwest Wine writes about Southern Oregon’s the Greatest of the Grape. They also write about Cellar 503, Northwest winemakers getting creative with red blends, and the upcoming drought.

Seattle Refined writes about Washington wine month.

Write for Wine writes about Alexandria Nicole. They also write about Woodhouse Wine Estates.

Zinfandel Chronicles writes about Betz Family Spring Release.

Lucha Vino pits Washington Sangiovese against Tuscany.

Table Talk Northwest writes about the best of Seattle Wine and Food Experience.

Wild 4 Washington Wine writes about the Bloggers Blend Pinot Noir. William also writes about the 2012 Anew Riesling and the 2012 Fidelitas 4040 Red Wine.

Vindulge writes about summer in Portland in March.

The Wine Economist asks whether wine tourism can learn from food.


From the locals…

The Seattle Times writes about Celebrate Walla Walla.

The Columbian writes about Walla Walla coming to Portland.

The Bellingham Herald writes about Washington Rhone varieties.

The News Tribune writes that Walla Walla wines touch Washington and Oregon. They also write about a San Francisco company co-owning Bookwalter’s Notebook wine and Red Mountain receiving Yakima River water next month.

The Daily Emerald gives a guide to Eugene wine country.

Herald and News writes that Oregon’s wine industry emerges as a mighty ag force.

Seattle Metropolitan writes about 20 ways to enjoy Washington wine month.

KGW writes about Oregon wine country.

The Statesman Journal writes about Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Portland Business Journal writes about Argyle Winery transforming its cellar into a tasting room. They also give a winemaker’s take on Oregon’s low snow weather.

Capital Press gives a toast to Oregon’s growing wine industry.

Oregon Live writes about the vineyard behind Oregon’s wine country license plate.

Boise Weekly writes about the Chehalem Inox Chardonnay.

The Mail Tribune writes about Serra Vineyards.

Eugene Daily News writes about the Williams Rosé.

The Tri-city Herald writes about WSU offering a new hospitality degree.

The Puget Sound Business Journal writes about Ted Baseler of Chateau Ste. Michelle being named Seattle King County Realtors First Citizen.


Leftovers (posts missed from previous weeks)…

South Sound Magazine writes about Walla Walla.


That’s all folks!

How to keep up to date on the latest from yours truly

I want to touch briefly on how to keep up with what I am writing about Northwest wine in addition to what is appearing in this space.

I frequently post information about wines I'm sampling for Wine Enthusiast as well as personal bottles on my Washington Wine Report Facebook page. I encourage you to follow this page if you are not already. Additionally, I also tweet about various goings on at twitter.com/wawinereport. My reviews of Washington (and Idaho) wines as well as feature and other articles appear regularly in Wine Enthusiast magazine. While I encourage you to subscribe to the magazine, these are also all freely available on-line (Note: Wine Enthusiast is currently updating its content management system so things should be easier to find in the near future if all goes well).

I write a weekly wine pick as well as occasional other on-line articles for Seattle Metropolitan's Nosh Pit blog. I also write a monthly wine pick in the magazine as well as the magazine's annual Top 100 Washington wines issue, which typically comes out in September. You can follow all of my writing for Seattle Metropolitan here: seattlemet.com/producers/sean-p-sullivan

I am the Northwest correspondent for Vineyard & Winery Management, a trade magazine, and have regular articles that appear there. While this is a subscription-based magazine (and a good one if you are in the trade), you can also read .pdf copies of these articles on my publications page.  

Finally, I do occasional writing for Edible Seattle, Washington Tasting Room Magazine, and other outlets. I will continue to post in this space when articles come out. As always, see a complete list of publications, most with web our download links here.

Wine Enthusiast ratings for December 31, 2014

Below is the first installment of my Wine Enthusiast reviews to be published to this space. They are reviews for the December 31, 2014 issue of the magazine and encompass the appellations that I was assigned to review prior to my assuming review responsibilities for all of Washington October 1st of last year.

Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app.

In terms of these wines, The 2012 Columbia Crest Les Chaveaux Red Wine (91pts, $15) is a terrific value wine. One of the best I've come across of late. The 2010 Den Hoed Andreas Cabernet Sauvignon (94 points, $80) meanwhile is a wine for the ages, a cellar-worthy wine with a long life ahead of it. Newcomer Double Canyon continues to impress with its 2012 Double Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Double Canyon Vineyard (93, $48). The 2012 Woodward Canyon Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay Columbia Gorge (92 points, $66) is a both a gorgeous example of this variety and an exceptional representation of this vineyard.

On a separate note, regarding these listings, it's going to take me some time to fully work out the display of them here. If you see any issues or errors, please let me know. I will be posting more recent sets shortly.

Wine Enthusiast Wine Reviews December 31 2014

90	14 Hands	2011	The Reserve	Red Blend	Horse Heaven Hills	$30
	Near equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec with a healthy dash of Petit Verdot providing the frame, it displays notes of toast, coffee, chocolate, plum and woodspice with abundant blue fruit and coffee flavors.
89	Apex	2011		Merlot	Horse Heaven Hills	$30
	The aromas of roasted coffee bean, chocolate, and dark raspberry are light, while the palate is elegant in style with a good sense of balance and a lingering finish.
88	Apex	2012	The Catalyst	Red Blend	Horse Heaven Hills	$15
	A little over half Syrah with a balance of Merlot, barrel fermented in French and American oak—20% new—it shows notes of clove, dusty spice, and blackberry. The palate is medium bodied and flavorful with slightly astringent tannins with tart cherry and cranberry notes on the finish.
86	Bergevin Lane	2011	Wild Child	Merlot	Wahluke Slope	$28
	This wine doesn’t seem entirely finished with notes of blueberry, char and barrel spice that haven’t fully melded. It’s medium bodied with coffee and vanilla flavors backed by astringent tannins, finishing on a sharply bitter note.
88	Browne Family	2011		Petit Verdot	Columbia Valley (WA)	$32
	A blend of Canyon Vineyard Ranch and Summit View vineyards, it shows appealing notes of vanilla, clove, flowers and cocoa. It’s a big, burly mouthful of a wine with firm, slightly dry tannins that need some time to settle in. Best after 2016.
87	Browne Family	2011		Merlot	Columbia Valley (WA)	$37
	The oak—52% new French— gets out in front of the fruit with notes of cocoa powder and woodspice overpowering herbs and red fruit. The palate is elegant in style, with barrel notes carrying through on the finish.
90	Canoe Ridge	2011	Estate Grown Blocks 14 & 11 Merlot		Columbia Valley (WA)	$47
	An aromatic and fruit filled wine with notes of cherry cordial, raspberry, herb and barrel accents. It has sweet cherry flavors with firm tannins and well balanced acidity. Best after 2017.
89	Canoe Ridge	2011	Estate Grown Block 2 Cabernet Sauvignon		Columbia Valley (WA)	$47
	A moderately aromatic wine with notes of melted butter, vanilla, plum, herbs and woodspice. The tannins are firm and tightly wound, needing some time to come together. Best after 2016.
88	Columbia Crest	2013	Reserve Estate Unoaked Chardonnay		Horse Heaven Hills	$24
	Fermented in concrete and aged sur lie for five months, it brings notes of pear and pineapple with mineral accents. The palate is lighter in style with a supple feel, finishing a bit short.
89	Columbia Crest	2012	H3	Merlot	Horse Heaven Hills	$15
	Nearly 100% Merlot with just a pinch of Cabernet Sauvignon blended in, it brings an assortment of red fruit notes along with plum, milk chocolate and coffee. The barrel flavors play a big part in the show with the tannins giving a lightly chalky feel.
88	Columbia Crest	2012	H3	Cabernet Sauvignon	Horse Heaven Hills	$15
	Varietal notes of cherry, black currant and dried herbs accented by barrel notes of milk chocolate and vanilla. It’s medium bodied, showing some grit to the tannins.
91	Columbia Crest	2012	H3 Les Chevaux	Red Blend	Horse Heaven Hills	$15
	A blend of 60% Syrah, 27% Merlot and a handful of other varieties added to the mix, this aromatically pops, with complex notes of plum, blueberry, smoke, chocolate and floral accents. It’s silky smooth in feel, with abundant chocolaty flavors that help it go down far too easy. Best Buy
89	Columbia Winery	2013	Grenache	Rosé	Horse Heaven Hills	$24
	This wine is electric pink in color, with notes of strawberry bubblegum and cranberry. It drinks off dry, with watermelon and red fruit flavors that linger on the finish.
91	Den Hoed	2010	Marie’s View Wallula Vineyards Red Blend		Horse Heaven Hills	$80
	A blend of five different varieties with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah making up 70% of the mix, it brings intriguing notes of cranberry, raspberry jam and fruit leather. The palate is full bodied with rich dried cherry flavors and firm tannins that need time in the cellar to soften.
94	Den Hoed	2010	Andreas Wallula Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon		Horse Heaven Hills	$80
	This classically styled, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon brings vibrant notes of cherry pith, cassis, fresh herb, macerated cranberry, mineral and an undertone of barrel spice. It’s densely packed with rich, layered fruit flavors, firm, tightly wound tannins and tart acids. A wine for the ages. Best from 2020–2030. Cellar Selection
93	Double Canyon	2012	Double Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon		Horse Heaven Hills	$48
	Somewhat light in color, this is an aromatically appealing wine that shows a complex assortment of coffee, vanilla, pencil lead, cherry, blueberry and high-toned herbal notes. It’s exquisitely polished in its styling, with plush tannins and a long, lingering finish. A pretty expression of the variety that shows a great degree of elegance and deftness, it drinks well out of the gate but continues to improve with additional time to breathe. Editor's Choice
91	Dowsett Family	2013	Celilo Vineyard	Gewürztraminer	Columbia Gorge (WA)	$22
	A vibrantly aromatic, dazzling wine with abundant notes of lychee and rose petal. It’s on the lighter side of medium bodied and drinks dry with a lot of hang time on the pronounced, floral finish. Editor's Choice
92	Kerloo	2012	Upland Vineyards	Syrah	Snipes Mountain	$40
	This is an aromatic wine containing 8% Viognier, with perfumed notes of flowers and orange peel along with wet gravel, plum and smoked meat. The blue fruit flavors are intense and pure, backed by a squeeze of chalky tannins. Best after 2016.
87	La Chanterelle	2012		Syrah	Wahluke Slope	$42
	New oak takes the lead on the nose of this wine, with notes of vanilla and toffee followed by cranberry and cherry. It’s high octane, with a concentrated cherry flavor and alcoholic warmth.
88	McKinley Springs	2010		Malbec	Horse Heaven Hills	$24
	On first pour this wine seems slightly reduced, after which it shows notes of baking spices and plum. It’s medium bodied and plush in feel with silky smooth tannins, but the concentration seems wanting.
88	Milbrandt	2013	The Estates	Viognier	Wahluke Slope	$22
	An aromatic wine with notes of creamsicle and orange blossom. It’s medium bodied with well delineated stone fruit flavors and a lick of tart acidity that seems surprising for the variety and vintage.
91	Milbrandt	2011	Sentinel Northridge Vineyard Red Blend		Wahluke Slope	$55
	A Cabernet-based blend, with Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot, this offers pleasing aromatic complexity, with notes of coffee, dark fruit and vanilla, accented by floral overtones. The palate is full bodied, with abundant coffee and cherry flavors backed by firm tannins. The fruit and oak seem to tussle a bit at present; try after 2017.
88	Milbrandt	2013	The Estates	Chardonnay	Ancient Lakes	$22
	On first pour it is the oak —25% new French—that leads with prominent notes of vanilla, but as it opens up these recede to reveal baked apple, butterscotch and pear. It’s creamy and almost unctuous in feel with the sweetness of the fruit giving the suggestion of residual sugar.
87	Ross Andrew	2012	Glaze	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley (WA)	$17
	An appealing wine with notes of milk chocolate, plum and dried herbs. The new French oak is dialed back and the tannins are soft and plump, helping it go down easy.
88	Ross Andrew	2010		Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley (WA)	$42
	Light in color with notes of dusty plum, chocolate and spice. The palate is on the lighter side of medium bodied with abundant cherry flavors and chalky, firm tannins that need time to unwind. Best after 2016.
89	Ross Andrew	2013		Pinot Gris	Columbia Valley (WA)	$20
	An aromatically appealing wine with notes of star fruit, pear, citrus and mineral. It drinks just a hair off dry, with rich fruit flavors and a lingering finish that keep you coming back for more.
90	Savage Grace	2013	Copeland Vineyard Cabernet Franc		Rattlesnake Hills	$26
	Whole berry fermented and aged seven months in neutral oak, it shows appealing notes of dried herbs, raspberry and cherry. The palate is fruit focused with a abundant sweet raspberry flavors that linger on the finish.
91	Savage Grace	2013	Celilo Vineyard	Chardonnay	Columbia Gorge (WA)	$26
	A lightly aromatic wine with notes of lees, apple, mineral and spice. It’s medium bodied with a thick, textured feel showing good weight and intensity to the fruit flavors along with well balanced acidity. A uniquely styled wine without an easy comparison in the region. Editor's Choice
92	Savage Grace	2013	Underwood Mt	Riesling	Columbia Gorge (WA)	$21
	An aromatically vibrant wine with notes of slate, peach, apricot and citrus. It drinks off dry, with exquisitely balanced acidity and a lot of depth and richness to the fruit flavors. Impressive stuff. Editor's Choice
91	Savage Grace	2013	Dineen Vineyard	Malbec	Rattlesnake Hills	$27
	Coming in at 12.8% alcohol—nearly unheard of for a Washington red, particularly in a warm vintage—it brings appealing notes of dark plum accented by black pepper and dried herbs. It’s silky soft in feel with a dazzling sense of texture and purity with little apparent oak influence.
87	Waterbrook	2013	Reserve	Riesling	Columbia Valley (WA)	$12
	A vibrantly aromatic wine with notes of apricot, tangerine and white flower. It drinks medium sweet with abundant jasmine and stone fruit notes that linger on the finish. Best Buy
87	Waterbrook	2011	Reserve	Malbec	Columbia Valley (WA)	$24
	Though only seeing about a quarter new oak—mostly American—it’s this aspect that stands out with notes of vanilla and woodspice which overpower notes of cherry, plum and pepper. Still, it’s pleasant enough with quite tart fruit flavors and abundant wood accents.
86	Waterbrook	2013		Sauvignon Blanc	Columbia Valley (WA)	$12
	A blend of Oasis and Sagemoor vineyards aged in stainless steel, this wine shows the warmth of the vintage with notes of tropical fruit, grass and melon. It drinks a touch off dry, with the concentration a bit lacking but pineapple flavors pull it together on the finish.
87	Waterbrook	2013		Pinot Gris	Columbia Valley (WA)	$12
	This is an aromatic offering with notes of pineapple, kiwi and pear. It drinks toward medium sweet—9 g/L residual sugar—with abundant tropical flavors that help it go down easy. Best Buy
88	Waterbrook	2013		Chardonnay	Columbia Valley (WA)	$12
	With 4% Viognier giving this wine a distinct floral lift, it’s aromatic with notes of nectarine, pear and toasty barrel spice. It’s creamy, almost oily in feel, with an assortment of stone fruit flavors that carry through the finish. Best Buy
87	Waterbrook	2011	Reserve	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley (WA)	$24
	Coming from the cool 2011 vintage, this wine clocks in at 13.3% alcohol—low by Washington’s recent standards. The notes of herbs, coffee and vanilla are light and elusive with an elegant styling to the tart, tangy cherry flavors, with the concentration not seeming entirely there.
87	Waterbrook	2012	Icon Reserve	Cabernet Sauvignon	Columbia Valley (WA)	$35
	A moderately aromatic wine with notes of green herb, citrus and cherry. It’s medium bodied with chalky tannins and abundant mocha flavors with the concentration seeming a bit lacking.
89	Waterbrook	2011	Reserve	Merlot	Columbia Valley (WA)	$24
	This is an aromatically appealing wine with notes of cocoa, coffee, cherry and woodspice. It’s full bodied with a lot of richness to the tart cherry flavors that need some time to settle in.
92	Woodward Canyon	2012	Celilo Vineyard	Chardonnay	Columbia Gorge (WA)	$66
	This single vineyard wine shows both the warmth of the vintage and the coolness of this site, showing depth and richness to the fruit flavors while retaining good acidity. It brings notes of apple, peach and lees with light barrel accents—20% new French—and a creamy feel. Enjoy with shrimp stir fried in olive oil for a pairing nirvana.