
116 wines reviewed in the December 1st and 31st issues of Wine Enthusiast.

“It was the best weather I’ve ever seen,” said Dick Boushey, who manages vineyards in Yakima Valley and Red Mountain. “We probably harvested some of the best fruit I’ve ever picked.”


After a vintage in 2012 where heat accumulation was a near perfect match for 20-year historical averages in Washington, 2013 through 2015 saw three increasingly warm growing seasons. While it is tempting to characterize each of these years as simply producing ‘warm vintage wines,’ side-by-side tastings reveal significant differences.

181 wines reviewed in the November issue of Wine Enthusiast.

“We decided to do this big step to Washington State, and we are really, really excited about it,” says Jesús MartÃnez-Bujanda Mora, who recently relocated to Washington with his wife and three-year-old daughter to focus on the project.

280 wines reviewed in the October issue of Wine Enthusiast.

Harvest began in Washington this year on August 17th, with a pick of Chardonnay for sparkling wine at Hilltop Vineyard in Yakima Valley. Most winemakers I’ve spoken with recently have reported they have brought in about 60% of their fruit and expect to continue harvesting for the next several weeks. Hillary Sjolund, consulting winemaker at Wine Boss in Richland, provided on Facebook the following summary of 2018, which I have combined with her summary from the same point at previous vintages:



Many lovers of Northwest wine will no doubt recognize Zitarelli’s name and often humorous writing style from his Seattle-based, email-driven retail wine company, Full Pull Wines. Though Full Pull offers wines from around the world, Washington and Oregon are at its heart, with Zitarelli’s engaging writing and incisive palate making the engine go. Zitarelli also serves as wine columnist for Seattle Magazine.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

Let harvest begin!
Photo courtesy of Treveri Cellars.
Already picked your first fruit? Leave a comment on the date, variety, and vineyard.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

119 wines reviewed in the September issue of Wine Enthusiast.

On the same date, Quilceda Creek noted veraison beginning in Cabernet Sauvignon at their Lake Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Ryan Driver, vineyard manager at Tertulia Cellars, also noted veraison starting in Tempranillo at Rivière Galets Vineyard in Walla Walla Valley.
Harvest approaches!
Picture courtesy of Sagemoor Vineyards.

81 wines reviewed in the August issue of Wine Enthusiast.

132 wines reviewed in the July issue of Wine Enthusiast. Avennia has (deservedly) gotten a lot of attention for its Bordeaux-style wines. However, the winery's Rhone-style offerings are also not to be missed (Avennia 2015 Justine Columbia Valley $38, 92 points).

An electronic version of the guide is accessible here. You can request a hard copy here.
Enjoy!
The following article was published on-line at Wine Enthusiast on June 12, 2018.
The majority of the wines you drink are blends, but why do winemakers blend and what does each variety bring to the final wine? Washington State winemakers tell us their tricks.
“I love blending,” says Ben Smith co-owner Cadence Winery. “It’s one of the two times a year—along with harvest—I actually feel like I’m making wine.”
Almost all wines are blends of some sort. Some might be a blend of different barrels, vineyards or blocks of a single variety. Others might be a blend of different appellations or varieties.
Read the full article here.

“I love blending,” says Ben Smith co-owner Cadence Winery. “It’s one of the two times a year—along with harvest—I actually feel like I’m making wine.”
Almost all wines are blends of some sort. Some might be a blend of different barrels, vineyards or blocks of a single variety. Others might be a blend of different appellations or varieties.
Read the full article here.

102 wines reviewed in the June issue of Wine Enthusiast. Of note, Gorman Winery assistant winemaker Ben Paplow has his first release from Paplow Cellars (Paplow 2014 Boushey Vineyard GSM Yakima Valley $30, 91 points).

128 wines reviewed in the May issue of Wine Enthusiast. Headlining the group is a new project – MTR Productions – from Matt and Lauren Reynvaan of Reynvaan Family Vineyards. The wine is a 2012 Syrah aged 24 months in barrel and 36 months in bottle prior to release. It’s a stunner with an insanely long finish (MTR Productions 2012 Memory Found Syrah Walla Walla Valley $85, 94 points).

"Wenatchee's rich landscape is dotted with orchards and vineyards," he noted. "When the light is just right, I like to capture the vines of Martin-Scott Winery, with its stunning view of the Columbia River rolling through the Wenatchee Valley."
Click on the picture to see a larger image.


On a recent trip to Walla Walla Valley, Duval found Tim Armstrong of Armstrong Family Winery pruning their newly acquired vineyard. “Re-vitalizing this vineyard is part of their long-term plan to expand the property and build their winery,” noted Duval. "But for now, the vineyard calls.”

Consistently the larger Columbia Valley's earliest site in recent years, bud break took place at Elevation on April 12th last year and April 1st in 2016.
Here's to a great 2018 growing season!


“Snow was on the ground for nearly two months,” said grower Dick Boushey of Boushey Vineyards in Yakima Valley. Boushey also manages properties on Red Mountain. “Everyone was behind from the beginning because you couldn’t get into the field.”



Cabernet Sauvignon led the way at 62,000 tons, representing 27% of total tonnage. While Cabernet tonnage was down from 2016’s outrageous number of 71,100 - which represented a 50% (!) increase from the previous year - the 2017 numbers were still well above the 47,400 tons produced in 2015. This indicates that the apparent surge in Cabernet Sauvignon production in Washington is real. That is to say, 2016 was not a complete outlier for production of this variety, unless of course 2017 is too.
I put up a series of posts today catching up on Wine Enthusiast reviews from the last several months. Here are some highlights, starting from the most recent reviews and working backwards.
From February, the Kiona Vineyards 2013 Estate Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain ($75, 90 points) comes from the oldest vines on Red Mountain and allows you to taste a piece of the state’s history. The Owen Roe 2014 Red Blend Yakima Valley ($28, 90 points) provides a lot of quality and value. In terms of value wines, look no further than the Chateau Ste. Michelle 2016 Riesling Columbia Valley ($9, 89 points).
From February, the Kiona Vineyards 2013 Estate Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain ($75, 90 points) comes from the oldest vines on Red Mountain and allows you to taste a piece of the state’s history. The Owen Roe 2014 Red Blend Yakima Valley ($28, 90 points) provides a lot of quality and value. In terms of value wines, look no further than the Chateau Ste. Michelle 2016 Riesling Columbia Valley ($9, 89 points).

90 reviews in the February issue. Enjoy!

102 reviews in the December 31 issue. Enjoy!

67 reviews in the December 1, 2017 issue. Enjoy!

221 reviews in the November 2017 issue. Enjoy!

25 reviews in the October 2017 issue. Enjoy!

A bottling’s ability to stand the test of time has long been considered a mark of quality, but that might not be the case for every wine or even every region.
We’ve never had to question the ageability of wines from Old World regions like France and Italy—we already know the answer. Wineries throughout these countries date back generations, and top vintages of, say, Bordeaux or Barolo can last for decades; we have the pleasure and ability to taste such older bottlings as proof of their prowess. Can New World wines age the same way? More importantly, should they even be held to the same standard?
Read the full article here.
The following article appeared in the Winter issue of Washington Tasting Room magazine.
WASHINGTON STATE continued a string of favorable growing seasons in 2017, with warm weather throughout the eastern part of the state during the summer months. Early reports from growers and winemakers indicate another high quality vintage is in store for Washington wine consumers. Reflecting back over the past 12 months, here is a look at some of the current highlights and trends we saw taking shape in the state’s wine industry.
Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read the full article.
The following article was published on February 2, 2018 at Wine Enthusiast.
Based on my talks with winemakers over the years, I get the impression that many think cork taint, a contaminant that can negatively affect a wine, is currently at a low and perhaps even acceptable level. My experience says otherwise.
Last year, after tracking the more than 1,200 wines I sampled that used natural corks, 3.59% appeared to be cork-tainted, or were “corked.” That’s a completely unacceptable percentage.
Read the full article here.

Last year, after tracking the more than 1,200 wines I sampled that used natural corks, 3.59% appeared to be cork-tainted, or were “corked.” That’s a completely unacceptable percentage.
Read the full article here.

“Owen Roe is amongst my favorite vineyards to photograph year-round,” Duval said. “The estate winds up and down the Valley hillsides, anchored by the dark red winery, and always offers a vineyard vista to capture. Here sleeps another vintage of a great Washington wine.”
Click on the picture to see a larger image.
Recent changes on the Wine Enthusiast website have made it significantly easier to search for categories of wine reviews, such as Washington wines. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Go to winemag.com
2. Click on ‘Wine & Ratings’ in the upper left corner (or just go here).
3. Scroll down to where it says ‘Buying Guide’ on the left. Click on ‘Search.’ This will show you all of the reviews in the Wine Enthusiast database.
1. Go to winemag.com
2. Click on ‘Wine & Ratings’ in the upper left corner (or just go here).
3. Scroll down to where it says ‘Buying Guide’ on the left. Click on ‘Search.’ This will show you all of the reviews in the Wine Enthusiast database.
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Editor

Sean P. Sullivan is the editor of Washington Wine Report and a contributing editor at Wine Enthusiast magazine, covering Washington and Idaho. He has been writing about and reviewing Washington wine since 2005.


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- On closure choice and cork taint in Washington wine
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- Yes, Cork Taint is Still a Problem
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