Tag Archives: Cabernet Sauvignon

60 Second Wine Review — Gorman Evil Twin

Published on March 15, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2013 Gorman Evil Twin Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Red Mountain.

The Geekery

Chris Gorman started in the wine industry right after college working for an Italian importer. Here he developed a passion for wine, particularly the “iron fist in a velvet glove” sensations of Barolo and Barbaresco.

Wanting to try his hands at winemaking, he convinced Scott Williams of Kiona Vineyards on Red Mountain to let him have some fruit. The first commercial release of Gorman was in 2002, focusing on the then newly minted AVA of Red Mountain. Today, Gorman is still a relatively small operation with Chris Gorman and assistant winemaker Ben Paplow producing less than 8000 cases.

The name “Evil Twin” comes the Fender twin guitar amp and pays homage to Gorman’s love of music. The 2013 example is a blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was barrel fermented and aged 20-21 months in new French oak with around 400 cases made.

It’s 100% Red Mountain fruit and while I couldn’t find the exact vineyards for this wine, Gorman sources from several of the top vineyards on Red Mountain including Kiona, Klipsun, Ciel du Cheval, Obelisco, Quintessence and Shaw.

The Wine

High intensity nose-a mix of black fruits and savory, meaty notes followed by spicy black pepper and cumin.

Rich dark fruits characterize this wine.

On the palate those dark fruits carry through and become more defined as blackberry and black plums. HUGE mouthfeel. Very full-bodied with medium-plus tannins that you feel like you could literally chew on. However, this wine also has ample medium-plus acidity to balance it. Those savory, spicy notes return for a long finish.

The Verdict

In some ways, Gorman kind of hits that “iron fist in a velvet glove” quality with his Evil Twin. Quite different than the context of Barolo, instead it punches you with an iron fist of big fruit before seducing you with complex layers of savory flavors and spice that adds velvet nuances.

At $60-66, it is a very bold and characterful Washington wine that is worth finding.

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Getting Geeky with Savage Grace Cabernet Francs

Amber LeBeau in Washington wine, Wine grapes, Wine reviews

Published on March 14, 2018

I make no effort to hide my enthusiasm for Washington State Cabernet Franc. As I noted in my Walla Walla musings, Washington Cabernet Francs have the structure and depth of our best Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines but with an intoxicatingly gorgeous bouquet that can range from perfumed and floral to savory fresh forest floor and coffee nuances.

It truly is a grape variety that every Washington wine lover should explore. For wine drinkers outside the state, these wines may be hard to come by but they are worth the hunt. Simply put, if you see a Washington Cab Franc on a restaurant list or wine shop shelf, try it!

I suspect that Michael Savage of Savage Grace Wines shares a similar love affair for Cabernet Franc because he makes two fantastic examples of the variety–one from Two Blondes Vineyard and the other from Copeland Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills. He also makes a Cabernet Franc rosé from grapes sourced from Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley.

The Backstory

Full disclosure, I was in the same wine production class as Michael Savage at the Northwest Wine Academy so I got to see the nascent beginnings of his winemaking career. He started his winery in 2011 with his very first release being a Cabernet Franc from the Columbia Valley.

Inspired by the wines of Oregon producers J. Christopher and Cameron Winery, Savage makes his wines in a distinctly “Old World style”, using native fermentation and a light touch of oak. The wines rarely go above 13.5% alcohol with a yearly production around 2400 cases.

The Grape

The original 1985 Cabernet Franc plantings at Red Willow Vineyard.

Paul Gregutt, in Washington Wines, notes that Washington State University planted the first experimental blocks of Cabernet Franc vines in the 1970s with Red Willow Vineyard following suit in 1985. From these Red Willow plantings, David Lake of Columbia Winery released the first varietal Washington Cabernet Franc in 1991. From the 1998 vintage, Kay Simon of Chinook Wines released the first varietal Cab Franc rosé that today has a cult-following among Washington wine lovers.

Cabernet Franc is prized in Washington and Bordeaux for adding color, aroma and acidity to Cab and Merlot-based blends. Varietal wines are trademark by vibrant berry fruit that can range from red raspberry to blueberry. Wines often have floral aromatics (particularly violets), juicy acidity and savory nuances like freshly ground coffee, olive tapenade and forest floor. With oak, chocolate and tobacco spice can emerge.

Cabernet Franc is valued in the vineyard for ripening earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s also more winter-hardy than Merlot. Despite this, acreage of the variety has been steadily dropping from a high point of 1157 acres in 2006 to 685 acres in 2017. Today, Cabernet Franc is the 4th most planted red grape in Washington behind Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah.

Other producers making great Cabernet Franc include Sheridan Vineyard’s Boss Block, Convergence Zone Cellars’ Downburst, Camaraderie Cellars, Owen Roe’s Rosa Mystica, Hestia Cellars, Spring Valley Vineyards’ Katherine Corkrum, Gamache, Lagana Cellars and Cadence’s Bel Canto.

The Vineyards

Copeland Vineyard was planted in 2000 in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA of Yakima Valley. Owned by the Rawn brothers of Two Mountain Winery, the vineyard was converted from an orchard planted by their grandfather in 1951.

Covering 26 acres on a sandy, rock strewn slope in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, this warm-climate site averages 2980 degree days. In addition to Cabernet Franc, Copeland also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Lemberger, Merlot, Riesling, Syrah and the Portuguese grape variety Touriga Nacional.

Two Blondes Vineyard was planted in 2000 by Chris Camarda of Andrew Will and Bill Fleckenstein. Located next door to Sheridan Vineyard, the name references the hair color of both men’s wives. A bit cooler than Copeland, the 30 acre vineyard averages around 2200 degree days.

Chris Hoon, a 3rd generation farmer, manages the vines as well as those of neighboring Sheridan Vineyard. Beyond Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec are also planted.

The Wines

2016 Savage Grace Cabernet Franc from the Copeland Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills

The 2016 Copeland Cabernet Franc was sourced from the Rattlesnake Hills AVA with around 260 cases made. Savage aged the wine 6-7 months in neutral oak barrels. Inspired by the Loire Valley Cabernet Francs of Chinon, Saumur-Champigny and Bourgueil, this young Cab Franc has high intensity aromatics of raspberry and rhubarb pie as well as blue floral notes. There is also a little herbal aromatics that add complexity but not enough to describe it as green.

On the palate, those raspberry and rhubarb notes come through and are heighten by the juicy, medium-plus acidity. The wine feels heavier in the mouth than what it 12.5% ABV would suggest with grippy but approachable medium-plus tannins. Some of the rhubarb “pie spice” notes come out on the palate like cinnamon and nutmeg. Long, mouthwatering finish.

Two Blondes Vineyard Cabernet Franc

2016 was the first release of the Two Blondes Vineyard Cabernet Franc and this wine couldn’t be more different than the Copeland. High intensity aromatics as well with similar blue floral notes but this wine uniquely has savory pink peppercorn spiciness and olive tapenade that gets your mouth watering before even taking a sip. There is also fruit in the bouquet but it’s more blueberry than raspberry. It doesn’t have the freshly ground coffee notes yet but I can see that emerging in this wine with more bottle age.

On the palate that tapenade savoriness takes on a meaty element that would have me thinking in a blind tasting of a lighter style Côtes du Rhône until the minerally graphite pencil lead note emerged. The pink peppercorn spice carries through as well with the medium-plus acidity keeping the mouthwatering action going. The medium tannins are very soft for such a young wine and almost velvety. Like the Copeland, the Two Blondes Cab Franc has a long finish with the blueberry fruit lingering.

The Verdict

Both the 2016 Savage Grace Copeland Cabernet Franc and 2016 Two Blondes Cabernet Franc are outstanding bottles. They exhibit very well two shades of this grape variety’s personality in Washington State. Very food friendly and approachable now, I can see these wines continuing to give pleasure over the next few years.

At $28-32, they are both very solid wines for the price point. However, I would give the nod to the Two Blondes as being the most complex and layered. There is so much nuance and character in this wine that it’s worth getting multiple bottles to watch it develop.

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60 Second Wine Review — Guardian Newsprint Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine, Wine reviews

Published on March 14, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2015 Guardian Newsprint Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain.

The Geekery

Guardian Cellars was founded in 2004 by Jerry Riener, a police officer, and Jennifer Sullivan, a journalist with KOMO News. The two met while Sullivan worked the crime beat for The Seattle Times and Riener was her “confidential source” inside the police department.

An organic chemist by training, Riener interned at several Woodinville wineries such as Baer, Mark Ryan and Matthews Winery before launching his own label. While the main line-up of Guardian Cellars focuses on Bordeaux-style blends, the Newsprint line was created in 2013 to focus on single varietal expressions.

The 2015 Newsprint Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cab sourced from the Quintessence Vineyard on Red Mountain. Located next to Col Solare and Ambassador Vineyard, Quintessence is the fruit source for many highly acclaimed wines from producers like Lauren Ashton, Duckhorn’s Canvasback, Lachini, Fidelitas, Mark Ryan and DeLille. The vineyard is managed by Marshall Edwards who also manages Obelisco Vineyard on Red Mountain.

The wine was aged 18 months in 25% new French oak barrels with around 400 cases made.

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity nose. A mix of black currants and blueberries with a tinge of black licorice and tobacco spice.

Nice mix of blueberries and black currants in this scrumptious Cab.

The dark fruits carry through to the palate but also bring a red cherry component that is highlighted by the medium-plus acidity. The spices don’t carry through but I can see these developing more with bottle age. Medium-plus tannins hold up the full-bodied structure of this wine incredibly well. Moderate length finish at this point.

The Verdict

It’s clear that this 2015 Red Mountain Cab is still developing in the bottle but it is drinking pretty deliciously right now. Great combination of fruit and structure that is enjoyable to drink on its own or with food.

For $25-30, this wine (like the 2016 Hedges In Vogue) is offering some screaming value for a Cabernet Sauvignon from the AVA that is essentially Washington’s Napa Valley. Well worth seeking out.

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60 Second Wine Review — àMaurice Viognier

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine, Wine reviews

Published on March 13, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2016 àMaurice Viognier.

The Geekery

àMaurice was founded in 2004 by Tom and Kathleen Shafer with the winery named after Tom’s father. Paul Gregutt notes in Washington Wines that the first couple vintages were made by Rich Funk of Saviah Cellars while the Shafer’s daughter, Anna, studied winemaking down in Argentina with Paul Hobbs’ Viña Cobos.

The estate vineyard was first planted in 2006 in Mill Creek Valley in the foothills of the Blue Mountains–not far from Leonetti’s Mill Creek Upland Vineyard. Planted to Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah, it was the first registered sustainable vineyard in Washington. Additionally, àMaurice were charter members of Vinea–an alliance of Walla Walla vineyards and wineries committed to sustainable practices.

In addition to their estate fruit, àMaurice also sources from Gamache, Connor Lee and Weinbau Vineyards in the Wahluke Slope; Boushey and Den Hoed Vineyards in Yakima Valley as well as Sagemoor, Bacchus and Dionysus Vineyards in the Columbia Valley.

The 2016 àMaurice Viognier is sourced primarily from Gamache and Den Hoed Vineyards. The wine was aged in 5% new oak.

The Wine

High intensity nose with lots of tree fruits–peaches and apricot–and white floral notes. There is also a spiciness in the background that I can’t quite pick out.

Photo by Mgmoscatello. Released on Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-SA-3.0

Lovely ginger spice adds lots of character to this wine.

On the palate those ripe tree fruits carry through and add lots of weight and depth to the wine. But there is also a lot of elegance with medium-plus acidity adding freshness and lift. There is some citrus zest that comes out on the palate with the spice getting more defined as fresh ginger. The floral notes return for the long silky finish.

The Verdict

At around $28-35, this is clearly one of the best white wines made in Washington. What is more remarkable is that this is essentially Anna Shafer’s entry-level Viognier with àMaurice also offering an estate bottling as well as a Viognier/Marsanne blend from Boushey Vineyards.

Well worth looking for.

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60 Second Wine Review — Warr-King Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine, Wine reviews

Published on March 12, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2013 Warr-King Cabernet Sauvignon from the Wahluke Slope.

The Geekery

Warr-King Wines was founded in 2013 by Lisa Warr-King Packer who followed a marketing career in the tech industry with enology studies at Lake Washington Technical College and Washington State University. Prior to starting her own winery, she did internships and worked harvest at Patterson Cellars and Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Packer’s maiden name is the winery’s namesake origin with the red poppies that adorn her labels paying homage to her British relatives who fought in World War I and II. Located in the warehouse district of Woodinville, Warr-King makes around 850 cases across all their wines.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 30 months in a combination of new and neutral French oak barrels. I couldn’t find the exact vineyards used but considering how many other wines Warr-King sources from Rosebud Vineyard, that seems like the likely source.

The Wine

Medium intensity nose. A mix of tobacco spice and dark fruits–black currants and black plums.

You’re going to want a nice steak to pair with this wine.

Those dark fruits carry through to the palate for a huge mouthfeel with high tannins and medium-plus acidity. The tannins are quite firm and stick to the gums. With the tobacco notes, those hard tannins definitely adds to a sense of dryness that dominates this wine. The acidity helps somewhat to balance but I don’t think there is ultimately enough fruit to make it mouthwatering and lively. The finish is long and quite dry.

The Verdict

It’s tempting to say that this wine needs more time for the tannins to mellow but I strongly suspect that this is probably the best this wine is going to get. The wine simply doesn’t have enough fruit (or flesh) to fill out the bones of it big structure.

At $30-35, the best bet for the 2013 Warr-King Cabernet Sauvignon is to be paired with a nice juicy steak that will let the proteins mellow the tannins while the juices give lift to the flavors.

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Wine Geek Notes 3/10/18 — Rising Wine Prices, Reviewing Young Wine and Flashcards

Amber LeBeau in Geek Notes, Shopping for Wine, Wine critics, Wine Knowledge, Wine reviews

Published on March 10, 2018

Here is what I’m reading today in the world of wine.

Interesting Tweets and Weblinks

Wine prices to rise as bad weather brings worst harvest for 50 years by Zoe Wood (@zoewoodguardian) of The Guardian (@guardian). Brought to my dash via John Corcoran (@jncorcoran1).

2017 was pretty much a rough vintage across the globe with yields hitting some of the lowest levels seen in over 50 years. The Drinks Business had a particularly eye-opening chart about just how low crop levels were in Bordeaux.

There is going to be consequences to what has been called “The worst global harvest since 1961” with the most immediate being seen in increased prices for early release wines such as sparkling Prosecco and white wines like Pinot grigio.

Now this article is written from a UK POV and for US consumers, I don’t think the situation is quite as dire. As we noted in the 3/6 edition of Geek Notes, the 2017 vintage in Washington was actually the second largest in state history. While there was some bumpiness in Oregon and California, for the most part the major wine producing areas of the US emerged from 2017 in good shape.

That said, this article is still helpful for US wine drinkers to consider because we will likely see higher prices for European wines–particularly Prosecco and Rioja–simply because there will be less supply. Especially with Prosecco’s continued and sustained popularity, sparkling wines fans are going to have to pay the piper of market demand. Now instinct would think that Cava would be the beneficiary of Prosecco consumers looking elsewhere but, like Rioja, the Cava DOs had their issues in 2017.

Perhaps producers in the budding Oregon sparkling wine industry will capitalize on this moment with introducing value priced bubbles?

Great acidity, great fruit, great structure. This young 2016 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon could be great–but right now it is just a baby.

Young Red Wine, Wise Red Wine by Meg Houston Maker (@megmaker) of Terroir Review. Brought to my dash via Vino101 (@Vino101net).

Every year the market sees a flood of brand spanking new wines emerge for people to enjoy. But the thing is, a lot of these new wines simply aren’t ready to be enjoyed yet.

Still these fresh-faced, juvenile wines are sent to critics to be reviewed and to wine shops to be put on the shelf as soon as the previous vintage is sold.

In many ways, it is unfair to judge these wines critically and Meg Houston Maker goes through the process of what it is like as a critic trying to play prognosticator of a wine’s future.

Meg’s post has particular resonance for me after finishing my 60 Second Review of the Oh-So-Young-But-Potentially-Oh-So-Good 2016 Hedges In Vogue Cabernet Sauvignon. At around $30 for a Red Mountain Cab from a top producer, it certainly looks like it could be an absolute steal of a wine that may be worth stocking up on. But it just so young right now and while my gut instinct feels like its going to develop into something magnificent, at this point it is just what Houston Maker says–an exercise in prognostication.

Something fun to get your Geek-on!

Via Reddit, I discovered this cool Instagram account featuring Wine Study Flashcards. There are over 150 flashcards so far, covering a variety of topics and the account looks to be fairly active with periodically adding new flashcards.

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60 Second Wine Review — Hedges In Vogue Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine, Wine reviews

Published on March 10, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2016 Hedges In Vogue Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain.

The Geekery

Hedges Family Estate was founded in 1987 by Tom and Anne-Marie Hedges. Originally in the produce industry, they got involved with wine to supply a contact’s request in Sweden for Washington wine. In 1989, the Hedges purchased fifty acres on Red Mountain. Construction of the chateau that now sits in the middle of their vineyards began in 1995.

In Washington Wines, Paul Gregutt notes that Hedges Family Estate is the largest family-owned winery in Washington State. Firmly established on Red Mountain, the Hedges family were one of the strongest advocates for the region getting recognized as an AVA in 2001.

Tom’s brother, Pete, was the first winemaker at Hedges with the Hedges’ daughter, Sarah Hedges Goedhart, joining as assistant winemaker in 2006 and taking over head winemaking duties on Pete’s retirement in 2015.

Sarah started in the wine industry at Santa Barbara Winery before moving to Sonoma to work at Preston Farm & Winery in the Dry Creek Valley. Here she was introduced to the principles of biodynamics.

Hedges has been farming their estate fruit sustainably since 2003 but in 2008 began converting their vineyards to biodynamics. By 2015, 40% of their 125 acres of vines were certified Biodynamic by the Demeter Association.

The Wine

Medium intensity nose with dark fruit and oak spice though neither are very defined at this point.

This young wine has a basket of dark fruit that will develop beautifully.

On the palate, you get the richness of the dark fruit and smoothness of the oak vanilla. But, again, neither are very defined. Medium-plus acidity and high tannins highlight the big, robust structure of this wine. This certainly suggests some nice aging and development potential. Moderate length finish.

The Verdict

The 2016 Hedges In Vogue Cabernet Sauvignon is super young but has all the ingredients to develop well over the next couple years.

At around $30, it’s on the low end for a Red Mountain Cab from a top estate so this potentially could develop into quite a steal. Worth revisiting in at least 6 months.

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60 Second Wine Review — Lost River Syrah

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Washington wine, Wine reviews

Published on March 7, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2012 Lost River Syrah from Walla Walla.

The Geekery

Lost River was founded in 2002 in the Methow Valley by John Morgan and Barbara House. In 2004, they were joined by Barbara’s son, Liam Doyle, who assists with the winemaking. In his book, Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide, Paul Gregutt describes Lost River as one of the “rising stars” in the Washington wine industry.

In Walla Walla, Lost River sources fruit from some of the most highly acclaimed vineyards in the AVA. In the Rocks District, on the Oregon side, they get Syrah from Stone Valley (part of Seven Hills West Vineyard) that is managed by WAWGG “Grower of the Year” Tom Waliser (who also owns Beresan Winery).

On the Washington side, they get Syrah that was planted in 2000 from Les Collines Vineyard–developed by Norm McKibben (of Pepper Bridge fame) and managed by his son, Shane McKibben. The winery also gets Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Pepper Bridge Vineyard.

The 2012 Lost River Syrah spent around 11-12 months aging in French oak barrels. Around 260 cases were made.

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity nose. A mix of dark fruits like blackberries and black cherries with freshly roasted coffee. Kind of smells like walking into a Starbucks. In the background there is a little spice but it isn’t very defined.

Photo by GOELE. Released on Wikimedia Commons under PD-self

This Syrah has a delicious roasted coffee note.

On the palate, those dark fruits come through and take on a mouth-watering nature with the medium-plus acidity. The coffee notes become more smokey and savory on the palate. Medium tannins give good structure and balance to the full-bodied weight of the fruit. On the fairly long finish, the spice becomes more defined as black pepper with a floral element lingering.

The Verdict

At around $26-30, this is a bargain for a stellar Washington Syrah from fantastic vineyards in Walla Walla. Usually you want to expect to pay northwards of $40.

This 2012 Lost River Syrah is in a good spot now and will probably continue drinking well for at least another 2-3 years.

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Wine Geek Notes 3/6/18 — Reverse French Paradox, Damaged Wines and Washington Vineyards

Amber LeBeau in Geek Notes, Shopping for Wine, Washington wine, Wine Knowledge

Published on March 6, 2018

Here is what I’m reading today in the world of wine.

Interesting Tweets and Weblinks

In France, is wine still a national treasure? Or is it a health risk? by James McAuley at The Washington Post. Brought to my dash via Eric Orange of LocalWineEvents.com (@worldwineevents)

Apparently the health minister of the country that gave us the French Paradox is railing against the consumption of any type of alcohol, including wine, touting the bold statement that “’In moderation’ shouldn’t be used anymore”. Yikes! Needless to say French vignerons (and the French President) aren’t pleased.

Personally, I think that while we shouldn’t sugarcoat the negative impacts of alcohol consumption, I firmly believe that “In Moderation” is a vital outlook for all things in life–including wine.

Damaged Wines to Hit the Market by W. Blake Gray (@wblakegray) for WineSearcher.com (@WineSearcher). Brought to my dash via Rabbit Ridge Winery (@RabbitRidgeWine).

Kind of like with used cars, wine buyers should be mindful of the possibility of hurricane, flood and fire damage wines hitting the market. Gray gives a lot of great tips from expert Maureen Downey (@moevino) on what to keep an eye out for. I found this quote from Gray the most helpful.

I would probably give wines that survive an earthquake a few weeks to recover from the “bottle shock” as well.

It’s important to note that heat-damaged wine is not immediately ruined. Heat affects the tannin structure of wine in unpredictable ways.

Some wines might even taste better shortly after being exposed to heat, but they will not last long in the cellar. Downey said when she knows she has a heat-damaged wine, sometimes she shrugs her shoulders, drinks it and wonders what it might have been if properly stored.

— W. Blake Gray, March 6th, 2018

This is a takeaway you can use even if you have the unfortunate incident of “wine trapped in a hot trunk” during the summer. Accept that you probably lost some positive attributes. Give it at least a week to settle from the shock and plan to drink it soon. While miracles do exist and potentially the wine could still age and give pleasure, it’s better to err on the side of caution and enjoy it sooner rather than later.

Taste Washington Wine Month

While doing some research for my 60 Second Review of the Gifford Hirlinger Malbec, I stumbled across the very cool website Everyvine.com! I haven’t fully explored the site yet but I totally geeked out on their vineyard search feature.

Here is a detailed Google Map image of 102.55 acres of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain.

Here’s Owen Roe’s Outlook Vineyard.

Here’s Pepper Bridge Vineyard.

You can zoom in on particular blocks and see where the different varieties are planted, get details about climate, topography and soils. Lots of fun stuff!

Washington wine grape 2017 harvest down by 16 percent by Andy Perdue (@GreatNWWine) for Great Northwest Wine. Brought to my dash via WinesNorthwest (@WinesNorthwest).

The headline sounds more jarring than it really is. Yes, the 2017 harvest was down but it was down compared to the record setting 2016 harvest that was the largest in Washington State history. Even Perdue notes in the 2nd paragraph that 2017 still tied 2014 for the second largest harvest in state history.

In a tweet reply, Lagana Cellars from Walla Walla (@LaganaCellars) highlights this and also gives some great insight about the vintage.

I’ll tell you why. It was a really cold and snowy winter-> some bud damage especially in Malbec and Italian varieties. Also, 2016 was a record year with amazing fruit set -> huge crop versus normal crop. #WAWine is still rocking!!

— Lagana Cellars (@LaganaCellars) March 6, 2018

BTW, if you are not following Lagana Cellars on Twitter, you should. Like Rabbit Ridge Winery that I linked to above, I find lots of great content and behind-the-scene perspective from these winery accounts. They have great social media people running them. If you are in Washington, definitely check out Lagana’s wines as well. They were one of the stand-outs at my recent Walla Walla tasting. Haven’t had Rabbit Ridge yet but I’m sure I’ll rectify that in April when I’m down in Paso Robles.

But, headline and tweets aside, the big reason I linked to the Perdue article above was this fascinating little nugget about Riesling.

Riesling fell to 33,000 tons from 41,300. This is widely viewed as a market correction by Chateau Ste. Michelle, the world’s largest Riesling producer.

Whoa! When Chateau Ste. Michelle is pulling up Riesling vines, something is going on. I kind of get the idea of “market correction” but it doesn’t feel like we’re at a market saturation point for Riesling. If anything, I would think we’re getting close to being over saturated with Cabernet Sauvignon but Cab is Still King and still being planted like crazy.

This thing with Riesling is something worth exploring a little more. This year’s Riesling Rendezvous is in Australia with the event coming back to Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2019. I wonder if we’ll have more clarity about this “market correction” by then.

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Wine Geek Notes 3/5/18 — Zinfandel, World of Syrah and Washington Wine

Amber LeBeau in Geek Notes, Washington wine, Wine grapes, Wine reviews

Published on March 5, 2018

Here is what I’m reading today in the world of wine.

Interesting Tweets and Weblinks

The Week in Zinfandel (2/26/18) by Tom Lee (@NWTomLee)

This is a frequent series by Lee on the Zinfandel Chronicles that highlights reviews and articles that discuss Zin. He was gracious enough to include my recent review of the 2014 Two Vintner’s Zinfandel in his recent round-up but I was most excited to explore several of the other links he posted. Below were two of my favorites.

Have We Taken the “Less Is More” Wine Aesthetic Too Far? by Jon Bonné (@jbonne) for Punch (@punch_drink)

With Bonné being one of the big proponents for lighter, lower alcohol wines (pretty much the anti-thesis of “Parkerized”), this was not an essay I expected to read from him. But he does make a lot of great points about the value of diversity as he bemoans the lack of interest in what he terms “Ferdinand wines”–big wines that have beauty even at high alcohol levels–such as California Zinfandel, Amarone, Brunello di Montalcino, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Priorat.

Heart of Zinfandel: Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley (Paywall) by Stephen Brook (@StephenPBrook) for Decanter (@Decanter)

As I described in my post Zin-ful Thoughts, my opinions of Zinfandel are evolving and I’m eagerly looking for new areas to explore. Brook gives a nice overview of Dry Creek Zins and has me particularly intrigued by the offerings of Joel Peterson’s Once & Future from the Tedeschi Vineyard, Fritz Underground Winery and Passalacqua’s PQZ.

Cayuse manages to be weird in both taste and marketing. Though, IMO, their Cailloux and En Chamberlain Syrahs–with their boring orange labels–are the best.

World of Syrah Kick-off at Celebrate Walla Walla by Bean Fairbanks of Wine Beer Washington (@winebeerWA)

Part 1 of a series from the World of Syrah presentation given by writer Patrick Comiskey (@patcisco) and Master Sommelier/Master of Wine Doug Frost (@winedogboy). Nice overview of the distinction between the regions where Syrah is used as the primary grape versus more of a blending variety but my favorite quote is the one Bean highlights from Comiskey “The Syrah taste needs to be weird NOT the marketing”.

The beauty of Syrah, especially from the Rocks District in Oregon, is the funky weirdness. But gimmicky marketing is just….gimmicky marketing. If the wine can’t stand out on its own without the gimmicks than that should be a red flag.

Taste Washington Wine Month Links

March is Taste Washington Wine Month which at SpitBucket means that I’ll be nose deep in studying more about the history of the vineyards, wineries and people that make the Washington wine industry so exciting.

The women of wine are taking their rightful place (Jan 2015) by David LeClaire (@SeattleUncorked) for Seattle Dining (@SeattleDINING1)

March is also Women’s History Month and I loved this article from LeClaire highlighting kick-ass women who are not only winemakers (like Kay Simon of Chinook and Cheryl Barber-Jones of Chateau Ste. Michelle) but also sommeliers, writers (Braiden Rex-Johnson of Northwest Wining and Dining), chefs, and educators (Joan Davenport of WSU and DavenLore Winery).

Purple Gold: The influence of Husky alums can be tasted throughout the Northwest wine industry (December 2012) by David Volk for the Columns alumni magazine of the University of Washington.

I stumbled across this link while researching for the The Mastery of Bob Betz post. Every Apple Cup, I want to do a tasting of Husky wines vs Coug wines but, while it is easy to find wines made by WSU grads, until I came across this link I didn’t have an easy resource for wines with UW connections.

Washington’s great vineyards: Upland Vineyard (August 2013) by Andy Perdue (@GreatNWWine) for Great Northwest Wine.

Inspired by Peter Blecha’s essay on the history of Associated Vintners that I highlighted in my 3/3/18 Geek Notes, I wanted to research more about the role that William B. Bridgman played in the history of Washington wine.

That research brought me to Perdue’s article on the history of Upland Vineyard that Bridgman first planted in 1917 with Vitis vinifera varieties like Zinfandel and Sauvignon blanc. Today the vineyard is owned by the Newhouse family who continue to farm old blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin blanc, Merlot and Riesling that were planted in the 1970s. There is also a block of old vine Black Muscat that the date of planting is not quite known but it is possible that these vines are approaching the century mark.