Tag Archives: Washington Hills Cellars

60 Second Wine Review — Erath Pinot noir Rosé

A few quick thoughts on the 2017 Erath Pinot noir rosé from Oregon.

The Geekery

Erath Pinot noir rose wine

Dick Erath founded his eponymous winery in 1968 with the purchase of vineyard land in the Chehalem Mountains. Sourcing fruit from the Dundee Hills as well, he released his first 216 cases of commercial wine in 1972.

An engineer by training, Kenneth Friedenreich notes in Oregon Wine Country Stories that it was the “left to right brain relay” of winemaking that appealed to Erath. Planting dozens of different grape varieties to see what would grow in the nascent Willamette soils, Erath found he could test and experiment while indulging in the creativity of wine production.

In 2006, Erath sold the winery to Ste. Michelle Wine Estates where today it is part of a portfolio of brands that includes 14 Hands, Columbia Crest, Red Diamond, Snoqualmie and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars among many others.

The current winemaker for Erath is Gary Horner who previously worked at Bethel Heights, Witness Tree Vineyard, Washington Hills Cellars (now part of Precept), Avatar Partners in Napa Valley and Benton-Lane Winery before joining Erath in 2003.

The 2017 Pinot noir rosé is 100% Pinot noir from fruit sourced throughout the state. The wine was made using the short maceration method of brief skin contact with 16,600 cases produced.

The Wine

Photo by Picasa 2.0 AutoCCD . Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-SA-2.5

Simple strawberry notes characterize this wine.

Medium intensity nose. A mix of red strawberry fruit, white peach and vague floral notes. A little sweet smelling.

However, on the palate the rosé comes across as dry with medium-plus acidity. Light bodied fruit carries through more strawberry than the peach. Short finish ends on the fruit.

The Verdict

At $12-15, this Pinot noir rosé is decent but definitely not anything that would particularly wow you. It’s best role was probably as a simple summer time patio sipper.

However, as we enter the cooler fall and winter seasons where rosés need more “umph” of depth to hold up to heartier food pairings, I fret that this Erath may be too light to get the job done.

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60 Second Wine Review — Apex Catalyst

A few quick thoughts on the 2015 Apex Catalyst Red Blend from the Columbia Valley.

The Geekery

Apex Cellars was founded in 1988, as Washington Hills Cellars, by Harry Alhadeff with Brian Carter as winemaker.

The winery, and its second label W.B. Bridgman, was acquired by Precept Brands in 2008 where it joined a portfolio that today includes Browne Family, Canoe Ridge, B. Lovely, Gruet, House Wine, Jacqueline Leone, Pendulum, Radius, Primarius, Red Theory, Sagelands, Paradise Peak, Ste. Chapelle, Summit Estates, Skyfall, Wild Haven, Waterbrook and several others.

Paul Gregutt notes in Washington Wines, that Precept’s CEO, Andrew Browne, acquired Apex with the goal of making it a “white tablecloth prestige brand”.

The winemaker for the Apex line is Jon Zimmermann who also does the wine production for Willow Crest. Previously Zimmermann was at Canoe Ridge Vineyard, Tefft Cellars, Wahluke Wine Company, Silver Lake and Hogue Cellars.

The wine is sourced from several of Precept’s estate and contract vineyards–often including fruit from Alder Ridge, Canyon Vineyard Ranch, Goose Ridge, Jones & Shaw and Willow Crest. I couldn’t find details for the exact blend of the 2015 version but the Catalyst is usually a Bordeaux style blend with a healthy dose of Syrah.

The Wine

Medium-minus intensity. A little shy with mostly woodsy oak notes and a mix of red and dark fruits.

Photo by Steven Depolo. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-2.0

Dark fruits like black cherries characterize this wine.

On the palate, the dark fruits come through and become more defined as black plum and black cherry. The oak notes also carry through, adding nutmeg and clove as well as dark chocolate that makes me think this blend may be Merlot dominant. Medium acidity adds enough lift for balance. The medium-plus tannins are firm but hold the medium-plus weight of the fruit well. Short finish.

The Verdict

Right now this wine isn’t as strong as the 2013 version of the Catalyst which, at $16-20, was one of the best values in Washington.

I’ll give its youth the benefit of the doubt and look to revisit it in several months to see how it develops.

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