Write for Wine: It's Wine O'Clock Somewhere!

Continuing with our trend of trying value wines in 2012, we want to give a shout-out to 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ”Chateau Smith” by Charles Smith Wines. 

 This reasonably priced wine received 91 points from Wine Spectator:

“Supple and inviting, with complex flavors of dark berries and plum shaded with hints of bacon and star anise. The finish rolls along unimpeded by the polished tannins.”

Not bad for a wine that sells for $15-$20, depending where you look. This Cab — blended with 14% Petit Verdot and 6% Syrah – is perfect for a weekday evening or during an afternoon game. (C’mon, not everybody drinks beer at games!)

Chateau Smith is the value label of Washington state wine maker, Charles Smith of K Vintners, who is known for his distinct-looking hair, black-and-white wine labels, and excellent reviews of his wines.

Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Cheers!

Regular readers of this blog know that we have long been fans of Dussek Cabernet Sauvignon from The Woodhouse Wine Estates. The 2004 vintage was spectacular, and a favorite of ours. My sister-with-the-incredible-palate in Vancouver also gave it a thumbs up.

We were delighted to discover that the 2006 vintage is even better! 2006 Dussek Cabernet Sauvignon is elegant, big and bold. Frankly, I don’t know why more isn’t written about this gem, priced at $36.

The Woodhouse Wine Estates has a robust wine club with passionate members, but its wines have been under the radar for too long.  Just sayin’.

The Woodhouse signature is to release its wine later than many others, giving the wines more time to express their fullest flavor complexities. The 2006 Dussek Cab was released in May 2011, drinks extremely well now, and could be kept in the cellar for a few years.

The 2004 Dussek sold out quickly, and the 2005 vintage (decent, but not as incredible as its predecessor or the current release) sold out too. There are limited quantities left of the 2006 Dussek – you can only order a maximum of six bottles.

Yes, we just ordered six, even though we already have a case stocked in our cellar. So did my sister!

Cheers!

This is one of the best value wines we have had in a long time: 2009 Ghost of 413 Red. And we put our money where our mouths are – after buying two bottles from our friends at Full Pull Wine, we put in an order for a case.

Ghost of 413 is released by Giant Wine Co., a collaboration between Chris Gorman of Gorman Winery and Mark McNeilly from Mark Ryan Winery.

The first vintage came in 2005 when, the story goes, Mark and Chris weren’t sure how the wine would taste, so they decided to keep their names invisible and the “ghost” was born.

No need to hide behind Casper this vintage — 2009 Ghost of 413 Red  is not a phantom wine! You’ll discover a ripe rich wine that blends 90% Cabernet Sauvingnon with a 10% pinch of Syrah and Merlot. Or as it’s described on the Giant Wine website, “Dark and velvety rich with plenty of stuffing to scare wines at twice the price.”

We agree – 2009 Ghost of 413 Red is worth much more than its $15 price point.

Five thousand cases were produced, and according to Paul Zitarelli at Full Pull, he expects the wine to be sold out by late February or early March. So what are you waiting for?

Cheers!

Back in June, 2010, I wrote a blog post about how we wanted to visit Maryhill Winery, known for its breathtaking views of the Columbia Gorge and very good value-priced wines. Another year has gone by, and try as we did, we could not get there in 2011. I was so busy traveling for my “day job” that I couldn’t make as many winery trips as we had hoped.

Thankfully, we still had an opportunity to taste some of Maryhill’s wines, even though we didn’t make it to the winery, which is the state’s 15th largest in terms of production (80,000 cases) and located on the Washington-Oregon border.

We recently tried three samples that were sent to us:  2006 Syrah Proprietor’s Reserve ($20), 2006 Sangiovese ($18) and 2007 Zinfandel ($22). (You can find newer Maryhill releases; we waited for more than a year before tasting these ones.)

The 2006 Syrah Proprietor’s Reserve received 92 points from Robert Parker, along with a Double Gold for Syrah under $20 in the 2009 Seattle Wine Awards and a Gold from the 14th Annual Northwest Wine Summit 2009. More than two years later, we could see why this rich and silky Syrah is a winner. We enjoyed it with a savoury stew; it would also pair nicely with a hearty roast.

The 2006 Sangiovese paired perfectly with Dave’s delicious spaghetti, but it would have worked well with barbeque ribs, pasta or pizza too. More than a year after its release, this medium-bodied wine exhibited an earthiness that we weren’t expecting, with cherry, orange peel and mineral on the palate often associated with Sangiovese.

The 2007 Zinfandel  was crafted for “pure palate pleasure.”  Fruit-forward and jammy, with a deep ruby color, this wine has character. We nibbled on strong, stinky cheese, a perfect match for this dry red.

Although we waited to taste these wines, we hopefully won’t have to wait too much longer to visit the winery. It’s a new year, and hopefully 2012 will be the one!

Cheers!

I don’t often write about wines from New Zealand, but I’m making an exception for this one: Craggy Range 2009 Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2009. This exquisite 100% Pinot received 94 points from the Wine Advocate, and we understand why.

The 2009 Pinot Noir is an elegant, silky and complex wine, which showcases that year’s strong growing season in the Te Muna Road Vineyard, one of two estate properties owned by Craggy Range in New Zealand. The 33-hectare vineyard is planted with eight clones of Pinot Noir in the cool-climate region of Martinborough.

From the tasting notes:
“A bright and deep rosey red. Fragrant aromatics of red fruits, plum, tree bark, a variety of flowers, spice and earth. 2009 is a year of seamless structure, satin tannins and gentle supporting acidity. The palate is pure, long, very finely textured. The lush mid palate holds a mix of red berries, violets, ruby grapefruit, liquorice and exotic spice. The wine finishes with length, poise and delightful focus.”

As with most Pinots, Te Muna Road can be paired with salmon, pork or lamb. We might end up matching it with two out of three. Seriously.

We started discovering wines from New Zealand, after tasting some of that country’s refreshing Sauvignon Blancs over the summer. The bottle of Craggy Range Te Muna Road 2009 Pinot Noir that we tasted was sent as a sample, but it’s one that we would definitely purchase in the future.

Cheers!

We’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many wonderful Washington, Oregon and California wines lately – and in a less-busy world, I would write separate posts about each of them. Unfortunately, busy is my middle name these days.

So here is a list (in alphabetical order) of wines that we’ve celebrated in the last couple of months – they are sourced from Washington grapes, unless noted otherwise:

• 21 Grams 2008 Red Blend
• Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2008 Destiny Bordeaux Blend; 2007 Mr. Big Petite Sirah
• Barrage Cellars 2007 Outcast Cabernet Franc; 2007 Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon
• Beresan 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
• EFESTE 2008 Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon; 2009 Eleni
• Erath 2008 La Nuit Magique (Oregon)
• Fidelitas 2007 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
• Fielding Hills 2008 Cabernet Franc
• Goosecross Cellars 2007 AEROS (California)
• JM Cellars 2009 Margaret’s Vineyard Estate Red
• Northwest Totem Cellars 2008 Qo-ne’ Cab Franc blend
• The Woodhouse Wine Estates 2006 Dussek Cabernet Sauvignon
• Woodward Canyon 2007 “Artist Series” Cabernet Sauvignon
• Va Piano 2008 Walla Walla Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• William Church 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy New Year – may your best day of 2011 be your worst day of 2012! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to delve into ’12!

Cheers!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year – Boxing Day! This year, I’m thinking of it as Boxing Week, as I pack stuff into boxes for the next few days, getting ready to herald in a new year.

December has been a particularly busy month – between several end-of-year deadlines at work, a fabulous visit to the family in Vancouver and celebrating the holidays, unfortunately Write for Wine has been neglected. Or perhaps it’s (temporarily) gone to the dogs, Jewel, Winston and P.Dot, who are definitely happy to have extra attention.

As for Write for Wine, don’t worry – we have a queue full of great wines to write about, so please stay tuned. Later this week, there will be new posts about wine we love.

In the meantime, we thank you for your patience, and wish you and your families a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

Cheers – and Happy Boxing Day!

Margot, Dave, Jewel, Winston & P. Dot

Six of seven Woodinville wineries that make up the Grape Killers generated lots of fans and fun at their annual “Holiday in the ‘Hood” wine tasting event last night in Woodinville’s Wine Warehouse District.

Winemakers, and friends, from Gorman Winery (Chris Gorman), Mark Ryan Winery (Mark Ryan McNeilly), Darby Winery (Darby English), Guardian Cellars (Jerry Riener), Baer Winery (Lisa Baer) and Sparkman Cellars  (Chris Sparkman) offered some amazing wines, appetizers and good cheer. Perfect example? Chris Sparkman appeared dressed as Elvis. (Photo courtesy of our friend Taryn Miller)

Not surprisingly, we enjoyed all the wines we tasted at Grape Killers Holiday in the ‘Hood party. But these were our favorites:

• Gorman Winery 2008 Bully Cabernet Sauvignon (blended with Petit Verdot), Red Mountain
• Sparkman Cellars 2009 Kingpin Old Vine Cab (blended with Petit Verdot), Red Mountain
• Darby Winery 2009 Dark Side Syrah (100% Syrah), Yakima Valley
• Baer Winery 2009 Arctos, a Cabernet-driven blend, Columbia Valley
• Guardian Cellars 2008 The Rookie Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain
• Mark Ryan Winery 2009 Dead Horse Red, Bordeaux blend, Red Mountain

Do you sense a trend here? Indeed, our palates prefer Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends, and as Dave said, “I never met a grape from Red Mountain that I didn’t like.”

You could tell the six winemakers (plus Tim Stevens of Stevens Winery who couldn’t participate this time) are pals who hang out together in their spare time. Their camaraderie was evident at each of their tasting rooms. This was a night full of smiles and laughter!

And to top off the good fun, a portion of all wine sales will benefit Woodinville’s Homeward Pet Adoption Shelter.

If you didn’t make it to the Grape Killers event last night, be sure to stop by these wineries in the future. They make good juice!

Cheers!

Fall Line Winery just released one of the best Washington state Tempranillos we have ever tasted.

This 2009 Yakima Valley Tempranillo is a new addition to Fall Line’s lineup, appropriately called El Otro (“The Other One”) because it’s a departure from the other red wines beautifully crafted by Tim Sorenson.

El Otro is 100% Tempranillo planted specially for Fall Line at Boushey Vineyard; it’s also 100% drinkable now. Believe me, this dark ruby wine has the WOW factor – it is silky, structured and so layered, I actually said “wow” when I tasted it. Seriously.

Wine Advocate awarded it 92 points last month: “Spice box, cedar, rose petal, and black cherry aromas set the stage for a lingering, already complex, lengthy offering that is a fine example of the potential for Tempranillo in eastern Washington. Drink this outstanding wine from 2012 to 2021.”

Only 166 cases were made, with a low price point of $25 for a wine this elegant. So if you are a big fan of Tempranillo, head to Fall Line soon, because this beauty will sell out quickly.

While you’re there, try some of Fall Line’s other red wines too. We’ve been fans of Tim’s wine for years – my first post about Fall Line was on June 9, 2007, just six days after I started this blog (and when people still referred to “the blogosphere”)!

I fell in love with his 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon — 100% Cab sourced from Boushey Vineyards in Yakima Valley, Artz Vineyards in Red Mountain, and Destiny Ridge Vineyards in Horse Heaven Hills. To my surprise, the next vintage was even better, as I wrote on Feb. 18, 2008: Fall Line Does It Again.

Fast forward to November 2011, and I am once again applauding Fall Line’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon.  Not surprisingly, this enticing wine was also awarded 92 points from Wine Advocate last month: “A hint of mint, exotic spices, incense, violets, and assorted black fruits lead to a firm, sweetly-fruited, elegant offering. This well-balanced, lengthy effort will benefit from another 2-3 years of cellaring and will be at its best from 2013 to 2024.”

Fall Line’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo are joined by four unique blends - Yakima Valley Boushey Vineyard Bordeaux-style blend (91 points), Red Mountain Artz Bordeaux-style blend (90 points), Yakima Valley Exhibition Red, and Yakima Valley Red Willow Bordeaux-style blend – to round out the 2009 lineup.

You can taste Fall Line wines and join Tim at West Seattle Cellars on Dec. 3 or at his Georgetown winery for a holiday tasting on Dec. 10. More details are available on the Fall Line website.

Once you sip these fantastic-value reds (and find out their price points), you likely will want to buy some for your holiday dinner or to take with you to a special holiday party.

Cheers!

This is a tribute to one of our favorite winery dogs, Murphy of Barrage Cellars, whom we were saddened to recently find out went to doggy heaven.

Murphy, a simply gorgeous chocolate lab, was always hanging around the tasting room to greet us with a big smile and a wagging tail. Winemaker Kevin Correll once said all Murphy wanted was love – and this absolutely wonderful dog got love by the barrel from Kevin and Rebecca.

Last April, Murphy shone in the “coffee table” book of photographs, Winery Dogs of Washington, and he even “signed” books for those who “pawchased” them. What a star! And oh so photogenic!

Around that time, Kevin released a new wine label in their dog’s honor. Underlining Murphy’s playfulness and surreptitiousness around the wine barrels, “Stealth,” a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, sold out almost immediately. On release day, word had it that Murphy signed bottles as well as books, but we were out of town and unfortunately had to miss that joyous occasion.

Earlier this month, Barrage Cellars was honored as the official winery partner of Taste of Tulalip, so Kevin and Rebecca renamed Stealth as ”Murphy’s Blend,” which was lovingly poured into engraved bottles that were featured at the wine and food extravaganza at Tulalip Resort.

After the photo shoot for the Winery Dogs of Washington book, Kevin and Rebecca took this photo of Murphy, saying he was all tired out and resting after all the posing and fanfare.

And now we know he is resting in peace in doggy heaven.

Kevin and Rebecca, our hearts hurt with yours. Murphy was your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You were his life, his love, his friend.

We miss you too, Murphy. And we hope, from the bottom of our hearts that our dogs Sam and Shadow met you on the bridge to doggy heaven and you’re romping around with them right now.

We raise a glass (or two) of our favorite Barrage Cellars wine to you! Murphy, R.I.P.