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

What an unexpected and pleasant surprise a few weeks ago to see Seattle temperatures hit almost 70 degrees — in March! You know what that meant … time to sit on the deck with a glass of white wine.

Our wine of choice for the deck – and later to be paired with salmon barbecued on a cedar plank — was Carlton Cellars Proposal Rock 2011 Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, elegant, refreshing, with strong notes of grapefruit, pear and citrus rind — perfect!

You might recall that I went on a tour of Carlton, Oregon wineries with friends after the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland last summer. Fondly nicknamed “Blitz Carlton,” you can read about it here and here.

One of the bottles I brought home from Blitz Carlton was that same Carlton Cellars Sauv Blanc, knowing Dave would also enjoy it because of the strong grapefruit flavors.

He also enjoyed the story behind the name and label.

In 1999, Carlton Cellars co-owner Dave Grooters proposed to his future wife and winery parter Robin at a stunning spot at Neskowin on the Oregon Coast. Only later did Dave learn this place is actually known as Proposal Rock! Surprise!

Look at the label of Proposal Rock Sauvignon Blanc (above). See the two people? What a great story!

Dave Grooters is more than Carlton Cellars’ co-owner, grower, and winemaker. He is a storyteller, and his enthusiasm about the wines and the labels is enchanting.

He and Robin honor the Pacific by naming each wine for a special place on the Oregon coast, illustrated by really cool label art. On the right is the label from Carlton Cellars 2011 Canon Beach Pinot Gris, which I described last summer as “the crispest Pinot Gris in Oregon.”

Looking forward to visiting Carlton again next month!

Cheers!

Winemaker extraordinaire Brennon Leighton is becoming a consulting winemaker at EFESTE in Woodinville and after Crush 2012, he will be relocating to eastern Washington near EFESTE’s vineyards and taking on additional projects with other wineries.

He personally selected winemaker Peter Devison, formerly from Apex, Alder Ridge and Willow Creek, to join him on an expanded EFESTE winemaking team “because of his experience in reductive winemaking — a distinctive old-world style seldom seen in Washington.”

“Peter’s knowledge of our winemaking style is incredible,” Brennon explained. “We have similar philosophies and perspectives that will make for a great progression. It’s like being in a foreign country and finding someone who can speak your language.”

Regular readers of this blog know we’ve been fans of Brennon and EFESTE for years. My article about Brennon in Seattleite Magazine landed him in third spot in the magazine’s Top Ten newsmakers of the year (2011).

We first met him in 2008, when we barrel-tasted Jolie Bouche during a St. Nick’s event in Woodinville. We instantly became members of EFESTE’s Inner Circle wine club, and applauded when the next year, 2009, Seattle Magazine hailed Brennon as Winemaker to Watch and EFESTE as the Best New Winery.

As his star rose, Brennon remained constant – open, blunt, funny, sharp and passionate, a talented man whom my mother would have said “pulls no punches,” an artist who also likes to experiment and a thinker who reads several books a week.

We’ve also written numerous posts about Efeste’s award-winning wines such as Feral Sauvignon Blanc, Jolie Bouche Syrah,  Lola Chardonnay and Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon, my personal favorite (although it’s hard to choose).

EFESTE’s new winemaker, Peter Devision, is fortunate to join Brennon and the owners whose last names make up the letters that spell EFESTE: Daniel and Helen Ferrelli, Patrick Smith, and Kevin and Angie Taylor are also passionate about wine, dedicated to several worthy causes, and fun to hang out with in the tasting room.

Devison began working with Brennon for crush 2012, taking place now.

We look forward to meeting him. In addition to talking wine, we have Canada in common – he’s from Nova Scotia and worked in my hometown, Vancouver before moving to Washington state.

Cheers!

EFESTE, that’s who – with their oh-so-drinkable Jolie Bouche Syrah. “Jolie Bouche” translates from French to “pretty mouth” - a perfect name for a Syrah with a wonderful mouthfeel.

Back on Dec. 8, 2008, my blog post declared EFESTE’s Jolie Bouche Syrah a winner.  Year after year, it remains a favorite.

The previous day, Dec. 7,  2008 at St. Nick’s Open House Weekend in Woodinville, was when we a) first barrel-tasted the 2007 Jolie Bouche release at EFESTE; b) pre-ordered 2006 Jolie Bouche; and c) joined EFESTE’s Inner Circle Wine Club.

Ever since, we’ve been big advocates of EFESTE , winemaker Brennon Leighton, and winery owners Daniel and Helen Ferrelli, Patrick Smith and Kevin and Angela Taylor.” (EFESTE is pronounced like the letters “F, S, T” for the first initials of the last names of the owners.)

We’re not particularly patient when it comes to wines we love – we drank most of our 2006 Jolie Bouche within a couple of months of its arrival. But somehow we managed to cellar one bottle, which we savored last week.

As we tasted it, we were reminded of a review in Wine Advocate,  which rated 2006 Jolie Bouche at 90 points:

“The purple-colored 2006 Jolie Bouche Syrah spent 20 months in 24% new French oak. It offers up an expressive nose of cedar, incense, violets, blueberry, and blackberry. Medium to full-bodied, ripe and savory on the palate, it displays some elegance, good balance, and a fruit-filled finish. It will continue to blossom for another 2-3 years and drink well through 2018. -Jay Miller for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

This beautiful wine did indeed blossom in the three years since we first tasted it, becoming even more elegant and full-bodied. In fact, the pretty mouth developed into a gorgeous mouthfeel.

We now, of course, wish we had cellared more!

Not surprisingly, the most-recent release, 2008 Jolie Bouche Syrah is sold out. After all, it received 95 points from Wine Spectator. But the good news is 2009 Jolie Bouche will be released in the fall of 2011 – just  few months away.

We can’t wait!

To find out more about EFESTE and winemaker Brennon Leighton, read my article in Seattleite Magazine.

Cheers!

In the last couple of months, we found ourselves drawn, like magnets, to several EFESTE wines – the rich Big Papa Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon, the smooth Final Final red blend and the robust Eleni Syrah, in addition to long-time favorites, Ceidleigh and Jolie Bouche Syrah.

We’re in good company for recognizing EFESTE’s fine wines, created with an individual twist and an amazing talent by winemaker Brennon Leighton.

For example, Washington wine expert Paul Gregutt recently recognized Brennon’s Lola Chardonnay:

“Leighton’s Lola is the sort of wine that makes you rethink domestic chardonnay entirely – it is light years beyond the dull, apple-flavored juice, sometimes slathered in new oak, that generally typifies the category. … When first opened, the 2009 Lola had me immediately gushing: “This is as good as the best from California – textural, creamy, a delicious mix of lemon custard, meringue, caramel, papaya and toasted coconut. At one third the price of comparable bottles, this young wine just seduces from the instant it hits the tongue.”

Gregutt also named EFESTE’s 2007 Big Papa Cab as No. 26 on the list of Top 100 Washington wines in The Seattle Times. Meanwhile, I called Big Papa a “Must-Have Cabernet Sauvignon” in my article, Must-Have Bottles of Wine in Seattlelite Magazine.

In 2009, Seattle Magazine hailed Brennon as Winemaker to Watch and Efeste Wines as the Best New Winery. These days, Brennon is indeed considered a star  in the Washington wine world.

But he remains exactly the same as when we first met him in 2008 – open, blunt, sharp and passionate, a talented man whom my mother would have said “pulls no punches,” and an artist who also likes to experiment.

Actually, everyone from EFESTE is passionate, smart and fun – Daniel and Helen Ferrelli, Kevin and Angie Taylor, and Patrick Smith. I’m happy to say that Dave and I have become friends with the wonderful group at EFESTE, and I’ve helped them with Twitter for almost a year.

But it began with the wine. We first tasted the wine at St. Nick’s in 2008 and instantly became members of EFESTE’s Inner Circle wine club. The friendships developed over time.

If you’re in the Woodinville area, stop by EFESTE’s tasting room. Try their wines, chat to anyone there, and we fully expect you’ll have a great time.

Cheers!

If you’re fortunate enough to stop by Smasne Cellars on a day when both winemaker Robert Smasne and viticulturalist Dr. Alan Busaca are in the tasting room, plan on staying awhile. Because this dynamic team will educate you – in a captivating way – while you taste their magnificent wines.

Alan was there on the day we visited. With every word he spoke, this man oozed passion for the terroir and the role of soils in viticulture. As we tasted pours from the Alma Terra label, Alan told us about the Alma Terra project “that expresses terroir in every glass.”

Our Alma Terra tasting comprised of 2006 Syrahs from three northwest vineyards: Ciel du Cheval in Red Mountain, Coyote Canyon in Horse Heaven Hills and Minick Vineyard in Yakima Valley. For this project, grapes for each wine were treated the same way — from harvest to crush to fermentation to barrel and bottle.

These identical practices were combined with the unique climate, soils and geography of each vineyard. As a result, you can truly taste the differences in terroir. And as you know, terrior, along with great wine-making, is what makes every bottle of wine unique.

Because Alan was in the house when we visited the tasting room, we focused on the Alma Terra wines and didn’t taste any of the Smasne Cellars  wines, or wines from Smasne’s value-priced Farm Boy label. 

So I can guarantee that we will go back. And one day we hope to meet Robert too. He is a legend in Washington state and currently consults or custom-makes wine for 14 different labels in the northwest.

Cheers!

If you’re looking for a value red blend that’s a super Washington wine, stop by William Church Winery and pick up a bottle of 2006 Bishop’s Blend. At a $19 price point, it’s a winner!

But you’ll have to wait until Saturday March 7, when it’s released at the Woodinville tasting room from noon to 5 p.m. Trust me, it will be worth the trip from the Seattle area.

Leslie and Rod of William Church can’t wait to release this all-occasion red wine “that is truly a labor of love as we blended and blended until we got it just right.  Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon it also contains Merlot, Malbec, Petite Verdot, Syrah and Sangiovese. See what we mean! Layers of rich fruit create an exceptionally complex wine priced for the times at only $19/bottle.”

We first tasted this fine wine at St. Nick’s weekend and recently picked up a pre-release (or two). It paired very well with London Broil – and it also paired nicely on another evening with some sharp cheese.

We hope to see you at the winery on March 7.

Cheers!

Only one week to go until Efeste‘s Jolie Bouche Syrah is released, and we can’t wait. It was one of our favorite tastes at St. Nick’s weekend in December and we highly recommend it. Winemaker Brennon Leighton spun some magic on this one! Jolie Bouche means “pretty mouth” in French and the phrase exemplifies this wine!

On Feb. 28 (from 12-5 p.m.), three Efeste 2006 releases will be available: Jolie Bouche Syrah, Ceidleigh Syrah (we enjoyed glasses of the previous vintage last night) and Final Final Cab/Syrah blend. They are all winners! So save the date and stop by Efeste next Saturday.

Next Sunday (March 1) is the release of Woodhouse Family Cellars’ Tempranillo, another excellent wine that we tasted a wee bit in advance. So Woodinville is definitely the place to be next weekend.

But first, this weekend, we’re going to a release party at Alexandria Nicole Cellars. There are three wines being released: 2006 Cab, 2007 Lemberger and 2006 Block Syrah, which recently won a gold medal at The San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, the largest competition of American wines in the world. (Almost 5,000 bottles of wines were entered and judged this year.)

As an aside, we belong to three wine clubs — Efeste, Woodhouse Family Cellars and Alexandria Nicole Cellars, the wineries mentioned in this blog post — for three reasons: magnificent wines, wonderful, friendly, knowledgeable people at the winery, and great events.

What wine clubs do you belong to, and why?

Cheers!

You’d better act soon to buy tickets to Woodinville wine country’s kickoff spring event – the extremely popular Passport to Woodinville. This event is such a fan fave that more than 1,000 tickets were sold within the first 24 hours!

The two-day event will be held on April 18 and 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and features pours from more than 30 wineries. It’s also an opportunity to meet winemakers and learn more about this exciting growth area of Washington wine country.

Ticket prices: Two day tickets – $60. Sunday only – $40. Tickets can be purchased at Woodinville Wine Country’s website. 

Participating wineries include Adams Bench, Anton Ville Winery, Baer Winery, Brian Carter Cellars, Chandler Reach, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, Covington Cellars, Cuillin Hills Winery, Des Voigne Cellars, DiStefano Winery, Edmonds Winery, Efeste, Gordon Brothers Tasting Room, Guardian Cellars, Hestia Cellars, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, J. Bookwalter Tasting Studio, Matthews Estate, Northwest Totem Cellars, Page Cellars, Pomum Cellars, Red Sky Winery, Sparkman Cellars, Silver Lake Winery, Washington Wine Company/Patterson Cellars, William Church Winery, Woodhouse Family Cellars, Woodinville Wine Cellars and XSV.

If you love St. Nick’s weekend, this one’s for you. It’s similar to St. Nick’s but warmer outside! If you’ve never been to St. Nick’s weekend, check out my first blog post after the event: Amazing Woodville Wines.

Cheers!

Over the holidays, we lifted our glasses in a special toast to Ken and Robin Nydam, even though we’ve never met them. The reason for the toast was sad, unfortunately – we were drinking 2006 Monolith from their recently closed winery, Arlington Road Cellars.

As I mentioned in early December, we stopped by their tasting room during St. Nick’s weekend and learned the doors were closing that weekend. What bad news! We purchased a couple of bottles of 2006 Monolith for only $25 — and now I wish we had even more.

In my opinion, the 2006 vintage surpassed the first release (2004), which received critical acclaim. This traditional Bordeaux-style wine blends Cabernet Sauvignon (66%), Merlot (21%), Cab Franc (11%) and Petit Verdot (2%).

So we once again toast Arlington Roads and wish Ken and Robin the best in the future.

Cheers!

Once again my marvellous nephew, Mathew, introduced us to a winner — Chatter Creek, which we finally had a chance to visit during St. Nick’s weekend earlier this month. As I mentioned at the time, owner and winemaker Gordon Rawson poured us some very balanced, fruit-forward wines and one of our favorites was 2005 Chatter Creek Blend 105.

We brought some home with us and decided it was perfect to open it during the holidays. The bottle modestly calls it “red table wine.” Well, yes it is, but so much more! This is a balanced blend of Merlot (39.6%), Cabernet Sauvignon (35.8%), Malbec (7.2%), Cab Franc (12.4%) and Petit Verdot (5%). And what a finish. Here are the tasting notes:

“This wine sparkles with bright, ruby color. Ripe and forward, a blend of violets, cassis, and black cherry, jump from the nose. Good acid on the attack of this wine carries through the lead pencil and quartz notes, warming to plummy cherry and blueberry fruit. The finish continues the interplay of the fruit and terroir, framed in by notes of toasted almonds and vanilla bean. A wine that boasts of tremendous balance and attentive winemaking.”

According to Gordon, when he makes blends, “I let whimsy take me where it will.” We adored it! And with a $22 price point, we recommend you stop by their tasting room in Woodinville and pick up a bottle or more.

Cheers!