A few months ago, we had a wonderful time at Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla, thanks to the friendly, fun and knowledgeable tasting room manager Lynne Anderson and associate Bryant Williams.
We tasted pours from five bottles of wine — three beautiful reds from the warm 2014 vintage and a 2016 white and a rosé. As we sipped through the wines, we noticed that Amavi tasting notes give you everything you might want to know before buying a bottle. So we decided to share their winemaker notes here, instead of our own. Thanks to winemaker Jean-François Pellet for outstanding wine and impressive tasting notes.
We enjoyed every single wine that we tasted, which is not always the case in our winery travels.
Amavi Cellars 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon ($33)
SMELLS LIKE: raspberry, black cherry, baking spices, vanilla bean
TASTES LIKE: blackberry compote, toasted hazelnuts, wet stones
MOUTHFEEL: rich mid-palate, velvety tannin structure
DRINK WITH: steak, cassoulet, grilled portobello mushrooms
Amavi Cellars 2014 Ceres Tempranillo -Wine Club Exclusive
SMELLS LIKE: leather, grilled meat, blueberry compote
TASTES LIKE: cherry, raspberry, cocoa, cedar
MOUTHFEEL: velvety tannins, earthy minerality, persistent finish
DRINK WITH: pork paella, carne asada tacos, falafel with baba ganoush
Amavi Cellars 2014 Syrah ($33)
SMELLS LIKE: plum, crushed rock, clove
TASTES LIKE: currant, blueberry, blackberry, fig, olive
MOUTHFEEL: richly developed tannins, elegant finish
DRINK WITH: bbq, roasted lamb or chicken, ratatouille
Amavi Cellars 2016 Cabernet Franc Rosé ($24 – sold out but watch for the 2017 release; this wine is lovely)
SMELLS LIKE: mountain strawberry, hibiscus, soft forest floor
TASTES LIKE: strawberry rhubarb, toasted hazelnuts, rain misted gravel
MOUTHFEEL: bright & fresh, rich mid-palate, lively tannin & structure
DRINK WITH: friends on the deck, anything BBQ or Asian, fresh seafood
Amavi Cellars 2016 Sémillon ($24.00)
SMELLS LIKE: honeysuckle, orange blossom, lemongrass, wet stone
TASTES LIKE: Fuji apple, pink grapefruit, honeydew melon, flint
MOUTHFEEL: refreshing acidity, rich & balanced structure
DRINK WITH: rich fish & shellfish, grilled asparagus, spicy dishes
We’ve always said we are fans of wineries that make good juice and have a team that provides an excellent tasting experience. So Amavi Cellars is a special place for us, and we recommend you stop by their tasting room when you visit Walla Walla or Woodinville. Amavi recently released some new vintages, so we plan to check them out soon.
Cheers!
Margot and Dave