Every year, talented winemakers Marty Clubb, Marcus Rafanelli and their team produce L’Ecole stars. From refreshing whites to luscious reds, L’Ecole wines move to the front of the class. These five fall releases continue the trend of impressive wines from the historic schoolhouse in Walla Walla — especially the magnificent 2020 Cellar Selection Cabernet Sauvignon (which honors L’Ecole’s 40th anniversary). L’Ecole is one of the most honored wineries in WA, and has generated national and international accolades for superior quality wines. Read on for more about these five stars.
Category Archives: Petit Verdot
Barrister
When we left Walla Walla in late June en route to a weekend party in Montana, we made a spontaneous decision to stop in Spokane and see Greg Lipsker, owner and skilled winemaker of Barrister Winery. We couldn’t stay long, but that didn’t prevent Greg from pouring a few excellent wines. Greg has a large portfolio of beautiful wines, all of which have the signature style of a soft mouthfeel and gentle tannins. Contributing to this style is a unique story – the wines are “train settled.” What does this mean? Read on for details. Continue reading
ANC
We have a long history with Ali and Jarrod Boyle, owners of Alexandria Nicole Cellars (ANC), so we didn’t stop smiling when we saw them again recently and tasted their wines. We first wrote about ANC when we launched this site in 2007, inspired by some fabulous wine at ANC’s new (at the time) Woodinville tasting room. Subsequently, we were among the initial members of their original wine club, and attended many of their harvest parties. We first visited Destiny Ridge Vineyard in 2009, and we glamped there in 2011, when most people hadn’t even heard the word “glamping” yet. And we drank ANC Quarry Butte as our go-to wine during the Seahawks’ road to their Super Bowl win in 2014. From day one, we’ve always said it’s the people, the wines and the events that make a winery special. And ANC continues to check off all those boxes.
Grand Tasting
For two decades, we have called Taste Washington “the Super Bowl of Wine Events.” It’s the country’s largest single-region wine and food extravaganza, and returned March 6-13 in Seattle after a three-year break because of the pandemic. We went to the Grand Tasting, and had an epic time connecting with some incredible winemakers, and tasting their new releases.
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