Washington

• Columbia Valley
• Horse Heaven Hills
• Red Mountain
• Wahluke Slope
• Walla Walla
• Yakima Valley

A blend of 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petite Verdot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is nice with cassis and baking spice.  With air some coffee notes emerge.  On the palate, this is ripe and sweet cassis fruit.  Seems like a touch of residual sugar.  Also some spices. Nice finish.  It drinks well on its own but might be harder to match food.  A nice wine to sip on its own by the fire this winter.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

This is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 19% Chardonnay and 1% Marsanne from Washington state.  Yellow gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is smoky with some peach offerings.  Medium bodied.  Slight tannins.  Low acidity.  Very round and easy to drink texture.  On the palate, some peach and some apple.  A bit of bitter almond on the finish.  Overall, an easy drinking wine that provides nice value.  It drinks very well on its own and will work with lighter foods.  Drink over the next year.  

This is drinking well and at maturity (although no hurry).  Purple in color, ruby at the rim, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, iron, slight tobacco and slight iodine.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has black cherry fruit with underlying tobacco and a bit of that iron note.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  This will work better with food.  Roasted chicken or vegetables would work well.

This is interesting.  My understanding is that is mostly a tasting room only wine although there is some limited distribution.  Its unclear if this is 100% Petit Verdot, a grape mostly utilized for blending purposes.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black raspberries, vanilla and slight baking spices.  Also a bit of a "Bourbon" note on the end.  Full bodied.  On the palate, lots of boysenberry fruit with firm tannins.  Some slight spice and vanilla.  Moderate finish.  One of those wines that is perhaps more interesting than great but worth checking out and en

Sineann makes some great whites in addition to their more well known Reds.  This is a dynamite Riesling from the Columbia Gorge, one of the few AVA's that cross state lines.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with pineapples, slight honey and minerals.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, just the slightest perception of sweetness.  Minerals, peaches with slight tropical fruit notes.  Good finish.  A different drink than a European Riesling, but this hits the spot on a warm summer evening.  Drink over the next ten years.  It drinks very well on its own but will work with

Saying this is my favorite Washington (or even Domestic) Gruner Veltliner is faint praise given the paucity of producers.  Let's just say this is an excellent white wine and a terrific value.  Light gold/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with granny smith apples, slight lime and lots of minerality.  Maybe a bit of a floral note, too.  Medium bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  On the palate, apples and limes.  This goes down easy.  Good energy and balance.  Nice finish.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with lighter foo

This is one of the best values in Washington Wine.  From what used to be young vines in the Champoux Vineyard, these vines are no longer young.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, plums and black cherries with spice and slight char.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is getting closer to peak.  Great fruits (Cassis and black cherries) with underlying scorched earth.  Complex, it unwinds in the glass.  Nice finish.  No hurry on this, it should drink great for the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks nicely on its own but will work better with food.  Roast Turkey would wo

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black pepper, roasted herbs, slight burnt rubber, and a bit of cherries.  Full bodied.  Rich texture.  Lots of vibrancy.  On the palate, good fruit but not as boisterous as some vintages.  Black raspberries, black cherries, with underlying char and roasted meats.  Nice finish.  This is obviously young but drinking well.  It should mature for another five to ten years and drink well for eight to twelve after that.  It drinks great on its own and will work for big flavored foods.  Roasted chicken would work well.  

This is a Cabernet from Washington state.  It actually also has 4% Merlot.  Purple in color, a bit of ruby at the rim.  Opaque and bright.  The nose is very nice with black cherries, plums, some baking spice and a slight liqueur note.  Full bodied but not over blown.  On the palate, this has juicy black cherries, plums, slight blueberries with some underlying char and a bit of minerality.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now but should go another seven to ten years.  It will work on its own but probably better with food.  It went well with pasta but would work well with r

This is a "Bordeaux Blanc" styles wine from Washington state.  It is 69% Sauvignon Blanc and 31% Semillon.  Very impressive and a dead ringer for a Bordeaux white in style and quality.  Light golden in color.  The nose has apples, wax, sweet herbs, minerality and a touch of cedar.  Light to medium bodied.  Nice texture.  On the palate, apples, slight citrus, wax with underlying minerality.  Fresh and lively.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Versatile.  This drinks great on its own and will work with with sea food, pork or fowl and also spicy Asian foods.  Drink over the next few years for its