Columbia Valley

This is a very nice Cab Franc from Washington.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, tobacco and slight bell pepper.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity.  Good fruits black cherries and cherries with underlying herbal notes.  Good finish.  Slight tannins.  This works better with foods and went well with a home made pizza.  It seems still young and might get better but should easily last another 5 to ten years.  

This is a great value in Washington Cab.  Originally from younger vines in the Champoux vineyard, these wine have been made for 20+ years now.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood, slight bell pepper.  On the palate, this has nice cassis fruit with an underlying char.  Full bodied.  A nice complexity, it takes some time (about an hour) to fully open up.  Firm tannins.  Juicy acidity.  In style, this is somewhere less ripe than Napa and more than Bordeaux.  It easily has a decade or more left.  Works great on its own or with bigger foods.  

Sineann is an Oregon producer but they make wines in many places.  The vines for this wine are almost one hundred years old and are just inside the Washington border.  It is an excellent Zin, that is not full throttle but not shy either.  It ages nicely too.  Purple in color.  The nose has some spice, plenty of cherries and a bit of plums.  On the palate, there is a nice gravelly quality underneath some nice cherry fruit.  It is young and exuberant at the moment but if you prefer a more claret style, this should cruise into that in another ten years.  It will work with meats and peppery foo

One of the best Cabs from Sineann I have had.  This is classic Washington Cab.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  The nose is great with black cherries, slight fresh rubber and tarragon.  On the palate, this is deep and intense.  Black cherry fruit over spice.  It unwinds in the glass.  Firm tannins.  Drank over three nights and it was best on night three.  Long finish.  This will work with a wide variety of foods.  Probably needs about five to seven years and then should be good for fifteen after that.  If opening now, decant for six to eight hours.   

Purple in color.  The nose is ok with cherries and dust.  On the palate, this is easy drinking.  Cherries with some underling spice.  Nice texture.  Nothing wrong but nothing exciting either except the price.  This is around $15 which is a nice price for a party.  

This is their basic Cabernet from a winery that makes both Washington and Oregon wines.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, sandalwood and fresh cut lumber.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  There is a fair amount of oak, but also plenty of cassis fruit.  Easy drinking.  Good finish.  For a $30 Cab, this is a nice value.  Some depth.  Needs a couple of years and drink over the next five to seven after that.  

Purple in color, ruby t the rim.  The nose has cassis and bell pepper.  Also some baking spice.  The bell pepper is distracting but eventually mostly blows off which is fine.  On the palate, this is better.  Cassis with some underlying oak/spice.  Some depth and complexity.  Seems tight and a bit shut down at this point, so give it plenty of air if opening.  This will work with medium and heavier foods nicely.  Certainly has potential for improvement.  

Purple in color with ruby swirls.  This was tight but opened quickly to show black raspberries, slight roasted meats and a bit of pepper.  On the palate, this has a silky texture.  Black cherries.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This is probably as good as this gets but should be nice drinking for five years.  At $25 retail, this is fairly priced.  Will work with medium and heavier foods.  

This is a great value for around $20.  Having had it in multiple vintages, it is very consistent.  Inky purple in color.  The nose is dusty with black raspberries, black pepper and some cedar.  A bit of roasted meat as well.  On the palate, this is big and fruity but there is also depth and complexity.  Bright acidity.  Good finish.  This will work with big or spicy foods.  It should last for 5 to 8 years but probably won't get better.  That's ok, it is really good today.  

Purple with ruby swirls.  The nose is tight on opening but reveals smoky black raspberries.  On the palate, this is sweet black raspberry fruit.  It has a nice complexity to it and is more "elegant" than a fruit bomb.  Drinking quite well, it will probably still improve with good cellaring.  Food friendly for most foods.  Nice finish.  It retails for around $60.