Washington
2007 Thierry et Pascale Matrot Chardonnay Bourgogne Blanc
Citrusy, pithy, minerally…off balance and a bit challenging for me. Picked up as another recommendation for a wine that pairs well with butternut squash soup, but didn’t compare to the 2008 Domaine d’Ardhuy Bourgogne Blanc (tasting notes on this wine posted earlier today) – in fact, I have a full bottle of this wine left while the d”Ardhuy was finished at dinner last night (and both were served with dinner). My rating: 84
2008 Domaine d’Ardhuy Bourgogne Blanc
I went to McCarthy & Schiering wine shop in Seattle looking for a good wine to pair with butternut squash soup and, man, did they nail it with this French Chardonnay. Good wine on its own, with more crispness than a US Chardonnay. Good citrus, apple and mineral notes. But, with the soup, it was a perfect blend of flavors complimenting each other. Whenever I make butternut squash soup again, this is the wine I will have on hand to enjoy it with. My rating: 88
2008 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay
Lemon, peach, sour apple, in a crisp and full white wine. surprisingly little oak and a long, lingering finish. Really nice wine, but a bit pricey for a Washington state white wine, so keeping my rating at an 89 (don’t always do this, but only in situations where i feel the QPR is off a bit). My rating: 89
2008 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Gris Cuvée Romanus
Excellent Pinot Gris and under $20. Crisp lemon and citrus, with a smooth, buttery broad palate and long finish. Recommendation from the sommelier at Cafe Campagne in Seattle and absolutely hit the mark. If I could find any of this online, I’d buy a case without hesitation. My rating: 90
2007 Domaine Roger Perrin Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very nice Chateauneuf-du-Pape, with a huge aroma – blackberry, bacon, mocha and chestnuts. On the palate, great acidity and a decent finish. doesn’t live up to all the hype of the 2007 CDP vintage, but, then again, this is a $27 bottle and I think the QPR is very high on this wine. My only regret is that I didn’t buy more than I did (only bought two bottles). My rating: 90
2007 Terra Blanca Roussanne
Reserve Terra Blanca Estate Buttery/creamy, meyer lemon, leeche and some minerals. Nice, easy drinker, but may be too buttery for some tastes. My rating: 87
2006 Long Shadows Wineries Pedestal
I had a glass of this last night at the met in Seattle and didn’t take too many notes, but suffice it to say this is a beautiful wine. Dark, lush, ripe fruit and so incredibly well balanced, smooth and silky. Long, lush finish and zero heat. I thought I would need to wait on the ’06’s that I have in my cellar, but this is already showing very well. My rating: 94
2007 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red
Raspberry, blackberry, mocha, smoke (from the Carménère …rare addition for a US blend, at least in my experience) and pepper – it’s lush, broad on the palate and well balanced, with a long, lingering finish. This is an incredible wine for the price (about $15) and if I can find any more, I’ll pick up everything I can let my hands on. My rating: 90 And, the blend on this thing is crazy (see below) – makes me want to be there for that blending party…probably takes a week to figure it all out.
BLEND
- 31% Cabernet Sauvignon (15% Walla Walla Valley, 9% Columbia Valley, 4% Wahluke Slope, 3% Rattlesnake Hills
- 27% Syrah (17% Columbia Valley, ◦6% Horse Heaven Hills, 2% Wahluke Slope, 2% Walla Walla Valley)
- 16% Merlot (9% Walla Walla Valley, 4% Columbia Valley,2% Rattlesnake Hills, 1% Wahluke Slope
- 14% Cabernet Franc (◦8% Horse Heaven Hills, 3% Walla Walla Valley, 3% Wahluke Slope
- 7% Malbec (Columbia Valley)
- 3% Sangiovese (Columbia Valley)
- 1% Carménère (Walla Walla Valley)
- 1% Petit Verdot (Walla Walla Valley & Columbia Valley)
2005 Frédéric & Daniel Brunier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine La Roquète Cherries, strawberries, fennel and butterscotch. Bright acidity, medium body, medium finish. Very nice CDP. My rating: 88
2005 La Crema Chardonnay California
Every time the price goes up on this wine, the quality seems to go down – this was a much better wine when it was $10 then it is now at around $15. My rating: 84
2006 Havens Wine Cellars Merlot
Really bummed out with this one. Bought a case at what I thought was a steal for $6.99 a bottle at K&L Wines, one of my favorite and most trusted wine sources. Opened one bottle and thought it had gone bad, so opened another, which was okay the first night buy the second night it tasted like the first bottle. Not worth giving tasting notes on this one except to say it tasted like wine in a can – very tinny and bitter. My rating: 70
Continue reading about Wine tasting notes from a week gone by…
2005 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos Red Label
This is my first experience with Royal Tokaji, although I’ve heard a lot about the producer over the years. This is all caramel apple rolled in nuts, with some pear, toffee and minerals. Not too sweet, which is very much to my liking (I’m not a big ruby port fan because it’s generally too sweet for me, although I am a huge tawny port fan) and an incredible balance of flavors. Still finishing for me as I write this. I gotta be honest, this one knocked my socks off and I can feel it down to my toes…I do believe I’ve found my new dessert wine. My rating: 93
2007 Luna Vineyards Sangiovese
Cherry, plum, menthol and heat on the nose…big fruit and hot diluted finish on the palate…not my favorite of the Luna Vineyards wines. I’ve just recently tasted the Merlot and the Pinot Grigio from Luna and I much prefer the Merlot to this Sangiovese. My rating: 85
2007 Mark Ryan Viognier (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley)
Easy drinker, good lemon and citrus, but with enough non-oakey richness to make it satisfying and mouth filling. Mid-$20’s is a bit much for a viognier, but it’s a good white and I’ll probably buy some more to have on hand. My rating: 87
Very well balanced and big wine from Gorman. Blackberry, green garden and soy sauce on the nose (sounds odd, but it’s a good nose), with ripe blackberry and cherry, pomegranate and spice. BIG wine, with lots of ripe, juicy fruit and a broad palate, with a strong, lingering finish. This is a good wine and a good representation of the fantasBtic wines coming from Chris Gorman right now. My rating: 92
All tasting notes first published on Cellar Tracker
Continue reading about Wine tasting notes from a week gone by…
| 2006 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley | |||
|
This is way bigger than i thought it would be – reminded more of a California cab than a Washington cab. big fruit, big oak and a bit hot on the finish. decent fruit and a huge mouthful, but has a pithy, somewhat bitter finish. lush tannins and I’m going to try this again tomorrow night to see if it opens up any more. 2nd day follow-up: not much change. My rating: 88 |
|||
| 2007 Cadence Cabernet Sauvignon Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard | |||
|
My first experience with Cadence, but have been wanting to try their wines for a while. This one did not disappoint – a very well balanced Cab from WA, with notes of blackberry, blueberry, espresso and dark chocolate. A huge mouthful, including a lingering finish and enough acid to cut through some of the lush ripe fruit. Still feels young, even after having decanted it for three hours. The disappointing part of this wine is the price – at $55, this is too expensive. At $30, I probably would have given it a 90, but this wine is just too expensive in my opinion. My rating: 88 |
|||
| N.V. Bortolomiol Prosecco Valdobbiadene Brut | |||
|
I’m a huge fan of Prosecco and this is one of the better ones I’ve tasted. Some good lemon citrus and pith and the nose with an added dryness and minerality that makes this an easy drinker and interesting at the same time. My rating: 88 |
|||
| 2007 Schild Estate Shiraz Barossa Valley | |||
|
Cherry chocolate tobacco rolls, with a hint of herb and sage on the finish. Big fruit on the palate with an even delivery throughout the palate. Really liked this one and I’m not typically a fan of Shiraz. #43 on Wine Spectator’s 2009 Top 100. My rating: 89 |
|||
| 2007 Santini Wines Trentatre Salento IGT | ||||
|
Blackberry and dark cherry (ripe), with oak, vanilla and powdered cocoa. This wine is a mouthful, with a broad distribution on the palate and a decent, but hot, finish. more acidity than would be expected in this blend, which helped cut through the lasagna we had with it. Overall, a very nice wine for $6. 33% Montepulciano, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, this one was an interesting combo of elements, One i haven’t seen before, but I was longing for more of the Montepulciano to come through. My rating: 86 |
||||
| 2006 Luna Vineyards Merlot | |||
|
This is a cherry covered chocolate – big fruit, chocolate on the finish with a nice stretch of very mild leather and darker fruits, like blackberry. I haven’t had a Merlot in a while, so it was nice to see dive into one again. Tight at first, hot on the finish, but after a 2nd glass, decanted for 15 minutes, it really opened up and became a more broad wine on the palate. Some nice acidity, which adds to the balance. Overall, very pleased with this wine. [note: this bottle was sent to me as a sample] My rating: 89 |
|||
| 2007 Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio | |||
|
A nice citrusy, minerally, easy drinker. In fact, I was surprised by how much i did actually like it. I think I would like it even more on a hot summer day, out on the back deck. [note: provided to me as a free sample] My rating: 86 |
|||
| 2006 Justin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon |
|||
|
Well, here’s another case of not agreeing with wine spectator who gave this wine a 79. 79? Median of 88 from CellarTracker tasters, with only one coming in at 80 [from a user called duckyfufu], who sounds like he might have had a corked bottle. I liked this one, as did my wife and her mom and dad, who generally don’t drink Cabernet Sauvignon. for me, cherries, dark chocolate, vanilla and anise seed. Surprisingly prominent acidity, that helps cut through the palate, with a very nice, long finish. Just a tad hot. This is a nice $20 Cabernet from Paso Robles, from a very trusted producer. My rating: 89 |
|||
| 2007 Odfjell Carménère Armador | |||
|
Been trying a lot of Carmeneres lately and this is the one I’ve been looking for. All the smokey, peppery characteristics of Carmenere, but also the most balanced and easy drinking of the dozen it so I’ve tried. blackberry, plum, tobacco, smoke, white pepper. Very nice acidity. If you haven’t tried Carmenere, this is a great one to start with. My rating: 89 [sent to me as a sample from Wines of Chile] |
|||
All tasting notes first published on Cellar Tracker!
Continue reading about Wine tasting notes from a week gone by…
A few quick post-holiday wine reviews, one a Carménère from Chile, the other a Malbec from Washington state.
I’ve been tasting a lot of Carménère’s lately, partly in thanks to Wines of Chile. I like the varietal, with its smokey and peppery notes, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. The Odfjell is the first one that I think is truly accessible to a large group of wine drinkers. Easily the most balanced and easy drinking of the dozen or so I’ve tried, this one is 100% Carménère, with blackberry, plum, tobacco, smoke and white pepper. Remarkably nice acidity, allowing the wine to slice directly through the palate, but balanced with a nice, long finish and a quick, broad mouth feel.
What you should do: BUY IT! This varietal is worth a try and, without a doubt, this is the one to experiment with.
My rating: 89
2007 Townshend Malbec
This wine was brought to my attention by my father-in-law. He is a Malbec loyalist and responsible for me exploring the Malbec varietal by introducing 
me to a great Terra Blanca Malbec a few years back. The Townshend is a nice fruit -forward Malbec, with dark cherry, fig and white pepper on the nose. Remarkably well balanced and full palate, especially for a wine this young. It’s big and broad on the palate and then narrows into a lasting finish. All in all, this is a fantastic Malbec from Washington.
What you should do: Buy it, if you can find it. The winery does have plenty of the 2007 on hand, in the mid-$20’s, so you can get it there, but I wasn’t able to find it anywhere else. This may be a case wine for me – would love to have some bottles around the house.
My rating: 88
NOTE: The Odfjell was provided to me as a free sample.
Continue reading about Quick fire wine review – Odfjell and Townshend
2006 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley. The fruit on this wine is some of the most subtle I’ve ever tasted on a Washington Syrah. With 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier, there’s definitely a nice fruit balance on the front end with blackberry, blueberry and raspberry, but when it hits the mid-palate, there is a truly unique minerality, leather and earthiness that takes over and subdues the fruit. Not a UFC-type submission, but more like a dinner with the Dalai Lama who convinces you that everything you ever thought about life was wrong…and it was all okay with you, even uplifting and motivating. Having enjoyed this wine with two good buddies who are true wine aficionados made it all that much better. My rating: 94- 2005 Chateau Plince Pomerol. This really is a beautiful wine. Definite blackberry, licorice, tea and oak, with a little touch of earth and leather. It’s a complex wine that’s incredibly well balanced, with just the right acidity and tannins to make it feel vibrant and alive through the strong finish. Amazingly velvety and textured for a 2005 – particularly since it was just released in early March. No doubt this will get better with age, but certainly a great wine now – I can only imagine what it would taste like if decanted for an hour or so before drinking. My rating: 92+
- 2006 Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir. This is, hands down, the best
Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. I first learned about Sea Smoke with the 2004 vintage and it continues to amaze me with this, my third vintage of Sea Smoke. This is not a faint, light Pinot – it’s dense, rich and incredibly well balanced, with a complexity unrivaled in other Pinots (or, at least those I’ve tasted). Definitely one of those wines I’m sad to finish…my only consolation is the 4 other bottles in my cellar, but I think I’ll wait a few years on those. My rating: 95 - 2008 Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, Valle Central. Part of the Whole Foods Holiday Wine Top ten list…This is a light, fruity, spicy Pinot Noir, with blackberry, cherry, spice and toasted vanilla notes. You won
‘t find any stemmy qualities or rich complexities, but it is incredibly well balanced, with very little heat and a nice mid-range finish. It’s definitely a wine that would work well in the early stages of Christmas dinner, just after a nice white and some cheeses. And, if you’re thinking “how did a $6 wine make it to #4,” I’ll bet if you decant this bottle and just let people try it blind, you will find that they think it is a much more expensive bottle of Pinot Noir than it actually is. Tons of quality packed in this value wine. My rating: 89 / 90+ for a wine under $10. - 2005 Long Shadows “Pedestal” Merlot Columbia Valley. I’ve been a big fan of the Long Shadows wines for so
me time now and this one lived up to the expectation. A recommendation from a good, very trusted wine friend, I was actually more entranced by this wine than I thought I would be. Huge nose, with dark cherries, plum and mocha, followed by some mellow Christmas spice notes (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove). Tannins are a little chalky still, but will mellow over time and I’m glad I have a few more in the cellar so I can taste it when it does. My rating: 92 - 2004 Fattoria Poggiopiano Rosso Di Sera Toscana.
This was a beautiful Tuscan wine. Extremely well balanced, with dark berries, coffee and hint of maple syrup and rich spice, this is one of the best wines I tasted yet in Italy. If I let my wine sit for a few minutes, it became better balanced, gentler and more silky. Once I swirled it, it became hot, tannic and angry. This can happen with most wines, but the transformation was much more pronounced on this wine than I’ve seen in others. It’s as if all the wine wanted to do was sit back and unfold, no pressure, no worries. The second I asked it to do something it didn’t want to, it let me know and became a different and lesser wine. It really did feel pissed off when riled up. A true lesson in letting wine develop as it needs to, no matter what you think is right for it. My rating: 92 
2008 Michel Schlumberger Pinot Blanc. It’s clearly a French-style wine, not a sweet or oakey California white – one of the cleanest, most refreshing and simple white wines that has had the pleasure of meeting my palate…as the person pouring said “drinks like water, doesn’t it?” That’s partially true, but only in regards to the ease with which it goes down. But, there is some complexity here, as nuanced as it is. Good subtle fruit and touch of mineral and metal, almost a zinc-like quality, that does add some interesting qualities to the wine. My rating: 89- 2007 Fontanafredda Barbera Piemonte Briccotondo. On the nose I got dirt and grass and plum and cherry and chocolate, all mix
ed up like a rich, aromatic stew. A good solid swirl and I also pick up some crushed black pepper and even just a hint of menthol. Great nose on this wine. It’s big and intense and complex, which, for me, is exactly what I like – builds so much expectation for tasting the wine. As for taste, definitely on the earthy and not entirely old school, but on the older school side of red wine. Some good solid young fruit, nice acidity and strong tannins that are drinkable now, but should also be good with a few years of aging. On the palate – front, mid and back all powerful and lasting. Are you getting the point here? I love this wine. Hard to believe this is going for $11. My rating: 90 
2007 D.R. Stephens Chardonnay. For some reason, I did not review this wine on my blog in 2009, but, regardless, I was truly impressed by how well made it is. I couldn’t find my original tasting notes for this wine, so I’ve included notes from Wine Spectator: Rich and full-bodied, this is framed by smoky, toasty oak, but also offers a delicious core of pear- and nectarine-laced flavors that are pure and elegant. Although I don’t remember the core elements of the wine from my tasting, I do remember being pleasantly surprised by how rich, complex and non-oakey this was for a CA Chardonnay – very distinct from most of the other Chardonnay’s I’ve tasted from Califonia. My rating: 91- Sancerre. This is an interesting entry for the list as I believe it’s still a work in progress. I was first introduced to Sancerre this
year and it absolutely captured my imagination. The Sancerre region in France is known for its whites, particularly those using the Sauvignon Blanc grape, and is unique in its landscape of chalky limestone and flint-filled hills. Most Sancerrre’s are 100% Sauvignon Blanc, unblended and made without much, if any, oak. The reason I’m so intrigued by Sancerre is that I have liked every one I’ve tried and yet I am not a fan of most Sauvignon Blanc’s. For me, Sauvignon Blanc is usually a little too thin and overoaked, particularly the California versions. But, the Sancerre brings something very different to the table. It feels more pure to me and doesn’t try to hide the glory of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. My rating: varies by bottle
What’s on your list this year?
2006 Poggio Mandorlo Ombre Rosso di Toscana 
One of the red wines from our trip to Italy and, arguably, one of the best we had there. Found it in an amazing wine shop n Volterra, an ancient walled city in Tuscany, called Enoteca Scali. 4,000 cases made of this wine and I’ve been trying to find it ever since we got back. Very dark cherry and tart plum, with notes of coffee, spices and earthy must. This is a lush wine – a bit tight when I tasted it, but balanced and full enough that it should be an amazing wine in about 3 – 5 years.
My rating: 92
2005 Long Shadows “Pedestal” Merlot Columbia Valley
Have been a big fan of the Long Shadows wines for some time now and this one lived up to the expectation. A recommendation from a good, very trusted wine friend, I was actually more entranced by this wine than I thought I would be. Huge nose, with dark cherries, plum and mocha, followed by some mellow Christmas spice notes (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove). Tannins are a little chalky still, but will mellow over time and I’m glad I have a few more in the cellar so I can taste it when it does.
My rating: 92
2006 Long Shadows Chester Kidder
Another in the Long Shadows line-up. If you remember, I reviewed the 2004 Chester Kidder when I was in Portland over the summer (Long Shadows ChesterKidder) and really enjoyed it, giving a 92+ rating. The 2006 didn’t fall too far from that tree. On the nose, it’s dark cherry, chocolate, espresso, smoke and roasted nuts – a much more complex nose than the 2004. But, it is still very young. When I opened it, it took about 45 minutes to come into its own, with a very tight and bitter start. But, it did open up and delivered good fruit and acidity, with just the right amount of toast and nuttiness. The thing I found amazing about this wine is that, even at 14.9% alcohol, it had zero heat. None at all. Will be a beautiful wine 5 – 7 years down the road.
My rating: 91
I’m not always sure what to make of Charles Smith, the winemaker at K Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington. If I taste his wines on their own, most of them are quite good. He’s a pioneer in Washington wines and definitely has played his part in getting Washington recognized around the world as a leading producer of wines (he just recently received 100 points for his 2006 Royal City Syrah). He’s also one of the most passionate winemakers I’ve seen in a long time. All that comes together to make the K offering one of the most intriguing in the Northwest.
But, he also feels a little scattered to me. I find myself confused by how many offerings he has (18 current releases for K Vineyards and 11 current releases for Charles Smith Wines) and what I really should be trying of his wines. I have a fair amount in my cellar, from The Creator to The Boy to K-Syrah to Boom Boom Syrah. But, to be honest, I limit my purchasing because I just don’t know enough about those that are true stars in his collection and those that are mere wines.
Wine Spectator thinks that The Creator is one of his stars, giving it a rating of 91. They say this about it: Dark and chewy, this is dense with blackberry, currant and tar flavors, glowing and pulsing against a layer of smoky tannins. Shows a lot of life. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Best from 2011 through 2018. 365 cases made.
For me, I get the blackberry, both on the nose and in the mouth, but on the nose I also pick up a lot of black pepper and some red meat. The blackberry exploded in my mouth, along with plum and currant. This is a big, fruity wine. Well balanced, with surprisingly good acidity, but a little hot on the finish. I really like the blend with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon (En Cerise) and 33% Syrah (Morrison Lane) – Charles definitely captures the distinct elements of both and I’m on a huge Washington Syrah kick right now. For me, hands down, the best Syrah’s in the world.
What you should do: Buy it! This is a great wine from K Vintners and representative of both Washington wines and Charles Smiths wines.
My rating: 90
As for Charles himself, I’ve included a link to Charles Smith on YouTube – an interview done by Winefoot.com. Enjoy! Would love to know what you think.
Continue reading about Charles Smith and K Vintners The Creator 2006
This, the final installment of the Owen Roe Winery series, will feature two wines – Sharecroppers Cabernet Sauvignon and Abbott’s Table (thanks to Jason and Jeff for pushing me to include these). Overall, a great tasting of the Owen Roe wines, with 7 of the 8 wines tasted making it on to my “buy again” list (unfortunately, the 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Eola – Amity Hills will not be making it back to my dinner table). Bottom line is that Owen Roe Winery is making some very nice wines that you should definitely try if you have not done so already.
On to the wines for this bonus round…
Owen Roe 2007 Sharecropper’s Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The Northwest-wine.com website has this to say about it: 
Owen Roe Sharecroppers Cabernet 07 has smoky blackberry and dark cherry aromas that leap out, signaling the showiness of this young Cabernet. Packed with juicy black fruit flavors–especially cassis–this is a big mouthful of Cab, with dried herbs and earth on the slightly chewy finish. David O’Reilly strikes again: great value, great wine.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, David O’reilly describes this as a very concentrated wine with flavors of cassis, blackberry, and a hint of juniper. The yield was down for the 2006 vintage, meaning less wine, but a more concentrated wine. Made from Elerding and Alderdale Vineyards in the Yalkima Valley, there’s also a bit of Red Willow Vineyard fruit in the wine. The wine is ready to drink, and David says: “It will blow you away”.
I had never actually had this Owen Roe wine before. Getting so stuck in Ex Umbris and Abbott’s Table over the years, I think this one had fallen off my radar. In the end, though, I only liked it, but didn’t love it. It’s a nice effort, with good dark berry fruit and a decent balance, but it didn’t “blow me away” as David suggests. For under $20, it’s a nice Washington Cabernet to have on hand, but, for me it’s just not that memorable.
What you should do: Put it at the bottom of your Owen Roe wine list and if you happen to see the Sharecroppers Pinot Noir, buy that instead.
My rating: 85
Northwest-wine.com has this to say about it: Owen Roe Abbot’s Table 2008 – Abbot’s Table 2008 is the perfect example of a “smooth” wine. Velvety, lush, round flavors glide over your taste buds. The Zinfandel and Sangiovese provide the backbone and show in the lingering finish of sweets plums, raspberries and cherries.
More than a third of the 08 Abbot’s is Bordeaux varietals – the deep cassis and black cherry flavors are a perfect complement to the fresh, bright red fruits. There’s a meaty complexity to the finish that adds even more character to an already outstanding value table wine.
Upon release, the 2008 is better than the 2007 and just might be the best Abbot’s Table yet.
What you should do: Buy it! This is a great sub-$20 bottle of wine. I have a few more in my cellar and will definitely buy others when those run out.
My rating: 88
On to part 2 of my Owen Roe series (Owen Roe Winery Part 1) and a truly spectacular wine in this round of 2. But, before I get to that wine, wanted to touch on another interesting element of Owen Roe winery.
There are so many great Northwest wineries and winemakers. In Oregon, a few that stand out to me are Devitt, Domaine Drouhin, Ken Wright, Williamette Valley Vineyards. And, up north in Washington, some of my favorites are Mark Ryan, Buty, Dunham Cellars, Long Shadows, Cayuse, K Vintners and on and on. It’s truly extraordinary the number of great wines coming out of the Northwest and no one knows this better than Owen Roe winery.
Their positioning as “Wine from Oregon & Washington” seems pretty straight forward, but to take on two huge states, with over 25 AVA’s between them and a host of great wines and winemakers is a daunting task. This isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon, with the likes of Andrew Rich and Sineann also making wines with grapes from both states, but what makes it even more interesting is that these three wineries have 37 current releases among them. 37! I’ve been to at least 1/2 a dozen wineries this last year that only have one and these guys are offering up almost 40 different wines. Which is part of the reason why I was so intrigued by Owen Roe to begin with. I haven’t tasted any Andrew Rich or Sineann, but the simple fact that Owen Roe has such a vast line-up of wines (14 current releases on its own) is what originally compelled me to look into the subject further.
From there, it’s the quality of the wine that caught my attention. If Owen Roe was putting out the Northwest’s Two Buck Chuck, I’d probably write one post and move on or completely ignore them. But, Owen Roe truly recognizes the power of a Northwest grape and, in most cases, are pulling all the best natural characteristics out of the grapes and the land. Even though the Northwest has received high acclaim around the wine world, it’s still an up & coming region and it’s important (at least to me) that people get a realistic sense of wine coming out of there. A truly extraordinary place, producing truly extraordinary wines.
Which brings me to the two wines I’m focusing on for today – the 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Santa maria Valley Solomon Hills Vineyard and the 2007 Owen Roe Syrah Yakima Valley “Lady Rosa”.
2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Solomon Hills Vineyard
If you read my first post on Owen Roe (Owen Roe Winery Part 1) you’ll know that I wasn’t a big fan of the Pinot Noir in that round – the Eola-Amity Hills. Just couldn’t seem to shake the fact that it didn’t taste like a Pinot Noir to me. Still a decent wine, but not at all what I expected and certainly not a contender in its weight class.
But, the Santa Maria Valley Solomon Hills is a different story. On the nose came blackberry, cinnamon and rich earth, with an interesting blend of raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant in the mouth. Much fruitier in the mouth than on the nose and a bit unbalanced, but I appreciated the fact that it tasted like a Pinot Noir. Bar too low on this one, given my experience with the Eola-Amity Hills? Maybe. But, then again, I am focusing on one winery for this series, so it’s only fair that I judge the wines against each other.
What you should do: Wait on this one, until I finish. At about $42, it drinks below its price for now, especially considering some of my favorite Pinot Noirs go for around $50 (Domaine Drouhin, Sea Smoke, Kosta Browne…to name a few). This one may be fighting as a middleweight in the heavyweight category – not that far off, but would almost certainly get pummeled in the ring.
my rating: 87
2007 Owen Roe Syrah Yakima Valley “Lady Rosa”
My wife and I are expecting our first child in December and we decided to not find out the sex of the baby. And, we’re not one of those couples in which one wants to know and the other does not. We are 100% committed to not knowing, under the auspice that there are only so many truly beautiful surprises left in this world anymore.
Uh oh, is he really going to compare the birth of his first child to a bottle of wine? Well, not really. Nothing will compare, that’s for sure. But, it’s noteworthy that after you taste so many wines, there are also very few surprises. My first surprise in the Owen Roe tasting was a Pinot Noir that tasted like anything but that (aka an unpleasant surprise). My second is the Lady Rosa Syrah that absolutely knocked my socks off (aka a pleasant surprise).
This wine is beautiful. A huge nose…and I mean huge. To extend the boxing metaphor, a heavyweight who came to win and even intimidates some of the super heavyweights along the way. Blueberry, eucalyptus, play-doh and cigar box (not a lit cigar, more like running a cigar under your nose before lighting it). A weird combo on paper, but it really was dynamic, aromatic and ever-changing. Then, on the mouth, I tasted one of the richest, creamiest wines I’ve had in a long time. Again, some blueberry, with dark berries and fresh earth, and a phenomenal caramel / butterscotch finish that I can still taste in the back of my throat, like a Werthers Original hard candy, but a less sweet-version. Overall, an incredibly lush and silky Syrah, with very fine tannins, from a state that is currently blowing me away with their Syrah (if you don’t believe me, get your hands on a Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard or Bionic Frog – unbelievable…come to think of it, if you do get ahold of them, give me a ring, I’ll be right over).
What you should do: BUY IT by the case if you can afford it. $45 a bottle and still selling at that price, even after a 94 rating from Wine Spectator. This is a beautiful wine. Be selective about who you share it with – if you think they won’t appreciate it, then pull out a good sub-$20 bottle of wine for them. Save the Lady Rosa for yourself or for a friend that’s bringing over an equally great bottle of wine.
My rating: 92
The first time I was introduced to Owen Roe wines I was struck by two things.
From there, I picked up the bottle with the most minimal label (and I believe the lowest price, but can’t remember) called Ex Umbris Syrah. Cool name, cool label, from a cool family of wines. I believe it was a 2004 and, well, that wine spoke to me. It’s a Syrah in the tradition of most good Northwestern Syrah – juicy fruit and spice, with just the right amount of earth, not anything like it’s commercial cousin way down south, otherwise known as Shiraz and tending towards the “super-fruity”. Needless to say, the Ex Umbris has been a staple in my wine cellar ever since.
So, I naturally extended my affinity with Ex Umbris out to a bigger idea – I mean if I like the Ex Umbris this much, then maybe I should dive a lot deeper into their whole line. And that’s what this three-part post is all about – some more info on Owen Roe and a random sampling of their wines.
The two wines I’ll be starting with are the Ex Umbris and the Pinot Noir Eola – Amity Hills.
2007 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah Columbia Valley
As I mentioned above, this is the Owen Roe that started it all for me. I still remember that first bottle and the impression it left. For the price (I think it was around $15), it was dense and rich and incredibly well balanced. The nose was full of life and every sip took me back to my Northwest roots. A little dramatic you say? Well, wine does that to people and attaching wines to good memories is what it’s all about.
The 2007 is equally as good. The richness is still there, like I remember. The nose is aromatic, with dark berry fruit, chocolate, spice and smoke that transforms into blueberries, chocolate and coffee in the mouth. The finish was a little lighter than I remember and left me yearning for more, but overall this is still a very nice wine, particularly for the price of under $20.
What you should do: Buy it. It’s a great introduction to Owen Roe wines, but is also a solid, stand-alone Northwest Syrah. It’s an easy drinker and seems to me to be a wine that will appeal to most palettes – a good one to have on hand for entertaining family and friends.
My rating: 88
2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Eola – Amity Hills Williamette Valley
You gotta give Owen Roe credit for the having the moxie to put a headstone on this label. Sets the expectation high. But, in the end, it doesn’t really live up to that kind of pressure.
This one was tricky for me. I’m a big fan of Pinot Noir, particularly Pinot from Williamette Valley, but this offering just felt off to me. Not off like it had gone bad, more like it didn’t really strike me as a Pinot Noir. It’s smokey, chocolaty, spicy with a good strong finish, but it never really landed as a Pinot Noir like I expected. There were moments when it came through, but it went back and forth between being a relatively light, fruity Pinot, to a blended red table wine, then to a mellow Meritage and on and on. Very odd. Never could get my arms around it. Overall, not a bad wine, but when I open a vineyard-designate Pinot Noir, I expect two things – the varietal it claims to be and something unique that represents the vineyard and the grapes from that vineyard. It’s still a bit weird to me, but I couldn’t really nail down either in this case.
What you should do: I’d skip this one. I’ve heard from a few others that the Owen Roe Pinot Noirs are hit or miss and this one definitely fits in the miss category for me. At about $42, it’s also priced way too high.
My rating: 83
