Washington State

[bills]

The theme for this tasting was Washington State wines. It was accompanied by an excellent menu of 7 courses, and the chef did a great job – there wasn’t an uncertain step in the lot!

2001 Cuneo Del Rio Syrah – this wine was brought by a lady who is a knowledgeable oenophile, but apparently a bit of a neophyte (I sad ‘neo’ not nympho’) as a geographer, as this winery is in the Rogue River area, about 2/3 of a state away from being Washington. It didn’t matter, though as the wine acquitted itself quite well. Fairly dark colour, excellent nose with a hint of spice and vanilla, sweet entry, good acid and adequate length, almost no tannin, ready and very pleasant. Oregon is not an area with which I have much Syrah experience, but based on this one I’ll keep an eye out for them. Refreshing to get one where the winemakers aren’t apparently engaged in a ‘mine is bigger than yours’ contest in terms of extract, sweetness and flavour concentration. Leave that in California please boys.

2002 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard (Red Mountain) – made by a Bordeaux fancier in Washington, this wine has 49% cab, 34% merlot, 15% cab franc and 2% petit verdot. Ripe, fairly simple fruit nose with a slightly stewy element, sweet in the mouth and almost a bit candied at the end, narrowing down a bit. Not there yet, but promising enough to keep an eye on this winery.

1998 Woodward Canyon Artists Series – purity of fruit in this nose, and a soft silky feel in the mouth, pleasant, medium bodied and drinking well now.

1998 Kestrel Cabernet – an old world sort of nose with some berries, and without the ripeness of many other WA wines. Some spice and quite good length. Based on still somewhat limited experience, I like their cabs; am not yet convinced about their syrah.

2001 Donedei Merlot (Columbia Valley) – once again, berries in the nose – nice dark fruit, medium to full body, ends sweet and spicy with sweet fruit coming in again. A nice wine, not over the top. I like their cab even better.

1992 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley) – the only really mature wine of the night, this had a faint hint of coconut when I first nosed it, then cassis and cocoa and good dark fruit, shadowed by a little capsicum. Full, and now soft in the mouth with clean acidity, and excellent length. Oddly this more classically structured wine was not to the taste of one taster more used to ripe sweet wines – oh well, there is always Australia for her.

1998 Woodward Canyon Artists Series – yes, I’m not stuttering, there was duplication, but I urged them to pour both, separating them by a few wines. As I more or less expected, this bottle showed differently, being less developed with decent nose, with a bit more rubber, presenting as neither as developed nor as old, were we blind tasting it, as the previous bottle, which we preferred. Different cellar conditions, I expect.

Good bunch of wines, excellent food and we vowed to repeat out examination of the wines of Washington State on a more regular basis.

[JohnL]

Interesting re: the 1992 Leonetti.

If I recall, the 1992 was a good wine on release, though this was not one of the better vintages for Leonetti cabs.

Given the flavor profile Figgin's goes for: lush, rich, dense, oaky fruit forward wines., I wonder if this is an example of that sweet fruit and big oak attenuating with age?

or

Is this wine (as most of the other leonetti releases) just bettewr drunk young.?

I always like to see notes on these "older" wines.

[jbonne]

the Cadence is probably about 4 years too young to drink. it was just released a year ago, i think (if that) and the Tapteil has the most sharply defined tannins of all Ben's wines.

Oregon syrahs are on the rise, with a bullet. and Gino Cuneo is one of those folks doing great stuff with the Del Rio fruit ...

[Rebel Rose]

Thanks for the notes on the Leonetti. I have been very curious, as I can't get Leonetti around here. After being on their waiting list for two years, I have just received my first allocation offering. Two thousand dollars? Whoa. I just want to try a few wines. I refused that offer and will receive a limited allocation offering in the spring. I hope to just get some cabernet and sangiovese.

[vengroff]

Thanks for the notes on the Leonetti.  I have been very curious, as I can't get Leonetti around here.  After being on their waiting list for two years, I have just received my first allocation offering.  Two thousand dollars?  Whoa.  I just want to try a few wines.  I refused that offer and will receive a limited allocation offering in the spring.  I hope to just get some cabernet and sangiovese. 

←

Leonetti, in my limited experience, has been excellent, but high demand and short supply have driven the prices to extreme levels. As an alternative, I'd suggest giving the cabs from Pepper Bridge a try. Their fruit comes from the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards in Walla Walla, both of which Leonetti also uses.

For Walla Walla Sangiovese, Three Rivers and Russell Creek both produce good examples in the $20-30 range.