Washington Wine Blog added 2 new photos.

Monday August 20th, 2018

HALL WinesHALL is one of the most gorgeous wineries in Napa. Having tasted there for more than a decade, HALL was founded by Kathryn and Craig Hall who acquired the historic St. Helena Bergfeld Winery in 2003 and re-opened as HALL St. Helena in July of that year. This winery’s location was previously home of the Napa Valley Co-Op, producing 40% of Napa Valley’s wines. In 2013, The Hall family completed the restoration of the 1885 Bergfeld Winery and merged history and innovation with the completion of California’s first LEED® Gold Certified winery. Vibrant and modern, this is a stunning facility to try their amazing new wines. HALL has more than 500 acres of estate vineyards, primarily growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc. HALL winemaker Steve Leveque is an exceptional talent.. Previously working at Robert Mondavi Winery as well as Chalk Hill Estate Winery in Sonoma, his new HALL lineup was seriously impressive. The new 2014 HALL ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 97) is an ethereal wine that is truly up there with the best in Napa with its wonderful purity and seamless quality. Even better The wine is a remarkable achievement by HALL. Even better was the 2015 HALL ‘Rainin’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 99) which is the best wine that I have tried all year. This remarkable wine is part of their ‘Platinum Collection’ that is one for the most serious collector. Learn more about these special wines at www.hallwines.com Here are the stunning new releases by HALL wines. 2015 HALL ‘Coeur’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Couer’ is a Santa Helena appellation red blend, primarily composed of Cabernet Sauvignon. HALL has a host of vineyards located in this appellation both in the hills and the valley floor. This shows a marvelous purity of fruit on the nose with creme de cassis, mocha, anise and blueberry compote. The palate shows wonderful richness and depth, showing a seamless quality. Blueberry compote, and gobs of dark fruits, with espresso bean mark the palate shows wonderful viscosity and tension. This will be another long ager. Drink 2018-2040- 942015 HALL ‘Bergfeld’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the 20 acre property at HALL, this wine is largely Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Merlot. Some vines on this property go back to the 1870s. The wine begins with deep aromas of graphite, Turkish coffee, blackberry compote and wonderful tannins. The silky texture and purity of fruit provides the mouth a wonderful smoothness. This is a monster that needs time to fully amalgamate. If enjoying in its youth, be sure to give this at least a two to three hour decant. Drink 2019-2040- 952015 HALL ‘Eighteen Seventy-Three’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The Eighteen Seventy-Three is sourced from the eastern side of the Napa Valley, where HALL has vines planted on the Vaca Range. The nose shows massive dark fruits with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee and a graphite edge. The palate shows wonderful earthy edge with tremendous dark fruits and chocolate flavors that delight the senses. This will age marvelously over the next two plus decades. If enjoying in its nascent phase, be sure to give this beauty at least a two hour decant;. Drink 2019-2040- 962015 HALL ‘Kathryn Hall’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘Katheryn Hall’ follows up the scintillating 2014 bottling. The wine is a blend of Sacrashe Vineyard as well as many other vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. The nose takes on a wonderful herbal edge with red bell pepper combined with massive creme de cassis, espresso bean, sweet pipe tobacco and red cherry compote aromas that marvelously build in the glass. Immediately you are drawn to the silky texture of this marvelous wine. The seamless quality to this wine is remarkable as this glides through the mid-palate. Blueberry compote, blackberry pie, Turkish coffee and dark chocolate shaving flavors all impress. While this is simply marvelous now this truly beautiful wine can be enjoyed over the next two plus decades. Drink 2018-2040- 972015 HALL ‘Jack’s Masterpiece’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Mike Reynolds heads the blending of this wine which is intended to be a deeper expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is a vineyard selection of the more dense fruits. The nose is highly complex and intense with espresso, dark chocolate and gobs of creme de cassis currently on parade. The hedonistic nose brings you back to the glass for more. Creme de cassis, pencil lead, dark cherry compote, mocha, anise and red bell pepper flavors all marvelous build in the glass. Very intense and focused, with moderate tannins, this is an extremely long ager that needs at least one more year of bottle age. Drink 2019-2040- 962015 HALL ‘Stag’s Leap District’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Stag’s Leap District’ wine is typically harvested earlier than wines from the other AVAs for HALL. The nose is a beautiful combination of red and dark fruits with dried herbs and dusty terroir. Hugely bright, yet dense, the combination of tannin and acidity really invigorates. Creme de cassis, mocha, red cherry cordial and sweet pipe tobacco flavors all marvelously combine in the glass. Drink 2018-2040- 962015 HALL ‘Exzellenz’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Sourced from the Sacrache Vineyard, this is a barrel selection wine that shows a wonderfully dark profile. The nose shows marvelous herbaceusjness and ripe dark fruits with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, toast and tobacco leaf aromatics. The mouthfeel really entices as the smooth texture glides across the mid-palate. Espresso bean, black tea, mocha, creme de cassis, graphite and dusty earthy flavors all marvelously combine in the glass. Rich and layered, this is a decadent treat that needs at least a two hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2018-2045- 972015 HALL ‘Rainin’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Located at the northern end of Napa Valley on Diamond Mountain, this 8 acre vineyard is located on a hillside with conifer trees. Rocky red soils set this vineyard. The ‘Rainin’ is a barrel select from this vineyard. The nose is scintillating, currently displaying Turkish coffee, creme de cassis, dusty terroir, red bell pepper and red cherry compote. The insanely good mouthfeel coats the mid-palate as the entry is insanely decadent. The texture to this wine is downright ethereal. Creme de cassis, red bell pepper, creme de cassis, sour black cherry compote, mocha and Asian spice with tea leaf flavors all impress. The seamless quality of this wine is simply amazing. This is near perfection in the bottle. Drink 2019-2045- 992015 HALL ‘The Bishop’ Cabernet Sauvigon- Named after the winemaker, Steve Levesque, which means ‘The Bishop’ in French. The 2015 vintage is a blend of Howell Mountain and Diamond Mountain fruit. The nose is deep and intoxicating with creme de cassis, Turkish coffee graphite and blackberry compote all mingling together in the glass. Once in the mouth, the silky teszxture marvelously coats the mid-palate. Black fruits dominate the mid-palate with coffee ground flavors and sweet pipe tobacco beautifully come together in the glass. Decadent and rich, this will age marvelously over the next three decades. Drink 2019-2045- 972015 HALL ‘Sacrashe Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Sacrashe Vineyard’ Cabernet is sourced from the Rutherford AVA. This wine is a 12 barrel select from this vineyard. The nose takes on sweet pipe tobacco, creme de cassis, graphite and mocha flavors that all create a wonderful layered effect. The mouthfeel and intensity of this wine is superlative. The fruit weight and tannins structure of the wine really impresses with gobs of dark fruits like blackberry compote, cassis, and also yielding espresso bean, sweet pipe tobacco, and dark chocolate fudge flavors. Massive and somewhat of a slumbering giant, this will cellar well for the next three decades. Drink 2019-2045- 98 ... See MoreSee Less

Washington Wine Blog added 2 new photos.

Monday August 20th, 2018

Col SolareContinuing our voyage through Washington Wine Month, we bring you one of the great Washington wineries, Col Solare, a partnership between Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Antinori Family. Starting with their first vintage in 1995, Col Solare’s mission has been to amalgamate these two distinct viticultural and winemaking backgrounds to create a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon-based red wine from choice Red Mountain fruit. Each year Col Solare crafts one of the best red blends in the state. The talented winemaking team is highly focused. Both winemaker Darell Allwine and assistant winemaker Will Wiles are truly talented and you can taste the level of dedication and commitment in the glass.Col Solare has a great newly redesigned tasting room in Chateau St. Michelle Winery and an even more gorgeous setting on Red Mountain. I highly recommend you stop by their facility on Red Mountain which is truly a world class winery, with sweeping views of the valley.Until recently Col Solare made only two wines. Their signature blend, Col Solare, is typically made from around 70 percent Cabernet, depending on the vintage, and their second wine is called Shining Hill. They now offer a number of wine club wines under their ‘Component Collection’ label. The new 2015 Col Solare Red Wine (WWB, 93) is a powerful, seductive wine that is showing marvelously, considering obvious challenges with producing red wine in a very hot vintage and hot setting. This is the first vintage that the Col Solare has been 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the best Malbec wines produced in Washington, the 2015 Component Collection Malbec (WWB, 94) is a stunning wine that shows incredible intensity and range. Learn more about Col Solare at www.colsolare.com Here are great new Col Solare wines.2015 Col Solare Red Wine- The 2015 Col Solare is the first vintage that they have utilized 100% Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine. Prior to bottling the wine saw 100% new French oak for 21 months. The oaky influence is secondary to the hedonistic aromas of wild blackberry cordial, mocha and crushed mint that build in the glass. There is a feeling of decadence on the palate as the toasty oak wraps around the silky mouthfeel. The plush texture delights, as does the black fruit flavors that combine with black tea, espresso bean and chocolate fudge. While this is not my favorite rendition of Col Solare, considering the heat spikes and challenges presented during this vintage, particularly at hotter sites like Red Mountain, this is an exceptional effort. Drink 2018-2035- 932015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Red Wine- One of the great wines made from this estate, the 2015 Col Solare 'Component Collection'' Red Wine is a massive, limited release wine that is a one of a kind blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere. Intensely dark, this begins with dark fruits, anise and black tea on the nose. The palate has wonderful viscosity showing blackberry compote, mocha and anise flavors. Gorgeous and layered, this is a total stunner and should cellar well over the next ten to fifteen years. This is truly one of the wines of the vintage. Drink 2018-2035- 952015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Cabernet Franc- The 2015 'Component Collection' Cabernet Franc is a limited production bottling, which was sourced from Col Solare's estate vineyard. Deeply perfumed, this starts out with crème de cassis, anise and mocha on the nose. On the palate, Anise, mocha and red bell pepper flavors are intense and highly gratifying. The mouthfeel is gorgeous as this finishes clean with dark fruits and minerals. This will cellar nicely over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2018-2035- 942015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Syrah- The 2015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Syrah is a truly outstanding bottling that shows some good aging potential. The bouquet takes on a smoky edge with smoked brisket, and creosote aromatics building in the glass, lined by black fruits. Once in the mouth, the palate takes on copious dark fruits with good minerality. Tertiary flavors of mocha and sage also build. An outstanding Syrah, this is irresistible but will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 932015 Col Solare ‘Component Collection’ Malbec- This shows an intoxicating bouquet that is quite complex and novel. Blueberry compote, Turkish coffee, tar and blackberry pie with smoky undertones. I love the silky texture here that envelops the wine. Blueberry cordial, smoked brisket, wet stone and blackberry jam flavors come to mind. Showing some really nice range and a seductive edge, the 2015 ‘Component Collection’ Malbec by Col Solare is up there with the best in the state. Drink 2018-2030- 94 ... See MoreSee Less

Washington Wine Blog added 2 new photos.

Friday August 17th, 2018

Reynvaan Family VineyardsHappy Washington Wine Month to you all. Matt Reynvaan has done it again. Chatting with him last week at his estate, he mentioned how excited he was about his energetic 2016 red wines. I was super impressed with his head-turning lineup. For those who are less familiar with this great Washington winery, Reynvaan is a limited production small winery founded by Mike and Gale Reynvaan. Reynvaan Family Vineyards focuses on producing wines from their estate vineyards, both in the Walla Walla Rocks region and their ‘Foothills Vineyard’ set at roughly 1600 feet near their family home in the Bluewood Mountains. Matt Reynvaan, is making some of the best wines in Washington state. I am enamored by what he produces from these two outstanding vineyards. I am particularly amazed with their ‘Foothills Vineyard’ which is starting to capture more of a stony character and amazing herbal tones in their wines. Both vineyards show a remarkable level of purity, elegance and range that is nearly impossible to find in any Syrahs produced in North America.Now I realize that I have recently written about these wines. It is very rare for me to post about a winery twice in a month, but I simply cannot keep these amazing pre-release wines a secret. The 2016 Reynvaan red wines come from another warm vintage in the Walla Walla Valley. While there were not quite as many heat spikes as 2015, 2016 was another warm vintage somewhat similar to 2014 in terms of weather patterns. I am absolutely crazy about his 2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Foothills Reserve’ Syrah (WWB, 96) which has a stunning wine that shows insanely good range and tension. While this will cellar marvelously for a decade, why wait when it is this good? Even better and one of the best wines that I have tried all year is the 2016 Reynvaan ‘Stoneessence’ Syrah (WWB, 97) which is a remarkable wine that maintains amazing poise and shows amazing weight and complexity of flavors. Learn more about these amazing wines at www.reynvaanfamilyvineyards.com Here the exciting pre-release wines by Reynvaan Family Vineyards (All wines will be released in Fall 2018.) 2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘In The Hills’ Syrah- The smoky aromatics grip you as well as the lifted qualities from the Viognier. The wine weighs in at 13.8% alcohol and shows smoked brisket, wet rock, and Umami, bacon fat and blood orange rind on the highly perfumed nose. The palate shows an insanely good mouthfeel with wonderful freshness and minerality. The combination of richness and tension is hard to resist right now. The stony character and herbaceousness to the wine really shimmers in the limelight. Black tea, wild blackberry, orange zest and a touch of milk chocolate flavors brings a wonderful array of flavors to the palate. While this will cellar well for a decade, it is drinking marvelously right now Drink 2018-2028- 942016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Foothills Reserve’ Syrah- The 2016 ‘Foothills Reserve’ is a phenomenal wine that is truly one of the best that I have sampled from Washington in the past year. The nose takes on incredible range from blood orange, to charcuterie to black fruits and olive tapenade. The seductive nose brings you back to the glass for more. The palate shows remarkable freshness and intensity. Asian spice, Hoisin sauce, black tea, blackberry pie and wet stone characters all come to play on the palate. There is a seamless quality to this wine that glides through the palate. Fresh and energetic, while highly refined, this wine will cellar marvelously over the next decade. I adore the range here. Drink 2018-2029- 962016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘In The Rocks’ Syrah- The 2016 Reynvaan ‘In The Rocks’ Syrah is a phenomenal wine made by superstar winemaker Matt Reynvaan. With 4% Viognier blended in the nose is highly perfumed with wet stone, Umami, white rose and lychee as well as blood orange and red raspberry cordial. The lifted aromatics from the Viognier are truly outstanding. The palate shows wonderful tension, range and verve with wet stone, Umami, blood orange, red cherry candy and a touch of horse manure. Seductive, with insanely good range, this is a stunning effort by Reynvaan. Drink 2018-2028- 952016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘The Contender’ Syrah-This wine weights in at 13.2% alcohol has 4% Marsanne blended in. The nose is highly seductive with beautiful white flowers, lychee with black tea, orange zest and milk chocolate. The range here is simply insane. The palate shows really good range as well with a wonderful tension and verve. Milk chocolate, black tea, sagebrush, wet stone and smoked pork shoulder flavors are all remarkably coming together in the glass. The citrus aspect at the finish is simply outstanding. Drink 2018-2028- 952016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Stonessence’ Syrah- The 2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘Stonessence’ Syrah is a simply gorgeous effort by this storied estate. The nose is rather intoxicating with horse manure, blood orange, red cherry cola, and black tea with a touch of green olive tapenade. The minerality and freshness of the wine is simply astounding as is the wonderful mouthfeel. Wet stone, wild blackberry, Umami, and satsuma orange flavors all come together in the glass. The mouth-watering acidity makes this stunner nearly impossible to put down right now. A remarkable wine, this will cellar marvelously for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 972016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards ‘The Classic’ Red Wine- (Release April 2019) The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet with the remainder Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine initially fermented in new puncheons and then was aged in neutral French oak prior to bottling. This takes on wonderfully smoky character on the nose with wet stone, green bell pepper, mocha and crushed mint. The wine has a wonderful minerality with great freshness and a wonderful mouthfeel. This shows mouth-watering acidity and wonderful dark fruits that mingle with green olive tapenade, cigar box, wild blackberry pie and Asian spice. This may be the best ‘The Classic’ I have tried. Drink 2018-2026- 94 ... See MoreSee Less

Washington Wine Blog added 2 new photos.

Friday August 17th, 2018

Kerloo CellarsAs part of Washington Wine Month we bring you one of the great faces of Washington wine. Ryan Crane has made a great success of Kerloo Cellars, founded roughly eight years ago in Walla Walla. Ryan has created a major following for his releases that range from Rose to Chardonnay to now Cabernet Sauvignon. Ryan is a super energetic guy that is a blast to taste wine with. Highly knowledgeable, Ryan crafts wines that show an old world feel and typically show wonderful range. A few days ago I visited the modern Kerloo tasting room in the SoDo district of Seattle and tasted with Ryan. Some stuff out of the barrel was amazing and shows serious potential, including his upcoming Tempranillo release and a Syrah from the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. Ryan got his start at Animale Cellars in Seattle, and then later trained under Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron Cellars while completing his degree in Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.The new 2015 Kerloo Cellars ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache (WWB, 94) is one of the best wines that I have tried from this exciting winery. This wine has tremendous range and showcases this very special vineyard. For a great value, check out the 2017 SoDo Cellars ‘Love Birds’ Rose (WWB, 90) which shows wonderful weight and tension which makes it impossible to resist on these last few days of summer. Learn more about Kerloo and their impressive lineup of wines at www.kerloocellars.com. Here are the great new releases by the talented Ryan Crane and his Kerloo Cellars.2017 Kerloo Cellars ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2017 Kerloo Cellars ‘Boushey Vineyards’ Sauvignon Blanc is an awesome wine that is up there with the best of its kind made in the state. The tension and weight to this wine is truly outstanding as tree and citrus rind flavors develop marvelously in the glass. Showing a seductive edge this is a simply stunning Sauvignon Blanc by superstar winemaker Ryan Crane. Drink 2018-2022- 922017 Kerloo Cellars ‘Painted Hills Vineyard’ Grenache Rose- The wine begins with aromas of gooseberry, starfruit and red cherry candy. The palate shows wonderful freshness and reveals melon and starfruit flavors with a touch of guava. This shows some pretty serious range. Drink 2018-2022- 902016 Kerloo Cellars ‘Upland Vineyard’ Grenache- The wine underwent 50% whole cluster fermentation and was 100% fermented in concrete. The wine shows a wonderful pretty aromatic profile with very good range. Rose petals, red cherry candy and cran-guava aromas show nicely. The palate has a silky texture and a wonderfully satisfying mouthfeel. The freshness shows beautifully as does the range of flavors from red fruits to citrus. This is just an insanely good effort that shows great tension and poise in this warm vintage. Drink 2018-2028- 942016 Kerloo ‘Upland Vineyard’ Tempranillo (barrel sample)- 91-932017 SoDo ‘Love Birds’ Rose- Ryan Crane crafts this great value Rose which was first aged in stainless and then transferred to neutral oak barrels for five months to age. The wine shows marvelously with beautiful red fruits and a touch of bright citrus rind flavors rounding out this awesome value Rose. Drink 2018-2022- 90 ... See MoreSee Less

Washington Wine Blog added 17 new photos — with Trey Busch and Lisa Baer at Novelty Hill-Januik Winery.

Thursday August 16th, 2018

We want to share some of the photo highlights with truly some of the brightest stars in Washington wine, all here for the Auction of Washington Wines Private Barrel Auction 🍷👍 ... See MoreSee Less

Washington Wine Blog added 4 new photos — at Kapcsandy Family Winery.

Wednesday August 15th, 2018

We wanted to share some photo highlights from today’s tasting at famed Napa property, Kapcsandy Family Wines 🍷👌 ... See MoreSee Less