Preview
of New Wine Releases
Fall means lots of new wines
My kitchen counter is covered with bottles of new wines that have just been released. It's the time of year when we get to try the new vintages and new creations of our favorite winemakers. Here's notes on some of the wines we liked the best, with more to come for the next several weeks! I put red stars next to the wines about which we've had the most positive feedback from customers.
----Jean---------------------
Andrew Rich (at left) has just released a quartet
of new wines:
***Andrew's Cabernet
Franc 2001 $20 pleased a customer
of ours so much, he had to call and tell me about it after he visited
the
winery.
The wine is a
crowd pleaser- a huge over-the-top red with lots of flavor and a long
finish. It is made from fruit from the Alder Ridge Vineyard in the Columbia
Valley.
Andrew's new Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 $22 is also made from Alder Ridge fruit, and he is quite pleased with the wine. Andrew's Cabs are routinely listed in out "best buys" category, and this wine comes through with the flavors and intensity you expect in a $35-$40 Washington Cab.
Andrew was so happy with the 2001 grapes that he has made his first "reserve" Cabernet Sauvignon, the Cabernet Sauvignon Klipsun Vineyard 2001 $34.99. Andrew says, "This is the good stuff". He says it is black and huge and sumptuous and knowing him, I'm sure he has understated the case.
Finally, Andrew made a Roussanne 01 $18.99 , what he calls "White wine for winter". This is a rich and structured white wine, with a with a subtle but alluring nose of honeysuckle, white peach, and wet stones. It has great weight on the palate, yet keeps its balance, and the finish is long and mouth filling. Certainly, this is a white that needs food, and I would recommend rich and complex fish or chicken dishes, preferably including some heavy cream.
About Roussanne
Roussanne is very hard to grow, and it is quite an accomplishment for Andrew to produce such an outstanding example of the grape. Roussanne is one of the most important white grape varieties in the Rhone Valley. It is a particularly difficult grape to cultivate being a notoriously low yielder as well as being highly susceptible to rot. It is difficult to ripen, and seemingly prone to oxidation at every opportunity. Roussanne's name comes from its russet-colored skin and it produces richly aromatic wines, often with fruit characteristics of lime and blossom.
In
the northern Rhone it is typically blended with Marsanne to produce
the white wines of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and St-Péray.
Generally Marsanne is the dominant partner and it lends colour, body
and weight to the blend, as well as richly scented fruit, while Roussanne
contributes
bouquet, delicacy and finesse.
It is grown less extensively in the southern Rhône although it is one of the permitted varieties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. There are plantings of Roussanne in the Languedoc and Rousillon and in the last decade the grape have been cultivated with particular success in California, where it is produced both as a single varietal and as a component of Rhône-style blends.
We congratulate Andrew for his release of one of the first Roussannes from the northwest and recommend the wine. It is delicious!
Hells Canyon Winery
This Idaho winery, with its distinctive labels, has quite the following among hunters, fishers, and lovers of the Wild West. Owner and winemaker Steve Robertson chose the vineyard property for its proximity to good pheasant hunting, selling his restaurant in Boise to work full time at the winery.
The wines are quite tasty. We have sold them at our store for several years and they have developed quite a following. Once people try them, they come back again and again for the reasonable prices and big hearty flavors.
Retriever Red $15.00, featuring a painting of a "ready, willing, and able" black Lab, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Sangiovese (30%). It is a perennial favorite among customers for its rich flavor and reasonable price. Steve says that the Sangiovese. from Balcombe & Moe's vineyard in Washington, had an intense floral component- "It was like drinking violets", Steve says. He has used the Sangiovese's qualities to created a very easy to drink wine, one that is not obviously floral, but is soft, approachable, and easy to enjoy. A nice value, especially for lovers of Labrador Retrievers.
***Seven
Devils Red 01 $24.99,
was rated "Outstanding",
Wine Press NW's top rating, and they say:
""Owners Steve and
Leslie Robertson have a winner on their hands with this Cab-based gem.
Bold aromas and flavors of blackberries, freshly ground coffee beans,
and cedar meld with robust tannins and terrific acidity."
Avalon agrees- this wine is very well priced for its full body and hearty flavors. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Franc, all from Hells Canyon's Estate vineyard. The vines of the Estate vineyard are 23 years old, and their maturity shows in the wine. The Cabernet has added an austerity that results in depth and longevity. The Cabernet Franc adds a delectable raspberry-blueberry flavor, and the Merlot adds a juicy, lush component.
Overall, this wine is a voluptuous, earthy, plummy, complex wine that Steve says is the most popular in the Tasting Room at the winery. The
Deer
Slayer Syrah 2002 $24.99 - what a label! The photo is
of Steve's father, in 1936, with his catch of deer draped over his
car. Taken in the height of the Depression, in Hillsborough, Oregon,
people
at
that time hunted deer as a vital source of food in a state with very
few jobs. Steve's family canned or smoked the venison- a tradition
that continues today in rural Oregon.
The wine is from the lower part of the 40 acre Estate vineyard, and was harvested at 1.5 tons an acre (very low level). Steve says that the Syrah grape is very "fleshy"- he waits until the grapes are almost raisins on the vine before picking. He tries for a wine that it all fruit, not much tannin, just a delicious fruity, juicy lush Syrah.
Hells
Canyon "Trout" Chardonnay $15.99 is
a buttery, rich Chardonnay that goes well with game birds
and turkey. Steve describes the wine as "honeyed". The vines
are some of the oldest on the property, planted in 1979, and
the wine they produce is made from grapes that come
in at less than 1 ton per acre.
This is a very rich, fruity Chardonnay, and is very popular at our store with what I call "casual" wine drinkers- people who just want to sip a glass of wine before dinner without worrying about its provenance, vintage, or character- just a nice easy to drink Chardonnay with a cool label.
The big news from Seven Hills WInery this fall is the release of their very limited Bordeaux-style blend, ****Seven Hills Winery Pentad $55. We've selected the wine for our Big Reds Wine Club. Pentad means "group of five", and symbolizes the balance, wholeness, and evolving sensory qualities of the blend. The name also reflects its organic origins in the grapevine, as the pentad resonates throughout natural forms.
Everyone who try's Pentad have fallen in love with this wine upon tasting. It shows Casey's wine making ability in its deep complexity by nose and mouth, supported by a structure of refined elegance and depth. Made from Walla Walla fruit, the wine is blended from five varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
The wine has scents of Blueberry, passion fruit, and licorice dominate the nose, followed by flavors of black fruits and spices on a warm palate. Highly recommended and very limited. Just a stunningly good wine.
Woodward Canyon has released their new Artists Series Cabernet Sauvignon 01, featuring an ink drawing of an owl. The wine, as usual, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignons from vineyards near the COlumbia River. Aged in 95% new French oak, the wine is unfined and unfiltered. It will benefit from cellaring for 3-6 years.
Several of our customers who routinely purchase this wine have told us that it is unusually good this year, with an open forward quality that makes it approachable on release. The style seems to be a little softer, a little more flora, with the usual big backbone and huge flavors, just opening up a little earlier than usual.
We finally had the opportunity to try all the PGC 2002 Pinots and make tasting notes. The wines are all delicious, with Goldschmidt and Anden the most forward.
The new ****Patricia Green Cellars "Reserve" 02 is made from selected barrels of their single vineyard wines. It has a vanilla/mocha nose, with flavors of spice, a big tannic backbone that calls for cellaring, and a long finish, with hints of vanilla and black cherry. There is a creaminess and a hint of blackberry yogurt that comes from the lees that Patty throws back in the barrel. They add a highly pleasant additional flavor. The finish just goes on and on, with raspberry, black cherry, red cherry, and toast flavors lingering.
The Patricia Green
Cellars Pinot noir Shea Vineyard 02 is a fruity, well
balanced, big wine, so typical of the unique terroir of the
Shea Vineyard that it should be used as a standard
against which other Shea based wines are tasted. The terroir shines
through clearly. The wine is approachable now, with big black
cherry, blackberry, and earthy notes, a long finish, and hints
of sage and pepper.
A related wine, the ****Patricia Green Cellars Pinot noir Shea Vineyard 01, Patty's previous vintage, is still available and is drinking remarkably well. We had the wine recently and enjoyed the added complexity and rounded flavors that an extra year of cellaring has produced. Highly recommended, don't let this older vintage be overlooked! This wine would be ideal for Thanksgiving turkey, with just the right flavor palate and consistency to complement typical "Turkey day" foods.
The always first to go ***Patricia Green Cellars Pinot noir Balcombe 1B 02 continues the tradition with this vintage. The wine has a silky texture and sensual viscosity in the mouth, with initial scents of toasted coffee bean lingering as the flavors of red cherry, raspberry, and cherry, cherry, cherry spread out in the mouth. A hint of burnt toast on the long warm finish adds a nice touch. Still quite closed in comparison to some of Patty's wines, this wine is one to cellar for at least 6 months to six years. Should be a long laster, with a well articulated tannic backbone.
If you want a hedonistic in your face gushing fruit flavors boisterous kinda Pinot noir, the ***Patricia Green Cellars Pinot noir Goldschmidt Vineyard 02 is the wine for you. So forward it almost jumps out of the glass at you, this wine is a raucous delight. Big toasty cocoa bean nose is followed by huge red cherry and black cherry flavors, shot through with buttery hints of oak and plum.
In contrast to the raucous Goldschmidt, the ***(Jean recommends) Patricia Green Cellars Pinot noir Four Winds Vineyard 02 is a sophisticated, nuanced wine that rewards the serious Pinot noir lover. The scent includes a subtle toasted hazelnut quality, with a viscous texture enhancing notes of violets. Hints of white pepper and red plum form the body of the flavor, with a fascinating long finish with lots of different hints of herbs and spice. Very lovely wine that will reward the lover of complexity.
More PGC wines ext week, as we continue through the 2002 wines.
Just a note, we still have a few cases of the PGC Sauvignon Blanc 02 - it's sold out at the winery and is a great alternative to Pinot noir for Thanksgiving.
Additional New Releases
Although we have not yet complete tasting
notes on these wines, I thought you might want to know that they
are available:
Quilceda Creek's new vintage of their Quilceda Creek Red Table Wine 00, is available, and based on how it is flying out the door, people are finding this sweet, lush, fruit forward wine to be just what they want. This wine gets at least three stars based on the frenzied rush to purchase it, but we have not yet tasted it.
St Innocent has released their 2001 Pinot noirs at really great prices and the St Innocent Brickhouse Pinot noir 01 $29.99 and the St Innocent Freedom Hill Pinot noir 01 $26.99 are just outstanding, and both are sale priced. Mark has always produced reasonably priced Pinot noirs of world class quality, and these wines are two of the best he has ever made. If you know St Imnocent, you know that is saying a lot. The entire lineup of wines is worthy, and the St innocent Pinot noir 2001 $16.00 is one of the best under $20 Pinots we've seen this year.
Happy fall to all, more new releases next week!
Jean
Willamette Valley
Harvest Photos 2003
10/22/03
Check out these new lists
of "Best" wines:
|
Best
Deal Pinot noirs
Jean's Sampler Case
If I was to pick 12 different wines to send to a friend this week, to show them what's most interesting and a good deal in NW wines right now, here's what I'd send:
Youngberg Hill PN 2000 $17.99
jammy and well balanced- the hit of a recent staff tasting, we
kept comparing everything to it, and finding it the best.
Jezebel Pinot noir 02 $19.99
Hedonistic and huge, Peter does it again. Yummy.
Fielding Hills Merlot 01
$30
And worth very penny- so much complexity and structure for a
big lush Merlot
Solera Syrah 01 $15.99
Just shows you can get a giant juice bomb Syrah for less than
$20.
Siduri Pinot Noir
Shaw Vineyard
01 $48
Because even though it is pricey, it is sooooo good. Just layers
and layers of fruit, herbs, toast, true to Pinot noir, long long
finish.
Patricia Green Cellars
Pinot
noir Shea 01 $32
Just keeps getting better, there's lots of options from Patty,
but this one from 2001 is drinking so beautifully- had it again
last week and it was a joy to behold.
Adea
Dean-O's Pinot noir
01 $26
Because I've always had a soft spot for Harley people, and this
wine has a wild free spirit.
Andrew Rich
Cabernet Franc
01 $20
Because a customer made a special long distance call to me after
trying this wine to make sure I knew how good it is, and because
Andrew's wines are so consistently excellent, and I like his dog,
Romeo, a lot.
Brick House
Gamay Noir 02
$20
Doug Tunnell always makes about the best Gamay in the state, and
the lower price makes it even more appealing. And it proves "organic"
and "delicious" go together quite well.
McKinlay Pinot noir Special
Selection 01 $30
One of the best of the vintage and fascinating for the creamy
texture and perfect balance. And it's so good with chocolate.
Seven Hills Pentad 01 $55
Because this shows what experience, hard work, skill, and planning
pays off. Casey's best wine ever, without a doubt, from a winemaker
with a string of successes behind him and more to come.
Kiona Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve 01 $33.49
Because they always give great value for the price, although I
wish they'd put their regular Cab back below $30, this Reserve
is the best deal of their current releases and gives major "Big
for the buck".
Andrew Rich Roussanne
02 $18.99
Because it takes courage to pioneer a new varietal, and to pull
it off so well. Unusual, tasty, big, rich, hard to pull off and
done beautifully. Andrew excells again.
So there's my "Bakers Dozen". Now what lucky friend am I going to send this case to? Hmmm...
The Avalon
Hot Ten
Best selling Wines
this week
1. Adea
Dean-O's Pinot noir 01 $25.99/23.40
Wine Spectator rating 90 points
2. Brooks
"Janus" Pinot noir
$29.99/27.00
Sent this out to the Pinot Club
and lots of people ordered more!
3. Beaux
Freres Pinot Noir 01
92 points
in Wine Spectator
$57.99/52.19
FEATURED WINE-
Regular price $69.99
4. Canon
del Sol Syrah 2001
$30/$27 case
TOP SYRAH IN NW
Wine Press NW tasting of over 100 Syrahs!
More
about Canon del Sol
5. Penner Ash
Pinot Noir 01 $45/40.50
From the ultra talented team of
Lynn and Ron Penner Ash.
More
about Penner Ash
6. Colvin
Merlot 99
SALE
$16.99
regular $25.99
From an up-and-coming
Walla Walla
maker of huge red wines
More
about Colvin Vineyard
7. Fielding
Hills
Cabernet Sauvignon 00
$30/$27 case
Wine Spectator 91 points
Avalon's hot new find-
less than 100 cases made,
big gorgeous Cab with espresso bean, bittersweet chocolate, rich berry and
plum flavors- a cult winery in the making!
8. Forgeron
Cabernet Sauvignon 00
$29.99/26.99
New favorite Cab for big red drinkers, big and complex,
ageable and balanced.
9. Beaux
Freres
"Les Cousines" Pinot Noir 01
$29/$26.10 case
Drinking wonderfully,
Beaux Freres second label!
10. Andrew Rich
Les Vigneaux
Gewurztraminer Ice Wine
92 points in Wine Spectator!
$19.99/16.99