Woehler
on Wine

October, 2001

by Bob Woehler

Bob Woehler has been writing about grapes and wines of the Pacific Northwest since 1978. His columns appear twice monthly in the Tri-City Herald in Tri-Cities, Wash.

Bob Woehler has been writing about grapes and wines of the Pacific Northwest since 1978. His columns appear twice monthly in the Tri-City Herald in Tri-Cities, Wash.

Washington Wineries
Churning out Cabernet franc

Cabernet franc is often a gentler relative to its robust first cousin, cabernet sauvignon.

Because of the softer fruity approach, more than two dozen Pacific Northwest wineries have decided to produce this fresh red wine.

In France's famous Bordeaux region, cabernet franc is often blended with cabernet sauvignon to soften and smooth out the rough qualities in its more aggressive cousin.

Now, the Pacific Northwest is proving to be an ideal setting for cabernet franc as a variety that can stand alone.

Wineries in our region have already found a niche market for the supple and attractive qualities of the variety.

The wine hasn't escaped notice of editors at Wine Press Northwest magazine, who recently conducted a tasting.

And many of those who make the variety are fans as well, including Clay Mackey of Chinook Winery in Prosser. "It's very drinkable, relatively low in tannins, lower acids and, when young, is easy to drink with great fruit characteristics."

Chinook also makes a cabernet franc rosé, and a few other wineries are finding the inherent fruitiness of the grape also lends beautifully to a lighter-style dry rosé.

Some of the top cabernet francs in the tasting panel are as follows:

Lost Mountain Winery 1999 Bacchus Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $17.99 - Vanilla and oak with great black cherry flavors and rich dark chocolate leading to a big, satisfying finish.

Chinook Wines 1998, Yakima Valley, $37 - Spicy with a bit of licorice. Good fruit and a bit of pepper and olives. It would go well with barbecued lamb.

W.B. Bridgman 1999, Yakima Valley, $17.99 - Cola and chocolate. Very approachable with nice blackberry qualities. Mellow and easy drinking.

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars 1998 Washington, $19.99 - Smoky aromas, rich black fruit with great concentrations of oak and berries. Sweet tannins and a clean, satisfying finish.

Hogue Cellars 1997 Genesis, Columbia Valley, $19.00 - A nice vanilla oak beginning with fine fruit compote flavors and touches of tobacco. Let it breathe a bit before drinking.

Columbia Winery 1997 Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $24.99 - Clean black fruit, nice vanilla and oak beginning with bits of tar, chocolate, cherries and plums.

Walla Walla Vintners 1999, Walla Walla Valley, $29.99- Classic varietal aromas, including oak and tobacco. Strong up-front flavors, cherries and vanilla. Great with a rib eye steak.

Duck Pond Cellars 1997 Fries Desert Wind Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $40 - Wonderful perfume aromas, long on fruit, including strawberries, chewy and big, bits of chocolate, lengthy finish.

Barnard Griffin 1999 Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley, $24 - Great vanilla aromas followed by bold black cherry flavors and touches of chocolate. Warm tannins and delicious.

Tefft Cellars 1997 Al Carr Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $25 - Nice dried herbs with a bit of mint. Bold tannins, big berries and a rich mouth feel.

Pend d'Oreille Winery 1998, Columbia Valley, $16 - Ripe fruit with some bittersweet chocolate and sweet spices. Aromas of smoky oak.

Badger Mountain Vineyards 1998, Columbia Valley, $12 - Cedar with soft fruit flavors and an easy-drinking finish.

Preston Premium Wines 1998, Columbia Valley, $17 - Flavorful, slight carmel aromas, dried fruit, ripe plums and good chocolate.

September 2001
Washington Wineries
Churning out Cabernet franc

August 2001
Fine wineries flying
into old Walla Walla airport

June 2001
Washington Chardonnay

March 28 2001
L'Ecole Winery

March 7 2001
Di Stefano Winery

Feb 20 2001
National Recognition
of NW Wines

Dec 5 2000
Northwest Ports

Nov 15 2000
Tri City Awards

Oct 26 2000
Canadian Wines

Oct 5 2000
Preston Premium Wines

colums reprinted with permission

Reprinted by permission
of Wine Press NW

Need Wine?

Call us at
541-752-7418
we love to talk
with our customers about
NW wines!

Store manager Ann Crowley-
10-6PM M-Sat

---

Cole Danehower on
Oregon Wine

This is the best guide, bar none, to Oregon's wines. Insightful articles, interesting reviews, in depth interviews- you'll find them all here. Worth every penny if you're interested in Oregon wine.

Andy Perdue
on
Northwest Wine

Andy is editor of
Wine Press NW

Check it out!