TRUST in Wine Magic
You Heard it Here First!

The wine magic of Trey Busch's Sleight of Hand Winery is more than hocus pocus.

Steve Brooks's TRUST in his gut -- he left CNN to become a cellar rat -- brought home the bacon.

Here's two new standout Walla Walla wineries -- you heard it here first!

Sleight of Hand Winery

Trey Busch's Sleight of Hand is already in the news and the first wines are barely bottled. Formerly winemaker at Basel Cellars, Trey is known for his very big red wines.

Sleight of Hand Archimage Red 05 $42.95/$37.76 is Trey's most spectacular magic act. It's a super-premium Bordeaux blend made from old vine fruit from Champoux, Klipsun, and Bacchus Vineyards. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot are included in the blend.

Archimage is quite aromatic, showing big scents of black cherry, ripe black plum, Idian spices, cedar, and toast. The texture of the wine in the mouth is very silky and the tannins gently caress. The wine expands in the mouth, as flavors of ripe black fruit, dense hints of dark fruit liqueur, toasted espresso bean, and spice intermingle. The finish goes on and on. Drink now with several hours of decanting, or cellar through 2011.

D'Vine Sleight of Hand Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 05 $55 (42 cases made) is one of Avalon's June NW Big Reds Club selections. The nose is all about creamy black cherries and toasted espresso beans. The wine is full-bodied, with a fat mouth feel. Flavors are of black cherry, blackberry, cassis, creamy black plum, and the finish is long with hints of toasty oak and more toasted coffee bean. This wine is still quite young, with fine grained but present tannins and a nice balance of fruit and acidity. Its flavors and style are characteristic of Champoux Vineyard, and it could cellar for 8-10 years.

Trey's good value offering is a red blend called "Spellbinder Red" $19.95/$17.95. We found the Spellbinder to be a big, full-bodied blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese, a real crowd pleaser. It's full of the buttery oak and sweet black fruit flavors that make the best under $20 reds so easy to drink. Enjoy now, or drink by 2011.

Trey also made Sleight of Hand "The Magician" Gewurztraminer 06 $17.45/$15.70. It's intensely floral, fruity and finishes with a crisp green apple note.

Trust Cellars

Trust Cellars is Steve Brooks, who caught the wine bug, left his job at CNN in Atlanta, moved to Walla Walla, and started as a cellar rat at various WW wineries, ending up at Va Piano, where he made these wines. This is his first vintage, and the three wines are all quite special.

My favorite Trust Cellars wine is the fat, round Trust Cellars Syrah 05 $29.95/$26.95.
Made from a total of eight barrels of wine, the blend is seven barrels of Va Piano Estate Syrah and one barrel of Va Piano Block One Cabernet Sauvignon.

The nose has complex smoky black cherry, currant, cola, sasparilla, and floral notes. Flavors are mouthcoating and huge with lots of body - black fruit flavors are joined by floral and spice notes, with hints of licorice, barrel toast, and cassis. The balance is good, with smooth tannins and pleasant acidity holding the wine together and suggesting food pairings of beef or pork on the grill, served at sunset on a hot summer night, the scents of evening mingling with the intriguing floral and fruit scents of the wine.

Trust Cellars Riesling 06 $18.95/$17.05 Quite German Spatlese in style, made from Weinbau and Dionysus Vineyards fruit. Scents of honeyed fruit and flowers. Flavors start with sweet white peach, morphing into refreshing mineral notes and crisp apple, finishing with subtle floral notes, apricot and a sense of uplifting minerals and spring water. Quite lovely.

Trust Cellars Rose of Cabernet Franc 06 $17.95/$16.16 Seattle Times says: "Round, ripe and showing mixed cherry and apple fruit flavors, it's soft and accessible, with beautiful fruit and some delicate spice notes of cinnamon and sandalwood."

Sleight of Hand & Trust Cellars Tasting Case $304
check out the new hotties

contains
1 Sleight of Hand D'Vine Champoux Cabernet $55
3 Sleight of Hand "Spellbinder" Red $19.95
2 Sleight of Hand Archimage 05 $41.95
3 Trust Cellars Syrah 05 $29.95
2 Trust Cellars Riesling 06 $18.95
1 Trust Cellars Rose 06 $17.95

Save $40.45 from retail price $344.45

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and we answer email on Sundays.

Marcus, Amy, Kevin, and Wendy, and Jean
541-752-7418

Avalon Wine
201 SW 2nd Street
Corvallis OR 97333
541-752-7418
www.avalonwine.com
store@avalonwine.com

Marcus Looze
VP Marketing & Sales
marcus@avalonwine.com
541-752-7418

Amy Paul
Customer Service
store@avalonwine.com
541-752-7418

Kevin Hanscom
Shipping Manager
store@avalonwine.com

Wendy Brown
Bookkeeper & Gourmet Sales
wendy@avalonwine.com

Jean Yates
President
jean@avalonwine.com
541-424-8004 (direct line)

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