March 2004

One of my favorite columns to write each year is the one about the new wine releases of David O'Reilly of Owen Roe and Peter Rosback of Sineann. And it's that time again.

New releases are coming late this month from Owen Roe, Sineann, and O'Reilly (Owen Roe's second "bargain" label), including the famous Owen Roe Dubrul Cabernet and Merlot, and perhaps the best wine of the group, and the best wine ever from Sineann, the Sineann "Block One" Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 02. Three Gewurztraminers, two dessert wines, the Sineann McDuffie Cabernet Sauvignon 02, and several other white wines make up the list.

Sineann

Perhaps the best of all the spring releases from Owen Roe and Sineann is the remarkable Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon "Block One" Champoux Vineyard 02 $59.99. David O'Reilly describes this wine, made by Peter Rosback, as "Stunning".

The Champoux Vineyard's "Block One" includes the oldest vines in Washington State, 35 year old Cabernet vines that produce the grapes used to make this wine, as well as Quilceda Creek's Cabernet Sauvignon and Andrew Will's Sorella. The vineyard produces at very low levels, and this is the first in the last three vintages to produce enough wine to offer to the public. There will be no 2003 "Block One", as the vineyard did not produce enough fruit. With the 2002 vintage, astute wine collectors have an oportunity to purchase a cellar selection that rarely comes to market.

Fans of Owen Roe's Ex Umbris Syrah and "Sinister Hand" Red Blend will fall in love with the Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon McDuffee 02 $36.99. The McDuffee shows the same hints of bacon fat and smoke that made the Ex Umbris and Sinister Hand so popular, coming from a vineyard across from the Lewis Vineyard that provided fruit for the Owen Roe offerings. The wine is intense. Lots of bacon fat, smoke, big toasty espresso bean, dense black cherry, and a long long finish are features of this crowd pleaser. For lovers of game, have with fowl, venison, or other rich meats.

Peter Rosback (at right) has made two dessert wines this season, his usual "Sweet Sydney" 02 $32.99 375 ml, named for his daughter and made from frozen late harvest Zinfandel grapes, and a Vin Santo style Late Harvest Viognier $29.99 375 ml. The Viognier is made from partially dried Viognier "raisins", pressed to release a tiny amount of rich nectar. The wine is dark brown in color, and is quite intensely flavored with the essence of Viognier's floral and fruit style.

Peter Rosback has made several interesting wines for other wineries, including the delicious and intriguing Ce Soir 2001 $19.99. He is a partner with Aron Hess and Pam Walken in making the lush and lovely wines of Jezebel, including the hedonistic, sensuous, and very affordable Jezebel Pinot noir 02 $19.99. Maybe it's the wonderful vintage, but this wine is just outstanding for the price. More about Peter, the winery, and all the news coming soon in this column.

Three Gewurztraminers will come from Sineann this year, and two have been released. The Gewurztraminer Columbia Gorge 03 $18.99 shows a fresh, Old World style, with nuanced pear and apple flavors. The Sineann Gewurztraminer "Resonance Vineyard" 03 $18.99 is made from fruit sourced from the vineyard formerly known as "Reed & Reynolds", and is rich and ripe. Sineann's Gewurztraminers have quite the following, and with fewer than 100 cases made of each, the wines should go quickly.

Sineann's Riesling Medici Vineyard 03 $24.99 is almost "late harvest" in style, with 8% residual sugar. The old vine grapes are sometimes used to make ice wine, and the intensity of the fruit from this vineyard shines through. A rich, over-the-top Riesling, not for the faint of heart.

While focusing on the new releases from Sineann, let's not forget the 2002 Pinot noirs, some of which are still available. The Sineann "Oregon" Pinot noir $29.99 is a dark, rich wine, and has continued to improve in bottle since release. This is a lot of Pinot noir for the price, and the high rating Parker's Wine Advocate gave the 2002 Oregon vintage shows itself warranted here.

Wine Spectator recently rated the Sineann Pinot noir Covey Ridge 02 $41.99 91 points and said: "Bright and juicy, with dark berry, currant and sweet spice flavors that linger enticingly on a bed of firm but fine-grained tannins. Best from 2004 through 2008. 92 cases made. (HS)". A tiny amount of this monster are left. There's huge fresh ground coffee in the nose, silk and glycerin in the mouth, deep cassis flavors, and a chewy quality that will calm with aging. This is a good 2002 Pinot noir to cellar for a year or two, although the typical lush Sineann style will make you want to drink it all up now.

Owen Roe and Sineann News

Owen Roe is fully settled into its new winery, and a report is upcoming in these columns on the facility. David (pictured at right) has a new baby daughter, and his family are all doing fine. A new assistant winemaker at Owen Roe is releasing some wines under the "Cottonwood" label, featuring some very interesting labels. More about this soon.

The always highly anticipated release of the Owen Roe Dubrul Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 02 is here. This year, the Cabernet is so limited that we are not able to offer it on the website, but we have good supply of the excellent Owen Roe Dubrul Merlot 02 $69.99. The wine is dense and intense. Beautiful roasted espresso toast is expressed in the scent, and black cherry, raspberry, exotic culinary herbs, five spice, more mocha and roasted espresso bean dance on the palate. A long, lush finish goes on and on. Very highly recommended.

Although the wine is so lush, you'll want to drink it right up, a good sturdy tannic backbone should allow cellaring for 4-7 years, with great rewards to the patient.

New Releases

Owen Roe
Dubrul Merlot 02
$69.99

Sineann
"Block One"
Champoux Vineyard
Cabernet Sauvignon 02
$59.99

Sineann
McDuffee
Cabernet Sauvignon 02
$36.99

Sineann
Late Harvest
Viognier 03
$29.99

Sineann
Dessert Wine
Sweet Sydney 03
$32.99

Sineann
Gewurztraminer
Columbia Gorge 03
$18.99

Sineann
Gewurztraminer
Resonance 03
$18.99

Sineann
Pinot gris 03
$15.99

Sineann
Riesling
Medici Vineyard 03
$24.99

Owen Roe
Dubrul Cab 02
$72.99
(sold out)

O'Reilly
Chardonnay 03
$12.99

O'Reilly
Riesling 03
$11.99