Trend to Blend-
New Releases show how far NW Wines Have come

Lots of great NW wine at great prices- that's today's story. I can wax all esoteric about experienced winemakers, the economy, new research, but it all comes down to this: great value and great flavors.

Both great value everyday wines and exquisitely complex and rich cellar stars are recently released, with more to come as the year unfolds. And a theme runinng through many of the wines is an emphasis on creative blending. Rather than making wine from one varietal, winemakers like Chris Camarda are blending multiple cuvees consisting of different grape varietals, all sourced from the same vineyard, to create livelier, fresher, more interesting wines.

New Releases - Good Values - Big Reds

In the good value category, a long list of excellent Pinot noirs under $20 has now been joined by an equally impressive list of under $20 Big Reds.

Owen Sullivan's "Red" 01 tops my list of great under $20 Big Reds. It's just a steal- a wine to pull the truck up at the loading dock and and fill up on. Huge, with lots of the same character that we loved in the Owen Sullivan R3 and BSH, at under $20. It knocked the socks off everyone at our tasting, with people guessing that it was Spring Valley Uriah, or Leonetti, or Cadence Meritage wines.

Forgeron has released a Big Red Forgeron "Red Table Wine" $19.99 with rich rich Cabernet flavors. The scent of roasted espresso bean and plush plummy fruit is followed up by more of the same, with a viscous, smooth, lush mouth feel tha finishes with well integrated tannins and an appealing hint of spice. Just amazing for the price.

If you liked the huge Basel Cellars "Merriment" that we sent to the Big Reds Club in January, you'll like its companion winery, Vierra Cellars' "Claret 02 $21.99. Walla Walla "Young Turk" winemaker Trey Busch has crafted such a rich and seductive wine, full of creme de cassis, dense, sweet tannins, candied plum, spicy oak, and a long long finish. It shows a lot of the distinct "Trey Style" we are beginning to love in each of his wines.

And for the price, Willow Crest's "Rockin L" Red $12.99 shows interesting complexity, and a lively freshness in a juicy quaffing style. Made from Cab Franc, Syrah, and Pinot gris (!!), the Gris acts like Viognier in the blend to add aroma and complexity. It's a very worthy wine, with a lot going for it - a perfect "house wine" for your house.

And from Oregon, the Wine Spectator 90 point rated Griffin Creek Merlot 99 is drinking beautifully, and Avalon has it on a stupendous sale price. The wine was $31.99 when reviewed by Wine Spectator, but we've reduced the price to clear it out to now $17.99. Why? It's called, "too much wine and have to pay bills".

The Griffin Creek Merlot 99 $17.99 is made from Southern Oregon fruit. A big, well integrated tannin structure has held the wine together and it has aged to a wonderful, many layered quaffer with hints of cocoa, blackberry, currant, and cedar, with a long lng finish. The wine is a steal.

New Releases - Masterpieces of Big Red Wine

If you want to collect the very best, several wines, recently released, are very cellarworthy, showing nuanced, sophisticated, multi-layered complexity and huge flavors. These will be wines to bring out for special ocasions, wines that make wonderful gifts, wines that impress.

Andrew Will Sorella 01 $65 is winemaker/owner Chris Camarda's favorite wine, a blend of varietals from the famous Champoux Vineyard. Chris creates a multi faceted wine from various barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot that exhibit different styles. He strives to make a wine with a lively style that outdoes the single varietal wines of the vineyard. This unique combination of rich complexity and fresh, original flavors has resulted in a unique wine. Soreall 01 shows what a fascinating blended wine can be created from Washington State fruit. A very rewarding, cellar worthy wine.

Betz Family Cellars' Pere de Famille 01 $46.99 reiterates the fact that Bob Betz is right up there with Leonetti, Cadence, Quilceda, Andrew Will, etc in quality, complexity, and collectability. Even more pleasing than the wonderful 2000 Pere de Famille, this wine is for Cabernet lovers. At 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine shows all the best qualities of a big, multi-layered, richly balanced cellar selection. The grapes, from Ciel du Cheval, Alder Ridge, and Boushey vineyards, were clearly carefully blended to create a unique wine, redolent with rich creme de cassis, black cherry, vanilla and leather flavors and scents. The flavors balance with a core of big, subtle tannins showing wood smoke, dried currants, toast and smoke. Drinking well through 2015, and highly recommended.

Canoe Ridge Merlot Reserve 01 $44.99 shows richness and complexity beyond what is usually expected from Merlot, but as is becoming apparent, Washington is capable of producing Merlot of much greater complexity and richness than the simple plush easy drinkers of our southern neighbor. The nose shows a great freshness, with red raspberry, chocolate, and white flowers in the scent. Sweet, toasty bing cherry and mocha flavors are joined by red raspberry, roasted espresso bean, and big rich plum sweetness. The barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon that was added to this blend shows through in the sturdy, strong tannic backbone, well integrated but allowing the wine to show massive fruit without going soft.

New Releases - Masterpieces of Pinot noir

Oregon Pinot noirs are made in such limited quantities, and the real masterpieces come and go in a moment. Here are the top Pinot noirs now available, in our opinion. These subtly nuanced wines are both rich and intriguingly complex, often with exotic flavors and scents. They will cellar beautifully, showing the winemaker's art in their unfolding flavors with the passage of time.

If there's a new "classic" Oregon pinot noir on the horizon, something like the Archery Arcus, the Domaine Drouhin Laurene, the Beaux Freres Estate, (one of those wines that are considered the finest made) insiders say it will be the Bergstrom Winery "Bergstrom Vineyard" Estate Pinot noir 02 $59.99. This first vintage of Pinot noir from the Bergstrom's own Estate vineyard shows such complexity, richness, and cellar potential - starting a vertical of this wine in your cellar could be a very good thing. The wine is HUGE- chewy, intense, cellar for 4-10 years. Highly recommended. Ar right, Josh and Caroline Bergstrom.

Francis Tannahill "The Hermit" Pinot noir 01 $33.99 is the first wine from this fascinating team of winemakers. Sam Tannahill, formerly winemaker at Archery Summit with Gary Andrus during the "95 points years" and Cheryl Francis, formerly winemaker at Chehalem have joined together in marriage and business, and this is their first Pinot noir together. The wine starts with a most distinctive scent of Burgundian barnyard, flowers, and a perfumed spicey hit. The flavors are succlent, sweet, a combination of complex red and black fruits and berries, and an earthy, woodsy quality. This wine is still quite tightly wound, with intriguing hints of flavors and scents that promise great things with cellaring.

Archery Summit "Arcus Vineyard" Pinot noir 01 $75 recently received (2/14/04) 93 points from Wine Spectator. Thanks for affirming our belief in this wine, Harvey! When a client needs a really wonderful wine, and the price point is OK with them, this is the wine we love to sell. It's , to quote Harvey Steiman, "a blast". The vineyard produces some of the best fruit in Oregon, and Archery knows what to do with it. The scents of cherry and rosewood in the finish are so exotic and elegant. Drink now or cellar 5-10 years.

As a great value, the La Bete Pinot noir Brunker Hall 01 $22.99 is hard to beat. It received 90 points in Wine Spectator, and comes from a winemaker steeped in the traditions of Burgundy. John Eliason is one of Oregon's hidden treasures, and this wine is one of his best. Will drink well for 4-8 years, but is wonderful right now.