Wines Tasted in September

2004 Mission Hill Shiraz Reserve Canada, British Columbia, Okanagan Valley, Okanagan Valley VQA Green peppercorns and smoke. Good dark color, however it is a much lighter style than aussie shiraz's. Not a fruit bomb at all. Some elements of fresh blackberrys, but the dominant profile is the spice. Would purchase again.

2006 L'Ecole No. 41 Sémillon USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Back to a more solid effort on this wine. Better mouthfeel and structure than the 2005. Still lots of oak, but on the silky side of things. Would purchase again.

2002 Jackson-Triggs Cabernet Sauvignon Proprietors' Reserve Canada, British Columbia, Okanagan Valley, Okanagan Valley VQA Great steal at the grocery store. They had this in their bargain bin for $5. Would have been happy to pay $12-13 for this. Very dry wine. There is an element here that I can't put my finger on but is consistent with other wines from the Osoyoos area. Probably could have used a steak to round this out a bit more, but was pleasent to drink all by itself. Would purchase again.

2004 Nefarious Cellars Syrah USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope Decanted. Wine had soaked through about half way up the cork. No sediment and very light red color. Hot on both the nose and palate. Elements of red fruit, but the wine wasn't giving up much tonight. I prefer a bit of a heavier, meatier style of Syrah. Would not purchase again at the price point.

2003 Amity Vineyards Pinot Blanc USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley Citrus notes. Acidic, but not too much. Very nice every day white. Would purchase again.

1995 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée Vintage Reserve USA, California, Sonoma County, Carneros Going fast. Almost needed some raspberry liquor. Drink em if you got em.

2002 Cana's Feast Winery (Cuneo) Bricco USA, Oregon, Southern Oregon, Rogue Valley Day one...Nice wine. Hints of dried flowers. Could have used some spaghetti sauce. Think that this would be much better with food. Would purchase again.

2004 Stevens Cabernet Sauvignon XY USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Bottle was double decanted at the release party and then recorked. Drank over the next two days. Was still going strong at hour 72. The fruit faded a little bit each day, but there was plenty of stuffing to keep it going. Second day got a lot of smoke and sweet oak. Tannin structure was nice and balanced over all of the days. Would purchase again.

2002 Waterbrook Mélange USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Much softer than the previous bottle. The alcohol was still present, but was not the dominant sharpness like the last one.

2004 Château Rouquette sur Mer Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape Decent for a mid week white. Used partially for cooking. Paired with blue cheese pasta and chicken. A bit heavy on the acid.

2004 Waving Tree Sangiovese Estate USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Fresh and fruity. A little bit of spice on the back end, but fairly smoothe. Nicely pairs with tomato sauce. Great QPR. Would purchase again.

2004 Robert Karl Cellars Claret USA, Washington, Columbia Valley popped and poured. Fruit really shining tonight. The smoke that I normally associate with this wine was more of an accompanyment tonight. Good tannic balance. Would purchase again.

2007 Stevens Cabernet Franc Mary Jeanne USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Just not my thing. Seems medicinal and heavy to me. I enjoy a good rose of cab franc, but this one just loses something in translation. My wife just can't get enough of this so it must be a palate thing. Would not purchase again for me.

2001 Three Rivers Winery Meritage USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Needs a good two hours in the decanter to open up. Still a bit tannic. Lots of oak. Could use some more cellar time to integrate. After it opened up a bit I could have sworn that I was smelling a Syrah. Nice mouthfeel, chocolate, good fruit but it gets overshadowed quickly after each sip by the tannins. Would purchase again and wait a few years to see what happens.

2004 Pomum Cellars Shya Red USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Drank over two nights. I think that this may be in a dumb phase as this wine was not representing based on other bottles I have had. Upon opening the wine smelled hot and alcoholic. The typical elements of spice were missing and replaced with a heavy dose of tobacco. The mouthfeel of this wine reminded why I enjoy it so much. The finish was a bit sour and didn't last terribly long. Day 2 - Alcohol had blown off and the spice element had started to re-emerge. Mouthfeel was still silky. Finish was plesant, but still a bit too short. Would purchase again based on impressions from day two.

2004 Zefina Serience Blanc Alder Ridge Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley POW!!! This wine grabs you and smacks you around a little bit before letting go. Good bit of acid that pairs well with food. Lots of tropical fruiits on the nose with a good dose of grass on the back end of the palate. Should be well chilled. Would purchase again.

2006 Stevens Sauvignon Blanc Athought USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Nicely paired with a pan seared Salmon. Starts off somewhat subdued, but the fruit shows up on the back end. Nice acidity to clean the palate. Definitely a wine I like young. Would purchase again.

2001 Beaulieu Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc USA, California, Sonoma County Lots of herb on the nose. Slightly dull taste, left me wanting more from this wine.

1997 Terra Blanca Gewürztraminer December Harvest USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Excellent wine. Hints of pear. Could have cellared for a few more years.

Non vintage Toad Hollow Crémant de Limoux Amplexus France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Crémant de Limoux Very dry. Unfortunately had this right after desert and it made it even more puckering to begin with. Settled down after our palates got used to it. Good value sparkling wine. Would purchase again.

2000 Terra Blanca Onyx USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain Fabulous. Wonderfully complex but subtle. There was still fruit flavors, but they were more in the background. Paired well with beef pot roast. Great special occasion bottle. Would purchase again.

2001 Portteus Merlot USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Spectacular nose. Palette was weak. Flavor died before it hit the back of the throat.

2007 Stevens Cabernet Franc Mary Jeanne USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Wife adores this, just not my thing. Took a sniff from the just opened bottle and got the same stuff as last time. Would purchase more for my wife.

2002 Alto Vineyards Chambourcin USA, Illinois Was very harsh night we opened. Nearly poured down the drain. Came back to it three days later after being gone for the weekend. Had softened and gotten much better. Had elements of port without the high alcohol burn. Chocolate, ripe fruit. Was told that this wouldn't age well and to drink up soon, but three days in a decanter on the counter and it's much better. So you make your own call.

2004 Boudreaux Cellars Chardonnay Bishop's & Homestead USA, Washington WOW! Don't want to finish the bottle. It is so good that you want it to last forever. Wonderfully complex with a good dose of acidity. No one element ofthe wine stuck out, it left you with a feel that it was created with perfect balance. Going to keep one bottle for mid term drinking and age the last bottle and see where this might go with some years on it. Would purchase every bottle that I could get my hands on.

2002 Columbia Crest Two Vines Sémillon-Chardonnay USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Decent mid week wine. Used part for risotto and drank the rest. Good acidity, nice green apple flavors. Would purchase again.

2004 Boudreaux Cellars Syrah Desert Hills Vineyard USA, Washington Opened and decanted for an hour. There was some fine grained sediment in the bottle, but not too much. Nose just explodes with oak and funk (the good kind). Beautiful deep cherry color. There is a fruit aroma hidden in there but I can't put my finger on it. Wine changed a few times over the evening, starting out a bit smokey and then changing to more of a mushroom element. In the end there was just a hint of rubber (the kind you put on when your in the mood). The mouthfeel on Rob's wines are wonderful. Heavy without being thick. Tannins are in check. Finish is nice and medium length. Would purchase again.

2005 Hence Cellars Cultivar USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley Tasty but not exciting tonight. Nose was somewhat closed upon opening the bottle. Soft tannins and good (but simple) fruit flavors on the palate. Finish was nice and lasted a while. Expected more complexity from this wine. Not a good enough QPR to purchase again.

2002 Austin Robaire Syrah La Petite Fille USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Starting to think that I am drinking all of my syrahs too early. Though this wine was softening somewhat I still felt that it was wound pretty tight. Bit of an earthy funk upon opening that I really liked, but it blew off fairly quickly. Tannins started to show up as the wine was opened about 20 minutes. They didn't dominate, but I would have preferred that they were a little more resolved. Good dark fruit flavors. Would purchase again and hold for a few more years.

2005 Benson Vineyards Viognier Estate USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Fruit is starting to dry up a little bit, but still a very enjoyable wine. Scents of pineapple and peach. Nice balanced acidity. Would purchase again.

2004 Brian Carter Cellars Tuttorosso USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Paired with pasta and meatballs. Initially the nose was very tight and all I was getting was oak. After a while it opened up with some cranberry aromas. Flavors were tart with some fine grained tannins. All in all it was an ok wine. Would purchase again.

2001 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore Ripassa Italy, Veneto, Valpolicella, Valpolicella Superiore This wine needs a tomato based sauce to really come to life. Had with hamburgers the first time and it just didn't seem right. Last night had with pasta, tomato suace and hot italian sausage. Really opened up the wine. Had one glass after dinner and it just wasn't the same without the food. Would purchase again.

2004 Avery Lane Merlot USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Consistent with prior bottles. Would purchase again.

2001 Windsor Vineyards Zinfandel Signature Series Mendocino County USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County Let breathe minimum one hour. Was extremely tight when first opened. After it was decanted for one hour, strong black pepper notes. Long finish.

2000 Amity Vineyards Pinot Noir USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley Lighter than some. Didn't have the pinot funk that I like. Sour cherries on the finish. Nice wine, not memorable though.

2004 Gallagher U Brew Pinot Gris USA, Oregon, Yamhill County Consistent with prior bottles.

2006 Stevens Sauvignon Blanc Athought USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Nice bottle of wine, though it is definitely on the down hill side. Nose is starting to close up a bit and it is not nearly as bright as it has been in the past. Still notes of green apple come through. Acidity isn't quite as sharp and the mouthfeel is a little bit fat. Finish is still very plesant. Would purchase future vintages.

2004 Gallagher U Brew France, Rhône None of the bottle funk that I am accustomed to in the home made wine. Nose and Palate were a little flat, not bad, but nothing stood out. Got better as the evening progressed.

Non Vintage Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blancs USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Paired with chicken masala. Good counterbalance to the spice in the dish. Very dry with a little bit of yeast and not much fruit. Decent Tuesday night sparkler. Would purchase again.

2006 Arlington Road Cellars Riesling Imperium Charbonneau Farms USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Sweetened green apples with a little bit of a kick at the end. Deep golden color. Nose belies the sugar hiding beneath the surface. Slight hint of diesel. Mouthfeel is a bit heavy and viscous. Finish dies too quickly. Decent bottle of riesling, but on the down hill end of good. Would purchase future vintages.

2004 Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc USA, California A tale of two wines. Upon first opening this wine there was overwhelming aromas of tropical fruits. Huge acidity that cleansed the palate. After an hour the fruit was gone and there was a glass full of freshly mown hay. Somewhat of a mineral edge and the acidity was still there. If I had the two tastes blind, I would have thought that they were two different wines. Bright, crisp white. Would purchase again for a hot summer day.

2000 Toad Hollow Merlot Reserve McDowell USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley Knew this was going to be good as soon as the cork popped out. Filled the area around the bottle with a heady aroma. Lots of smoke and still some good tannins. Had an element that I can only equate to the smell when you are carving a pumpkin. Added another dimension when paired with the beef tenderloin. Would purchase again.

2004 Avery Lane Merlot USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Consistent with prior bottles. Would purchase again.

2003 Stevens Cabernet Sauvignon XY USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Popped the cork and let the bottle breathe for about two hours before drinking. This wine was just singing tonight. Vibrant purple color. The aromas and flavors from this wine were so complex that I was unable to pick out any one element. Mouthfeel was very silky and the finish was smoothe and lasted a good amount of time. Wine started to fade at about 5 hours. No reason not to be drinking and enjoying these wines right now. Would purchase again.

2005 Rulo Viognier USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley Still a bit lively, but starting downhill. Would purchase again.

Non Vintage Toad Hollow Crémant de Limoux Amplexus France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Crémant de Limoux Average. Too bad, had a bottle of this a while ago and was very impressed. Nothing bad about it, but nothing memorable.

2000 Covey Run Merlot Barrel Select USA, Washington, Columbia Valley Consistent tasting notes. Wish I would have purchased more of this.

2004 Gallagher U Brew Pinot Gris USA, Oregon, Yamhill County No bottle funk. Seems like this is finally coming into it's own.

1976 Warre Porto Colheita Portugal, Douro, Porto Nutty, caramel with a bit of maple syrup. A bit hot right out of the bottle, but with 20 minutes in the glass it really settles down. Very nice bottle of wine. Would purchase again for a special occasion.

2002 Osoyoos Larose Le Grand Vin Canada, British Columbia, Okanagan Valley Unfortunately this wine was mostly corked. It took me a couple of sniffs to pick it up but then the wet cardboard came out. It wasn't so bad that I was going to pour it down the drain. You could tell that there was some really wicked fruit just underneath. Hoping that my other bottle is in better shape.