Category Archives: Washington
Seven Falls Rapids Red
It’s been quite a while since I’ve written anything on this blog. Life and other stuff has gotten in the way, but I thought it was time to start up again. I was looking for a new wine to try recently, and I decided to give Seven Falls Cellars a go. I chose their 2014 Rapids Red, which is an interesting red blend of 68% Syrah, 23% Merlot, and 9% Cinsault. The grapes used in this wine are sourced from the Wahluke Slope AVA in Washington State.
About the Wine:
Seven Falls 2014 Rapids Red
This wine has a deep purple color with a dark ruby rim. It has aromas of ripe black cherry and blackberry, along with a hint of spice. On the palate it is full bodied and has a good balance of tannins and acids. It was aged in a combination of new and neutral oak for just the right touch and is not overwhelming. The alcohol at 14.5% contributes to the body of the wine and overall it is full flavored and well balanced.
The Winery:
Seven Falls is a product of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, and is produced in Paterson, WA. Ste. Michelle is the largest wine producer in the Pacific Northwest, and has a good reputation for producing quality wines. Along with the Rapids Red, Seven Falls also has several other varietal wines, including a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Viognier among others.
About the Region:
The Wahluke Slope AVA is located in central Washington State, bordered by the Columbia River to the West and the Hanford Reach National Monument to the East. There are 20 vineyards within the AVA and nearly 8,500 planted acres of vines. The sandy soils, varied elevations and proximity to the Columbia River make it ideal for viticulture. It is primarily known for red grape varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and others.
I would definitely recommend this wine, and I look forward to trying other wines by Seven Falls.
Also, here is an interesting read about wine and robots.
Cheers!
Seth
All About Syrah
Sequel Syrah, Yann Chave Crozes Hermitage, & Two Hands Shiraz
Other producers to check out that make a fine Syrah would be Purple Star and Arbor Crest, both from Washington State. Purple Star is a Columbia Valley winery, and for this 2008 Syrah ($14, 13.9%) the grapes were from both the Whaluke
Purple Star 2008 Syrah
Arbor Crest 2009 Syrah
Now that spring has sprung, might as well enjoy it with a nice glass of syrah:)
Latah Creek Riesling & More
The month of April has been quite a busy one for me, unfortunately I’ve been mostly busy with things keeping me
2009 Latah Creek Riesling
away from blogging. However, on a more positive note I think that Spring may have finally sprung, and the best way to celebrate the arrival of spring is by drinking some good wines. There is nothing like relaxing on the porch with a nice refreshing glass of wine, especially in the warm weather. About a week ago with temperatures pushing 80 degrees, I thought a Riesling would be nice, so I tried a 2009 by Latah Creek. Latah Creek is a winery located in Spokane WA, and just recently celebrated 30 years in the business. They have quite a lineup of wines, which includes a Huckleberry Riesling, and they are also known for producing some great Merlot. This Riesling was clear in color with a hint of pale green to it. On the nose I got aromas of honey and apricots, and it had nice acidity on the finish, with hints of tropical fruit along with just a touch of sweetness. It really was the perfect glass of wine for a hot day. Also, at $8 retail it was a fantastic deal for the price.
Another wine I recently tried was a 2009 Viura from Rioja, Spain. Viura, also known as Macabeo, is one of the most widely planted white wine grapes in Rioja. Aside from on its own, you can find Viura blended with Garnacha Blanca and Malvasia in White Riojas. This particular bottle called Vetiver was 100% Viura and produced by Bodegas Ontanon. This wine was a clear pale yellow in color, and had hints of tropical fruit and toasty oak on the nose. It was smooth on the palate with mellow acids and a creamy finish. This was aged in oak for 6 months, and the oak definitely stood out, but overall it was a refreshing wine, and also would be good on a hot day.
I also tried a red wine just recently that seemed to be good for the arrival of Spring. This was a 2009 Col Di Sasso, produced by Banfi.
2009 Banfi Col Di Sasso
Col Di Sasso which is Italian for “Stony Hill”, is from the Tuscany region of Italy and is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. This was a very pleasant wine, and it had a bright ruby red color, with a nice earthy leathery nose with light fruit. It had a nice smooth finish with good acids and tannins with a hint of ripe red cherry. This was a perfect companion witthe grilled tri-tip steak that I had with it.
So if you haven’t yet, make sure you break out some of your favorite wines and celebrate the arrival of Spring!
Cheers,
Seth
A Pinot Grigio Comparision
The other day I was in the mood for a white wine, so I settled on some Pinot Grigio. Pinot Grigio is also known as Pinot
CA' del Sarto Pinot Grigio
Gris, depending on if it’s from France or Italy. Also some areas in the US label it differently, such as Oregon (they call it Pinot Gris there). I haven’t really tried much in the way of Pinot Grigio in quite a while. The last time I tried one it was from Barefoot Cellars, which I wouldn’t really consider anything great; although a former professor of mine practically lives on the stuff. Anyways, I’ve tried a few good Italian wines recently, so I chose a bottle of 2010 Ca’ Del Sarto Pinot Grigio from the Friuli region of Italy, which is in the Northeast corner of the country. The specific DOC it was produced in is Grave Del Friuli, which is considered one of the most important DOCs in the region. DOC is an abbreviation of the appellation system in Italy, which is Denominazione Di Origine Controllata. This wine had a very clear, almost colorless appearance to it, with just a hint of pale yellow straw. It had a pleasant nose of fresh pear, and a clean, crisp refreshing finish with great acidity and a touch of that same ripe pear. I thought it was a nice glass of wine, and would be perfect for a warm spring or summer day. I compared this wine to another Pinot Grigio, a 2009 Columbia Crest Two Vines from Washington State. This was a product of the Columbia Valley, where there is currently close to 1,600 planted acres of Pinot Grigio. This bottle was about the
Columbia Crest Two Vines Pinot Grigio
same with respect to the color; very pale and maybe a light yellow or straw. It was lacking in aromatics however, as I could not sense much in the way of fruit, with maybe a touch of honey. It had a nice smooth finish, although not much in the way of acidity with maybe a slight hint of honey to it. I thought the Ca’ Del Sarto was a much better wine, it had that nice crispness and pleasant aromatics that were lacking in the Columbia Crest; and it seemed like it would pair much better with a meal as well. The Columbia Crest wasn’t necessarily a bad wine, just didn’t seem to have any particularly great quality that stood out. It would probably be a good glass on a hot day, but I don’t think it would really pair well with a meal. So if you come across a bottle of the Ca’ Del Sarto, give it a try. I am thinking I might try out some more Italian white wines from this region, hopefully I can find another that was as good as this one. Also since the weather is getting better, it’s always nice to have a good glass of white wine on a nice warm day.
Cheers,
Seth
An Afternoon At Barrister Winery
This past Easter weekend was a great food and wine weekend, as I drank some good wines, ate a lot of good food, and 
also had the opportunity to take a tour at Barrister Winery in Spokane, WA. This Winery is owned and operated by two attorneys (hence the name, Barrister) Michael White and Greg Lipsker, and is located downtown in an old classic brick building. The two started making wine in 1997 as a hobby, and then became a bonded winery in 2001.
Inside the winery it is nicely put together, with a tasting bar as well as art displayed on the walls. The winery is also set up for events, so weddings and other social gatherings are commonly done there. Our party arrived a few minutes early and spent that time tasting the wines. We then met owner / winemaker Greg Lipsker who proceeded to give us a fantastic tour of the facility. The tasting room had a nice lineup of wines available, which included one white and four reds. The white, a Sauvignon Blanc, was a 2011 made with grapes sourced out of Klipsun Vineyard in Red Mountain AVA. It was a nice pleasant wine, with fresh citrus on the nose and a refreshing grapefruit taste along with a clean, crisp finish.
2008 Artz Vineyard Merlot
The red wines included their blend known as Rough Justice (Non Vintage), a 2009 Artz Vineyard Merlot, 2009 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc, and finally the 2008 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Of these four I liked the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc the best. The 2008 Merlot as mentioned was made with grapes sourced from Artz Vineyard, which also happens to be located in Red Mountain AVA. This wine had a ruby red color to it with aromas of ripe raspberry on the nose. It had a nice spicy taste with hints of ripe red fruit and chocolate, with just the right amount of oak along with a smooth finish. The 2009 Cabernet Franc had aromas of dark fruit along with a little earthiness and toasty oak. The first sip gave way to spicy red fruit and more of that toasty oak. I thought all of the wines were impressive, and the tasting staff was very friendly which made the experience all the better.
The barrel room at Barrister Winery
After tasting the wines we met up with Greg and he led us on a tour of the winery. First we stopped off where most of the winery equipment was, and explained the wine making process that takes place. I found it interesting that during the fermentation process, they are punching down the cap formed by all of the grape skins several times a day with a manual punch down tool on all of the fermentation vats, and there are quite a few of them (definitely a good way to get some exercise!). The next stop was down to the barrel room, which is accessible by an old elevator. This was the best part of the tour, as Greg gave us several different barrel tastings. We were given tastes of new oak vs. used, French vs. American, and also tastes of wines from different regions /soil types and vineyard plots. I found myself liking the used oak a little bit more than the new, and I think the French was more appealing than the American oak; it had a nice spiciness to it that really stood out. It was a great learning experience, and really gave me a great perspective on all the different types of flavors and aromas that can be sensed from the different oaks and other factors such as vineyard location and region. This was a certainly a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon on a holiday weekend. Barrister is a great place to try some fantastic wines, so if you find yourself in Spokane and in the mood for wine, don’t hesitate to stop at Barrister Winery.
Cheers,
Seth
A Quick Visit to Woodinville Wine Country
The tasting room at Januik / Novelty Hill
A couple weekends ago, I was in Seattle, and decided to take the short drive to Woodinville, WA. Now this is a community that is only a few miles away from Seattle, and is also known as Woodinville Wine Country to many people in the State of Washington. An interesting factoid about this “Wine Country” is it contains no vineyards, just a whole bunch of wineries and tasting rooms. Also along with wineries you will find some pretty classy restaurants. There are over 50 wineries in the area, among them Chateau St. Michelle, Columbia Winery, Delille Cellars, and Januik Cellars. Accompanying me on this trip was my sister and fellow wine enthusiast Chloe Nichols. Unfortunately We didn’t have much time that day, so we decided on Januik / Novelty Hill and Columbia Winery as the two places we would try out. Januik winery is owned by Mike Januik, who is formally the head winemaker at Chateau St. Michelle. Now Mr. Januik is well known in the business and his wines are consistently recieving high scores from publications such as Wine Spectator. Novelty Hill is a winery that is run under the supervision of Mr. Januik and also has put out some wines that have received high ratings. The winery itself at Januik / Novelty Hill is a very impressive place; a large tasting room with a floor to ceiling glass wall that looks into the winery itself along with the barrel room.
A view inside the winery at Januik / Novelty Hill
Of all the wines I tried, I was more impressed with the white wines as apposed to the reds, and I thought the Chardonnay, Riesling and Late Harvest Semillion I tried were all quite good. The Chardonnay was a 2009 Novelty Hill made from grapes sourced from Stillwater Creek Vineyard. On the nose it had an aroma of toasty oak with a hint of ripe apple, and had some nice acids on the palate with a smooth, creamy finish. It was a bit on the oaky side, but overall a nice wine. The 2010 Januik Riesling was from Bacchus vineyard, and had a nose of honey and apricot, with a hint of petrol. It had a nice smooth finish with mellow acids and a taste of ripe apricot. Finally the Novelty Hill 2007 late Harvest Semillion was a good wine to finish with. It had a nice sweetness on the nose with a little petrol, and a nice smooth finish. I thought that the Januik 2009 Lewis Vineyard Syrah was the best red wine I tried. It had a nice medium purple color, and with a good balance of tannin and acids along with ripe dark fruit. It had just the right amount of oak, which made it all the better.
The next stop was the Columbia Winery. Just down the road from Januik / Novelty Hill, this winery has the look of a
Tasting bar at Columbia Winery
large mansion from the outside. Inside it was also quite impressive, which included a very large tasting room that had multiple tasting bars. The service here was very helpful and made the experience a nice pleasant time. I thought most of the wines I tried here were very good, especially the Malbec and the late harvest Syrah. The Malbec was a 2009 out of theColumbiaValley, with jammy fruit on the nose, and a great finish of blueberry along with smooth tannins. I have not tried too many late harvest wines, especially a late harvest Syrah, but I was impressed none the less. This 2009 had a deep dark purple color to it with a hint of chocolate on the nose, and had a nice sweet finish. It is definitely a late harvest wine that would be a great one to have with dinner as well as for dessert. So if you find yourse looking for a winery that has a nice selection of wine and a friendly staff to go along with it, stop by the Columbia Winery.
There are a whole bunch of wineries in Woodinville that I plan on visiting, so this most likely won’t be my last post about Woodinville Wine Country. I would definitely recommend spending time in Woodinville if you in the Seattle area. There is plenty of great food and wine to be found everywhere, and its just a short drive away.
Cheers,
Seth
Golden Ridge Cellars
A view of the vines at Golden Ridge
The final winery that I visited during my brief time in Walla Walla was Golden Ridge Cellars. This estate winery owned by Michael and Cindy Rasch, is located right outside of town on eight acres of grapes. There is a magnificent view in every direction from the property, and is a just moment away from downtown Walla Walla. The Rasch’s relocated to Walla Walla from Seattle a few years back, and Michael decided to retire from his law practice and focus on his other favorite pastime, a passion for wine. The two varietals grown on their property are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but they are considering planting some Cabernet Franc in the near future. Michael is the head winemaker and viticulturist, and spends most of his day caring for his vines and working in the winery, or skiing at one of the nearby ski resorts. I was very lucky to spend the day with both of them tasting wines downtown, and was given a tour of their winery as well. Currently Golden Ridge sells most of their grapes, but they do produce a wine of their own, an estate red blend, and just recently bottled their second vintage.
Golden Ridge Cellars Estate Red
I tasted both the 2008 and 2009 while I was there, and thought they were both very well made wines. Both vintages are a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and spent 26 months in French and American oak. Production is limited, as both vintages yielded just over 100 cases. Mike gave me a bottle of the 2008 to take home, so I decided to give it a try the other night. This wine was a deep garnet red in color, with toasty oak on the nose along with dark black fruit. The first sip gave way to spicy black cherry with some nice earthy, leathery tones and a hint of smokiness. It had a nice lingering finish, with more of the black cherry and oak. The alcohol at 14.7% sounds a bit hot, but seemed to balance out just fine. And although a touch on the oaky side, I thought this wine was quite good, and it seemed to go well with the flank steak that was paired with it. If you ever get a chance to Meet Michael and Cindy, they are very hospitable and are great to spend time with and enjoy a few glasses of wine. And if you are lucky enough, Mike may even give you a tour of his magnificant wine cellar. Not only is it full of great wines, it also contains a disaster survival kit, which of course most importantly includes wine glasses and a bottle opener:)
Cheers,
Seth
Spring Valley Vineyard 2008 Frederick Red Blend
Spring Valley Vineyard is an estate winery located within the Walla Walla Valley AVA on 111 acres of vines about 12
miles outside of town. Among the varietals grown here are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Syrah. There is a rich family history behind this land, dating back to the mid 1800’s, but the first Merlot vines were planted in 1993 and the winery’s first vintage debuted in 1999. The Spring Valley tasting room is located in downtown Walla Walla, and is nicely put together along with a very friendly staff. Three of their wines, the Mule Skinner Merlot, Derby Cabernet Sauvignon, and Nina Lee Syrah are all 100% varietals. The winery also has two red blends known as Frederick and Uriah. Each one of these wines has received a score of 90 or above from Wine Spectator, with the Frederick and Uriah each receiving a 93. I was in the mood for a red blend so I decided to take home a bottle of the 2008 Frederick. This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 9 % Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec and was aged 21 months in French oak. For a price of $50, this wine had a garnet red appearance with a bit of sediment, and on the nose I definitely got a lot of oak along with spicy black cherry. There was definitely a big tannic structure to the wine along with mellow acids, and that cherry went along with some earthy, leathery tones and smokiness on the palate. The alcohol came in at 15.3%, and it seemed to be just a bit too hot on the finish. I would say that decanting this wine ahead of time might have been a good idea; it seemed the wine may have needed some time to breathe and unlock some of the aromas. In spite of that, the wine seemed to be fairly balanced and complimented the flank steak I had along with it nicely. Overall, aside from the high heat and heavy oak I thought it was a pretty good wine, and I look forward to what the next vintage of the Frederick red blend has to offer.
Cheers,
Seth
Seven Hills Winery
Seven Hills Winery has been around since 1988, and is one of the oldest wineries in the Walla WallaValley. It is located
right downtown basically next door the Marcus Whitman Hotel. This winery has a reputation for producing some excellent wines over the years, so I was pretty excited to give them a try. Most of the grapes used to make their wines come from vineyards such as Seven Hills, Klipsun, Melrose and Ciel du Cheval. These vineyards consistently produce excellent fruit and are considered some of the finest vineyards in the state. The tasting room at Seven Hills is quite nice and relaxing, and the staff was very friendly which made the visit that much more enjoyable. I decided to give just the reds a try for this trip. The first I tried was the 2009 Seven Hills Vineyard Merlot. This was a very good wine. It had a great structure and a nice finish of ripe fruit, and and was balanced nicely with the right amount of oak. Next up was the 2009 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a full bodied that was nicely strutured, and left off with a nice fruity finish. I also thought it had a good touch of oak to it, not overpowering and just enough to balance the wine out. Finally, I tried the 2009 Walla Walla Valley Malbec. Now I really like Malbec to begin with, and this one was quite impressive. With a medium purple color to it, I got aromas of spicy ripe plum and blackberry, and it had a great balance of tannins and acids. Again I thought it had the right touch of oak, and left off with a hint of blueberry and a nice lingering finish. This one I liked so well I took a bottle home with me. I thought that these wines were all very good and definitely lived up to their reputation. If you have not yet tried any of Seven Hills’ wines, I would absolutely recommend them. And if you find yourself in Walla Walla, it is definitely a winery I would consider a must visit.
Cheers,
Seth
Lodmell Cellars
Lodmell Cellars 2008 Sublime
While I was walking around downtown Walla Walla in search of wine, I stopped in at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. This is a very classy establishment that just happens to have a few tasting rooms in it, one of them being Lodmell Cellars. This winery has been growing grapes since 1995, and owns vineyards overlooking the Snake River in Walla Walla County. At the tasting room there was a nice lineup of wines, which included their 2007 Estate Merlot, a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2009 Rose´ known as Saignee, as well as their 2008 Sublime, a red blend. The Merlot was a nice full bodied wine that was well balanced, and blended with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon which added a nice touch. I found the Sauvignon Blanc to be a very refreshing wine; it was nice and crisp with aromas of fresh citrus. Along with the Sauvignon Blanc, I thought that the Rose´ was also quite refreshing. This wine was extracted a little more than a typical rose so it had bit of a darker color to it, and I sensed a nice pleasant aroma of strawberry. The Sublime red blend is a combination of 50% Merlot, 30% Carmenere, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the fruit is sourced from the Columbia Valley. This wine spent 30 months in French oak barrels and has a nice structure to it, with dark fruit aromas and hints of vanilla. It is a bit hot at 15.4% alcohol, but not enough to throw the wine out of balance. Overall I found Lodmell Cellars to be a very pleasant way to start the day wine tasting. So if you are in Walla Walla and happen to find yourself strolling about inside the Marcus Whitman Hotel, take the time to visit Lodmell and treat yourself to some great wines.
Cheers,
Seth
psychedelic grape 