2006 Columbia Crest Merlot Grand Estates – $10 @ Safeway (Washington wine)

Rating: NR

Note: this was tasted as part of Washington Wine Report’s virtual tasting for January. Other note: I poured a splash of this onto the floor for Jeff, recently eliminated from Top Chef. We’ll miss you, you over-thinking blondie!

On the (muted) nose, I got cherry, vanilla, and toasty oak. The good news on the palate: soft, easy-drinking mouthfeel; surprisingly nice, chocolatey tannins. The bad news:  thin, insipid cherry fruit; too much flab (not enough acid); and a big mouthful of wood. No thanks.

This is 85% Merlot, 7% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.

2000 Col Solare – $32 @ Cellar 46 (Washington wine)

Rating: 4

Marchese Piero Antinori represents the 26th generation of winemakers in the Antinori family of Tuscan winemakers. In 1992, he visited the Columbia Valley, and excited by what he saw, sought a partnership with the winemakers at Chateau Ste Michelle. Their shared goal was to make the finest Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine in Washington.

Well, I don’t know about the finest, but this is pretty damned good. On the nose, plums and coffee, with hints of butterscotch and beautiful background notes of orange. On the palate, the first word that comes to mind is “fresh.” There is a minty aspect that lifts the array of red fruit flavors. I got moderate acid and nice, big tannins that are still chalky and grippy for a 9-year-old. While this would probably be fine in another 9 years, there is no reason to wait.

Normally a $55 bottle, Cellar 46 currently has a ridiculous price on this: $31.50. For we cellarless masses, this is an extremely rare opportunity to taste 9-year-old Washington Cab that is just hitting its prime, at a fraction of the price of more recent vintages. We sold the last bottles in the store today, but we should be able to get one more allocation. If you’re interested in trying a bottle or two, let me know, through comments or e-mail.

McCrea Cellars Tasting (Washington wine)

Through my Cellar 46 connection (thanks, Ryan!), I was lucky enough to be invited to a McCrea Cellars tasting at the home of Susan Neel, the Marketing & Sales Director for the winery. Doug McCrea was an early pioneer for Rhone varietals (e.g. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier, Roussanne) in Washington state, and he continues to use his partnerships with growers to remain on the bleeding edge of innovation for Rhone grapes. Where else in the state can you find wines made from Grenache Blanc or Picpoul?

Before we get to the tasting notes, it’s worth noting that I was tasting and scribbling at a pretty fast clip, so these wines were not evaluated with the same rigor that I normally try to bring to the table. Now, onto the notes:

Rating: NR

2007 McCrea Viognier Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($22)

2007 McCrea Roussanne Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($22). Served too cold for proper evaluation.

NV McCrea Vin Rosé Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($18 )

2005 McCrea Syrah Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($44). Tightly wound and tannic right now, but if the 1999 version is any indication, this will soar in a few years.

Rating: 3

2007 McCrea Grenache Blanc Boushey Vineyard ($32). Floral nose followed by a mouthful of creamy marshmallows. I would have liked a bit more acid.

2007 McCrea Grenache ($32). Nose of meat and red fruit. On the palate, spicy red fruit, nice acid, good back-end tannins. Might be a little young still; this will be an interesting one to keep an eye on.

2007 McCrea Mourvedre Ciel du Cheval Vineyard ($28). Lots of beef on the nose and in the mouth. This is a hearty, tannic beast that either needs a few years in the cellar, a few hours in the decanter, or a few bowls of stew to pair with.

2005 McCrea Syrah Amerique ($40). This is McCrea’s homage to Aussie-style Shiraz. Lots of baking spices on the nose, followed by more spice and berries on the palate. The addition of 23% Mourvedre adds some tannic heft, and this too could use another year or two.

Rating: 4

2007 McCrea Sirocco Blanc ($25). An intriguing, Chateauneuf-du-Pape-style blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Picpoul, and Roussanne. On the nose, steel and toasted nuts. The palate is all crushed gravel and beautifully acidic minerality. This is absolutely lovely.

2006 McCrea Counoise ($28). This is a grape that is more frequently used as a blending agent than bottled varietally, but I thought this bottle was delicious. A nose of grilled herbs and red berries, and a really soft mouthfeel with rich red fruit and bright acid.

2005 McCrea Sirocco ($32). A wonderful blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Counoise. Nose of candied cherries, and once in the mouth, incredible balance of lively acidity and chalky tannins carrying waves of red fruit.

2006 McCrea Syrah ($25). This is McCrea’s least expensive Syrah, and it’s a great value. Nice hints of earth on the nose (most likely from the Boushey fruit), and then a silky mouthfeel that is unusual for Syrah. Delicious dark fruit.

2005 McCrea Syrah Boushey Grand Cote Vineyard ($44). As usual, Boushey Syrah makes my head spin. The nose is like digging a hole in the ground and then climbing in, and the palate is iron-clad cherries. Remarkable stuff, and my favorite bottle of the day.

2004 McCrea Syrah Cuvee Orleans ($50). McCrea makes the Boushey Syrah and the Ciel du Cheval Syrah, but his flagship is the Cuvee Orleans, which attempts to blend the best juice from both vineyards. I had previously tasted and loved the 2003 version of this, and the ‘04 is very similar. The nose is so seductive, with stewed plums and blackberries, and hints of pie spices. The palate delivers exactly what the nose promises, with dark, rich, spicy fruit. This is best savored on its own; save the food for another time.

1999 McCrea Syrah Ciel du Cheval Vineyard (N/A). The McCrea folks were nice enough to pull this bottle out of their library, and for me, this was an amazing opportunity. I had already tasted the 2005 version at this point and found it completely shut down, tannic, and ungenerous. So it was remarkable to see what some cellar age can do. Alluring nose of black tea, orange rind, and peaches. On the palate, more black tea and raspberries, with hints of cardamom and a nectarine finish. Excellent!

2007 Flying Fish Riesling – $11 (Washington wine)

Rating: NR

This gets no rating since it was a gift, but I was really pleased with this Washington Riesling. It’s a blend of Columbia Valley and Wahluke Slope grapes, and it is produced by the Wahluke Wine Company, which is the Milbrandt brothers’ custom crush facility.  What is lost by blending Riesling is the inherent terroir-expressiveness of the grape, but what is gained in this case is the ability to craft a rich, delicious, food-friendly wine for under $12.

On the moderately expressive nose, lime zest;  creamy, hazelnutty notes; hints of candied ginger. On the palate, zingy acidity, pineapple, and a really pleasing bite of spice. This was dynamite with Panang curry and the Restaurant Wars episode of Top Chef.

Speaking of: if you’re at all interested in food and you’re not watching Top Chef, then I say shame on you! While this is not the most culinarily proficient group of chefs I have ever seen on the show, the entertainment value is still sky-high. My prediction for the final three is Jamie, Stefan, and Fabio, and I think Stefan is the winner. But only time will tell.

Anyone else watching the show care to hazard predictions?

Scenes from a Startup: The Vagaries of Grad School

Those of you still reading this page have probably noticed a marked decline in postings of late. Such is life in the wild world of grad school, where a cushy, blog-indulgent fall quarter can quickly turn into a hellacious, demanding, blog-discouraging winter quarter.

My schedule and my classes are both more difficult. I have regular 8:30 classes, which reduces my desire to crack open a bottle on a Tuesday. And I have homework (horror of horrors), which eats time and keeps me away from writing.

It also keeps me away from working on the business end of Swordfern (which actually has a new name, but until incorporation we’ll keep on calling it Swordfern). But the good news is that the spring quarter schedule was just released, and if all goes as expected, next quarter should allow a full court press on getting this business launched and running.

There is also a moderate possibility that my first act in any official manner with the new company will come at Taste Washington. Stay tuned, and thanks for sticking with me through these quieter times.

And in the mean time, are you reading Sean Sullivan’s Washington Wine Report? He just released his report from barrel tasting weekend in Walla Walla, and it is an absolute treasure trove. The man has an impeccable palate and a way with words, and I encourage you to visit his site post haste.

2007 Owen Roe Sinister Hand – $25 @ Metropolitan Market (Washington wine)

Rating: 3

Sinister Hand is a Southern Rhone-style blend of 62% Grenache, 21% Syrah, and 17% Mourvedre.

This wine had a fun, albeit muted, nose of pink cotton candy, pistachios, and hints of red fruit and iron. On the palate, some mineral and spice, red fruits, and mixed nuts – acid was moderate; tannins nonexistent. This was a pleasant drinker, but a bit of a lightweight.

2002 Betz Syrah La Serenne – $35 @ Winebid.com

Rating: 4

The nose on this wine came screaming out of the decanter ready for business, reeking beautifully of an entire plate of choucroute. There was lots of cabbage and plenty of cured meats. I also got some raspberries, which are a little rarer on the choucroute plate, but so be it. On the palate, more cabbage, cherries, no real tannins to speak of, medium acid, long finish. This is right up my alley: a seriously funk-filled, top-notch wine.

Betz Family Winery is an elite Washington winery located in Woodinville. They do two releases each year: one is for their Bordeaux varietals; the other their Rhone varietals. La Serenne is their Syrah from Boushey Vineyard, and as you might remember from my tasting note on Ross Andrew’s recent effort, I am a big fan of the Boush funk.

While this was a delicious wine, the real rub of this post concerns vintage, price, and availability. The current release of Betz Rhone varietals is the 2006 vintage. I have seen these at QFC, Metro Market, and Cellar 46, ranging from $59 to $65 in price. But I bought this 2002 bottle at Winebid for $35. Okay, so Winebid has a 15% surcharge that bumps the price up to $40, and then I probably paid about $4 for shipping, but even with all that, the overall price for the 2002 La Serenne is $44, and the 2006 is $60. What gives? Syrahs from Betz are generally considered to be at their peak 5 to 10 years after release, so why would I pay more for a recent vintage?

I see two possibilities. One is that wines from auction sites like Winebid have questionable provenance; that is, there is no way of knowing exactly where the wine has been since its release. That’s fair enough, but Winebid vouches for these wines, and I have never had an off wine yet that I have purchased.

The more likely scenario is that auctions are inherently inefficient and cannot properly represent the market value of a wine. Why? Because a small fraction of the population that would love to get their hands on a 2002 La Serenne is actively looking for that bottle on Winebid. I happened to bid on that bottle during a week when no other Betz lovers were online looking, so I got a ridiculous bargain.

The moral of this story: consider these auction sites for older vintages of Washington wine that is not Quilceda, Cayuse, or Leonetti. Those three wineries have enough cachet that their fair market value is usually represented. But there are real bargains to be had for the not-quite-cult wineries, such as Betz, DeLille, K Vintners, and Abeja.

Go forth and drink mature Washington wine!

2007 Wines of Substance Cabernet Franc – $18 @ Cellar 46 (Washington Wine)

Rating: 4

Complex nose: up-front notes of dirt-covered black cherries; more subtle hints of black olive and poblano pepper. Wow; really intriguing nose. On the palate, licorice and red fruit, earthy funk, moderate acid, low tannins. Much like Bud Light, this has serious drinkability. I have to say, I was pretty well blown away by this effort. Delicious Washington State Cab Franc for under $20? Really? Try this if you see it.

Oh, and the web design for Wines of Substance is outstanding enough to deserve a link of its own.

Wines of Substance is a side project from the folks who run Waters Winery and Gramercy Cellars, two producers that don’t generally sniff the under-$20 segment. But all Substance wines come in under an Andrew Jackson, so they’re recession-friendly.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2009, my friends. This blog has been quiet of late, but I am back in Seattle now and (hopefully) over a recent stomach virus, so expect the tasting notes to flow like, erm, wine.