Keeping the theme of Washington wines going, we hosted our local wine club tasting for January and asked everyone to bring a favorite red from the state. Initially, we expected a few Merlots, since Washington had become somewhat known for this varietal before the-movie-which-cannot-be-named put a halt to such stardom. Or maybe even a few Syrahs. Check out DrinkNectar’s poll here where in which Syrah edges out Merlot as the variety Washington is best known for. We will see what us Georgia folk know about it.
A Little Background
Washington is a distant second behind California in domestic wine production. The Cascade mountains divide the state into two very distinct climates: evergreen rainy hills to the west and dry sunny desert to the east. It is interesting to note that the state is at roughly the same latitude as Germany which produce very cold winters. As you might then expect, Riesling and Gewurztraminer do quite well here. Because of its more northern latitude, it has longer days that lead to more than 2 hours of more sun than Napa which allow Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah to be very successful as well. Some of the more popular AVAs in Washington include Walla Walla, Red Mountain and Yakima Valley.
The Wines
* Thanks to our buddy Gregg Twadell, we have added some funk and jazz titles to pair with each wine just for shits and giggles.
2004 Buty Merlot/Cabernet Franc – Our entry into the contest was a bold wine and won out against a whole slew of others we tasted on our own leading up to this event. But it would not fair well on this night. The nose was subdued, light fruit, maybe prunes on the nose. The velvetyness of the Merlot came through and there was some spice on the end. This was certainly a “Brick House” by the Commodores.
2005 Apex Cabernet Sauvignon – Black cherry nose, medium level of tannin but a short finish. This wine scored well and finished just above the middle of the pack. This one is “Cherry, Cherry” by Neil Diamond.
2006 Bridgman Syrah – Ok, so one Merlot and now one Syrah on the evening, not bad. This was a little green and vegetative, maybe even some asparagus from some of the tasters. Definitely strong with some black fruit, black pepper and a longgg finish. This was like a “Love Rollercoaster” by, take your pick, The Ohio Players or Red Hot Chili Peppers.
2003 D2 Delille Cellars Bordeaux Blend – The breakdown is 45% Merlot, 36% Cab Sauv, 9% PV, 8% CF and ended up the winner this evening due to our second entry (04 Januik) not being eligible. Nice red fruit (strawberries), light and a little vanilla on the nose. Velvety mouthfeel, medium finish like whip cream. This led Gregg to call upon “Strawberry Letter No. 23″ by Brothers Johnson
2005 Apex Merlot – Ok, so by this point we are seeing a lot more Merlot in the lineup. This guy did not fare well with a vegetal nose with a little chocolate and green pepper. Acid seems a little high and the spicy finish smooths out over time. This one is definitely a “Shame” by Evelyn “Champagne” King.
2005 Terra Blanca Cabernet Sauvignon – This was a little grapey on the nose and palate, leading many to believe it might have been Merlot. This one just did not do well against the rest of the bunch and was pushed to the back of the line leaving Gregg to lament it got the “Shaft” by Isaac Hayes because not only did he bring it (Gregg, not Isaac) but because it was a bad mutha f – shut yo mouth! But, I’m talking about Shaft!?
2004 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon – Definitely a “Smooth Operator” by Sade, this one got a standing ovation from the crowd, but as I mentioned earlier it was not eligible since we are the hosts and we threw it in at the last minute. Chocolate and vanilla on the nose with blackberries and black cherries on the palate with a tremendously smooth mouthfeel.
2007 Bridgman Cabernet Sauvignon – This wine had to hold Kumate’ against the Delille D2 for the top spot and lost out unfortunately, left to “Pick Up The Pieces” by the Average White Band. It was lighter in color, blueberries on the nose and palate and very, very smooth.
In the end, it looked like Cabernet Sauvignon shined brighter than the Merlot and Syrah.
The Tasting Sheet Template
Nice post and great tasting, makes me want to head westward to WA. The Bridgman Syrah was definitely vegetal, a lot of green pepper that brings “Funky Town’ to mind too
Love this post. Do you guys see a fair amount of WA Wine available in Georgia? Not all of these are the mainstream guys.
Thanks for the shout out!
Josh
Thanks Party-J and Josh (also a Party J with mad guitar skillz) for the comments. I was surprised at how much WA wine we found both at Total Wine and Green’s, a beverage store. Haven’t researched which distributors they use. But, a good selection nonetheless that allowed us to try quite a variety last month.
Question, does your tasting group generally prefer Cab Sauv? Personally I do and I am almost always going to prefer a Cab over a Merlot BUT when I have a WA, CA FR Merlots blinded side by side I am going to probably pick the WA Merlot over the others.
Too bad the Januik was ineligible that 04 is one helluva of an elegant Cab and shows the elegance that Washington wines are capable of.
Bean, this particular group is pretty well-rounded and enjoys a plethora of wine styles, but our other club does have a lot of big red lovers mainly. I am very impressed with WA Cab AND Merlot and this was the first time I sat down and tasted so many together at one time. Based on what I’ve had so far this year, I would tend to agree with you that WA may sway me more than CA and FR in several cases. The Januik was awesome!