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

Some notable wines from this week’s tastings:

2004 Meyer Family Syrah – Best of flight vs 05 Peter Lehmann from Barossa and 06 Qupe.  Herbs, spice, dried meats and black fruit nose.  Raspberries and blackberries with good mouthfeel and long finish.

2008 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Gris – Gewurz-esque aromas with floral notes and spice and then some grapefruit.  Good acid and citrus on the palate.

2006 Cadence Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Bordeaux Blend - Fairly hot on the nose which made it elusive, with some blackberries and black cherries coming in a little later.  Decent texture with spice and licorice on the palate.

2005 Peter Lehmann Clancy’s Shiraz Blend - Cinnamon vicks vapo rub with black licorice on the nose.  Big black fruit blackberries and spice on the palate.

2008 Parducci Sustainable White – Nose was very subdued and barely gave way with hints of peach and white flowers. Lemony and minerality on the palate.  Refreshing and crisp.

Also tasted about a dozen red wines from Washington State preparing for tonite’s Wine Club event.  Will share the results of the week that was in Washington Reds as well as the results of the tasting event.  Have a great wine weekend!

Cheers!

The theme of this month’s club event was Petite Sirah, which meant it was time to pull our pants up, strap ourselves in and prepare for some big time wine.  It’s very interesting how contradictory the name is if you think about it from the taste perspective, however, it’s called Petite because the size of the grapes are much smaller than it’s father, Syrah.  Ampelographically speaking (wow, that’s a big word), Petite Sirah has also been known as Durif, named for the French botanist who developed it, which is a cross between Peloursin and Syrah, as discovered by Dr. Carole Meredith of UC-Davis.  Petite Sirah has been in the U.S. since the late 1880’s, however, Syrah does not appear on the California scene until the 1940-50’s.

The group tasted 7 bottles, blind, with no other criteria other than bring a PS.  I will give notes only on the top 3, but will list the remaining wines at the bottom:

WOTN: 2006 Vina Robles Jardine (Paso Robles) – The color was inky and purple and got some serious heat on the nose, but that is to be expected with PS, as well some nuttiness.  On the palate, I detected licorice/anise, blackberries with strawberries right at the end.  There were medium to high tannins, though not the hairiest of the night.  Overall, very velvety, balanced and delicious from nose to finish.

2005 JC Cellars Frediani (Napa Valley) - Once again, very dark, with a bowl of nuts on the nose and blackberries/black cherries as well as vanilla (the wife thought of whipped cream) on the palate.  This was the BMOC as chewiness goes for the evening… felt like I had shag carpeting on the tongue – awesome!

2006 Greg Norman (Paso Robles) – The nose gave off hints of spice, beef jerky, very meaty.  The taste was primarily black fruit and dark cherries.  I don’t want to be snobby, but I was surprised to see a Greg Norman wine making the top 3, but I cannot deny the signature PS characteristics and great balance of this wine on this particular evening.

It was interesting to see 2 of the best wines were from Paso Robles.  It seems the warm/hot days followed by the cool/breezy evenings of the Central Coast are a great match for this powerful grape.  The other wines were:  2006 Writer’s Block (Lake), 2006 Guenoc (Lake), 2005 Ursa Major (Paso Robles) and 2007 Spellbound (CA)

An honorable mention from a previous post: 2006 Starry Night (Lodi)

On this evening, PS did not disappoint and even picked up a new fan in Angela, the night’s hostess.  For those of you who want to get more into Petite Sirah, visit the PS I Love You site:  http://www.psiloveyou.org/

Ok, that title was way too easy and quite cheesy, but I couldn’t help myself.  I really love Syrah, recently focusing on the Northern Rhone style, to the point I’ve attempted to make my own using Crushpad’s winery services.  I won’t know for a while if I even came close until it gets bottled after 14 months of barrel aging.  In the meantime, let’s try a flight of some Syrah from 3 very different regions of the world: Australia, France and Argentina.

2006 Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz-Viognier Victoria, Australia      $25
Don’t be fooled by the “Viognier” part of the label.  As a matter of fact the wine bar didn’t even list it on their menu, it only stated Shiraz.  Turns out there is only 5% of Viognier added and I’m not quite sure what characteristics it has added.  If anyone knows, please comment.  Additionally, this was a partnership between Terlato and Chapoutier, who produced the next wine in the flight below.

Color: Dark ruby
Nose: Vegetal at first, some licorice and violet, coffee. The coffee was faint at first but then became more pronounced 15 min later
Taste: Mineral,  vegetal, some cassis and med tannins

2005 M. Chapoutier “Belleruche” Cotes du Rhone           $17
Color: Lighter ruby/burgundy, lightest of the flight
Nose: Light nose, couldn’t get a lot out of it, maybe some red berries, overall very tight
Taste: Blackberries, more tannin, spice, long finish

I really loved the taste and flavors in this wine and what I expected in a Rhone Syrah, but was disappointed in the overall experience because the nose was so shy.  Overall, the smoothest, fruitiest and spiciest of the three.

Normally $35, I was able to take advantage of a special for the 2005 Paul Autard Chateneuf Du Papeat $25 just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.  I grabbed 4 bottles because though this red blend from the southern part of the Cotes du Rhone region of France is drinkable now, it can be kept for another 10 years.  I hope to try it again in a few more years and then a few more after that to see how it changes.

This is a traditional blend from the southern Rhone with 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Couniese along with Cinsault, Mourvedre and Muscardin. 

Color:  Deep, ruby red

Nose:  Some bitter dark chocolate, slight charcoal and reminded me of port (note: 14.5% alcohol), maybe some licorice

Taste: Cinnamon like you get on the crust of an apple pie or some kind of coffee cake, raisins and maybe clove.  A good bit of spice that leads to tannins that cover the entire mouth and finishes nicely

Overall, I think this is a good cross-over wine if you’re interested in trying the old world styles because the Syrah gives you that familiar spice and tannic character, but you get a feel for the flavors and complexities that come with blending the classic Rhone varietals listed above.

The bottle itself was also very cool with raised glass design of the words spelling out Chateneuf Du Pape… maybe a nice mantle-piece that you can turn into a candle for Christmas?