I really look forward to the annual local wineries tasting for the simple fact that I get to taste what they are doing or revisit a wine that I have already tried. We are fortunate to have four outstanding wineries within fifty miles of the San Juan Islands. San Juan Vineyards, Lopez Island Vineyards, Whidbey Island Winery and Mount Baker Vineyards. There are other wineries developing a reputation in the Skagit Valley and I will be keeping an eye on them and their wines along with wineries in Concrete. Next year we will include some of these venues in the Local tasting. For now we stuck with the four first mentioned along with beer from Skagit Brewery which is located in Mount Vernon. The selection of wines brought to the tasting was outstanding and the tasters had a chance to compare similar varietals produced by each winery. Siegerrebe, Madeleine Angevine and Rose’ were among the wines that each winery brought a sample of. Here is a review of the wines tasted and some insight into how the tasters felt about them.
Appropriately, table one showcased wines from San Juan Vineyards the winery located in our very own backyard.
2009 Siegerrebe Estate Grown...
Chris Primus is incredibly consistent in his production of this varietal always making an outstanding wine from this grape that they grow out at the vineyards on San Juan Island. I still think they should bottle this wine and sell it as a perfume. A few squirts behind the ears and on the neck and folks would be clamoring for a bottle of this stuff. Very fragrant on the nose with notes of banana, apple, lemon and a splash of various tropical fruit tones. I could actually just smell this wine and feel like I got my monies worth. Hold on though because drinking it is an outstanding experience also. Red delicious apples, mango and papaya dance across the palate with a wonderful freshness, good acidity and dry enough to make this a wonderful match with shellfish. The yin and yang of white wines, it smells sweet and fragrant but is dry in the mouth begging for some food. This is one of those wines you do not mind drinking solo but pairs nicely with seafood. 92 points
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2008 Madeleine Angevine Estate Grown...
Sauvignon blanc on steroids is the way I describe this wine to my customers. It really does have the characteristics of a sauv. blanc. Lemon custard and melon on the nose. The palate is intense with notes of lemons and grapefruit. The wine tightens up on the finish with almost a Sancerre like finish of herbs and mineral components. For those expecting a light fruity wine you are in for a surprise. This baby is dry and delicious with everything in it you need for oysters or clams. This wine really does need food. I drink it solo but that is just the way I roll! 89 points
2008 Chardonnay Yakima Valley
This vintage the winery decided to skip producing a reserve chard and chose instead to blend the reserve that they had in with the regular chard and only have one version for the vintage. At this stage I feel like the wine needs just a little more time in bottle. Slightly awkward the nose is closed down somewhat with slight notes of toast, apples and melon. On the palate the wine is slightly fragmented with hits of lemon, apple, toast and melon that hit you throughout the experience in no particular order. I believe that this wine will settle down over the next six months and I will re-taste in then. As of now, this wine is O.K. but not close to what they have done in the past. 86 points
2008 Riesling Yakima Valley
Definitely a drier style Riesling with a .6 % residual sugar. Showing wonderful notes of grapefruit and apricots with a nice minerality not seen in many Washington State Riesling. This wine just received a number of outstanding awards and I have to say that it is one of the more popular wines in the store. 88 points
2009 Afterglow (Rose) Washington State
Chris Primus has a knack for making some very good rose’. He prefers the Provence style, one that has what we call a bone dry finish. This vintage is certainly not as dry as the last but a delicious effort nonetheless. Pretty cherry and raspberry notes on the nose with just a touch of candied fruit coming through. Lots of strawberry comes through on the palate with a nice fullness on the mid-palate going into a refreshing dry finish. This rose has great balance and will be a nice match with seafood or a on a deck in the warm summer evenings. 89-90 points
2006 Merlot Yakima Valley
This wine has so many medals around it’s neck I swear the glass is going to break. For those who have given up on Merlot for some unknown reason, this wine should give you a reason to come back to reality. Merlot is a great varietal and done right is as enjoyable as any red can be. This merlot is growing on me more and more each time I taste it. Cherries and vanilla notes come through on the nose with hints of herbs. Sweet tannins on the palate with notes of mixed berries, ripe cherries and hints of green bell pepper. The wine fills the mid-palate and evolves into a fairly long and pleasing finish. Very polished yet shows elements of earth and herbs. A very well made wine. 90 points
2007 Cab-Merlot Yakima Valley
This wine came across very herbaceous on the nose with notes of green bell peppers, fennel and dill components with splashes of cherries. Toasty blackberries came through on the front and mid-palate with notes of dark plums and hits of vanilla, mocha and chocolate at the end of the mid-palate. The green notes came through on the finish with black pepper, green bell pepper followed by a nice freshness on the finish. This wine is bound to get better as it ages in the bottle, it has the potential. 87 points
2007 Cabernet-Franc Yakima Valley
Cab Franc is sputtering a bit in the wine world. Sometimes I think it is going to take off like a rocket then sales get really quiet. I think peeps are still unsure as to what to expect from this wine. I love it when it is done right especially when it has a kiss of oak on it. This wine doesn’t have as much oak as I personally like but it is very well done. I believe that if Yvonne could brush her teeth with this wine, have it in the morning in place of orange juice and have it as a night cap every evening she would. Aromas of toasty cherries come through on the nose. When it hits your mouth, notes of green bell peppers , white pepper, red currants and red cherries come through building through the mid-palate with a slight grip of tannins on the back end. This wine screams for grilled meats and should be an excellent compliment to your summer BBQ. 89 points
2008 Sangiovese Yakima Valley
This wine was bottled not too long before this tasting so it was still fresh in the bottle. Notes of smoked cherries and currants came through on the nose. Smokey plums, black currants and spice on sweet tannins filled the palate into a decently long finish. Like all sangiovese the mouth feel was a little lighter but this wine shows great potential and should show a lot better in about 3-6 months. 88 points
Table #2: Lopez Island Vineyards
2008 Madeleine Angevine Estate Grown (Organically Grown)
This nose on this wine was incredibly aromatic. Blind, I might guess this to be a Siegerrebe, it had similar aromas. Lean on the front of the palate with some lemon zest notes on the mid-palate followed by a light clean fresh finish. A lighter style white with an interesting nose. 87 points
2007 Chardonnay Yakima Valley
I have to say that this is the most interesting chardonnay I have put to my lips. When I smelled this wine I was taken back to my grandmothers house smelling her warm home-made apple sauce. You know the kind, with the big chunks of apples blended with cinnamon. That is exactly what this chard smelled liked to me. Not necessarily what I want out of a chard but not offensive. This same theme came through on the palate with notes of spicy baked apples, toast and hits of bitter lemon on the back end. This chard was a little awkward on the palate and the finish was weak. I like Brent a lot and hate to say this, but I did not like this effort. 86 points
Wave Crest Ruby Blend Yakima Valley
Blended from sangiovese, Riesling and chasselas dore’ this wine is a ten in the delicious category. The nose was slightly closed probably because it was chilled a little too much. I did get notes of red plums. The palate gets hit with a blast of fruit up front, sweet cherries, ripe red plums and a touch of cane sugar. The wine coats the palate but dries up on the finish. If you are expecting a dry rose this is not going to do it for you. However, the wine is so delicious it grows on you and I swear I could drink this stuff all day. 88 points
2007 Cab-Merlot Yakima Valley
I believe this wine best expresses the winemakers personal approach to wine. Over the years of tasting Brent’s wines I appreciate that he takes a very "French" approach to the wines. This wine is very Bordeaux-like in style. Very subtle on the nose with notes of leather soaked in cherry juice. On the palate there are notes of asparagus, tobacco, black tea and herbs. If you are a Bordeaux fan, you will love this wine and appreciate the winemakers approach. 88 points
Table #3: Whidbey Island Winery
2009 Island White Estate Grown
A blend of madeleine angevine and madeleine sylvaner this white is always a crowd pleaser although less this year then last. Very floral on the nose with notes of white flowers, papaya and mangoes. Low in acid with flavors of peaches and apricots followed by a clean, dry finish. Not flabby by any means but not alive on the palate. 87 points
2008 Siegerrebe Estate Grown
Like most of the siegs I have tried this wine shows off a wonderful nose of peaches, melon, apricots and white flowers. A tiny hit of sprits hits the palate at the start followed by notes of apricots, peaches and hints of minerality which I found quite intriguing. This wine is pretty round on the mid-palate but never gets into the "Heavy" category. Nice finish of roasted peaches and very clean. 90 points
2009 Madeleine Angevine Estate Grown
Honey and white flowers on the nose with whiffs of green apple. Sweetness hits the palate immediately followed by notes of red delicious apples that finishes drier then expected and a touch thin. A slightly one dimensional effort. 86 points
2007 Sangiovese Yakima Valley
This red had an almost Valpolicella Ripassa flavor profile to it with a nose of spicy raisin, plum and black currants. Bright on the front of the palate as a sangiovese should be followed by notes of black currants and spicy cedar. The tannins are sweet yet have a grip to them and the finish is fairly long. Right up there with a mid-priced Chianti. 88 points
2008 Lemberger Yakima Valley
How stupid is that; I forgot to put my review for this wine... Here goes. There is not a lot of this varietal available out there. Shooting Star does a Washington grown version along with a couple of others from the state. This wine has a very interesting cinnamon toast and cherry nose although slightly challenged. Spicy pepper on the palate along with notes of rose pedal , black cherry and mixed berries. There is a tannic grip on the back end lending this wine towards a grilled steak. Not a bad effort and certainly one to consider to have along with your BBQ this summer. 88 points
2008 Dolcetto Yakima Valley
This is a varietal you do not see a lot of outside of Northern Italy. However, Whidbey Island Winery does a very nice job with it. Spice comes through on the nose with notes of lilacs, plum and currants. Rounder dark fruit on the front of the palate showing good structure, solid tannins that hit the sides of the mouth followed by leather and spice on the finish. It is hard to believe that a Washington winery came bring a little of Italy in the bottle. A very good wine with the "Old World" kiss. 89 points
Table #4: Mount Baker Vineyards
2007 Rosetta Blanc
This wine had the strangest bouquet I have experienced in awhile. To help me get my bearings I went to Chris Primus to see what he thought. He only confirmed what I feared. This white smelled of pickle juice blended with sugar. Of course as you know, I never let the nose be the judge and jury of a wine. The palate was quite different showing notes of ripe melons, pear and apples with a hit of sweetness on the finish. If you can get past the nose, this wine isn’t half bad. Randy tells me this is one of his top sellers at the tasting room. My suggestion to him is keep it there! Kidding aside, this was on the bottom of my list of favorites and I give it a pazzzz. 86 points
Pinot Gris Washington State
This wine was one of the best deals at the show. The style of this wine is between pinot gris and pinot grigio. Rounder on the palate but with less viscosity then you find in a lot of pinot gris. Nice apple tones with hints of melon. Fresh on the palate lending it as a match to shellfish which makes it a perfect Northwest white. It has enough body to also make it a nice match for seafood such as halibut or crab. This baby goes for around eight bucks making it a great guest wine or everyday sipper. 87 points
Rosetta Rose Yakima Valley
Randy and crew always do a nice job with their rose. On the dry side showing notes of strawberries and cherries. This is more traditional rose and one that I am quite fond of. It was really nice to see three of the four wineries bring a rose’ to the table. This is the summer to "Think Pink" and realize that this is not a version of white zinfandel. Rose is very versatile matching up nicely with several foods and is perfectly fine solo. 87 points
2007 Zinfandel Yakima Valley
I have to tell you right now that zinfandel is one of my favorite wines and one that I am most critical of. I have enjoyed a vast array of zins from Turley to Gamba, from Biale to Ridge. This effort from Mount Baker Vineyards can be mentioned among this group, I kid you not. Very, very powerful on the nose and palate. Black fruit including dark cherries, strawberries, brambleberries tossed with black pepper and anise come through in layers. The wine is deep and rich and hard to break down in one effort. This wine will grow hair on your chest and at the same time make you feel like you just got kissed by the sexiest person you know.! This wine is seductive and powerful and worth every penny the winery is asking for it. If you love big powerful zins that do not even get close to the pretty side, this is for you, and make sure you are cooking some juicy ribs, or a blue cheese steak to accompany this bottle of juice. 94 points
The tasters were all over the board at this event but the feel I got was that many folks loved the zinfandel from Mount Baker Vineyards and also the cab-merlot from Lopez Island Vineyards. On the white side, I would have to say that the hands down favorite was the Siegerrebe from Lopez Island Vineyards and their Madeleine Angevine followed by the Riesling from San Juan Vineyards. Honorable mention needs to go to the Dolcetto from Whidbey Island Winery. Many folks came back for seconds on this baby!
I would like to thank everyone for their support during the 2009-2010 tasting season and I look forward to another successful year. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
