Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo 2014
A first for me from cult Walla Walla producer, Christophe Baron of Cayuse Vineyards the 2014 Camaspelo expresses smoke, earth, alder wood, black olives, Pu’er tea, incense, and underbrush that burnoff like morning fog to reveal a finely-wrought structural base of blackcurrant and cassis. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with there’s a touch […]
Open Claim Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2015
A new and very small project, the winery website mentions only 121 cases altogether, Open Claim Vineyards 2015 Pinot Noir hails from a historic site so named “by the virtue of the Donation Land Claim Act 1850, parcel #68 in Polk County, Oregon was offered in open claim…” Headed up by veteran winemaker Tony Rynders, […]
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Another wine wholeheartedly enjoyed in the company of team #mywinesociety—the 2013 Silver Oak Alexander Cabernet Sauvignon is composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec, all from the same sub-appellation. It’s plummy, but quickly opens to reveal subtler notes of cassis, kirsch, sandalwood and vanilla bean paste. On entry, juicy black fruit is […]
Prophecy Wines California Pinot Noir 2015
As a former student of design, I am ever drawn into a label series with thoughtful, enchanting imagery—such is the case with the Prophecy collection, it’s bottlings span several continents and I have been perhaps slightly more enamored with the whites and the rosé than the reds. That said, this 2015 California Pinot Noir is […]
Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
A decade on the 2008 Alexander Valley Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon has developed nicely—it’s spent 24 months in barrel with another 15 months of bottle conditioning prior to release. Red currant, sweet red cherries, cassis, loamy soil, cinnamon bark, and vanilla bean anoint the nose. For a Sonoma Cabernet, it’s lighter in style, and medium-bodied. […]
Tendril Wine Cellars Child’s Play Columbia Valley Zinfandel 2015
An offshoot label of Tendril Wine Cellars, Child’s Play Zinfandel is sourced from the Red Heaven Vineyard at the very south end of the Red Mountain AVA, and sports an amiable profile of black fruit, black cherry, plums, incense, cinnamon, sweet tobacco, and wet terra cotta. Medium-bodied, with soft, supple tannins that are nicely delineated […]
Peter Zemmer Rollhütt Pinot Noir 2017
Worth every penny, Peter Zemmer’s Northern Italian Pinot Noir is intensely perfumed, with lilting aromas of dried rose petals, cola, homemade strawberry jam, raspberry, and underbrush. The aromatic profile perfectly matches the nose—it’s elegant, buoyant, and reigned in, with a finish etched in floral undertones and limestone minerality. 13.0% ABV | Sample Peter Zemmer 9o […]
Rain Dance Vineyards Estate Pinot Noir 2016
A well of plush red fruit set against a frame of silky tannins and moderate acidity, Rain Dance’s Estate Pinot Noir 2016 has much to offer, mainly, pleasure. Black cherry, macerated strawberries, Madagascar vanilla bean, cola, and warm spices round out the nose. This blend of 44% Dijon Clone 667, 14% Pommard, 14% Wädenswil, 14% […]
Gramercy Cellars Cabernet Franc 2013
A rare treat tasted with Gramercy Cellars co-winemaker Brandon Moss—this was, we were told, the last remaining bottle of this limited club release—it’s a testament to the longevity of Walla Walla Valley fruit when vinified correctly, one feels that this bottle has another decade left in it. Brimming with aromas of mulberries, plums, crushed violets, […]
Va Piano Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Rosebud Vineyard 2015
A standout in the lineup from wines we tried from Va Piano on our recent visit to Walla Walla—Rosebud Vineyard, formerly Rosebud Ranches, as it was known when I sourced fruit from it—brought back fond memories for me as a vintner. Va Piano’s 2015 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon expresses sexy aromatics of red currant, red […]