Charles & Charles 2012 Post No. 35 Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah, Columbia Valley, $14
Best Buy! Those who have visited the Walla Walla County town of Waitsburg may be familiar with this label. The photo of Charles Bieler and Charles Smith was staged in front of American Legion Post No. 35, a building Smith purchased and had painted. Their combination of Cabernet Sauvignon (58%) and Syrah comes from two of Washington’s largest groups of vineyards — Goose Ridge near Richland and Milbrandt (Wahluke Slope, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley). There’s a snootful of black cherry, boysenberry, chocolate and vanilla, while the palate seems to allow the Syrah to take the lead with dark plums and boysenberry. Acidity pushes ahead of tannin, while oak influences of dark chocolate and vanilla make for a lingering finish. Smith’s wines are distributed in virtually every state in the country, which should put these stars and stripes within the reach of many.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 48,000 cases
Alcohol: 13.6%
Lisa Gerber says
Thank you for including us in this great list. We’re looking forward to trying a few of these we haven’t tasted before
Morten Scholer says
Thanks this update on red blends – and the bottles presented.
Could someone let me know whether any of the many blends happen to be co-fermented, i.e. grapes blended prior to fermentation. And whether co-fermentation is at all used in your area.
A wine-grower in Northern California told me that the old tradition with field blends is gaining popularity with some producers near him. However, not in the old-fashioned form of true field blends where different grapes are planted next to each other.
Burgundy in France does traditionally not blend wines (different from Bordeaux) but there are a few exceptions – called passetoutgrains or passe-tout-grains. And they are wonderful. Some parts of Austria have a strong tradition of field blending and co-fermentation but that is mainly for white wines.
Interested as I plan a wine-tour to Washington-Oregon-California in June-July 2014.
Morten Scholer, Coppet, Switzerland
Andy Perdue says
Morten,
Thank you for taking the time to write. Generally speaking, the only co-fermented wines we see are Syrah with a bit of Viognier, made in the Cote-Rotie tradition. There are rare instances where field blends are co-fermented, as well.
We’ve tasted one example of a passetoutgrains-style blend in the Northwest, and that is JoieFarm in Naramata, British Columbia, which makes a wine called, appropriately, PTG. It is superb, and if you make your way to British Columbia in your travels, that wine is well worth seeking out.
Take care.