- New Alliance of Women in Washington Wine already stands at 200 strong
- Bullocks bid goodbye to Eye of the Needle Winery in Woodinville
- VineLines Dispatch #7: That’s a wrap
- Former Oregon car dealer gears up with Jachter Family Wines
- VineLines Dispatch: 6 Vineyards at Work
- L’Ecole Nº 41 to create wine bar at Marcus Whitman Hotel
- VineLines Dispatch: Harvest surrounding Lake Chelan
- Northwest restaurateurs purchase Basel Cellars in Walla Walla
- Hayden Homes CEO buys interest in Pepper Bridge, Amavi wineries
- Walla Walla Community College to receive $15 million gift from MacKenzie Scott
Luke Wines 2016 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $25

For four straight vintages, Thomas Vogele focused his Luke Wines project on Cabernet Sauvignon. Starting in 2016, the University of Washington grad and his wife, Kristin, began to branch out with Merlot and Syrah. They’ve gone big with Luke as a brand, growing beyond 10,000 cases, and they pull all the fruit from Jerry Milbrandt’s vineyards on the Wahluke Slope. For this Merlot, the list reads Clifton, Northridge, Sundance, Talcott and the re-energized Wahluke Slope Vineyard. Blackcurrant, black cherry, vanilla and mint aromas lead into a deep and dark blue fruit profile that’s joined by taut yet sandy tannins and a long finish of Marionberry milkshake. Enjoy now with a rib eye, but there’s a long life ahead. Vogele’s two decades of experience working for the likes of Gallo, Trinchero and the Mondavi family have helped him get Luke into 35 states.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 1,053 cases
Alcohol: 13.9%
2 Comments