Reformed commodities trader Joshua West recently launched The Elephant Seven Wine Co., with the focus on Rhône varieties grown in the Walla Walla Valley. He sought out for this release Yellow Bird Vineyard, a 1,450-foot elevation site created in the Mill Creek region by Greg and Darlene Chan. West co-fermented these lots — half of them done whole cluster — using Joseph Phelps … [Read more...] about The Elephant Seven Wine Co. 2014 Yellow Bird Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $45
TruthTeller Winery 2015 Frolic Viognier, Yakima Valley, $20
Kirkland real estate exec Chris Loeliger began his journey into wine while he and his wife were living in Texas. Among the lessons this new Woodinville winemaker’s learned at South Seattle Community College’s Northwest Wine Academy was where to source fruit, and his knowledge shows with this remarkable production from Joe Hattrup’s stunning Elephant Mountain Vineyards from the … [Read more...] about TruthTeller Winery 2015 Frolic Viognier, Yakima Valley, $20
Boomtown by Dusted Valley 2014 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $19
Walla Walla winemakers Chad Johnson, Corey Braunel and Griffin Frey team up with the Wahluke Wine Co., for another solid example of Merlot under the sister brand for acclaimed Dusted Valley Vintners. Dark purple tones of blueberry, black cherry and pomegranate are joined by aromatic hints of lavender, brown sugar and chalkboard dust. On the pour, there’s brightness that leads … [Read more...] about Boomtown by Dusted Valley 2014 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $19
Cadaretta 2013 Windthrow Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $60
Washington winemakers continue to pursue red blends based on Rhone varieties, and Kendall Mix adds to the discussion the latest edition of Windthrow, a creation built upon Syrah (76%) with layers of Mourvèdre (17%) and Cinsault. Once again, we can marvel at the influence of Tedd Wildman’s StoneTree Vineyard as the Wahluke Slope site contributed 58% of the final blend, followed … [Read more...] about Cadaretta 2013 Windthrow Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $60
L’Ecole No. 41 2014 StoneTree Vineyard Grenache, Wahluke Slope, $36
Tedd Wildman’s StoneTree Vineyard on the sultry Wahluke Slope excels with red Rhone varieties, so Grenache, a rather rare and expensive grape in Washington, is a prized commodity. Ripeness seems to never be an issue at StoneTree, and this lot was harvested remarkably early - Sept. 13 - at nearly 27 Brix. The predominantly neutral barrel program allows for the fruit to shine, … [Read more...] about L’Ecole No. 41 2014 StoneTree Vineyard Grenache, Wahluke Slope, $36