For the second straight year, the Mellisons achieved Platinum status with Syrah grown near the shores of Lake Chelan. Only this time, their work with Larc Hill Vineyard grapes was voted Double Platinum. The Joseph Phelps clone fruit yields aromas and flavors of blackberry, black cherry and black currant with tobacco leaf and truffle tones. Rich and velvety tannins pick up … [Read more...] about Mellisoni Vineyards 2020 Syrah, Lake Chelan $60
platinum awards
Tinte Cellars 2020 Irish Eyes Red Wine, Columbia Valley $48
Rhône-styled GSM blends are among the easiest to enjoy and have become brisk sellers. That’s true for this Grenache (41%) and Mourvèdre (20%) from Candy Mountain and Syrah (39%) from Dineen — two sites at opposite ends of the Yakima Valley American Viticultural Area. It’s stylish, complex and — thanks to Noah Reed Fox’s winemaking — fun to pick out the components. Moist … [Read more...] about Tinte Cellars 2020 Irish Eyes Red Wine, Columbia Valley $48
Tinte Cellars 2020 Syrah, Columbia Valley $45
Noah Reed Fox crafted one of the top GSMs of the Platinum, so it stands to reason that his standalone Syrah also achieved Double Platinum. However, this superb Syrah is a blend of historic Red Willow Vineyard in the Mount Adams foothills, Lewis near Prosser and Dineen, which contributed to the 2020 Irish Eyes GSM. Purple fruit and chocolate-covered espresso beans lead into … [Read more...] about Tinte Cellars 2020 Syrah, Columbia Valley $45
Tipsy Canyon Winery 2020 Mélange Noir Red Wine, Washington State $55
Mark Garvin takes a Meritage approach to this five-vineyard blend of five Bordeaux varieties — Merlot (50%), Malbec (17%), Cabernet Sauvignon (17%), Cabernet Franc (8%) and Petit Verdot. Two rising star vineyards — Quintessence on Red Mountain and Double D in the Rocky Reach — are joined by the Antoine Creek, Dry Lake and Native River site. Aromas and flavors of ripe … [Read more...] about Tipsy Canyon Winery 2020 Mélange Noir Red Wine, Washington State $55
Bayernmoor Cellars 2018 Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $60
From the start, attorney/winemaker Larry Harris has been focused on historic Washington state vineyards while his own estate plantings of Burgundy varieties have come into their own. Few spots in the Pacific Northwest can match the legacy of Klipsun, which the Gelles family planted in 1984 and sold to the Chicago-based Terlato Wine Group in 2017. Aromas of Chukar Cherries, … [Read more...] about Bayernmoor Cellars 2018 Klipsun Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $60