| Taste Walla Walla Portland Oregon... |
| By Tim & Carolyn Sinniger |
| February 28, 2008...The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance traveled west to Portland to put their new wine releases on display. In addition to the gala dinner that night at the Portland Art Museum they also had a trade tasting at the museum earlier that afternoon. Most of the 50 plus wineries in attendance were showing their 2005 vintage red wines along with their 2006 white wines. The 2004 growing season in Walla Walla saw a devastating freeze leaving many Walla Walla vineyards with little to no grapes to make wine with. Some wineries still fared well with estate fruit while some were left scrambling to source grapes. But Washington is a true wine community and the relationships that Walla Walla wineries have with growers and wineries like Chateau Ste Michelle and others in the larger Columbia Valley AVA allowed them to procure grapes and make some wonderful wines from the 2004 vintage. This day though was all about the 2005 vintage and a return to normalcy for Walla Walla winemakers. We enjoyed most all of the wines we sampled and it is our opinion that 2005 will be a very good vintage for Walla Walla red wine with Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon standing out. 2006 for white wine looks exceptionally good for Chardonnay and Rieslings. Below you will find highlights of some of the wineries and the wines we tasted. If you have an interest in these or other wines from Walla Walla drop us an email or give us a call. |
| Contents copyright Northwest Wine Fan 2008 |
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| Tim Sinniger |
| Spring Valley Vineyard was establised in 1993 and came to our attention with their 1999 vintage of Uriah red wine. Uriah (named after Uriah Cockrum who farmed the land in the mid 1800's) is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Uriah is one of a handful of Washington wines we collect in verticals. We recently enjoyed our last bottle of 1999 and it is still showing as beautifully now as when it was released. Other wines by Spring Valley Vineyard include Frederick, a blend of Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot, Nina Lee Syrah, Derby Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot called Mule Skinner. Spring Valley was acquired by Ste Michelle Wine Estates in 2005 after the passing of Devin Derby, the winemaker and son of the property owners. 2005 marks the first full vintage under Ste Michelle's stewardship and happily there are still members of the Derby family involved with Spring Valley Vineyard. We tasted both the Uriah and the Frederick and enjoyed them both (with perhaps a nod to the Uriah). |
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| Spring Valley Vineyard 18 N. 2nd Avenue Walla Walla, WA 99362 (509) 525-1506 Visit Spring Valley Vineyard's website |
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| Va Piano Vineyards 1793 JB George Road Walla Walla, WA 99362 (509) 529-0900 Visit Va Piano's Vineyard's website |
| Justin and Liz Wylie planted their estate vineyard in 1999 and celebrated the grand opening of their Tuscan styled tasting room in December of 2005. Their first releases were a 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. In a short time this boutique winery has had an impact in the marketplace with their wines being sought out by aficionados of great Walla Walla wine. They currently produce only three wines, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Syrah and their newest wine Bruno's Blend. Now on their third release, Bruno's Blend is made with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. A different label of artwork by Father Bruno Segatta appears on each year's release. With a total production of less than 2,000 cases a year these are wines to put on your want list (we weren't even able to get their 2005 Syrah). We sampled the 2006 Syrah and it is outstanding! To be released in May 2008. |
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| Zerba Cellars 85530 Highway 11 Milton-Freewater, OR 97862 (541) 938-9463 Visit Zerba Cellars website |
| Zerba Cellars is a name familiar to most Central Oregonian wine lovers. They have received gold medals the last two years at our local "Wine by the River" event in Bend. In 2006 they placed "Best of Show" with their 2004 Syrah and in 2007 they wowed everyone with their 2005 Merlot which sent them back to the Grand Award Reserve winner's tent again. Family owned and located in the Walla Walla Valley, Zerba Cellars has an impressive array of wines to offer. Their red wines include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Cab-Merlot blend, Malbec, Merlot, Port, a Reserve Red blend, Sangiovese, Syrah and of course the infamous Wild Z with the Zebra on the label. So many people at first mistook the wineries name for that they decided to have some fun with the label. White wines produced include Chardonnay, Semillon, Viognier, Syrah Ice Wine, Late Harvest Syrah and of course the popular Wild White blend. The accolades keep coming and Zerba Cellars is fast becoming a force to reckon with from the Walla Walla Valley. Great people, great wine! Our favorites from Zerba Cellars this year are the Wild Z red wine and of course the 2005 Merlot |
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| Long Shadows (No Tasting Room) PO Box 33670 Seattle, WA 98133-0670 (425) 454-3918 Visit Long Shadows website |
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| Long Shadows founder Alan Shoup spent 20 years at the helm of Stimson Lane Wine Group (Chateau Ste Michelle, Columbia Crest and others). There he developed winemaking partnerships with Dr. Loosen on Eroica Riesling and Pierro Antinori to produce Col Solare. With his new project "Long Shadows" he builds upon that foundation partnering with some of the most talented winemakers in the world. Carolyn and I have followed this project since its inception. Their first release was a 2003 Poets Leap Riesling. The wines offered from Long Shadows are some of the best in the Northwest. The picture above shows the current Long Shadows wine lineup. We have most of these wines in stock. From left to right: Pedestal Merlot This Merlot blend features Michel Rolland. Michel is perhaps the world's most famous wine consultant who travels the globe to assist wineries with their craft. Pirouette Philippe Melka and Augustin Huneeus team to make this Cabernet Sauvignon based blend. Melka has previously worked at icon wineries Petrus, Haut-Brion and Dominus while Huneeus had stints at Quintessa, Concha Y Toro, Franciscan and Mount Veeder. Feather What more can you say about Randy Dunn, the icon winemaker from Napa Valley. He served as head winemaker at Caymus from 1975-1985 before establishing Dunn Vineyards. Here at Long Shadows he makes a stellar Washington Cabernet Sauvignon. Chester-Kidder Alan Shoup and Gilles Nicault collaborate on Chester-Kidder, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. French winemaker Gilles Nicault received his degree from the University of Avignon and had previously worked at Hogue Cellars and Woodward Canyon. Sequel For 15 years John Duval presented the world with Australia's most celebrated wine, Penfold's Grange. His Sequel is a blend of Syrah with a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon added in. This is a wine of brooding deepness and like most Long Shadows wines capable of mid to long term cellaring. Saggi (not shown in picture) Among Tuscany's oldest and most prestigious winemaking families, Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari have teamed with Alan Shoup to produce this Super Tuscan styled blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Sumptious! Poet's Leap Armin Diel produces this Riesling for Long Shadows. It was the first release for the winery (the 2003 vintage) and for the price point of around $20.00 this is perhaps the best Riesling being made in America today. |
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| Trey Bush, formerly of Basel Cellars now has his own label and winery Sleight of Hand. |
| Charles Smith of K Vintners as well as his eponymous label Charles Smith Wines includes feisty label titles such as Skull, Boom Boom and Kung Fu Girl! |
| Dave Merfeld of Northstar has been bringing us some of the best Washington Merlot for the last seven years. |
| Some other winemakers we visited with... |
| Celebrity Sighting! Our very own Dennis Sienko (Center) along with Kate and Dave from Bend Wine Cellar |
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| Over 50 wineries! Thank goodness for the food and an ample supply of both sparkling and still drinking water. |
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| To find out more about the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and the up to date events happening there just click the logo above. |
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| Meanwhile, back in Bend... |
| Bergevin Lane 1215 West Poplar Street Walla Walla, WA 99362 (509) 526-4300 Visit Bergevin Lane's website |
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| OK! With over 50 wineries on display in Portland we could not visit with everyone. Luckily for us Annette Bergevin came to Central Oregon last week for an appearance at Avery's Wine Bar in Redmond. She also hosted a trade tasting for industry professionals the same day here in Bend where we were able to sample Bergevin Lane's latest releases. Wines we enjoyed (and have in stock now): |
| 2007 Calico White Blend A wonderful blend of Chardonnay, Roussanne and Viognier. 2004 Syrah "Oui Deux" Wahluke Slope Absolutely lovely Syrah, smooth with a femininity to it. A complex wine, but not overpowering. 2005 Intuition Reserve Red Wine A big brooding Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. One for the cellar. |