TN: Four TamarackCllrs Reds...(short/boring)

We tasted last night (1/27/17) at Pig+Fig a few reds of Tamarack Cllrs:

1. TamarackCllrs Counoise Ciel du Cheval/RedMtn (14.1%; www.TamarackCellars.com) Walla 2013: Med.color; rather
   earthy/loamy light strawberry/blueberry/slight licorice slight floral/peppery bit rustic nose; quite tart/
   tangy rather earthy/loamy bit coarse/rough light strawberry/blueberry fairly typical Counoise flavor w/ light
   rough tannins; very long light strawberry/blueberry/licorice rather earthy/loamy finish w/ light rough tannins;
   not a lot of high-toned fruit and typical Counoise character; a quite pleasant/interesting rough/rustic red. $30.00

2. TamarackCllrs Syrah ColumbiaVlly (14.5%) 2012: Very dark/near black color; very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah
   slight earthy/licorice/pungent some toasty/oak lovely nose; bit soft very strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/
   spicy structured slight peppery/pungent flavor w/ some ripe/hard tannins; very long slightly soft very strong
   blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/oak quite structured finish w/ some ripe/hard tannins; loads of
   blackberry Syrah fruit and quite structured; needs 2-6 yrs of age I suspect; very well-priced at $25.00

3. TamarackCllrs Syrah Ciel du ChevalVnyd/RedMtn (14.8%; TablasCreek + ENTAV 174 clones) 2012: Very dark/black color;
   very intense Syrah/blackberry/boysenberry/spicy/peppery light toasty/oak slight earthy bit licorice/pungent beautiful
   nose; fairly tart very strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe/peppery slight earthy/licorice/pungent light
   toasty/oak quite structured flavor w/ strong hard tannins; very long very strong blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe/
   spicy/peppery slight licorice/pungent/smokey very structured slight Rhonish/roasted/smoked meats finish w/ some
   hard tannins; very strong Syrah fruit and quite structured; needs 3-8 yrs of age; one of the better WashState
   Syrahs at a very good price. $28.00

4. TamarackCllrs Nebbiolo Ciel du ChevalVnyd/RedMtn (14.0%) 2013: Rather light color; very strong quite floral/Nebb/
   lilacs/violets very elegant fairly complex nose; very tart rather tannic very strong floral/lilacs/Nebb very slight
   pungent/road tar bit earthy/dusty flavor w/ ample hard/edgy tannins; very long quite floral/Nebb/lilacs/violets
   slight earthy/pungent/road tar quite tart some complex finish w/ light hard/edgy tannins; a classic crunchy Nebbiolo
   w/ a lot of the floral/perfumed side of Nebb; reminds me a bit of PeterDow’s/Cavatappi Nebbs but much more light
   on its feet and not as heavy-handed; a very good expression of Nebbiolo. $45.00

Stuff from TheBloodyPulpit:

1. TamarackCllrs: Run by Ron Coleman and his wife, Jamie, who is an Ophthamoligist in WallaWalla. Founded
   in 1998. This was a wnry I’d heard of but had never tried their wines. I became interested in Tamarack when
   I found out they were producing Nebbiolo and wanted to include them in our NEB group.
   So I ordered a few other of his red wines to try. We are hoping Ron/Jamie will come out and do a Tamarack
   winemaker at Pig+Fig here in LosAlamos and we took them for a test drive there last night. I was pretty
   impressed by them. I find WashState Syrahs can often be on the soft side. These two were very structured and should
   be good for the long haul. They reminded me a lot of DougMcCrea’s Syrahs but w/ much less oak and more structure.
   The Nebbiolo was also quite good w/ the emphasis in the perfumed/floral side of Nebb. It was as good as any we’ve
   tried in our NEB get-togethers. I very much look forward to trying the other Tamarack wines sometime in the future,
   hopefully at Pig+Fig.
   Tom

Thanks for the notes, Tom!!!

I have been searching for more unusual varieties grown/produced in Washington state recently.

When I saw your post and the mention of a Counoise, my mind immediately cast back to McCrea. It was, and remains, the sole Washington Counoise I have ever tasted. It was overwhelmed by smoky oak flavors, unfortunately, yet I enjoyed many of the wines I tasted from McCrea (Mourvedre, “Cuvée Orleans” Syrah, and “Boushey Vineyard” Syrah).

Mr McCrea’s efforts to establish Rhône grapes in the state of Washington often seem to be overlooked.

I wonder if the McCrea wines see a little more restraint in the application of oak nowadays?

Agree, Drew. DavidLake/ColumbiaWnry was the real pioneer for WashState, but Doug was right there behind him.
I believe SusanNeel now runs McCreaCllrs & Doug is no longer involved. I’ve not tasted any of late.
Tom

Tom

IN my limited experience with Walla Walla Nebbiolo I found the Washington wines to be much more approachable and fruitier than old world nebbiolo wines.

I’m not sure McCrea makes wine anymore as far as I can tell. The last vintage they released was the 2011, correct me if I’m wrong however.

Nice notes, Tom. I’m really glad to see Tamarack getting your love. They’re always one of my favorites. I particularly enjoy their single vineyard “Reserve” Bordeaux-style blends. At around 8-10 years, they’re really outstanding. I believe they only do four vineyards: Seven Hills, DuBrul, Ciel du Cheval, and Tapteil. Give 'em a try. Your notes tell me I should delve back into their other offerings.

I am fascinated by some of the vineyard-layouts in Washington: Red Mountain, The Benches (formerly Wallula), etc…

Doug McCrea has a new winery focusing on Spanish varieties.
http://salidawine.com/the-salida-story/

I’ve always thought that his wines were too ripe and low in acid. He also has more tolerance for brett than I do. He is an interesting guy to talk to, though.

Tamarack Cellars is under appreciated. Maybe they should charge more for the wines.

P Hickner

wish there was more Nebbiolo being produced in Wash. Love the floral notes one can get from that varietal.

Eeeeasy there, Peter! Watch it!