WASHINGTON STATE TRADE EVENT - North Loop, Minneapolis, MN (3/3/2019)
Amazing Event and here are the highlights. Wine of the event was the 2016 Cayuse Syrah En Cerise Vineyard and it was scary how good it is on a pop and pour. Back up the truck on that one as it will get better with time.
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2016 Cayuse Syrah En Cerise Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Wow! This wine is amazing and very Northern Rhone like. Beautiful nose of white pepper, funk , floral and stones. Palate is super complex and multilayered. Medium to long finish and picks up some nice minerality on the finish. This wine is amazing at this stage of the game. Just think what this will be like in 10 years. 95-97. (95 pts.) -
2015 L’Ecole No. 41 Perigee Estate Seven Hills Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Drinking really well with cherry, plum, baking spices, oak and floral. Medium plus finish and concentrated wine. This will age for a decade or more. Great wine.
56% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. (93 pts.) -
2014 L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Really solid wine with plum cherry, spice, floral and dust. Medium finish and good use of oak. This was tasty on a pop and pour and should have several years left. Drink now to 2024. (92 pts.) -
2013 Betz Family Bésoleil - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Red currants, charcoal, spice and floral notes. Medium finish and balanced overall. I would let these sleep for a while as this needs some time. 91-94. (91 pts.) -
2012 Betz Family Clos de Betz - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Cassis, tobacco, spice, oak and plum. A bit tight and needs some additional cellar time. I would wait on these until after 2021. 90+ (90 pts.) -
2014 Long Shadows Wineries Pirouette - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Black cherries, plum, spice and oak. Medium finish and definitely needs some more cellar time. Drink after 2021. (90 pts.) -
2014 Long Shadows Wineries Saggi - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Leather, red currants, floral and spices. Good concentration on this wine and balanced. Good acidity. Drink now to 2023. (92 pts.) -
2015 Powers Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Very solid effort. Cherry, plum, minerals and mild oak. This is a drink now offering but represents a tremendous value. (88 pts.) -
2015 Long Shadows Wineries Syrah Sequel - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
The best of the Long Shadows lineup. Concentrated and bright fruits, spice, pepper and floral notes. Certainly a new world wine but balanced. Good acidity. Drink now to 2023. (93 pts.) -
2015 Powers Spectrum - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Plum, Bing Cherries, oak, vanilla and dust. Medium plus finish. Well done. (90 pts.) -
2016 Hedges Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon InVogue Red Mountain Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Nice funk, oak, cherry, minerals and chocolate. A bit tight right now but recommend a heavy decant. Great upside on this wine. 90-92. (90 pts.) -
2016 Amavi Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Pepper, dust, fragrant wine with nice fruit components on the finish. Medium plus and good acidity. this should age for another decade. (91 pts.) -
2015 Amavi Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Good wine with cherry, plum, dust and mild oak. Complex finish and very drinkable now. This should age for another 8 plus years. (90 pts.) -
2016 Amavi Cellars Syrah - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Pepper, raspberries, boysenberries, spice, earth and road tar. Medium to long finish. Very balanced wine with aging potential. Drink not to 2024. (92 pts.) -
2013 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet and Petit Verdot. Cassis, earth, vanilla, oak and blueberries. Firm tannins. This like most Andrew Will wines need a decade of cellar to show their best. 90 to 93. (90 pts.) -
2015 Pepper Bridge Merlot - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Graphite, oak, chocolate, plums and red fruits. Smooth, medium finish. This should drink well for another five plus years. Enjoyable. (91 pts.) -
2014 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Bright fruits, perfume, black licorice and oak. This has a bite too it and is very concentrated. This wine should be heavily decanted prior to enjoying. Excellent wine. (92 pts.) -
2016 Dusted Valley Vintners Chardonnay Olsen Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
Very nice wine with mild oak, lemon, chalk and stone fruit. Medium finish and balanced. Drink now to 2021. (90 pts.) -
2016 Basel Cellars Merlot - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
I liked this wine a lot. Spice, minerals, earth and darker fruits. Medium plus finish and enjoyable now. Will improve with some age. 90+ (90 pts.) -
2013 Basel Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
One of the better 2013 Washington Wines I have sampled in a while. Red currants, minerals, oak, vanilla and tobacco leaves. Medium plus finish. (92 pts.) -
2014 Leonetti Cellar Merlot Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Yes sir! One of the best Washington State Merlots I have sampled to date. Excellent concentration with spice, blueberries, cherry, oak, vanilla and dust. Super complex wine and long finish. This should age for another decade. Make sure to decant for 3 to 4 hours if consuming now. (94 pts.) -
2013 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Excellent wine with cherry, forest floor, chocolate, plum and oak. This is a long term ager. Long finish. 2019 to 2030. (93 pts.) -
2015 Figgins Estate Red Wine - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Rich and balanced. Chery, dust, dark chocolate and minerals. This is complex, concentrated and balanced. Long finish and now need to hurry on these. Wow! (94 pts.) -
2015 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Wow my brother and I agree on something with the 91 point score. Red currants, spice, mild oak and floral notes. Medium finish and balanced overall. (91 pts.) -
2014 Januik Merlot Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Solid overall with cherry, spice, mild oak and menthol. Medium finish. Drink now to 2022. (90 pts.) -
2014 Dusted Valley Vintners Syrah Stained Tooth - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
I have to disagree with the tracker average on this one. Floral, roasted meats, blue fruits, earth and stones. Medium plus finish and great purity. This wine has another 5 plus years of enjoyment. I could see this improving in a few years. 93+ (93 pts.) -
2014 Dusted Valley Vintners Syrah Tall Tales Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Spice, floral, white pepper, red currants and floral notes. This is not as intense as the 14 stained tooth. Very balanced and good acidity. This should evolve over the next 5 years. (93 pts.) -
2013 Dusted Valley Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Really enjoyed the Syrah’s and the Cab is excellent too. Cherry, spice, mild oak, cocoa and plum. Medium plus finish and this should be good to go through 2025. (92 pts.) -
2012 Northstar Merlot Columbia Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Cherry, plum, spice and dust. Medium finish. Always solid Merlot from Washington. (90 pts.) -
2014 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Much more approachable than the 13 which needed 3 days to shine. Red currants, oak, vanilla and spices. A big wine with firm tannins. This wine will age for another decade. (91 pts.) -
2016 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Excellent wine. Bright fruit, oak, vanilla, blueberries and minerals. Medium plus finish and amazing how well this is drinking right now. This is a brand new offering from Ste. Michelle. (92 pts.) -
2014 Col Solare - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
Excellent wine with bright fruit featuring cherry, plums, blueberries. Nice finish adding earth and stones. This wine has another decade of enjoyment. (93 pts.) -
2012 Spring Valley Vineyard Syrah Nina Lee - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Ripe fruit, floral, earth and minerals. Medium finish. OK Syrah but not worth the price point. (87 pts.)
A great event and thanks for the Washington State Wine Commission for putting this together.
Posted from CellarTracker