We just opened a 399, and it is lovely. It’s all front of mouth right now, so we’ll see how it continues to open.
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FYI 2022 Vintage - from some broader tastings as well as in-depth dialogue with winemakers, the 2022 vintage is going to be one of high variability. Most (Napa) appear to be more readily accessible and forward, but lack some of the depth/structure for development and aging. Others will be great, so it will one of wait & see. '21 and '19 and '18 are more reliable, as is the promise of '23. Ergo, methinks we’ll see a bunch more '22s out in the chop shops and dN, esp with burgeoning inventories.
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Thanks. Any insight into how 2022 was for washingon state? I feel like when I run out of 2019 Washington cabs
(175,230, 240) ill be looking for something the scratch that itch.
My quick google search sounds like it was actually a really good harvest but I find those articles to be overly full of optimism.
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Meanwhile, our god is still visiting (Seen 2 days). We love you Cameron and are prepared to drink an entire case of any de Negoce, even that Viognier everyone hated, if it means you come back and sell us wine. You know you want to post. Just do it.
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A little belated sleuthing, but I think Lot 453 is Matthiasson Phoenix Vineyard. Matches Oak Knoll AVA, base of Mt Veeder, and the description in the below article seems to align with the “scattered” description of the vineyard in the email…and the wine is behind a wine club member paywall on their website.
“From the producer: Nestled at the base of Mt. Veeder, overlooking the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, the Phoenix Vineyard was an unexpected bonus that came with our winery. The old vines are a loving and funky assemblage of different selections of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, all mixed up. We added to the diversity by filling in with many more vines of different historical selections”
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My only sample so far of 2022 Washington Reds were Cascade Cliffs Barbera and Nebbiolo which are Columbia Gorge estate winery and McKinley Springs on Horse Heaven Hills. Those (tiny) samples were really good, better than 2021 of the same wines. Big, ripe, and complex. Good aging potential.
Tomorrow and Sunday we are attending Taste Washington with ~200 wineries pouring. I expect many may pour 2022 Reds, certainly plenty of 2022/2023 whites. We’re also attending a Washington Rhone seminar which might discuss the vintage. If not, I will ask!
I typically take scant notes at these big events, but this comment gives me a reason to focus on vintage reports from what I can find, so I’ll try to do that. Staying upright for 2 straight days of this type of event being goal number 1.
ETA… Looking back at your original question/comment, I’ll look for any and all post-2019 Washington Cabs. My mainstay Washington Cab is JB Neufeld, where I recently sampled 2021 vintage of two of their Cabs, both of which were delicious. As always though, producer over vintage, at least in my opinion.
It’s worth noting, except for some isolated instances, Washington has avoided the big fire/smoke impacts of 2020/2021 that wiped out whole chunks of CA/OR vintages.
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I will likely bite on this chard, if only because hubby really, really likes chard (& even drank 330 without complaint). I like to have plenty of chard around to distract him from whites that I like, but this looks like a good summer dock pounder at $12, delivered. I would like to know if the 40% barrel treatment is new or neutral oak & if this wine has any scores, but maybe that’s too much to ask for $12. Otherwise, it sounds very tempting.
I hope all is well with you, Mr Ballard.
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I tried to get my wife to bite on going this year as we haven’t been to TW in several years but she’s on a strict food/wine diet as we prepare for a spring break Kauai trip so she said “no way can I go to TW and maintain my regimen… that’s too much good wine and food and I’m not a spitter”. Have a great time at it Chris!
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Thanks! We are not good spitters either, but will try! 
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TW is such a marathon event that we learned if the wine isn’t at least somewhat good you might as well spit because by the end of the day you’re probably going to taste 50 plus wines or more… the challenge is deciding which wineries to go to first before you blow out your taster!
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Probably had too much excess down in the Bahamas and said “I wonder what those nice folks on Wineberserkers are talking about these days” (forgetting that he was still logged in).
Laughing his ass off with a fat check in one hand and a Margarita in the other.
No way he can pull it off a third time…oh wait, he probably can.
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For those of you in hot climates, I noticed that futures offers scheduled to ship in late April do not have the option of summer hold anymore. I’m unwilling to risk wine shipment to Virginia after May/early June & Im not buying the ice packs, so further purchases are unlikely until the fall.
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I think you are being a bit shortsighted. I am a type 1 diabetic and my insulin gets packed with the same ice packs and it stays cold for over 72 hrs with the right packaging.
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Agreeing with MDMiller, it is not worth the risk sending wine to the Deep South region with or without ice packs during May/June-to-September because of inconsistent deliveries by both FedEx and UPS. My last de Négoce order was to be delivered on a Thursday, but arrived ‘warm’ the following Monday, ~ and this is only mid-March! Without extended ‘summer holds’, I cannot afford to order new offers until late September. With over 100 dN orders, I only had one snafu weather related incident (yikes - L 385 St Helena Cab Sauv) while 'Long Term Storage’ was in effect (thank you Cameron Hughes).
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The ice packs are pretty $$$ but they are huge - like the size of a piece of paper and approx 2 inches thick.
Knights Valley, 60% American oak, ready, set, go.
I couldn’t find much to match (surprised). Would have guessed Berlinger KVR, but it’s French oak only. Gehricke is Sonoma based and generically “French and American oak”
I’m usually a pass on American Oak, but anyone have any good ideas?
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Really interesting, thanks.
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the more people who can’t buy wine because of where they live just means more wine for those of us who live in temperate climates 
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@Luke_Newton , I filed a general report on my Taste Washington experience in its own thread, Taste Washington 2024 Report but as it related to vintage, I could not add much. It was extremely difficult to track vintage because wineries were all-over the place on what they were serving, some new '23 whites/roses, some as old as 2018/2019 reds. Some listed that in the directory, most did not, and when you are standing there trying to figure out if it’s worth even staying at a booth, vintage never entered my mind. Sorry to say I didn’t deliver on that. But I will say I tasted more mediocre wine than really good wine, and all these wineries were bringing their best, so that is a LOT of mediocre wine out there, and shiners or bulk wine is always a buyer beware, regardless of slick talking sales pitch. Trust your own palate and those of the people whose palates you trust. (caveat emptor @Cameron_Hughes :))
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For my last ten or so shipments to Florida the Fed Ex plane has flown to Tampa where it is trucked next day to my door.