Latta makes a nice Upland Grenache (or used to).
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Yesterday evening I popped a 2022 Kevin White Winery Memoire white blend (90% Roussanne, 10% Grenache Blanc) which comes from two great vineyards in the Yakima Valley: Olsen and Boushey. I really liked it a lot. Great fruit, but a touch of something savory as well. From $25, you can certainly do a lot worse!
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Their wine blending class was a blast. I believe you got to chose between 4 different Merlot’s, one Cab Sauv, and one Petit Verdot to make your own blend, bottle it up and take it with you. I would highly recommend visiting that winery just to do that.
I probably rattled off too many AVAs too quickly. As I said after I don’t like to throw absolutes at viticulture. There are lots of wonderful places in WA where a multitude of varieties do well that are known for 1 or 2 varieties.
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Thanks for my vineyard worker project shoutout, Brian. I feel really strongly that vineyard workers are essential to the wine industry and that their contributions too often go unsung. Also I love Washington state Merlot a lot.
I still have a couple cases available for sale of my 2020 Royal Slope Red (92% Merlot 8% Cab) and am ready to roll into the 2021 Royal Slope Red (all Merlot) all made with donated fruit from Stillwater Creek vineyard in the Royal Slope.
Cheers,
E 
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2010 Rasa “In Order To Form a More Perfect Union”.
Seemed like an appropriate wine for the date. I can’t say it was perfect, but it was well formed, and all that a WA Cab blend should try to be.
2005 Columbia Crest Cab Reserve. Yes, the much-mocked WS wine of the year. Not many expected it to hold up over time. The family liked it about as much as the Rasa. It was worth more than I paid for it, but less than what I could have sold it for after the WOTY rating came out. It did not show as over oaked, over ripe, or over the hill. Without the notoriety I probably never would have mentioned it.
Funny story on the 2005 Crest Reserve Cab…SMWE had already made the decision to discontinue the Crest Reserve program and only keep the Walter Clore Red, then the Cab gets the WSWOTY and they had to reinstitute the program. That wine was $16.09 wholesale back then.
The Cab, Syrah, Merlot, and Red were always solid wines and killer values.
You could do a hell of a lot worse than Walter Clore for $25 back then. For a “6 bottles sitting on the shelf at Safeway” wine, I went through my fair share, too!
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Recently I opened a 2006 Cadence Camerata Cara Mia. 95% Cab. Was drinking great, and still seemed to have enough fruit in the tank for further development. Nice notes of blueberries, cedar, and chocolate. Such a great value:
Was very rarely disappointed with the walter clore. Add to that getting it at $20 per (or less) most years.
Good list! Uriah is one of our favorites, as well as The Devil You Know, good mention and great value. Love the Pepperbridge Merlot. Va Piano makes a very good Estate Merlot that he stopped producing for a bit but just started up again, really excellent, one of the first good WW Merlots I tried. His Uniti blend is tasty too, Merlot/Cab Franc blend.
Back the truck up at the Pine Lake QFC. 2016 and 2017 on sales, with an additional 10% if you get 6. That’s $25 a bottle.
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2020 Avennia Gravura - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (7/4/2023)
My first Avennia, a producer I have been curious about for a while now. Aired out in the glass for about 2 hrs. Initially this was very tannin driven and a bit of heat. Not that I think it was hot or a high ABV, more so that the fruit and such * was a little sullen and slow to unfold, not unexpected for such a young wine. By the 2nd glass, things improved a good deal, an elegant medley of plums and some rocky stuff ( I think this an homage to a Graves red). Excellent, but needs a few years to round into shape. (92 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
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I’m probably going to stop at Cultura weekend after next while on my way through YV based on Chris Cary’s recommendation earlier. Any other must try wineries in the Prosser to Yakima corridor? I don’t have a ton of time so I’m thinking of just a few stops. Thanks
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I usually do Treveri, Owen Roe past Yakima, then Bunnell if I have time in Prosser, Avennia and Kiona are a bit further towards Richland.
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I’d highly recommend Sheridan if you’re in that area.
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Kris and Mike named the top ones with tasting room. Sheridan is literally next door to Cultura in Zillah.
Also in Zillah, by appointment is JB Neufeld. They have moved from Gilbert to the Dineen building, and if you can catch Justin he will do a good tasting of what they have.
A couple others… Cote Bonneville and Co Dinn in Sunnyside. Thurston Wolfe, Prosser Village. Cooper, Hightower, Red Mountain.
Obviously more that a couple as requested, but Yakima really does have some good wine being made, it gets overlooked/by-passed as a tourist area due to the overwhelming success of Walla Walla and the Seattle tasting room clusters. My (adopted) hometown opinion of course.
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Full Pull offer this morning is for the 2020 City Limits Zinfandel Where the Sidewalk Ends at $11.99. While I had the 2021 in the post above, I’m buying some of this based on the price. It was a great daily drink (the 2021), so I doubt it’s a miss having not yet tasted it, at least for me.
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In for a sixer at this price. Never had a bad wine from City Limits (small set) and Stonetree vineyard is indeed the best place in WA for Zin. We used to drink an ocean of Stonetree wines from Steppe Cellars, but they closed shop. Opened a 2008 Steppe Stonetree Malbec last week that was fantastic at 15 years old. Worth a shot on this one for sure.
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