2008 Two Mountain Winery Cabernet Franc Reserve - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley (9/10/2023)
Not decanted. Cork was 2/3 saturated. I had limited expectations based on its age and my lack of tasting Two Mountains wines with 15 years, as well as Sean Sullivan's mediocre review back in the day, but this was great. What it lacked in complexity, it made up for with surprisingly vibrant cherry fruit and a very strong green tobacco note, which I liked. This didn't fade one bit over the 3+ hours we enjoyed it. This was a great showing and I was impressed. Drink now.
First time trying an Cayuse and gotta say it lived up to the hype. Couple non wine nerds at the table thought it was too funky but I absolutely loved it.
More my style of Syrah than Bionic Frog, although had some killer Frogs back in the 00’s is 2016 K Vintners Royal City Syrah, Stoneridge Vineyard which doesn’t pour opaque as one might expect, but much lighter, and has a nose of iron, blood, bitter chocolate, and black currant. Palate has medium plus acidity and nice notes of fruits, smoke, dried beef, and purple flowers, with a rocky note. All in all grwat bottle of wine.
Opened a 2012 Reynvaan syrah Stonessence. This latest one was a great bottle, with plenty of savory notes, but a few points below the level of the previous two bottles which were nearly perfect and among the very best examples of WA syrah I’ve had. Two changes from previous bottles of note. First, the initial impression is savory as heck but all that complexity is coalescing around humongous coffee notes with some caramel; going in a coffee milk direction I think. Second, fruit, which is normally in the backseat, is really whispering now.
To my palate CA and WA syrah rarely get better with more than 10 years of age and decline is usually detectable starting around 10-14 years. Don’t get me wrong, syrah is the favorite in our house with new world syrah easily occupying a large majority of cellar space and drinking for us and I love other mature wines (e.g., 30+ year old Bordeaux and cab blends, Barolo, old German riesling, N and S rhone, etc.). I don’t think syrah (N Rhone excepted) flourishes or at least rewards aging as much as other varieties in my book.
In anticipation of reading notes from the Washington Merlot Review going on today in Seattle, I decided to live vicariously from home while the Huskies get ready to play with possibly the greatest Merlot-based wine ever blended in Washington, the 2014 Papa’s Block blend from grapes vinified by Chateau Ste. Michelle and with only 1 bottle blended it is also likely the rarest wine ever blended in Washington, or tied for that distinction.
A blend of 70% Canoe Ridge Merlot, 17% Cold Creek Cabernet, 10% Cold Creek Merlot, and 3% Horse Heaven Malbec. Pours as a dark purple with a nose of chocolate covered cherries, vanilla, and black raspberry. Palate is deep and rich with dark fruits, milk chocolate, and spice with some pitch and spice from the Malbec. Stunning. 100 points, 92-93 in all honesty, but story below gives me bias and thanks to CSM for the source material.
A 1/1 labelled by me, blended by me, and named for my Grandpa, better known as Papa, who passed away a few years ago and who is my hero and I miss every day, one of the last of a great generation who fought in WWII.
Haha, since I wasn’t the only one who tasted and smelled those two Betz CdB with similar reactions, I’ll have to chalk it up as storage.
Really a bummer you couldn’t be there Saturday.
My wife and I opened a 2018 Betz Clos de Betz and, quite surprisingly, it was open and great after about an hour of air. Sure, I think it’ll be better in a few years (it was even better on day two), but I was fantastic.
All the Betz wines were in my offsite storage for many years, but I did procure them from different sources. 2009 and 2010 were the same retailer. 2011 was direct. 2008 I don’t seem to have the retailer recorded in CT, unfortunately. I’ll post some more thoughts over on Brandon’s TN thread.
Also, I agree with Ron (and Brandon) that Brandon is fantastic.
Opened two yesterday for a winery zoom call w J and B. They gave a great harvest update and Justin is clearly in “the zone”. Totally immersed in this harvest with another week or so of pressing and barrelling off stuff for JBN, and others who he contract winemakes for.
The 2012 Artz was absolutely stunning, the 2014 Yak Valley took longer to open up. Barb and I only shared ~ a glass from each bottle, so we’ll visit again today.
2022 COR Cellars Alba Cor Celilo Vineyard - USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Gorge (11/11/2023)
Served with ‘Gorgeous Green Shrimp’ with Imperial rice and lemony yogurt. At first from fridge temp, I flat out found this hard to drink too bitter and almost tannic. Fortunately, as this warmed to proper temp things settled in nicely with a lemon – orange waxy quality that had me thinking of Pledge furniture polish and in a good way. Celilo fruit is always good – no exception here. Gewurztraminer and pinot gris emphasized textblend. (89 points)
2022 Kobayashi showed up after I “missed” a delivery Friday. Watching the Seahawks and drinking WA wine seems apropos, so the 2022 Kobayashi Marsanne/Roussanne.
What an awesome wine, makes you think not only thru the fruits and acid that exist in balance but also how it is texturally and the seemingly weightless weight it has on the palate. On par with the best SQN whites I have had without the spice from oak that SQN has.
