Betz purchase covered by Wine Spectator.
Popped a 2013 Cayuse En Chamberlin last night. Lots of funk, meat, and olive (in a good way)!
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Usually I can decipher the typo, but is this 2021 or 2013?
Ack, 2013 - fixed it
Christophe’s futures program just hit hyperdrive!!!
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Drank the 2020 Kobayashi SS Syrah last Saturday night. Here’s my note:
Essentially a pop and pour, although I did give it permission to laze in the glass for about 20 minutes. This Sans Soufre bottling (all of the vintages) from Kobayashi has been receiving oodles of praise lately and I most certainly don’t want to feel left out. Dark ass purple out of the bottle with initial aromas of perfectly ripe blackberries, olives, iron, and bacon fat. For someone who loves northern Rhone Syrah, the nose on this wine possesses all of the qualities your pretty little heart desires and then some. An expression of absolute pure clean fruit on the palate followed by some sneaky tannins that give a nice Gary Payton styled assist for balance. Special wine that one should only seek out after I purchase mine. 95pts.
Also, drank the 2022 Marsanne/Roussanne the previous weekend. Note for that wine:
Popped and poured then let sit on the glass for an hour. First and foremost, give this wine at least an hour of air and make sure it’s not too cold. I, of course, being the impatient sucker I am tried to immediately drink this puppy and had to back off for an hour to let it open up and warm. Once the wine was allowed to strut its stuff, it blossomed into one of the best domestic white Rhones I’ve had. Showing perfectly layered and ripe fruit but more importantly none of the cloying sweetness you can get from Marsanne/Roussanne. Tons of stuffing which means it will last 10-15 years but it’s so good now, why wait? 94 pts.
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My first JB Neufeld Old Goat, 2019. Wonderful stuff. Although I’ve mostly been traveling through their lineup of 2021 reds, I am absolutely sold on these wines.
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Had a 2014 North Star rocks Syrah and a 2013 Gamache cab franc reserve
Both were excellent examples of those variations.
I have a few more of each but wish I had more.
One dinner guest wouldn’t let the cab franc out of her sight.
@Terry_H_a_r_r_i_s how was the 2019 Old Goat. I am letting mine sleep as my early take on these wines is that they will age beautifully.
Ron, it was excellent. Still young, but giving lots on both the nose and palate. My first Old Goat, so no experience with this wine. Don’t know whether this helps, but I have gone through a number of the 2021 Yakima Valley Cabs, one of the 2021 Ciel du Cheval Cabs, and a few of the 2021 Two Blondes Cabs, and all of those 2021s seemed more approachable than the 2019 Old Goat. But, again, the Old Goat had lots going on throughout the evening and is really very pleasurable at this point.
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25 days since a post in the home state thread? Let’s remedy that:
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2020 K Vintners Syrah The Deal Sundance Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope (7/5/2024)
Served blind it would easily come across as costing two or even three times the price, just a sensational value play. Ditto note on 5-25. -
2021 Kobayashi Winery Viognier WeatherEye Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (7/5/2024)
The 21 version of this wine seems quite the departure from past vintages and while I enjoyed it a lot, I found it behind the 20 or 19 vintages. Specifically, it didn’t have that almost flamboyant apricot burst that I so adore, and was much more subdued and mineral driven. As others have noted, it had a nice salty kick on the back half, and clinging presence on the finish. Still a high quality wine, no question. -
2016 L’Ecole No. 41 Estate Ferguson Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (7/5/2024)
Decanted 6hrs. Lovely, almost textbook Cabernet aromatics of cassis / black currant with touches of cedar and the gentle nudge of some deftly applied new wood. Quite structured and still a tad angular as others have noted but I whole hardily agree that this has all the components for long and beautiful evolution down the road. I’ll sit on my next bottle for 5 year give or take.
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Dale, totally with you on that 2016 L’Ecole. As I’ve said before, I think they’re being made in a style (all three vineyard blends, in fact) of those older Betz Pere de Familles, in that they’re tight as heck and need at least 10 years to show their stuff.
This was one of those, “Why the hell not?” pulls that, while I’m glad we drank it, it would’ve been nice to have better conditions. I’m not mad though.
- 2013 Cayuse Wallah Wallah Special #5 - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (7/4/2024)
This was excellent. Popped for 4th of July and enjoyed in suboptimal conditions: it was hot outside (and inside!) and we had very poor glassware. Even so, however, this wine was outstanding. It was clear dark ruby, not saturated purple. Medium-bodied and relatively light on its feet, but very concentrated flavors with excellent complexity: spicy raspberry, red currant, kalamata olive were all present. This wasn't very funky and not bretty at all and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. I think this is in its early optimal drinking window. Humorously, I didn't want to like this as much as I did so I could've had an easy excuse to not continue buying these. That didn't happen, darn it.
Posted from CellarTracker
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My wife blinded me to these two wines, but I knew the 2022 Orr Chenin Blanc anyway. Very crisp and mineraly. Not quite the depth or body of the Huet, but certainly our favorite Chenin. The oysters are 12 Kumamoto and 12 Pacifica from Key Seafood, Port Townsend.
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I was the same way last summer.
Popped my first WW special to celebrate our new deck with guys who assisted.
Had hoped I could say good wine but will scratch it off the list.
Nope, still buying.
And thankful it is available.
It was a great contrast to the camaspelo and widowmaker I opened with the special.
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I brought a bottle of the 2013 a few years ago to Wild Ginger and it was pretty tight as expected and I thought in need of a little age. Thanks for the update as I’ve been thinking as a 2013 it’s probably moving along faster than most other vintages. Time to resample.
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Looks awesome, Chris. Nothing fancy: good oysters, good wine…nothing else really matters. Were you IN Port Townsend, or did you buy those from the truck that hangs out on Nob Hill Blvd. in Yakima selling oysters? 
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I was actually in Port Townsend this time! But man, I have rolled the dice with that Nob Hill van a few times. Tasty there too, but always a bit leary of the ones that don’t open! LOL!
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Chris-
Oysters in Port Townsend look great. You weren’t far from me here in Sequim. Next time you are heading this way I’d be happy to pull some corks and shuck some bivalves with you if you have the time. I’ve got too many bottles that need to be opened and too much time. And we have a few good restaurants here. Heck, open invitation for any WA winos on WBers to visit if you are headed to the northern Olympic peninsula. Cheers
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Steve, better be careful about open invitations. We live in Silverdale and have a place in Port Townsend.
Tonight’s WA wine was a Savage Grace 2022 rosé which was very enjoyable.