BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast

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Gewürztraminer grape, suggesting orange, perfume and spice. It’s sweet enough to serve with a fruit-based dessert, though not sugary in any way. —P.G. abv: NA Price: $17 87 Treveri Cellars NV Extra Brut (Columbia Valley). Treveri is a new Washington state sparkling wine producer that offers a full lineup of traditional method bubbly. This Extra Brut has clean, tart flavors of melon and citrus, fresh and crisply defined. —P.G. abv: NA Price: $14 CABERNETS & BLENDS 95 Dunham 2007 XIII Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley). For full review see page 3. Editors’ Choice. abv: 14.1% Price: $45 93 Dusted Valley 2008 V.R. Special Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley). Pure Cabernet Sauvignon, deep and sappy, with the dark, licorice and coffee-infused complexity of Walla Walla’s best bottles. Sharp and young, with a potent, liquorous finish, this explosive bottle of cassis-driven fruit should cellar well for a decade or more. Cellar Selection. —P.G. abv: 15.3% Price: $53 92 Dunham 2008 Lewis Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley). For full review see page 5. Cellar Selection. abv: 14.1% Price: $75 92 JM Cellars 2009 Tre (Columbia Valley). A slight name change in 2009 for what previously was labeled Tre Fanciulli. It is still a blend of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, clean and pure with pretty cherry fruit. It’s focused and full-bodied, a bit blocky, but perfectly balanced and drinking nicely already. —P.G. abv: 14.4% Price: $45 92 Smasne Cellars 2008 Upland Vineyard Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon (Snipes Mountain District). This drinks ripe, though the alcohol is under 14%. Deep and chewy flavors of black cherry and cassis, hinting at raisin and prune, anchor a substantial wine with muscle and verve. Spicy and chocolaty, this opens up nicely over the course of several hours. —P.G. abv: 13.5% Price: $42 91 Dusted Valley 2009 Wallywood Red (Columbia Valley). This is a GSM blend—about two-thirds Syrah—loaded with juicy acidity. The sappy, deep raspberry fruit sinks into the palate, racy and penetrating. It suggests that this is a wine to cellar for awhile. At the moment it suddenly hits a hard stop— a wall of slate and graphite. Cellar Selection. —P.G. abv: 14.7% Price: $42 91 JM Cellars 2009 Longevity Red (Columbia Valley). All six Bordeaux grapes—yes, including Carmenère—are in this fruity blend, aged for 21 months in 80% new French oak and 20% once-used French oak. Plums and cherries, a distinctive whiff of cola, and highlights of cinnamon spice all come togeth- 60 | WINE ENTHUSIAST | BEST OF YEAR 2011 er. Tannins are round, almost silky, and the wine fades in a graceful finish. —P.G. abv: 14.3% Price: $42 91 Robert O. Smasne 2009 Carl Reserve (Columbia Valley). This Rhône-style red blend plays out broadly across the full palate, filling the mouth with tangy flavors of mixed berries and plums. Generously applied oak brings on a wash of baking spices, coconut and cinnamon, giving a sweetness to the moderate tannins. —P.G. abv: 14.3% Price: $68 90 Robert O. Smasne 2008 Owens Reserve (Columbia Valley). A raisiny and ultraripe Bordeaux-style blend, two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon. It has apparently been given a lot of time in heavilytoasted barrels, and the layers of smoke, espresso, cinnamon and tobacco dominate. A wine for those who like the blockbuster, oaky style. —P.G. abv: 14.2% Price: $75 90 Smasne Cellars 2008 County Line Red (Columbia Valley). A standout in a flight of more expensive wines, this five-grape blend leans heavily on the Bordeaux varietals, with a bit of Syrah as well. Firm and complex, its black cherry, cassis and plum fruit flavors are nicely accented by baking spices and red licorice. The balance is perfect; the finish carries a suggestion of dried leaf. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 13.5% Price: $19 89 Airfield Estates 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Yakima Valley). This young winery has made huge strides with its red wines, as this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates. Young, tight, tart, and expressive, it takes the cranberry and cassis components from cool-vintage, cool-climate grapes, and turns them into a complete and complex wine. High acid, with well-integrated nuances of mushroom, earth, and smoke. —P.G. abv: 14.6% Price: $25 89 Lullaby 2008 Lalayee Red (Walla Walla Valley). This 50-50 Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon blend is soft upon entry, with delicate, pretty fruit flavors of raspberry and wild plum. Gentle accents hint at buttery caramel and sweet cracker through a wellbalanced finish. A light touch is evident throughout. —P.G. abv: 14.1% Price: $45 88 Airfield Estates 2009 Aviator Red (Yakima Valley). Light and balanced, this five grape Bordeaux-style blend does not try to overreach. The fruit is clean and delicate, pale cherry set amidst dried leaves, tobacco, and muted tannins. Plenty of acid keeps it lively, but everything is in focus and proportionate. —P.G. abv: 14.5% Price: $35 88 Dusted Valley 2008 Stone Tree Vineyard BFM Red (Wahluke Slope). This amped-up vintage of the Merlot-dominated, BFM Bordeaux-style red tops 15% alcohol, but seems a bit contrived. Aggressive vanilla and tobacco flavors cover up the nuanced highlights found in past BFM vintages, and the base of black cherry fruit carries a root beer finish. Not that it isn’t a tasty drink—it is—it’s just less interesting than before. —P.G. abv: 15.3% Price: $53 88 Farm Boy 2009 Red (Columbia Valley). A go-to red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Malbec, Farm Boy is one of Robert Smasne’s many ventures. A fruity mix of cherries and plums, with wellintegrated streaks of clean earth, milk chocolate, and a whiff of Bourbon barrel. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $15 88 Steppe Cellars 2008 StoneTree Vineyard (Wahluke Slope). Pretty, supple purple fruits infuse this interesting blend of Tempranillo, Grenache and Mourvèdre. No one grape dominates; the flavors are smoothly integrated and well-matched, with an undercoating of smoke, licorice, pastis and coffee. Nicely polished tannins. —P.G. abv: 14.6% Price: $28 88 Stottle 2008 Reserve (Columbia Valley). An unusual blend of Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera, aged two and a half years in French oak, yields a pleasing wine with light berry fruit anchoring a spicy center. The barrel notes add toast and cracker, nicely balanced, and there remains a suggestion of yeasty dough as well. —P.G. abv: 13.8% Price: $34 87 Dusted Valley 2009 Squirrel Tooth Alice Red (Columbia Valley). A Rhône-style red blend, with tart boysenberry and blueberry fruit. Sappy and forward, with light tannins and moderate acidity. —P.G. abv: 15.2% Price: $39 86 Steppe Cellars 2008 Artemisia (Columbia Valley). A Bordeaux-style blend, this initially hides its fruit in a wash of sharp-toned barrel scents. Tart berry flavors come in with a hint of sweetness, along with some volatility and heat. The wine should benefit from further bottle age. —P.G. abv: 14.5% Price: $28 MERLOT 91 Dunham 2008 Lewis Vineyard Merlot (Columbia Valley). Firm raspberry fruit, tight and concentrated, is swathed in a generous coat of deliciously toasty oak. Tart and youthful, the wine’s depth comes through as it breathes open in the glass, adding licorice, coffee grounds, and buttered nuts to the toasty finish. —P.G. abv: 14.4% Price: $75 90 Airfield Estates 2009 Merlot (Yakima Valley). This is all Merlot, tight and toasty, with generous black fruits compacted into a dense core. This one needs more bottle age, and/or substantial decanting time, but it shows excellent depth and polish already. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 15.1% Price: $25 90 Hightower 2008 Merlot (Columbia Valley). This is 100% Merlot, and all Red Moun-
tain fruit. Ripe plums and cherries are accented with hints of dried leaves, tobacco, and sweet herb. Baking spices reflect its 20 months in oak, and the wine has a soft finish that is ideal for immediate enjoyment. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 14.2% Price: $25 88 Steppe Cellars 2008 Merlot (Columbia Valley). At first, a rush of front-loaded plum and blackberry fruit hits the palate, then the flavors seem to sag a bit entering the midpalate. A wall of stillto-be-resolved oak leads into a hard, astringent, somewhat woody finish. Yet there is a substantial and wellbuilt wine here, waiting to resolve its components into a more seamless whole. Retasted after being open a full day, it showed well, suggesting good aging potential. —P.G. abv: 14.4% Price: $28 86 Kirkland Signature 2010 Merlot (Columbia Valley). For full review see page 11. Best Buy. abv: 14.5% Price: $9 SYRAH 94 Dunham 2008 Lewis Vineyard Syrah (Columbia Valley). For full review see page 4. Cellar Selection. abv: NA Price: $75 93 Dusted Valley 2008 Rachis Syrah (Columbia Valley). A new entry in the Dusted Valley lineup, this offering is co-fermented with Viognier and includes a small amount of Petite Sirah as well. It shows real depth and power, a concentrated explosion of boysenberry and black cherry fruit, annotated with clove and anise. A delicious underpinning of mineral and graphite anchor the lengthy finish. —P.G. abv: 14.7% Price: $53 93 JM Cellars 2009 Syrah (Columbia Valley). This wine kept improving in the glass over a period of hours, and as it did so, the score kept rising. Initial scents of Bourbon barrel gave way to rich blueberry and black cherry fruit, set in a roasted, potent mix of darker flavors. Smoke, coffee liqueur, a whiff of stem, a streak of vanilla, all tightly wound and elevated with scents of citrus peel. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 14.5% Price: $32 93 JM Cellars 2009 Boushey Vineyard Syrah (Yakima Valley). An elegant showcase for the Boushey fruit, this new JM Cellars release displays refined raspberry fruit, coated in silky cocoa and almond butter. Firmly acidic, sleek and racy, it gains complexity and texture through a lingering, tobacco-laden finish. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 14.9% Price: $45 92 Dunham 2009 Syrah (Columbia Valley). Thick, oaky and loaded with toasty highlights, this substantial Syrah slathers its fruit in a heavy coat of caramel, buttered nuts and spice. Delicious and supple, its naturally juicy acidity keeps the wine lively. With substantial breathing time, boysenberry fruit melds with streaks of roasted coffee, clove and tobacco. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 13.8% Price: $35 92 Steppe Cellars 2008 StoneTree Vineyard Syrah (Wahluke Slope). An unusual and compelling effort, this opens with lush, generous fruit flavors of both red and black berries, highlighted with orange peel. Excellent depth and texture, with a fullbodied middle and palate-pleasing minerality. Gains complexity through a lingering finish. Editors’ Choice. —P.G. abv: 14.6% Price: $28 90 Dusted Valley 2009 Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley). Substantial and muscular, still quite tight and unyielding, this grudgingly displays purple fruits in a mix of roasted coffee beans, clove and black olive. If past releases are any indication, this will continue to evolve and expand as it gets a bit more bottle time. —P.G. abv: 15.2% Price: $32 89 McCrea Cellars 2007 Boushey Grande Côte Vineyard Syrah (Yakima Valley). Round, ripe and quite pretty cherry fruit flavors, showing a hint of loam and a briny note. Tannins have smoothed out, and the length is better than average. Score could improve with further bottle age. —P.G. abv: 14.8% Price: $36 89 Smasne Cellars 2008 Block #3 Lawrence Vineyard Syrah (Columbia Valley). Tart and juicy, with crisply-rendered berry and plum fruit flavors. As with all the Smasne wines, the oak is a large presence, here adding a striking note of clove. The tannins hint at a slight green streak, but the overall balance is fine. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $32 88 McCrea Cellars 2007 Cuvée Orleans Syrah (Yakima Valley). Dusty and toasty aromas over sweet plum fruit, with a streak of mocha running sharply down the center. Svelt and open, yet still sharp and showing a little bite in the back. —P.G. abv: 14.8% Price: $40 OTHER RED WINES 90 Airfield Estates 2010 Tempranillo (Yakima Valley). Much improved from past efforts, this firm and fruity Tempranillo has a lush core of boysenberry and black cherry fruit. It’s finished with screwcap, and may require decanting to push it open, but it will reward your patience with a deep and focused wine that has some cellar potential. —P.G. abv: 14.1% Price: $25 90 Smasne Cellars 2009 Upland Vineyard Grenache (Snipes Mountain District). Dried leaf and cherry tobacco scents highlight this wellmade Grenache. It includes just a whiff or two of the classic funk, but the rich black-cherry fruit is the real star, well-ripened and leading into a clean, lingering finish. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $30 90 Stottle 2008 Tempranillo (Horse Heaven Hills). Stottle does an especially good job with Tempranillo, sourced from the same site as its Nebbiolo. Fruity and fleshy, loaded with bright berry notes, it reflects its 21 months in barrel in its complex streaks of spice, chocolate and butterscotch. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $26 89 Stottle 2008 Barbera (Columbia Valley). Solidly varietal flavors of strawberry and Bing cherry fruit anchor this well-made, 100% Barbera. The wine has both depth and polish, with some varietal tartness running through a medium length finish. It makes a good case for Barbera’s potential in Washington state. —P.G. abv: 13.5% Price: $26 88 Airfield Estates 2010 Pinot Noir (Yakima Valley). This has a soft entry, its fruit beginning to show secondary flavors of bakery pastries. Mulberry and prune, soft and spicy, make for a pleasing, accessible wine that finishes with a lick of cinnamon. It is already drinking well. —P.G. abv: 14.1% Price: $32 88 Dusted Valley 2009 Stone Tree Vineyard Mourvèdre (Wahluke Slope). Round and fruity, with a generous mix of berry and cherry, and no discernible oak influence, this pleasing Mourvèdre lets the fruit be the star. Nicely balanced and drinking well already, it carries a hint of mineral/metal in the finish. —P.G. abv: 15% Price: $39 88 Steppe Cellars 2008 StoneTree Vineyard Malbec (Wahluke Slope). It drinks bigger than the listed 14% alcohol, but remains all in proportion. Tangy cherry and plum fruit flavors are wrapped in spice, cinnamon especially. A coffee scent carries through on the palate, infusing the finish. —P.G. abv: 14% Price: $28 88 Smasne Cellars 2008 Phinny Hill Vineyard Petit Verdot (Horse Heaven Hills). Dark and chocolaty, with grainy tannins under deep cassis and black cherry fruit. Full-bodied and chewy, with coffee grounds and spices filling in the finish. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $35 86 Smasne Cellars 2008 Phinny Hill Vineyard Malbec (Horse Heaven Hills). From a well-regarded site in the Horse Heaven Hills, this pure Malbec is clean and well-proportioned, but a bit on the simple side. Plain red fruit flavors, accented with light barrel notes, quickly fade on the delicate finish. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $32 85 Smasne Cellars 2008 Phinny Hill Vineyard Carmenère (Horse Heaven Hills). A heavily pungent scent of bell pepper is partially cloaked in mocha flavors but seeps through on the palate. An uneasy truce between the vegetal fruit and the chocolaty barrel keeps this wine in an awkward condition; more bottle time may soften it but it can’t ripen it. —P.G. abv: 13.9% Price: $28 85 Stottle 2007 Nebbiolo (Horse Heaven Hills). Pure Nebbiolo from the Elerding Vine- <strong>Wine</strong>Mag.com | 61
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