BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

88
Nefarious Cellars 2008 Defiance
Vineyard Estate Syrah (Lake
Chelan); $27. Consistent with the Lake Chelan
winery’s lineup of red wines, this young Syrah
brings a lot of generous, berry-flavored primary
fruits, softened tannins and a deep purple color.
The opening cherry and berry fruit, turning a little
pruney and limned by citrusy acids, leads into
a tart midpalate with some earth and granite
underlying the fruit. —P.G.
87
Hightower 2008 Murray Syrah
(Red Mountain); $20. Big and bold,
loaded with red fruits and sharp acidity, the Murray
Syrah from Hightower brings a spicy mix of
fruit, loam and mineral. There’s some heat in it as
well. The grapes are estate grown, and the Syrah
was cofermented with 5% Viognier. —P.G.
85
Cave B 2008 Syrah (Columbia Valley);
$25. Syrah is often the best red
wine from this estate, and that seems to be the
case again in 2008. This delivers round
cherry fruit flavors, simple and slightly hot (from
14.8% alcohol). It was cofermented with 4%
Viognier, and blended with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.
—P.G.
83
Mount Baker 2007 Barrel Select
Syrah (Yakima Valley); $14. This
“Barrel Select” Syrah has been ripened to
pruneyness, yet remains short, hot and simple. It
could be any red grape left to hang late and fermented
at (perhaps) high temperatures. —P.G.
OTHER RED WINES
91
Alexandria Nicole 2008 Quarry
Butte Destiny Ridge Vineyard Red
Wine (Horse Heaven Hills); $20. Scents of
licorice, coffee and tobacco move into concentrated
blueberry and cassis fruit flavors that wrap
into a tannic, chewy midpalate. The fruit here is
outstanding, and the wine delivers excellent,
clean, concentrated flavors at this price point. An
outstanding value. Editors’ Choice. —P.G.
91
Milbrandt 2007 Northridge Sentinel
Red (Wahluke Slope); $55.
Named for the Sentinel Gap, a nearby landmark,
this is the top wine from Milbrandt. Supple and
complex, it shows a sensuous mix of fruits, ranging
from mixed berries into black cherries, plums
and cassis. The barrel notes of coffee and toast
are carefully worked, and the tannins polished
and sleek. A wine that may be savored immediately,
or cellared for up to 10 years. Cellar Selection.
—P.G.
91
Rôtie Cellars 2008 Southern Blend
Red (Washington); $35. The per-
centage of Grenache has been bumped up in
Rôtie’s second vintage, now at 70%, with the rest
an even split between Syrah and Mourvèdre. Soft
and spicy scents are laced with a mix of rock and
vanilla. This nicely structured yet approachable
wine might be mistaken for a Washington take
on Priorat. The underlying minerality gives the
light, plummy fruit a solid footing, and extends
the length considerably. —P.G.
90
Cadaretta 2007 Windthrow
(Columbia Valley); $50. Cadaretta’s
Windthrow is a limited-release southern Rhône
blend of 37% Syrah, 27% Mourvèdre, 18%
Counoise and 18% Grenache. The fruit is just
ripe enough, clean and juicy, with a spicy and tart
mouthfeel. What’s most surprising is the length—
the wine seems to gather itself and push on
through a full-throttle finish, adding nougat and
vanilla custard to the mix. —P.G.
90
Dumas Station 2007 Cow Catcher
Red (Walla Walla); $19. The cow
catcher is the front of the train engine guard, and
speaks to the railroad theme of this winery. An
outstanding “second” wine, this value blend
drinks like a much pricier wine. It’s ready to go,
with broad, softened, mixed red fruits, baking
spices, toasty barrel notes and a smooth, gliding,
lingering finish. Editors’ Choice. —P.G.
90
Rôtie Cellars 2008 Northern Blend
Red (Washington); $35. Spicy Syrah,
with a clear herbal core, shows blackberry and
blueberry fruit, along with lighter suggestions of
compost, pepper and anise. Unfined and unfiltered,
the wine remains proportionate and avoids
over-the-top ripeness or heft. Best if cellared for
another 5–8 years. —P.G.
88
Cadaretta 2007 Highclimber Sangiovese
(Columbia Valley); $50. A
one-of-a-kind 100% Sangiovese from Cadaretta,
this pure and expressive wine shows concentrated
strawberry fruit presented in a balanced style
with acids and tannins in perfect proportion.
There is no hint of new oak, just a softening from
barrel aging, and a lovely presentation of the
pretty young fruit. —P.G.
87
Nefarious Cellars 2008 The Spinner
(Columbia Valley); $24. This
edition of the Spinner is 50% Merlot, 37% Syrah
and 13% Malbec. It’s scented with leaf and raisin,
streaked with smoke and baking spices, and offers
up a medium-bodied midpalate with a mix of
black cherry, currants and pomegranate. Fine for
near-term drinking. —P.G.
86
Airfield Estates 2008 Dolcetto
(Yakima Valley); $28. A rare Washington
Dolcetto, this has the expected tart acidity,
along with peppery red fruit. Finished with a
screwcap, it needs some extra breathing time, and
as it opens it shows some pretty raspberry fruit
and just a hint of dark chocolate. —P.G.
86
Airfield Estates 2008 Mustang Red
(Yakima Valley); $25. Roughly half
Grenache, the rest a mix of Syrah, Cinsault,
Counoise and Mourvèdre; this southern Rhônestyle
red has a spicy, juicy vitality that makes it a
good quaffer. The grapes are just ripe enough,
still showing some rhubarb and sweet tomato flavors,
and the tannins are quite soft, though still
herbal. —P.G.
86
Nefarious Cellars 2008 Rx-4 Red
Wine (Columbia Valley); $28. No
idea what the name means, but the wine is a
blend of 35% Mourvèdre, 30% Syrah, 22%
Counoise, and 13% Cinsault—southern Rhône
all the way. Soft, fruity and lightened with lemony
acids, this is a fine quaffing wine. As it evolves
into the finish, a leafier, more herbal and peppery
character takes hold. The fruit seems young
and quite light. —P.G.
86
Wilridge 2008 End of the Road
Vineyard Sangiovese (Red Mountain);
$29. The nose hints at volatility, and the
wine opens with a hard, sharp edge to it. But with
breathing time, some pretty cherry fruit emerges,
along with varietal scents and streaks of fresh-cut
tobacco. —P.G.
85
Airfield Estates 2008 Zinfandel
(Yakima Valley); $28. Tart strawberry
fruit grabs the palate and doesn’t let go; this is a
straightforward, light, fruity Zin, with perhaps a
whiff of pepper from the addition of 10%
Syrah. —P.G.
84
Airfield Estates 2008 Hellcat Red
(Yakima Valley); $25. This is essentially
Tempranillo, with small amounts of
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