BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

BUYING I GUIDE
Grenache and Syrah added; it is light and scented
with sweet cracker. Fruit flavors favor cherry
candy, with a leathery, tackroom undertone. The
tannins are leathery and stick to the tongue,
dampening the fruit. —P.G.
84
Airfield Estates 2008 Spitfire Red
(Yakima Valley); $25. This is 60%
Sangiovese, the rest a mix of Bordeaux grapes.
Airfield Estates produces a wide variety of mixed
red blends, each centered upon a particular
grape. But here, as with the others, the dominant
grape’s varietal character is subsumed in a wash of
mixed reds, and the results tend to seem generic.
Pleasant, quaffable, but without varietal distinction.
—P.G.
84
Cave B 2008 Tempranillo (Columbia
Valley); $28. It’s hard to distinguish
much in the way of varietal character
here, other than the higher acidity and hints of
tobacco leaf. Otherwise, it’s a thin, generic red
wine. —P.G.
83
Airfield Estates 2008 Bombshell
Red (Yakima Valley); $16. A broadly
fruity mélange of red grapes, moderately tart and
pleasant enough as a simple pizza and pasta red.
At the listed 14.4% alcohol, you might hope for a
bit more concentration. —P.G.
82
Mount Baker 2007 Proprietor’s
Limited Release Petit Verdot
(Yakima Valley); $20. Petit Verdot is not an
easy grape; here it turns volatile, the grapes
pruney, and the finish tannic and short. —P.G.
82
Mount Baker 2008 Proprietor’s
Limited Release Zinfandel (Red
Mountain); $30. This Zinfandel tastes barely
ripe; there is little or no fruit flavor, just a leafy,
light, generic wine that quickly disappears from
the palate. —P.G.
ROSÉ WINES
84
Patterson Cellars 2009 Rosé
(Washington); $15. This rosé is done
by the saignée method, bleeding off excess juice
from the fermenting tanks. It’s 48% Syrah and
52% Cabernet Franc, yielding a hard-edged yet
buttery wine with lightly peppery, watermelon
flavors. Not for everyone, but distinctive. —P.G.
83
Martinez & Martinez 2009 Cabernet
Blanca Rosé of Cabernet
Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills); $15. Like
a white Zinfandel, this is a sweet, sugary, raspberry-
and strawberry-flavored wine for chilling
and sipping. —P.G.
WASHINGTON
WHITE WINES
CHARDONNAY
91
L’Ecole No. 41 2009 Chardonnay
(Columbia Valley); $20. This is pure
Chardonnay, from cool-climate sites, showing a
lean, sculpted spine that both defines and
expands the flavors. Exceptionally complex for
Washington Chardonnay, with good natural acidity,
a mix of peach, apple and pineapple fruit, and
a finish that shows tight layering. There is a dense
core that should unravel with bottle age; this is
that rare Washington Chardonnay that will prosper
with cellaring. Cellar Selection. —P.G.
91
Tranche 2007 Chardonnay (Columbia
Gorge); $30. This is tight when
first opened, with a hard-edged herbal character.
Beneath that shell are richer, tropical fruit flavors
of ripe banana, yellow apple and a hint of papaya;
and with plenty of breathing time the wine softens
and opens out. Roughly two thirds of the barrels
were new French oak; and that is still being
resolved into the fruit. This wine has a good 6–8
years of life ahead of it, but if you are drinking it
now, decant it. —P.G.
88
Arbor Crest 2008 Connor Lee
Vineyard Chardonnay (Columbia
Valley); $18. Sweet oak and lightly tropical fruit
flavors characterize this young, tight, full-bodied
Chardonnay. With another year or two in bottle,
the fruit should emerge from behind the new oak
flavors and enhance the overall balance. In the
meanwhile, decanting is a good idea. —P.G.
88
Milbrandt 2009 Evergreen Vineyard
Chardonnay (Columbia Val-
ley); $23. From the Evergreen Vineyard, in the
Ancient Lakes region north of the Wahluke
Slope, this is surprisingly high-powered, at 13.9%
alcohol, with a big smack of oak in the nose. That
oak is wrapped around green banana and green
apple fruit, with a little vanilla on the side. As
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young as it is, it seems likely to knit together and
improve over the next year or two. —P.G.
87
Milbrandt 2009 Traditions
Chardonnay (Columbia Valley);
$13. Clean, fresh and simple, this does not claim
to be “unoaked” but it carries that style in its flavors,
a snappy mix of green apple, pineapple and
grapefruit. Good everyday drinking. —P.G.
85
Airfield Estates 2009 Unoaked
Chardonnay (Yakima Valley); $12.
Juicy fruit gum flavors abound, a mix of citrus
rind and candy. It must be chilled and enjoyed for
its forward, simple fruit flavors. —P.G.
84
Cave B 2008 Chardonnay (Columbia
Valley); $20. Barrel fermented,
with light flavors of peaches and cream, and a
watery mouthfeel that does not quite come
together. —P.G.
83
Mount Baker 2008 Proprietor’s
Limited Release Chardonnay
(Yakima Valley); $17. Short and sharp, this
“Proprietor’s Limited Release” is simply a plain,
generic style, with a bitter finish. —P.G.
82
Patterson Cellars 2009 Chardonnay
(Columbia Valley); $21. Barrel
fermented, 20% of it new French oak, this is a
bright lemon yellow, with scents of wood and
toast. There’s a slim streak of something else in
the aromas that seems not quite right, a little fishy
smell. The wine does not come together in the
mouth; it’s a jumble of round stone fruits, cardboard
and a slightly rancid finish. —P.G.
RIESLING
92
Nefarious Cellars 2009 Stone’s
Throw Vineyard Riesling (Columbia
Valley); $18. This is estate grown, from a
Lake Chelan winery in an emerging region. Riesling
is clearly a strength, as this has a delicate elegance
often missing from the fruit bombs that
can be grown in warmer sites. Bone dry, dusty
and lightly floral in the nose. The balance of blossom,
yellow fruits, juicy acidity and wet rock is
impeccable; the wine extends itself gracefully into
a lingering finish. Editors’ Choice. —P.G.
88
Cave B 2009 Riesling (Columbia
Valley); $18. Fruity and full-flavored,
this quaffable Riesling brings a full share of