Fresh Press for May 16, 2011

May 16, 2011

FRESHPRESS

Old vines at Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Washington’s Red Mountain are ready to come out of their winter slumber.

(Photo by Andy Perdue, Wine Press Northwest)

Fresh Press is a weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest magazine. In each edition, we review recently released wines from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho. Feel free to forward to your wine-loving friends and family. For more information on our tasting methods and review process, please go to the last page.

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FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

Spotlight: Saviah Cellars 1979 JB George Road, Walla Walla, WA 99362 509-520-5166 • www.saviahcellars.com

Richard and Anita Funk have wrestled with many decisions during the past two decades, and they seem to make the right move nearly every time.

Rather than start a brewery in Big Sky country, the Montana State grads chose to pursue winemaking and headed to Walla Walla in 1991. Richard developed relationships and gathered knowledge while working with wineries on water issues as an employee of the Walla Walla County Health Department.

Nearly a decade later, the Funks created their winery.

What to call it? They correctly chose a name from Anita’s side of the family, and Saviah Cellars took off. Within 10 years, it has grown into a 12,000-case operation.

Along the way, his talents also helped nearby Watermill Winery into becoming Wine Press Northwest’s 2010 Oregon Winery to Watch.

This fall, the Funks expect to release Syrah from their 5-acre vineyard near Milton-Freewater, Ore. Those wines will be under a new label called Funk Estate Vineyard.

So if someone asks, “Do you want to get funky with me?” and they have a bottle of Saviah Cellars in their hand, your decision should be easy and tasty.

Outstanding! Saviah Cellars 2007 Big Sky Cuvée, Columbia Valley, $35. We first tasted this blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvigon, Malbec and Petit Verdot last fall and liked it. Five months later, we got another date and have fallen in love. Montana native Richard Funk brings out aromas of milk chocolate, black currant and plum with crushed thyme and minerality notes. There’s a rich reward of blackberry milk shake on the mouthcoating palate with black cherry, plum and loganberry notes. Sweet tannins and bright acidity carry into a finish of Godiva chocolate. Suggested fare to accompany

includes wild game or lamb served with a Montana huckleberry demi-glaze. (632 cases, 14.25% alc.)

Outstanding! Saviah Cellars 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $28. Primo fruit from McClellan, Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards gave Richard Funk plenty to run with, and he didn’t drop the ball. Rather, he’s crafted a very elegant Cab that preserves hints of strawberry jam, plums, black cherry and chocolate chips. The acidity is up-front and tannins are eased into the back with silkiness throughout. (735 cases, 14.1% alc.)

Excellent. Saviah Cellars 2009 The Jack Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $18. It’s difficult to believe this Walla Walla winery launched its popular gaming-card label for bargain-priced red blend way back in 2003, but the Funks only recently began to roll it out for singlevariety bottlings. Indeed, it’s young and flush with fruitiness that hints at plums, marionberry and raspberry.

The structure brings wonderful acidity and well-integrated chocolaty tannins. (980 cases, 14.1% alc.)

Excellent. Saviah Cellars 2009 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $25. Here’s a winning combination of Dijon 75 clone fruit and delicate use of French barrels. In fact, it’s far from a oak bomb, especially in the fruity aromas of Granny Smith apple, peach and melon, joined by orange blossom, talcum powder and lime. Flavors focus on more of the peach, apple and melon before a finish of honeysuckle and butterscotch. (165 cases, 14.1% alc.)

Outstanding! Saviah Cellars 2008 Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $30. When Richard Funk helped the Brown family develop Watermill Winery in nearby Milton-Freewater, Ore., he developed a relationship that continues to give him access to Watermill and McClellan estate vineyards.

He somehow captures the sense of an old mountain

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FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

Saviah Cellars continued cabin, using French oak to help create hints of old cedar paneling and gun metal with blueberry, black currant, cloves and vanilla bean. It does drink a bit like a Syrah because of its roundness in the mouth from blueberry, reddish blackberry and huckleberry. The finish is delicious with notes of dark chocolate, slate and Turkish coffee with cardamom. (243 cases, 14.1% alc.)

Outstanding! Saviah Cellars 2007 Petit Verdot, Walla Walla Valley, $30. It is uncommon to associate

this grape, typically a blender, with suppleness, but that best describes this bottling. It hints at Syrah with its bouquet of smoky bacon, gun metal and blueberry, yet there’s elegance from rose petal, flannel and wet stone. Layers of blueberry, Marionberry and boysenberry ply the palate with pleasing juiciness as the acidity builds. A pinch of white pepper and flecks of minerality add complexity to the midpalate, which easily gives way to balanced tannins and a finish of dried cherry and caramel. (190 cases, 14.7% alc.)

New releases we’ve tasted Cabernet Sauvignon Recommended. Ferraro Cellar 2008 Phinny Hill Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $30. Vineyards in this portion of Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills help make for some bold Cabs, and Dick Ferraro’s bottling comes from that neighborhood.

Aromas of cassis and sage are accompanied by hints of a Coffee Nip and pencil shavings. Flavors of cherries and purple blackberries include notes of lavender, lilac and chocolate. (76 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Recommended. Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $25. The Smiths limit themselves to small lots at their winery near the Washington/Idaho border, and here’s a product of 10-year-old vines at KB Vineyards on what was formerly known as Seth Ryan Winery. It’s showing aromas of raspberry, red licorice, fresh-baked brioche, cinnamon, pink peppercorn, sage and mint. The drink is lively and tasty with cherry, toffee, clove and black pepper, capped by a tug of tannin in the finish. (50 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Excellent. Preston Premium Wines 2007 Mom’s Cab Vegas Edition Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $21. Few bottles handle the alcohol-by-volume requirement more cleverly, displayed on the label as the license plate number for the yellow cab depicted.

There’s plenty of barrel toast with cassis in the fumes, and nice dark raspberry and cherry flavors to drive it home across some tannins with torque. A savory, gamy and smoky finish awaits, so enjoy alongside a T-bone with a bold rub and topped with blue cheese. (300 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Pinot Noir Excellent. Elk Cove Vineyards 2009 Five Mountain Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $48. The Ponzi family planted this Chehalem Mountains vineyard in 1978, and the Campbell family purchased the site dedicated to Pommard clone in 2005. This bottling shows smoky aromas with salted caramel, basmati rice and Kettle Brand Backyard Barbecue potato chips. There’s a theme of pie cherry on the palate, joined by raspberry

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FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

New releases we’ve tasted and cranberry flavors. Subdued tannins and a drop of Liquid Smoke bode well for a pairing with alder-planked salmon. (530 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Recommended. Elk Cove Vineyards 2009 Mount Richmond Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $48. While the delicate nose hints at blackberry, blueberry, rose hips and slate, the drink off this Yamhill-Carlton vineyard is quite hospitable with more blackberry flavors and mouth-coating plumminess. (1,004 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Merlot Recommended. Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2007 Pheasant Run Vineyard Estate Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $28. The Basel family planted this vineyard in 1997 prior to building the magnificent 14,000-squarefoot lodge on the hill. Aromas swirling above this fullbodied Merlot abound with hints of red raspberry, citrus, prickly pear cactus, Wheat Thins and roasted coffee. Inside, it's loaded with black cherry flavors from start to finish, backed by boysenberry, pomegranate, chocolate, black olive and another pour of coffee. (597 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Best Buy! Recommended. Covey Run Vintners 2009 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $9. One of the Northwest’s more affordable and accessible producers creates an ebullient Merlot showing youth and abundant purple fruit flavors of blueberry and Marionberry. It’s a mouth-filling wine with a thin layer of chocolaty tannin that drapes like a bridal veil across the tongue. Notes of cassis and bright acidity serve it well.

(16,050 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Excellent. Jones of Washington 2007 Estate Merlot, Wahluke Slope, $17. Variety is the spice of life, and here’s a well-made Merlot that steps off the track a bit.

There’s a sense of maturity to the fruit aromas of boysenberry, blueberry, cherry and mulberry, trailed by a pinch of Jamaican jerk rub, talcum powder and cedar.

The drink is lively and racy with boysenberry and blueberry flavors, held up by an underlying theme of fine-grained tannins. (558 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Recommended. Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2007 Merlot, Red Mountain, $22. This release, Liberty

Lake's second using Red Mountain fruit, doesn’t shy away from flexing the muscular terroir of this appellation, delivering a punch of tannin that could slow down George Foreman. Its broad nose features root beer, fudge brownie, mint, orange peel and a purple SweeTart. Cherry Mountain Bar and vanilla bean flavors stand toe-to-toe with the massive structure that demands well-marbled meats, duck confit or time in the cellar. (75 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Syrah Recommended. Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2007 Pheasant Run Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $28. A thread of minerality found throughout many Basel offerings gives the sense of terroir in its estate plantings. It shows both in the aromas and on the palate, along with notes of juicy boysenberry, pomegrante and plum. Look for a drop of Tia Maria in the finish. (858 cases, 14.92% alc.)

Malbec Recommended. Lopez Island Vineyards 2009 Organically Grown Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $25.

Doc Stewart Vineyard, a certified organic site owned by Yakima’s Gilbert Cellars, fits the style of island winemaker Brent Charnley. He preserved food-friendly acidity within the frame work of blueberry milkshake, Western serviceberry and mulberry, accented by minerality, vanilla extract and late-arriving tannins. (230 cases, 14% alc.)

Outstanding! Pondera Winery 2008 Reserve Malbec, Columbia Valley, $34. Stillwater Creek Vineyard, which overlooks Royal City, Wash., keeps Woodinville winemaker Shane Howard on his hit streak. It’s a dark, inky and smoky drink that carries a theme of bursting blueberries and graphite. Finegrained tannins and a backing of black cherry give it a youthful ebullience in the finish. (120 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Lemberger Excellent. Kana Winery 2007 Red Willow Vineyard Old Vines Lemberger, Yakima Valley, $18. Few

Wine ratings All wines reviewed here are tasted blind after being submitted by producers. They are rated Outstanding, Excellent and Recommended by a tasting panel.

Outstanding: These wines have superior characteristics and should be highly sought after.

Excellent: Top-notch wines with particularly high qualities.

Recommended: Delicious, well-made wines with true varietal characteristics.

Best Buy: A wine that is $15 or less.

Priced are suggested retail and should be used as guidelines. Prices are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

For more details about our judging system, see the last page of this document.

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FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

New releases we’ve tasted Northwest wineries devote any space in their portfolio to this central European variety, yet this downtown Yakima winery continues to champion it. There’s a sense of juicy marionberry and cherry fruit leather in the nose, backed by baking spice and tar, followed by plump Rainier cherry and strawberry flavors. It’s an easy drink with lively blueberry acidity and minimal tannin, topped by a drop of almond extract. (198 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Cabernet Franc Recommended. Pondera Winery 2008 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $28. This small Woodinville winery taps into some of the best vines in Washington, and Dineen Vineyard in the Yakima Valley ranks among them. It makes for a wine brimming with juicy pie cherry, pomegranate, boysenberry and cherry tomato, rubbed with chili pepper and thyme and cast amid lingering acidity and endearing minerality. It will make for a delicious pairing with duck confit. (55 cases, 14.6% alc.)

Zinfandel Recommended. Ferraro Cellar 2008 Hellsgate Canyon Vineyard Zinfandel, Columbia Valley, $26.

Here’s a restrained and dry Zin steered away from the stereotypical strawberry candy profile. Instead, there’s a theme of dried strawberry, cranberry and pie cherry in this product off Gunkel vines near Maryhill, Wash. Hints of green olive in the aromas bring to mind a pairing of grilled pork served with a tapenade. These wines are poured at the Medici tasting room in Newberg, Ore. (95 cases, 15% alc.)

Tempranillo Outstanding! Kana Winery 2007 Tempranillo, Columbia Valley, $18. This Spanish variety can show as brawny as Brutus, but this version shows an even temper. It’s a noseful of boysenberry and pomegranate, backed by sage, pine tar and cocoa powder. That purple fruit dominates the jazzy entry, and the abundance of mouthwatering acidity is reminiscent of a Sangiovese. The tanins merely show self-assurance, and in the back are flavors of prune whip and Aussie black licorice and a long cherry finish. (274 cases, 14.1% alc.)

Red blends Excellent. Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2007 Claret, Walla Walla Valley, $20. This showpiece facility does more than pay the freight with his high-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (32%), Cabernet Franc (4%), Malbec (2%) and Petit Verdot. The gathering from Pheasant Run, Pepper Bridge and

Chelle Den Millie comes across with notes of cassis, raspberry, sour cherry and cocoa powder. Pleasing acidity and the broad shoulders of tannin means this should also hold its own for several years. (2,425 cases, 14.3% alc.)

Excellent. Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2007 Inspired, Columbia Valley, $40. It’s nearly enough Merlot (72%) from the estate Pheasant Run Vineyard to be labeled as such, but Justin Basel continues to favor Cabernet Franc (28%) off Chelle den Millie Vineyard in Prosser, Wash., which helps give this wine a nice leafy component. Leading the way are bright cherry, cassis, cola, citrus and green peppercorn tones with light smoke and a pinch of freshly turned earth. It’s an easy drink that turns rich on the midpalate before yielding to serviceberry chalkiness and blueberry in the finish. (473 cases, 14.6% alc.)

Excellent. Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2007 Estate Merriment, Walla Walla Valley, $48. Justin Basel, a 26-year-old co-founder of Walla Walla’s budding Young Guns Wine Society, developed an enjoyable blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc that will especially please folks who appreciate French oak influences. Pie cherry, cranberry, lime and crushed leaf aromas nearly get lost amid the whiffs of molasses and bacon. Flavors feature black currants, maraschino cherry and milk chocolate, backed by notes of candied ginger, minerality and coconut chai in the finish. (719 cases, 14.4% alc.)

Excellent. Kana Winery 2007 Dark Star Red, Yakima Valley, $20. Ste. Michelle grad Ben Grossman grouped Syrah and Grenache from Elephant Mountain and Red Willow Vineyard, and the barrel program makes for expressive aromas of baking spice among hints of blackberry fruit leather, dusty cherry and mince meat.

It’s a mouth-filling drink of more blackberry and cherry, followed by acidity and a thin layer of tannin that gives way to black licorice. (320 cases, 14% alc.)

Outstanding! Kana Winery 2007 Scarlet Fire Reserve, Yakima Valley, $25. Dr. Palmer Wright named his downtown Yakima winery using a tribal word for a volcanic mountain’s spirit, and the Rhone blend of Mourvedre (83%) from Elephant Mountain and Syrah off Red Willow Vineyard may be a pinnacle achievement. Its perfume features hints of a hazelnut mocha, malted milk ball, Ponderosa pine and cedar.

Smooth and velvety flavors center on ripe raspberry juice and dried cranberry. The midpalate reveals a flash of chocolate-covered jalapeno and cherry skins before dropping into long finish of blueberries and espresso grounds. One judge was so enchanted by this wine she considered applying dabs of it as cologne. (150 cases, 13.8% alc.)

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FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

New releases we’ve tasted Excellent. Kana Winery 2007 Workingman’s Red, Columbia Valley, $14. This vintage was the fifth for this winery, and here’s yet another reason to taste wines poured in the downtown art deco-era Larsen Building. In this version, Lemberger, Barbera and Tempranillo come together in food-friendly fashion with notes of black cherry, plum, oregano, dried basil and chocolate malt. Blueberry acidity shines above the relaxed tannins. (160 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Recommended. Jones of Washington 2010 Estate Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, $17. While the nose leans toward lemon lime, Granny Smith apple and honeydew melon, the drink is akin to pear-based fruit cocktail syrup. It’s indeed a quaffer and almost a lateharvest style with its carriage of 1.2% residual sugar. A pleasing finish of jasmine and tangy kiwi fruit gives it balance. (335 cases, 13.6% alc.)

Recommended. Koenig Vineyards 2008 CSPV, Snake River Valley, $17. Idaho vintner Greg Koenig completes his first pass at mixing Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) and Petit Verdot. While the nose is a bit restrained with dried strawberry, loose-leaf green tea, black licorice, drip coffee and river rock, there’s a nice reward of juicy strawberry and inky blueberry flavors.

Assertive tannins and a late jolt of acidity bode well for aging, too. (98 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Riesling

Recommended. Kyra Wines 2008 PSV Red, Wahluke Slope, $18. The Merlot (65%) came off Kyra Baerlocher’s Purple Sage Vineyard on Oct. 9, but she left the Cabernet Sauvignon (35%) to hang 17 more days. Aging of two years in mostly French oak results in aromas of black cherry, black raspberry plums, a squirt of citrus, smoke pepper flakes and chocolatecovered pretzel. It’s a balanced and very easy-going drink dominated by flavors of plums, dried cherry, cranberry and toasted malt as late acidity overtakes what little tannin there is. (540 cases, 13.7% alc.)

Pinot Gris

Recommended. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery 2008 Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, $20 CDN. British Columbia’s most widely planted grape variety is put to tasty use here. It’s loaded with bright Bing cherry, Craisin, cinnamon, black pepper and tar notes, backed by lip-smacking tomato acidity and held firmly by some Earl Grey tea. (587 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Recommended. Township 7 Vineyards & Winery 2006 Reserve 7, Okanagan Valley, $35 CDN. Blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%), Merlot (40%) and Cabernet Franc cast in French oak make for racy and inviting aromas of black raspberry, Red Hots candy, violet and dark roasted coffee beans. The pour releases flavors of high-toned red fruit accented by notes of crushed leaf, red bell pepper and bittersweet chocolate that give it Old World elegance and staying power. (13.9% alc.)

Chardonnay Best Buy! Recommended. Covey Run Vintners 2009 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $9. Tangy aromas of starfruit, lemon, green apple and pineapple lead to a pleasingly tart theme of ripe citrus flavors. In the background are notes of white peach, melon, celery leaf and lemon poundcake. (19,182 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Best Buy! Recommended. Covey Run Vintners 2009 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9. A thin slice of Granny Smith apple brings with it aromas of slate, lavender, lychee and honey — and they all continue onto the palate where there’s a layer of thickness, some sweetness (residual sugar of 2.5%) and a slurp of peach pit in the finish. (35,656 cases, 12.5% alc.)

Best Buy! Recommended. Jones of Washington 2010 Estate Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $14. Here’s a continuation of the tasty lineup of off-dry table whites from this multi-generation farming family based in Quincy, Wash. It takes you off-guard just sitting in the glass with its fascinating slightly pinkish color and inviting nose of freshly sliced Gala apple, honey, lychee, lemon and baby aspirin. The spicy fruit cocktail, Bing cherry and light strawberry flavors will show quite nicely with a good chill on the bottle. (388 cases, 13.6% alc.)

Outstanding! Mellisoni Vineyards 2010 Pinot Grigio, Lake Chelan, $35. While this estate bottling ranks as perhaps the Northwest’s most expensive Pinot Gris, it’s arguably one of the most delicious. Katy Perry of nearby Tildio Winery makes the white wines, and she has followed up the 2009 vintage — chosen best of class at the 2010 Tri-Cities Wine Festival — with aromas of tutti frutti, pear, apple butter, shortbread cookies and slate. Round flavors of honeydew melon, Honeycrisp apple, tree-ripened pear and white peach come with a mere trickle of residual sugar (.9%), green tea, and a late arrival of lime acidity. (92 cases, 13.6% alc.)

Best Buy! Excellent. Silvan Ridge Winery 2009 Pinot Gris, Oregon, $15. Jonathan Oberlander sourced six vineyards, including Viognier (8%) from famed Del Rio Vineyard, to produce a tasty, fruitforward style of Pinot Gris. Aromas lead with hints of pineapple, jasmine, lemon/lime, Thompson seedless grapes and mustard seed. It’s easy to enjoy the following flavors of lemon/lime and Gala apple, which are joined by honeysuckle and apricot. (1,500 cases, 13.3% alc.)

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FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

New releases we’ve tasted Recommended. Torii Mor Vineyard & Winery 2010 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $18. Gala apple, Bosc pear and starfruit tones with notes of second-cut pineaple and slate in the finish will serve this well with seafood items. (1,800 cases, 12.%5 alc.)

Semillon Outstanding! Open Road Wine Co. 2009 Old Vine Semillon, Wahluke Slope, $26. George and Sara Papanikolaou set up their tiny new winery in Bothell, Wash., and these twentysomethings struck gold both with us and the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition via this lot off historic Rosebud Ranches.

Classic, clean and inviting aromas of lemongrass, coriander and apple sauce include just a wisp of smoke and white pepper. It comes together nicely on the palate as full flavors of fig, apple and Bit o’Honey carry into a midpalate of melon and quince. There’s a carriage of heightened acidity and less oak than many versions of this grape, and that combination should serve it nicely paired with chef Paul Robinson’s sturgeon at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. (71 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Sauvignon Blanc Excellent. Covey Run Vintners 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $9. Kate Michaud shows delicious consistency with this variety, and her latest edition starts with a big whiff of orange juice concentrate, followed by notes of grapefruit, honeydew melon, lime, fresh-cut celery and alyssum. It’s a racy drink starting with a big squeeze of lime, more grapefruit, kumquat and nice steeliness that may remind some of a Muscadet. (4,975 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Excellent. Jones of Washington 2010 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17. There are many expectations when reaching for a glass of this Bordeaux variety, and this product of the Ancient Lakes region meets most of them. Lots of lime, lemon and minerality develops a steely tartness that bodes well for oysters on the half shell. (179 cases, 14.6% alc.)

Viognier Excellent. Jones of Washington 2010 Estate Viognier, Wahluke Slope, $17. Few Viogniers made last fall will be on the market this early, and Victor Palencia built this fruit-forward and left it off-dry (1.8% residual sugar). Orange juice concentrate, white peach, Asian pear, laundered flannel and gardenia aromas come alive on the palate, reminiscent of a mimosa.

Pleasing minerality and a nice citrus pith finish give it some complexity and balance. (406 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Best Buy! Recommended. Severino Cellars 2009 Viognier, Yakima Valley, $13. Severino Samaniego

brought Rattlesnake Hills fruit back to his young Zillah, Wash., winery and turned out an affordable expression of Viognier that features a classic nose of orange Creamsicle along with tropical fruit. The approach is quite dry with flavors of clementine, quince and Asian pear that should pair nicely with a flaky piece of ling cod. (128 cases, 15.2% alc.)

Pinot Blanc Excellent. Torii Mor Vineyard & Winery 2009 Pinot Blanc, Rogue Valley, $20. While Okanagan Valley vintners seem particularly fond of this underappreciated Burgundian variety, Willamette Valley winemaker Jacques Tardy remains a fan. Ironically, though, he brought this lot from Griffin Creek Vineyard in Southern Oregon on Oct. 20. Thoughts are filled with pineapple, pear, minerality, fennel and lemony cripsness. Finesse in the midpalate comes from the 20% barrel fermentation. (394 cases, 13.1% alc.)

White blends Recommended. Kana Winery 2008 Elephant Mountain Vineyard Masterpiece Reserve, Yakima Valley, $20. This blend of white Rhone varieties — Viognier (53%), Marsanne (24%) and Roussanne — could be mistaken for a dry Muscat after leading with aromas of fruit cocktail before lemon and minerality tones arrive. The drink is bracing and bone dry, loaded with kumquat and quince, backed by apple, banana peel and almond. (300 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Excellent. Mellisoni Vineyards 2009 45 Degrees, Lake Chelan, $32. The Mellisons are newcomers to the Lake Chelan wine industry, and their young estate vines just west of Chelan are anchored into a 45degree slope. Hence, the name of this blend of Riesling (70%) and Gewurztraminer that offers a remarkably shy nose considering what the palate provides. Rainier cherry, orange blossom and sugar cane aromas expand into Jazz apple and melon flavors. A midpalate return of cherries gives way to a finish of minerality and lingering sweet lime, which wear down the residual sugar (1.9%). (110 cases, 12.9% alc.)

Fortified Recommended. Silvan Ridge Winery 2006 Portage Syrah Dessert Wine, Rogue Valley, $20. Here’s another catchy name to get around the fortified vs. Port naming issue, and this Eugene, Ore., winery crafts this toward a tawny style. Orange marmalade, dates, pie cherry, blueberry and freshly cut cedar aromas play out on the sweet palate, where the alcohol is nicely integrated. The winery’s website includes a Portage chocolate cake recipe. (143 cases, 18.5% alc.)

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FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

Northwest wine regions Multi-state appellations Columbia Valley: This multi-state appellation is 11 million acres in size and takes up a third of Washington.

Established in 1984.

Columbia Gorge: This multi-state appellation begins around the town of Lyle and heads west to Husum on the Washington side of the Columbia River. It was established in 2004.

Walla Walla Valley: Walla Walla Valley: This multi-state appellation is in the southeast corner of Washington and around Milton-Freewater, Ore. Established in 1984.

Snake River Valley: This is in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon. It covers 8,263 square miles and was established in 2007.

Washington Yakima Valley: The Northwest’s oldest appellation (established in 1983) stretches past Wapato in the west to Benton City in the east and includes Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills and Snipes Mountain.

Red Mountain: Washington’s smallest appellation is a ridge in the eastern Yakima Valley. It is 4,040 acres in size.

Established in 2001.

Horse Heaven Hills: This large appellation — 570,000 acres — is south of the Yakima Valley and stretches to the Oregon border. It was established in 2005.

Wahluke Slope: Approved in early 2006, this huge landform north of the Yakima Valley is an 81,000-acre gravel bar created by the Ice Age Floods. It is one of the warmest regions in the entire Pacific Northwest. Established in 2006.

Rattlesnake Hills: This appellation is in the western Yakima Valley north of the towns of Zillah, Granger and Outlook.The appellation is 68,500 acres in size with about 1,300 acres of vineyards. It was established in 2006.

Puget Sound: This sprawling appellation is in Western Washington. It stretches from the Olympia area to the Canadian border north of Bellingham. It also sweeps through the San Juan Islands and to Port Angeles. Established in 1995.

Snipes Mountain: This is one of Washington’s oldest wine-growing regions. At 4,145 acres in size, it is the state’s second-smallest AVA. Grapes have been grown on Snipes Mountain and at the adjacent Harrison Hill (also part of the AVA) since 1914. This AVA is within the Yakima Valley appellation and was approved in 2009.

Lake Chelan: This area in north-central Washington is almost entirely within the Columbia Valley. It is a young area, with the oldest vines dating to 1998. About 250 acres are planted here. It was approved in 2009.

Ribbon Ridge: This is the Northwest’s smallest appellation at 3,350 acres. It is best known for its Pinot Noir and is within the Chehalem Mountains AVA. It was established in 2005.

Yamhill-Carlton: This is a horseshoe-shaped appellation that surrounds the towns of Yamhill and Carlton. It was established in 2005.

Chehalem Mountains: This is the largest within the Willamette Valley. This 62,100-acre appellation is northeast of the Dundee Hills. It was established in 2006.

Dundee Hills: Many of Oregon’s pioneer wineries are in the Dundee Hills within Oregon’s Yamhill County. The appellation is 6,490 acres in size. It was established in 2005.

Eola-Amity Hills: This important region stretches from the town of Amity in the north to the capital city of Salem in the southeast. It is 37,900 acres in size. It was established in 2006.

McMinnville: The hills south and west of the Yamhill County city of McMinnville are more than 40,000 acres in size.

It was established in 2005.

Umpqua Valley: This Southern Oregon appellation surrounds the city of Roseburg north of the Rogue Valley. It can produce Pinot Noir as well as warm-climate grapes. It was established in 1984.

Rogue Valley: The Northwest’s southern-most appellation surrounds the cities of Medford and Ashland, just north of the California border. It is known for its warm growing conditions. Established in 2001.

Applegate Valley: This small valley within the Rogue Valley is known for a multitude of microclimates that can result in wines of distinction and complexity. Established in 2004.

Southern Oregon: This AVA encompasses the Umpqua, Rogue and Applegate valleys and Red Hill Douglas County. It was established in 2005.

Red Hill Douglas County: This tiny appellation — just 5,500 acres — is within the Umpqua Valley. Fewer than 200 acres of wine grapes, primarily Pinot Noir, are grown here.

Established in 2005.

British Columbia

Okanagan Valley: In the province’s interior, this 100mile valley stretches from the border in Osoyoos to Salmon Arm in the north. Most wineries are near Oliver, Penticton and Kelowna. It was established in 1990.

Similkameen Valley: This warm valley is west of the southern Okanagan Valley. It was established in 1990.

Vancouver Island: This marine-influenced appellation is in the southwest part of the province. Established in 1990.

Fraser Valley: This farming area is in the Lower Mainland, south of Vancouver. Established in 1990.

Oregon Gulf Islands: This appellation includes approximately Willamette Valley: Oregon’s largest appellation stretches 100 islands spread out between Vancouver Island and the roughly from Portland to Eugene. Established in 1984. southern mainland. Established in 2005.

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 1, No. 1 • © 2011

FRESHPRESS May 16, 2011

About us Wine Press Northwest is a quarterly consumer magazine that focuses on the wine regions of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho.

Annual subscriptions are $20. Click to subscribe.

Publisher: Rufus M. Friday Editor-in-chief: Andy Perdue editor@winepressnw.com Managing editor: Eric Degerman edegerman@winepressnw.com Advertising inquiries: Parker Hodge phodge@tricityherald.com © 2011

Tasting methods Recent Releases are evaluated under strict conditions to ensure objectivity. Northwest wineries submit wines to Wine Press Northwest for evaluation by Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel. After wines are received, they are stored for at least two weeks and a third party serves them “blind,” meaning the tasting panelists know neither the producer nor the variety.

In addition, the panelists are served glasses of wine and are not able to view the bottles or their shapes prior to tasting. Wines are stored in a U-Line Wine Captain, which allows them to be served at perfect cellar temperatures.

Price is not a consideration in these evaluations, nor is a winery’s advertising activity with Wine Press Northwest, as the magazine’s editorial/wine evaluation activities and advertising/ marketing efforts are kept strictly separate.

The panel has a combination of technical and consumer palates. If at least three of the four panelists consider a wine technically sound and commercially acceptable, it is included here as “Recommended.” The panel may also vote the wine as “Excellent” or “Outstanding,” our top rating. Wines considered

unacceptable by the panel are rejected and not included.

Reviews are grouped by variety or style and listed alphabetically by winery. Prices listed are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

To ensure we maintain an international perspective, our tasting panelists judge thousands of wines annually at various competitions, including: Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, Riverside International Wine Competition, Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, Indy International Wine Competition, Virginia Governor’s Cup, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Grand Harvest Awards, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru, Washington State Wine Competition, Oregon State Fair, Northwest Wine Summit, British Columbia Wine Awards, New York Wine and Grape Foundation Competition, Tri-Cities Wine Festival, Northwest Wine & Food Fest, Capital Food & Wine Fest and Greatest of the Grape.

A weekly publication of Wine Press Northwest • Vol. 1, No. 1 • © 2011