Washington Wine of the Week – Selections for Winter, 2021

For the week of March 14, 2021: Two Vintners 2017 Syrah – This Syrah from the Woodinville winery opens with gentle floral and herbal aromas of rose hips, and the flavor profile strikes a balance between lead-off dark fruits and subsequent red fruits with juicy acidity. Italian plum and wild blackberry are accentuated with pomegranate and red currant, and the finish carries an understated note of smoky espresso. This wine should be a natural to pair with lamb, pork belly or a variety of gamey meats.

For the week of March 7, 2021: Browne Site Series 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon – Based in Walla Walla, Browne Family Vineyards sourced their grapes for this amazing wine from Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Nicely complex aromatics of vanilla and savory herbs lead to a base of black cherry, currant, and plum fruit. The soft landing is plush, layered, and thought-provoking with touches of milk chocolate, molasses and snickerdoodle cookie. Considering this wine is a ‘baby’ by Cabernet standards, it truly delivers on all fronts from start to finish, making it an instantly enjoyable choice.

For the week of February 28, 2021: J Bookwalter Winery 2018 Merlot – Fragrant berries and plums carry over to the palate with added flavors of cedar, leather, and sweet tobacco to start. The wine’s final stanza suggests a bit of chocolate and mocha along with a hint of toasted coconut and vanilla on the extreme finish. Blended with 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Malbec and sourced from three stellar Eastern Washington vineyards: Dionysus, Conner Lee, and Elephant Mountain. This wine has great texture, great balance and checks all the boxes as an all-around delicious Merlot.

For the week of February 21, 2021: Spoiled Dog Winery 2018 Pinot Noir – Not a fan of Pinot Noir? This Puget Sound AVA-based wine may change your mind. It’s slightly more weighty than most, pushing it into the medium-bodied category, although it still shines with plenty of mouth-watering huckleberry, red currant, strawberry, and pie cherry fruit. There’s also a touch of smoky/earthiness on the finish…just enough to remind that you’re still drinking Pinot. This varietal’s versatility as a “food wine” is unmatched, allowing it to easily pair up with a wide range of choices including salmon, poultry, pork, beef or lamb. A grand slam effort from Langley, Washington winemaker Karen Krug, who sourced the grapes from Whidbey Island’s Hezel Family Vineyard.

For the week of February 14, 2021: Palencia Winery 2017 El Viñador Syrah – Looking for an excellent Syrah that’s both food-friendly (think duck, pork tenderloin, or prime rib) and perfect for sipping on its own? This wonderful selection – sourced from the Wahluke Slope AVA in Central Washington – should have you covered on both fronts. There’s a whiff of crushed greens, sweet tobacco, and dark chocolate for openers, with flavors of spiced black cherry, espresso, and black currant on the palate. Slightly pliable tannins give the wine a bold, yet elegant quality while suggesting that another five to ten years of cellaring time will make this gem-of-a-wine even better.

For the week of February 7, 2021: Tucannon Cellars 2016 Red Fusion – This multi-layered, unconventional four-varietal blend from Benton City winemaker Phil Warren is practically guaranteed to put a smile on your face and offers plenty to contemplate and savor. There’s a big blast of blackberry jam on the nose with a core of black cherry fruit on the palate and finishing notes of licorice root, sweet cedar, and black currant. Comprised of equal parts Carmenere, Tempranillo, Mourvedre and Zinfandel.

For the week of January 31, 2021: Patterson Cellars 2018 Late Harvest Roussanne – Over the past 20 years, winemaker/owner John Patterson has quietly built his winery into a four-location enterprise throughout Washington. This amazing golden-hued wine, a blend of 76% Roussanne and 24% Viognier, carries lovely touches of hazelnut and toasted almonds with a distinctive core of peach, nectarine, and apricot fruit. For a dessert wine, it’s lighter in body than most, with a low alcohol content, refreshing acidity to balance out the sweetness, and a lengthy finish that’s honey-like rather than sugary and cloying. An outstanding choice to serve with a wide range of foods from dacquoise cakes to well-aged cheeses.

For the week of January 24, 2021: Dama Wines 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon – It seems like it wasn’t too long ago that there were just a handful of women winemakers in Washington State. Not only has that (thankfully) increased dramatically, but the number of women-owned wineries has taken off as well. Mary Derby, founder and winemaker at Walla Walla’s Dama Wines has been a notable force on the Washington wine scene since the early 2000’s, crafting what she refers to as “dangerously beautiful” wines. This wonderfully complex Cab opens with stunning aromatics of violets, black plums, and cherry cobbler, with a flavor profile that suggests red raspberry, pomegranate reduction sauce, and coffee/caramel. It finishes with a slightly meaty note, underscored with nuances of hibiscus tea and molasses. The wine has earned a number of well-deserved 90+ scores and, while drinking nicely now, has cellar-worthy potential written all over it.

For the week of January 17, 2021: Forgeron Cellars 2018 Blacksmith Rouge GSM – This soon-to-be-released blend of 63% Syrah, 21% Mourvedre, and 16% Grenache carries a “fresh” quality you’d expect from a newer red wine representing the 2018 vintage. Wild blackberries come to the forefront with raspberry, red plum, and spiced cherry flavors on a bright finish. 556 cases produced. During the pandemic, those wishing to visit either of the winery’s tasting rooms in Walla Walla or Woodinville can be accommodated with a private tasting that can be booked either by phone or on line.

For the week of January 10, 2021: Ross Andrew Winery 2013 Red Mountain AVA Cabernet Sauvignon – It’s not often you can find a seven year old wine on a winery’s list of current releases, but this gem from winemaker Ross Andrew Mickel is not only still available, it’s highly affordable ($30 on the winery web site) and drinking beautifully. There’s a decidedly Old World feel to this Cab, with concentrated, understated black currant, black olive, and roasted coffee flavors, and just enough minerality and full-bodied richness lingering in the background to clue you in on its Red Mountain terrior. Beautifully integrated tannins supply the wine with the perfect amount of texture and structure and give you every indication that it still has several more years of aging potential for future enjoyment.

For the week of January 3, 2021: Monarcha Winery 2020 Rose’ Wine – Winemaker Victor Palencia leads off the 2020 vintage with this brand new release sourced from Washington’s Ancient Lakes AVA. This wine is gorgeous on all counts, from the eye-catching frosted bottle to the striking shade of jewel-like garnet Syrah within it. Fresh field strawberries lead off, with additional flavors of Jolly Rancher watermelon and crisp green melon throughout. There’s also some nice, steely minerality to accentuate the big splash of acidity on the finish. It makes a great starter wine – especially during the appetizer course – and it pairs perfectly with prosciutto, which really brings out the wine’s fruit component and, perhaps, a suggestive hint of sweetness.

For the week of December 27, 2020: Wit Cellars 2019 ‘Unleashed’ Sparkling Pinot Grigio – You can’t have New Year’s Eve week without a glass of Washington State bubbly, and this selection from the Prosser-based winery is a terrific choice for you to consider. Delicate floral aromatics, gentle lead-off fruit flavors of apricot and apple, and notes of minerality and field grasses fill the glass. The finish is highlighted with bracing acidity and crisp citrus, making it a perfect pairing partner for anything from fried chicken to sushi to caviar and sour cream on toast points. It’s a versatile sparkler that shouldn’t be limited to special occasions, and at only about $28 a bottle, a great alternative to much pricier Champagnes. Cheers to 2021!