Washington Wine of the Week – Selections for Summer, 2024

For the week of September 15, 2024: Bartholomew Winery 2020 Super Italian – Kennewick’s Bart Fawbush has always had a penchant for working with some of Washington’s lesser known (some might even say obscure) varietals and had great success in crafting some very tasty and very affordable wines. This red wine blend is comprised of 42% Aglianico, 33% Primitivo, and 25% Sagrantino. Each of these grapes brings something to the table: Agliancio, acidity; Primitivo, bright red currant and red cherry fruit; Sagrantino, robust and chewy tannins. Together, they give you a beautifully balanced wine that’s both sippable on its own and great for the dinner table with practically anything Italian. Fawbush recently opened a second (and very well-received) tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, just steps from the historic Marcus Whitman hotel.

For the week of September 8, 2024: Wines From the Lake Chelan Area – Check out a new post under “New Northwest Wine Recommendations” for wines from several recently-visited Lake Chelan wineries that should be on your ‘must-try’ list.

For the week of September 1, 2024: Drum Roll Wine 2022 Drum Roll White – “Anticipate Every Glass,” is the slogan for this Renton, Washington winery, which is turning out seriously fun wines at crazy/good prices. When you pour it chilled from the fridge, this Yakima Valley blend of 75% Riesling and 25% Sauvignon Blanc opens with flavors of grapefruit, white grapes, underripe melon, green apple, and citrusy lemon along with aromatics of kiwi, thyme, and field grasses. As the wine gently warms, the tropical, juicy pineapple fruit become more prevalent, with a racy streak of bracing acidity and mineral notes throughout. Gold medalist at this year’s Pacific Northwest Wine Competition. Available for only $18 a bottle at the winery’s online store at www.drumrollwine.com and a perfect pairing partner with seafish, seafood, or spicy Asian cuisine.

For the week of August 25, 2024: College Cellars 2019 Clarke Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – The Department of Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College has a rich history of producing a number of notable winemakers that have landed at wineries throughout Washington State…and beyond. The College Cellars wine label is part of that program, and each year a talented team of students produces a number of memorable wines from the College’s estate vineyards. This gorgeous Cab is one of those more recent efforts, and it achieved a Gold medal at the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition. There’s both a savory, roasted bell pepper and fruity black plum flavor profile to this wine and the judges loved the balance between the two. They also raved about its structured, yet plush/rich quality, with the suggestion of Mexican chocolate on the finish. One judge summed it up with a single word: ‘yum!’

For the week of August 18, 2024: Barrister Winery Non-Vintage Rough Justice (Version XVIII) – This latest iteration of the Spokane winery’s red blend carries a fruit-forward personna that pushes it to the fringe of the ‘guilty pleasure’ category. It explodes with juicy flavors of black cherry, red currant, blackberry and ripe raspberry along with touches of chocolate nibs and baking spices on a plush finish. The wine almost comes across as a Malbec, but there’s not a drop of it to be found in this six varietal combination of Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Sangiovese. When you can claim a 2,000+ wine club membership, as Barrister does, you must be making some crowd-pleasing wines. And this consumer-friendly, $29-a-bottle wine is a great indicator of why this must-visit winery has become a downtown Spokane institution.

For the week of August 11, 2024: Three Rivers Winery 2022 Reserve Chardonnay – It seems hard to believe that Holly Turner has been the winemaker at Walla Walla’s Three Rivers for almost 25 years. During that time, production at the winery has grown to about 15,000 cases annually, and she’s earned a reputation as one of the best winemakers in the state. This opulent Chardonnay will leave you swooning, with its flavors, layers, and persistent finish. It’s packed with nuanced Golden Delicious apple, quince, and ripe peach fruit, and a texture that’s both crisp and creamy. The mile-long finish carries an unmistakable note of butterscotch toffee that is practically guaranteed to put a smile on any Chardonnay lover’s face. Aged six months in 50% new French oak barrels.

For the week of August 4, 2024: Winescape Winery 2021 Marmot Incarnate – Phil and Pat Butterfield are clearly having fun while making serious wines at their Spokane winery, and a frequently packed tasting room confirms just that. They entered a dozen wines in the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition and earned three Double Golds, five Golds, and four Silvers. One of those Double Gold medalists, the Marmot Incarnate, is a somewhat unconventional red blend of Syrah, Malbec, Mourvedre, and Petit Verdot. The judging panel loved the wine’s fresh-roasted coffee aromatics, full-bodied red and blue fruit flavor profile, a dusting of cocoa powder, and beautiful, silky tannins. Named for the abundance of critters on the winery property, you’ll find a camouflaged marmot artfully hidden on the label.

Bonus selection: The Winescape Winery 2022 Riesling, which displays a picture-perfect balance of fruit, acidity, and off-dry 1% residual sugar content. Mouth-watering green pear and Meyer lemon flavors predominate, while the linen-crisp finish is capped with a twist of citrus zest. Absolutely delicious!

For the week of July 28, 2024: Argonne Cellars 2021 Cremé Brulee Chardonnay – A first-time entrant in the Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, Argonne Cellars scored four Double Gold medals out of eight entries, including one for this stunning Chardonnay. As the name suggests, there’s definitely a “creamy factor” that comes into play, the result of secondary malolactic fermentation in neutral oak barrels. The judges also took note of the wine’s delightful flavor profile of banana nut bread, tropical fruit, buttered apples, and toasted coconut. Sourced from the Lonesome Springs Ranch Vineyard, located on the far east side of the Yakima Valley AVA.

For the week of July 21, 2024: Amos Rome Vineyards 2022 Riesling – Lake Chelan’s Amos Rome had a brilliant performance at this year’s Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, earning a Gold and three Double Golds (including one for this Riesling) out of five entries. This top scoring, 96-point wine makes a splash with a brilliant straw color along with lovely tropical fruit aromatics and flavors of Granny Smith apple, kiwi, and honeydew melon. The bone-dry, lip-smacking finish is highlighted with citrus fruit, orange zest, and a touch of minerality. An excellent food pairing choice: spicy crab sushi rolls.

For the week of July 14, 2024: Three of Cups Winery 2023 ‘The 3rd Cup’ Albariño – Winemakers Mike Methany and Lisa Swei had an amazing showing at the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, scoring three Double Golds as well as a Gold medal and 91 points for this stunner of an Albariño. This wine is everything citrus, from the opening aromatics of orange and lemon oil to the grapefruit and zingy lime flavors on the palate. With a trace of salinity on the finish, it begs for a pairing with fresh oysters on the half-shell. Sourced from the Yakima Valley AVA. Only 95 cases produced; available online or at the tasting room in Woodinville.

For the week of July 7, 2024: Dama Wines 2023 Rosé of Cabernet Franc – This beautiful Rosé, crafted by Walla Walla’s Mary Derby, was named Best Rosé out of the 46 that were entered in this year’s Pacific Northwest Wine Competition. It also received a Double Gold medal and scored 96 points.

Incredible aromatics of ripe peach, strawberries, and red roses lead off, with a palate to match featuring clementine orange, tangerine, cranberry, and raspberry fruit. The dry finish displays a hint of minerality along with a vibrancy that one judge said, “is exactly what I expect from a Rosé.”

For the week of June 30, 2024: Tsillan Cellars 2021 Petite Sirah – Tsillan Cellars winemaker Garrett Grubbs said that he wanted to make “a new and exciting ‘statement wine'” with this Petite Sirah…and that he did. Of the 717 wines entered in the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, the Petite Sirah was selected as the Best Red Wine and Best in Show award winner (with 98 points). The judges raved about the wine’s awesome color, luscious black currant fruit, and perfectly balanced acidity and integrated tannins. One judge simply called it, “mind-blowing.”

Grubbs notes that, “even though this Petite Sirah has broader shoulders, it still has that pretty fruit, nice barrel notes, and a long finish that checks so many boxes it can handle a lot of palates.” The wine was just released at the winery’s Lake Chelan tasting room and 370 cases were produced.

For the week of June 23, 2024: It’s Pacific Northwest Wine Competition Judging Week! – Our panel of judges will be busy this week, evaluating 717 entries from 146 wineries in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Next week, I’ll announce the Best in Show winner, with more award-winning wines to be featured as ‘Washington Wine of the Week’ selections in the months ahead.

For the week of June 16, 2024: A toast to ‘Summer White Wines‘ – White wines take center stage during the warmer summer months. Serve them cool to nicely chilled to provide yourself with excellent adult beverages that are perfect for summer gatherings, picnics, and outdoor events.

Washington’s ‘big three’ white varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling, have been joined by a host of other whites over the past several decades including Pinot Gris, Viognier, and newer-to-the-area choices such as Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Albariño, and Gruner Veltliner. And don’t forget a few other classic Washington whites: Semillon, Gewurztraminer, and Chenin Blanc, which all deserve a place at the table when considering summertime wines. The bottom line is that whatever the season, Washington State offers a tremendous array to choose from, and that makes this one of the best wine grape regions in the world.