Tag: Seattle

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2019 White Blend by Panther Creek, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Tonight’s Occasion: 2019 White Blend (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir – Willamette Valley, Oregon) by Panther Creek Cellars, Woodinville, WA.

Bright and light up front with soft notes of citrus, peach, green apple, subtle damp old dried grassy leather, and a hint of butterscotch so faint you’d likely miss it. It’s a bit shy on the nose and needs to be teased out.

Body is dry, balanced right down the middle. White cherries burst onto the stage, aloof, as a slightly silky mouth feel follows closely, filling the stage. A crisp refined caramel suggestion is barely noticeable, more like nectar. This then rolls over to a very light slightly bitter citrus, like lemon zest. This marks the transition to finish as the entire stage vanishes, leaving behind a subtle warm spice tingle and faint tannic grip.

This wine is a gentle reminder that white blends really need to be a thing. I have never quite enjoyed white wines as much because they generally lack this kind of body, balance and expression. This wine embodies the best both varietals and their highly complementary characteristics. The body, subtlety and nuance of Pinot Noir with the bright crisp of clean expression of Chardonnay. A great, well executed combination.

Read more Panther Creek Cellars on WineSnob.

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2017 Pinot Noir (De Ponte Vineyard) by Panther Creek

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Pinot Noir (De Ponte Vineyard – Willamette Valley, Oregon) by Panther Creek Cellars, Woodinville, WA

Crisp nose with slightly tart berries, and a touch of red cherries. Subtle secondary notes of creamy vanilla and minerality interplay, filling the stage with bitter sweet essence. Tertiary notes of wet wood leather linger in the back. Nice.

Body is restrained. A silky smooth body greets with a touch of sweet citrus. Mild tannins quickly precipitate, adding subtle structure. Thin, crisp, refined caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak along with a touch of minerality fill the body in faint broad strokes. These quickly dissipate, leaving thin tannic structure, and mineral essence. This fades away into a subtle dance between sweet and bitter over thin crisp tannic grip.

I’m enjoying exploring the Panther Creek lineup this winter. I remember visiting the tasting room earlier in the spring and I liked every wine they poured. I can’t wait to revisit, hopefully this coming spring, for an in depth look at what they are all about. If you are like me an love the complexity and nuance that comes with small batch production artisan wines, I highly recommend checking out their wines. Visit WineSnob.blog for more and updated reviews of Panther Creek wines.

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2017 Pinot Noir (Maverick Vineyard) by Panther Creek Cellars

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Pinot Noir (Maverick Vineyard – Willamette Valley) by Panther Creek Cellars, Woodinville, WA

Beautiful aromatic nose greets with raspberries up front and a mild leather of sedimentary soil essence. Swirling vigorously unlocks blackberry and sweet cherry and a faint cedarwood in the back, so subtle you’d likely miss it.

Body is balanced from front to back, greeting with a touch of acidity in the form of a mild citrus. This creates good tension. Cherries and blackberries quickly bring good balance and mouth feel along. Mild but crisp tannins provide good unobtrusive structure. Transition to finish is seamless as body evolves, developing a subtle, crisp caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak. This accentuates the cherry essence, turning it slightly sweet. This one note lingers over the palate through the finish. The palate is rendered slightly dry with just the faintest hint of cola.

This Pinot is on the lighter side of medium bodied. A well built wine that offers a familiar while different look at this region. I have come to expect a certain caliber of Pinot from this region in general and Panther Creek delivers here again with great complexity without being overly abstract. It remains approachable and should please the intermediate to advanced palate. Nicely done Panther Creek!

Read more Panther Creek Cellars on WineSnob.

Be sure to check the out the Panther Creek Cellars, website for occasional bundles, specials and opportunities. They are currently offering a Holiday Bundle. It’s a great opportunity to explore their signature wines. See link below.

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2017 Pinot Noir (Kalita Vineyard) by Panther Creek

Tonight’s Occasion: 2017 Pinot Noir (Kalita Vineyard – Willamette Valley, OR) by Panther Creek Cellars, Woodinville, WA

Dark intense ruby color. Subtle aromatic nose with bright cherries, raspberries and a hint of sweet cola. An underlying wet mineral leather permeates the nose. This is its sense of place – Willamette Valley.

A bright body greets with a touch of acidity in the form of a slightly sweet citrus reminiscent of a Meyer Lemon. This is quickly counterbalanced with a slightly viscous weighted body. Crisp tannins add great structure midway through as crisp caramel reminiscent of neutral French oak and red cherries fill the palate. A taught mineral leather carries over. This marks the transition to a finish characterized by a firm, dry tannic grip over a wet mineral leather.

This is a well built Pinot with a touch of personality. This small understated boutique winemaker was one of the highlights of my visit to Woodinville. Their small batch production artisan wines are just the type of wines I obsess over and constantly seek out, off the beaten path.

Read more Panther Creek Cellars on WineSnob.

Be sure to check the out the Panther Creek Cellars, website for occasional bundles, specials and opportunities. They are currently offering a Holiday Bundle. It’s a great opportunity to explore their signature wines. See link below.

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2018 Grüner Veltliner (Columbia Valley) by Glacier View Cellars

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Grüner Veltliner (Columbia Valley) by Glacier View Cellars, Woodinville, Seattle, Washington.

Clear golden colors with a touch of sediment suspension. This wine is unfiltered. Nose is restrained with primary notes of citrus, peach and secondary apricot. A subtle leather lingers in the background.

Crisp vibrant body greets the palate with a good dose of acidity in the form of lemon, tart white plum and green apple. This is quickly followed by a slightly viscous, weighted mouth feel. Subtle mineral body has the effect of wetting the palate ever so slightly, keeping the its dry acidic expression from completely drying out the palate. White pepper adds fuel to the fire midway through, warming the entire experience from body to finish. As it opens up and the palate settles, it’s subtlety and nuance begins to shine through.

This is a sipper. You can’t rush it and you certainly can’t judge this book by its cover. It is a wine of bold contrasts and juxtaposition. I recommend it chilled. It’s the first and only Grüner Veltliner I’ve had. I found this Winemaker while wandering off the beaten path in Woodinville, outside Seattle. She embodies the kind of winemaker that keeps me off the beaten path. Her wines, unique one-of-a-kind vintages. This one is no exception.

Nicely done Stephanie!

WineSnob TV:
You can watch more about my visit to this winery while tasting in Woodinville here:
Off The Beaten Path – Woodinville, Seattle, Washington

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2018 Il Corvo (Columbia Valley) by Novelty Hill-Januik

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Il Corvo (Columbia Valley) by Novelty Hill-Januik, Woodinville, WA.

Super Tuscan Blend: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Sangiovese, 4% Merlot

Dark intense slightly opaque color. Long legs. Out of the bottle, a weighted nose with notes of slightly ripe plums, dark cherries, subtle dusty woody leather and hints of cola. Swirling vigorously intensifies all notes, bringing out more cherry cola.

Body is somewhat light, crisp, for a wine this big. It shows good balance from attack to finish. Slightly restrained plums and blackberry greet the palate, introducing a measured structure with dusty, fine grained tannins. Bold spice makes its entrance shortly after and remains, warming the palate from start to finish. A clean crisp oak complements and enhances the fruit essence, conspiring with dark cherries to create a subtle cherry cola. As it opens up, slightly mineral, loamy sedimentary underpinnings reveal themselves as the palate clears in transition to finish. Dusty tannins render the palate parched shut while wisps of crisp oak dance in the background.

My only regret is not bringing back an extra bottle. This is a very well built terroir driven wine with a broad appeal. Still very young, I can see this wine aging beautifully over the next decade. Laying a couple of these down would be a good idea. Novelty Hill-Januik has made a great wine here. Expertly crafted. It was a challenge picking one one during my visit earlier this year, as every wine in their lineup far exceeded any expectations.

Nice work folks!

WineSnob TV:
You can watch more about my visit to this winery while tasting in Woodinville here:
Off The Beaten Path – Woodinville, Seattle, Washington

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2018 Optu (Bordeaux Blend) by Fidelitas, Red Mountain.

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Optu (Bordeaux Blend) by Fidelitas, Red Mountain.

Deep dark semi opaque color. Warm, aromatic nose with lots of ripe plums, blackberries, wet wood leather and dusty slate. A touch of caramel and cedarwood lingers in the back. When swirled vigorously, these all intensify and conspire to create subtle bursts of licorice.

Body is dry and moderately acidic on the attack. This is immediately tempered by restrained tannins in the form of tart plums. This provides a measured amount of structure. A subtle, crisp oak vanilla (reminiscent of neutral French oak), adds good dimension and enhances the fruit essence ever so slightly. Transition to finish is characterized by black currants and bitter cola ending with a dry, dusty tannic grip and moderate spice tingle.

I remember visiting their tasting room just outside Seattle. I enjoyed every wine I tasted but had to pick one to bring back and this is it. It’s a well built Bordeaux Blend that speaks to the region at large. I like how bigger blends express themselves with a little more restraint. While it may show well now, it still young and has many more years ahead of it.

Nicely done!

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2014 Pinot Noir (Chehalem Mountains) by Lachini Vineyards, Oregon

Tonight’s occasion: 2014 Pinot Noir (Chehalem Mountains) by Lachini Vineyards, Oregon

Beautiful clear ruby color. Bright nose out of the bottle, with subtle berries, dusty slate-like mineral essence and a honeysuckle so faint it could be missed. Swirling vigorously unlocks even more mineral leather, red berries and sweet cherries. Just gorgeous!

Bright body with good acidity on the attack. Dry berries, cherries and subtle, crisp, clean oak vanilla follow closely, adding great dimension, a pinch of structure and lush mouth feel. This quickly exits the stage, leaving behind a slightly bitter, dry mineral underlayment. This marks the transition to finish which results in thin but firm, dry tannic grip, slightly moist tingling lips and an ever increasing heat in the chest.

This Pinot has lots of personality. A very classy execution without being boring or predictable. It is a beautifully made Pinot. I love it!

See more about my visit to their location in Woodinville below.

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2016 Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley) by Panther Creek Cellars

Today’s occasion: 2016 Pinot Noir (Schindler Vineyard – Willamette Valley, OR) by Panther Creek Cellars, Woodinville, WA.

Rich ruby color. Out of the bottle, nose is a little shy with notes of damp slate, and a touch of ripe berries. Swirl vigorously to unlock bursts of sweet cherry, damp leather consistent with sedimentary soils, and a crisp caramel consistent with neutral oak so faint, you’d likely miss it.

Body is balanced right from the start. Light, bright but restrained acidity goes hand-in-hand with thin, crisp tannins reminiscent of dark cherry. This provides a measured amount of structure and good balance. Oak renders a silky mouth feel while minerality and fruit conspire to create dry, tart, slightly bitter cola-like essence upon the palate. This marks the transition to finish as the palate wrestles between dry and moist eventually ending dry with a subtle spicy tingle. Wet rock mineral essence permeates the entire experience. A subtle but notable star anise becomes more pronounced as it opens up over 1-2hrs.

Of their entire lineup of amazing Pinot Noir, I can see why this stood out the most – Terroir. It is terroir driven, front and center, start to finish. This is the mark of a great winemaker – a mere costodian of the grapes, allowing the vines to fully express themselves so intricately. At 100 cases, this is precisely the kind of wine I obsess over. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the greater Seattle area.

Nicely done Panther Creek!

Read more Panther Creek Cellars on WineSnob.

Be sure to check the out the Panther Creek Cellars, website for occasional bundles, specials and opportunities. They are currently offering a Holiday Bundle. It’s a great opportunity to explore their signature wines. See link below.

Wine.com affiliate links are provided for your convenience. WineSnob.blog may receive a commission when you use the affiliate link below. See Affiliate Disclosure page for more info.

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2018 Minuit by DeLille Cellars

Tonight’s occasion: 2018 Minuit (French for Midnight) by DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, WA

70% Malbec, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley

Deep dark as midnight. Out of the bottle, nose is slightly shy, warm, with a healthy dose of ripe plums and blueberries which only intensify when swirled. A faint caramel butterscotch lingers in the back. Terroir is expressed in the form of a dusty silty leather, so subtle it could be missed. A faint anise makes an appearance in the distance. I briefly picked up very faint herbs. I like it! This is clearly a Malbec, very nicely complemented by Cabernet Sauvignon. After about an hour, the Anise is more intense and pronounced.

Body is absolutely gorgeous! Not as heavy as the color and nose would suggest. Balanced from front to back. It begins with a suggestion of acidity while ripe plums and blueberries rush in to balance it out. Slightly restrained tannins provide great structure while a very clean oak expression softens the edges, creating a clean plush mouth feel. This act quickly vanishes, giving way to thin blackberry and cola as it transitions to a finish characterized by crisp, dry tannic grip and a warm spice that descends down into the chest. There is a subtle freshness rendered on the palate like a mint-eucalyptus. My lips a left dry, yet moist. After an hour the tannins turn dusty and this texture permeates the entire experience.

Now I remember what caught me about this wine when I visited them not long ago. Very nicely done DeLille!

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