Tag: Washington

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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.

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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!

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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.

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 Cabernet Sauvignon (Four Flags, Red Mountain) by Delille Cellars

Tonight’s Occasion: 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Four Flags, Red Mountain) by DeLille Cellars, Woodinville, WA

Dark opaque color. Tempered nose with blackberry, ripe plum skins up front. Wet hay/thatch and slightest touch of oak vanilla linger in the back. Swirling vigorously releases licorice, and intensifies the damp hay/thatch essence.

Body is balanced on attack and quickly develops a slight creamy character. Big plum on the front gives way to black currants and a refined crisp caramel – so subtle you’d likely miss it – reminiscent of neutral French oak. Transition to finish is seamless leaving the palate dry with a crisp tannic grip.

Delille Cellars puts out a veritable lineup of accessible wines that maintain a great sense of place. Their execution is clean, crisp and representative. If you are ever in Woodinville or the greater Seattle area, I highly recommend visiting their tasting room for a focused, guided, tasting. It’s a beautiful location that matches the wines perfectly! Nicely done Delille!

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2016 Syrah by William Church, Yakima Valley, Washington

Tonight’s Occasion: 2016 Syrah (Red Willow Vineyard) by William Church and Tinte Cellars, Yakima Valley, WA

Dark inky color. Thick intense nose greets with wet slate gravel, ripe plum and blackberries. A bright sweet citrus lingers in the background sort of like Meyer lemon. Very pretty nose. Swirling vigorously intensifies the whole experience. As it opens up, a faint anise makes an appearance in the distant background.

Body greets with a bright acidity. This quickly transitions to a thick, slightly creamy body. It is fairly dry. Tannins are surprisingly restrained, providing just enough structure without dominating the experience. That wet, gravel carries over alongside slightly ripe plum and blackberry. A subtle burst of oak further softens the edges. A bold spice heat emerges towards the back marking the transition to finish characterized by black currant, a moderate dusty tannic grip and spice tingle. After an hour the anise dominates. Wet gravel develops an unmistakable old wet wood leather and hints of tobacco so faint you’d likely miss it.

I just love how Syrah can be so gentle in this region. This winemaker has done a fantastic job with this one. It is far more interesting than a Syrah should be. A pleasant, multi dimensional, interesting interpretation of this otherwise monolithic varietal. I picked this up at Tinte Cellars (@tintecellars) while exploring the Woodinville outside Seattle. Now I understand why I absolutely had to bring it back with me.

Nicely done folks!

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2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Moonspell) by Bergevin Lane

Tonight’s Occasion: 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Moonspell) by Bergevin Lane Vineyards, Walla Walla Valley, WA.

Dark intense semi opaque color. Big nose out of the bottle with dark plum filling the air immediately. As it opens up, the plum ripens a little, adding ripe dark cherry, a touch of wet sedimentary soil and wood creates the essence of damp forest floor. You’d likely miss it, but a very faint honey beeswax emerges towards the back. This wine is interesting and shows good complexity on the nose.

Body shows good structure and balance from front to back. Being from Walla Walla, tannins show good restraint. The milder climate has a taming effect on this easily bold varietal. Body is overall lighter than your average Cab. Not as chewy or jammy. For a cab, I’d describe it as medium bodied. This allows terroir notes to peak through ever so slightly in the form of a subtle mineral leather and cola. Blackberry and a crisp caramel (neutral oak) are prominent throughout. Transition to finish is seamless, ending with a slightly dry dusty tannic grit. If this wine is in fact 14.6% ABV, I’d say the winemaker has pulled a tricky balancing act. It is barely noticeable. I’d put it at about 13.8% ABV. It’s a pleasing, easy sipper.

This is a good, well built wine with enough complexity and nuance to keep the intermediate to advanced palate interested, without being overly abstract to the general wine audience. I think this winemaker has done a great job.

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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!