Washington Wine of the Week – Selections for Spring, 2023

For the week of June 18, 2023: Mellisoni Vineyards 2020 Bollicine Muscat Bubbly – Chelan winemakers Rob and Donna Mellison continue to expand their selections by offering this big, vibrant sparkler that’s a sensory delight for lovers of the Muscat grape. Enticing aromatics of honeysuckle and tangerine are accompanied by flavors of melon and lychee that conclude with a crisp, slightly sweet finish. It’s an outstanding wine to enjoy year-round, but who could argue that it’s perfect for the warmer months of late spring and summer, served chilled on the patio and enjoyed with special friends?

For the week of June 11, 2023: Deux Soldats 2022 Sauvignon Blanc – Deux Soldats (Two Soldiers) is a relatively new winery that showcases the talents of veteran winemaker Dave Harvey, who’s also worked at Gordon Brothers, Terra Blanca, and Bergevin Lane wineries, to name a few. This stunner of a Sauvignon Blanc explodes with green melon, white peach, and Cosmic Crisp apple flavors capped by a laser-sharp finish. It’s a mouth-watering, quintessential “porch pounder” of a white wine that should be served well-chilled and enjoyed by the glass, with shellfish, or as an accompaniment to grilled prawns. Only 50 cases produced. Available on the winery website at www.deuxsoldats.com.

For the week of June 4, 2023: Castillo de Feliciana Vineyard & Winery 2015 Miercoles – Although this winery is located just a stone’s throw across the Oregon border, three of the four vineyards from which the wine is sourced are in Washington State. Winemaker Christopher Castillo does a nice job with this easy-to-drink 60/40 Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, which offers up flavors of ultra-dark cherry, black licorice, sweet tobacco, and a whisper of smokiness on the finish. Despite the wine’s age, it’s still drinking beautifully, and it carries a bit of tannic edginess that suggests you can easily keep an extra bottle or two on hand for additional cellaring.

For the week of May 28, 2023: Rio Vista Wines 2021 Chardonnay – This beautifully maintained winery is located on the banks of the Columbia River, just a few minutes drive northeast of the town of Chelan. With tasty wines to match, this is a must-visit tasting room for those travelling to the area.

While most Chardonnays should be served with about 30 minutes of cooling time, this one benefits from even more chilling down. Flavors of Golden Delicious apple, cantaloupe, and Bosc pear really pop, and gentle nuances of allspice and persimmon frame a citrus-like finish of lemon crème. It’s an absolutely delicious choice from father-and-son winemakers John Little and John Little Jr.

For the week of May 21, 2023: Hoquetus Wine Co. 2022 Cabernet Franc Rose’ – Robert Gomez is making a number of noteworthy wines that are expressive without being overbearing and, at the same time, excellent food-pairing partners. This Rose’, crafted from Seven Hills Vineyard Cabernet Franc grapes, displays a purity of fruit without any sweetness. Pie cherry, watermelon, and ruby red grapefruit flavors are balanced by more savory elements of wet stone and minerality. It’s a perfect starter wine to serve with salads of fresh greens or pasta as well as mild cheeses.

For the week of May 14, 2023: Tranche 2020 Pape Blanc – This crazy/wonderful blend of six white Rhone varietals includes three of that region’s stalwarts – Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier – plus three others less commonly used by Washington wineries: Picpoul, Clairette Blanche, and Grenache Blanc. The end result is a complex, intriguing wine with layers and flavors augmented by fermentation in both French oak and concrete. The wine’s core is full of stone fruit, melon, crabapple, and kiwi followed by touches of citrus and allspice and a finish that is both bright and slightly creamy. Sourced from the winery’s Blue Mountain Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.

For the week of May 7, 2023: Fortuity Cellars 2022 Viognier – This Washington winery with the Wapato address (that’s located between Yakima and Zillah) is turning out some incredible wines that all seem to carry a fresh, pure quality and are worth checking out. Owners Lee and Emily Fergestrom have established a gem of a tasting room with wines to match, nestled in a bucolic setting just minutes off the interstate. This Viognier may be unlike anything you’ve ever tasted, and you’ll find none of the big, unctuous richness that some carry. Instead, the flavor profile really sings with green melon, under-ripe pear, and plenty of zesty lemon citrus. Fermented in stainless steel, the finish is clean, yet lengthy. Refreshingly different!

For the week of April 30, 2023: Ita Wines 2022 Rose’ of Primitivo – Winemaker Kelsey Albro Itameri is one of many alums from the Institute for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College. She’s turning heads in the Washington wine community by crafting some beautiful, small-production wines at her Walla Walla tasting room.

Here, she takes one of the state’s lesser known varietals, Primitivo, and makes it a perfect choice for Rose’. It’s heady, full of wild berry flavors, and capped with just the right amount of crisp acidity to make it perfect for summertime enjoyment. Sourced from Les Collines Vineyard and only 142 cases produced.

For the week of April 23, 2023: Van Vino Vineyards 2021 Cabernet Franc – This tiny winery you’ve never heard of – located west of Lynden, Washington and just south of the Canadian border – is turning out some delicious wines. Zach Delooff, a largely self-taught winemaker, sources his red grapes from Red Mountain’s Kiona Vineyards and the Yakima Valley’s Den Hoed Vineyards (from which he made this wine). Beautiful violets on the nose are accompanied by red cherry and blackberry fruit and a splash of espresso with an opulent, velvety, mile-long finish that will put a smile on your face. The tasting room is open by appointment only and wines can be purchased online at www.vanvinovineyard.com.

For the week of April 16, 2023: Mark Ryan Winery 2020 Wild Eyed Syrah – Mark Ryan McNeilly says he loves Washington State and has been a vigilant crusader for its wines. Then he backs it up by producing some absolutely amazing juice for the last two-plus decades, including this incredible, must-try Syrah. It carries a classic, Red Mountain AVA persona, and is sourced from the region’s Quintessence, Angela’s, and Klipsun Vineyards. Sultry, dark fruits of black plum and black currant start you off, with undertones of inky blueberry, minerality, and hints of pepper and baking spices. Full-bodied without being overbearing, this is one superbly crafted wine that should be sipped and savored in the company of good friends.

For the week of April 9, 2023: Palencia Winery 2022 El Viñador Albariño – This increasingly popular varietal is a perfect match with seafood and shellfish including grilled tilapia, cod, shrimp, or scallops. Crisp, vibrant acidity is the key, and although that certainly shines through on this selection, it also carries a bit of a rounder, softer quality that lingers on at the extreme finish. Field grasses, alfalfa, and honeysuckle aromas start you off, with generous flavors of white peach and nectarine on the palate followed by touches of ginger and minerality. Refreshingly delicious!

For the week of April 2, 2023: C.R. Sandidge Wines 2020 Tannat – On the tannin scale, Tannat has to be considered one of the biggest, most tannic grapes in the world of wine. And yet, veteran winemaker Ray Sandidge has taken this potentially overpowering feature, tamed it, and deftly crafted an outright delicious wine barely two years from harvest. Beautifully integrated French oak is the key, and it leads to lovely aromatics of vanilla bean that mesh with the brambly berry and cherry fruit both on the nose and on the palate. Additional flavors of chocolate, dried cherry, and raspberry, with a hint of rose petals on the finish make this wine surprisingly approachable now. Double Gold medalist at last year’s Bellingham Northwest Wine Competition.

For the week of March 26, 2023: Goose Ridge Vineyards 2019 Vireo Red Wine – This perennial blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot always seems to carry a nice, voluptuous quality, and this vintage is no exception. The alcohol content has been toned down a bit from years past, and that gives it a somewhat silky finish with just the right amount of tannic backbone to assure you can cellar it for future enjoyment. Flavors of juicy black cherry, plum, black olive, and a lick of black currant fill the glass, framed by nuances of espresso and toasted oak on the finish.

For the week of March 19, 2023: Hamilton Cellars 2018 Estate Malbec – Sourced from the winery’s vineyards on Red Mountain, this stunning Malbec checks all the boxes for anyone who’s a died-in-the-wool lover of the red varietal. It opens with a mouthful of strawberry and candied cherry fruit, followed by notes of white pepper and sweet tobacco on a plush, lingering finish.  Another beautifully crafted wine from ever-present/top-tier Washington winemaker Charlie Hoppes.