Washington Wine of the Week – Selections for Fall, 2024

For the week of December 15, 2024: Dynasty Cellars 2018 Late Harvest Syrah – Dynasty winemaker Peter Osvaldik has created a rather unique red wine sipper that will surprise you both for what it is…and isn’t. The ‘late harvest’ designation would suggest that this is a dessert wine, but Osvaldik has crafted it in more of a savory style, with a base of black olive and ultra-dark plum with touches of saddle leather and pipe tobacco. The residual sugar of less than 2% has been offset by spirits fortification, resulting in a 17%(!) alcohol content. Even so, because the entire package is exquisitely balanced, the finish comes across as neither too hot or too sweet, and that makes this wine ideal for enjoying on those cold, dark holiday-season days in the company of good friends.

For the week of December 8, 2024: Smoky Rose Cellars 2022 Walla Walla Valley Pinot Noir – Yes, they’re growing some stellar Pinot Noir in the Walla Walla Valley at Breezy Slope Vineyard, and this soon-to-released selection from Smoky Rose’s Josh Roznowski is a prime example. Dark red currant, pomegranate, and cranberry flavors come to the forefront, and the overall weightier character of this wine – Roznowski said he picked the grapes “north of 24 brix” – will make it appealing to wine enthusiasts who like their Pinots with a bit more body. The grape’s signature high acidity levels make it an excellent food-pairing wine, and this one was served with smoked brisket, potato hash, grilled leaks and crema at a recent holiday brunch at the winery’s tasting room. Simply amazing. If you’re a Washington Pinot lover, put this one on your ‘must-try’ list.

For the week of December 1, 2024: Moonbase Cellars 2023 Sauvignon Blanc – Moonbase winemaker Drew Pauk focuses primarily on red wines, with an occasional foray into Viognier. So it’s a bit out of character for him to produce this Sauvignon Blanc…his first release of this white varietal. The good news: it’s an absolute stunner. Imagine biting into a juicy white peach when you’re sipping this wine, with crisp acidity up front and flavorful stone fruits on the back end of a dry, lingering finish. This is just an all-around incredible wine. The bad news: only 72 cases were produced, so buy it now! Bonus selection: Pauk’s 2022 “The LGM” GSM, which took Double Gold medal honors at the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition. (His 2022 Moonlapse Red Blend also earned a Double Gold, but the wine has since sold out.)

For the week of November 24, 2024: Canvasback Wine 2022 Yakima Valley White Wine – Here’s another potential Thanksgiving week wine that is absolutely scrummy. It’s certain to be a crowd-pleaser because it checks so many boxes for anyone looking for a food-friendly white wine. The blend features a combination of 57% Viognier, 23% Grenache Blanc, and 20% Marsanne; three Rhone varietals that work exceedingly well together. The Viognier provides peach aromatics and flavors, the Grenache contributes a splash of bright pineapple and lemon citrus, and the Marsanne adds a flourish of marzipan and almond nuttiness. It’s a beautifully balanced wine that finishes with both a round, creaminess as well as a lively and refreshing bit of acidity. Sourced from Boushay Vineyard, located near Grandview, Washington.

For the week of November 17, 2024: Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2023 Albariño – Although Clearwater Canyon is located in Lewiston, Idaho, winemaker/co-owner Coco Umiker sourced her grapes for this delicious Albariño from Crawford Vineyards in Washington State’s Yakima Valley AVA (hence the qualifier as a “Washington” wine of the week). Big, juicy flavors of Cosmic Crisp apple, lemon citrus, and key lime fill the glass, along with lovely aromatics of fresh-cut grass. The zingy finish is framed with notes of riverbed, wet stone, and a trace of salinity. Should this be one of your white wine choices to have at the table with that upcoming, traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner? Oh yeah!

For the week of November 10, 2024: Grenache Festival 2024 – This second annual celebration of all things Grenache, held in Walla Walla, featured a number of wineries primarily from Washington and Oregon that do an excellent job with this increasingly popular grape. Grenache fits as a perfect choice for today’s newer wine drinkers, who tend to favor lighter bodied reds that are less brash, generally lower in alcohol, and packed with bracing acidity. Some standouts from this year’s Festival came from Milton-Freewater Oregon’s Rotie Cellars (Kevin Masterman and Sean Boyd’s ‘Little G’ label is amazing), Red Mountain’s WeatherEye Vineyard (the 2021 Estate Grenache is nothing short of spectacular), and a personal favorite: Dama Wines’ gorgeous 2022 Grenache, which has earned high honors from a number of competitions, including a 92-point/Gold medal performance at the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition.

For the week of November 3, 2024: McKinley Springs Winery 2023 Chenin Blanc – McKinley Springs exploded onto the Pacific Northwest Wine Competition scene in 2024, entering seven wines and coming away with an amazing five Double Gold and two Gold medals. Reid Klei took over as McKinley Springs’ winemaker in 2023, and he’s off to a tremendous start, as indicated by his three for three Double Gold-earning white wines, including this spectacular Chenin Blanc. Beeswax, lemon verbena, and white flowers on the nose, flavors of Meyer lemon, green apple and citrus on the palate, and a clean yet zesty finish make this a perfect pairing partner for chicken alfredo, slow-roasted veggies or practically any seafood. Tasting rooms are located in both Richland and about thirty minutes south of Prosser, in the heart of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

For the week of October 27, 2024: Sigillo Cellars 2021 Mourvedre – Mourvedre has broken into Washington’s top ten in terms of red grape production and continues to gain a loyal following from those who typical enjoy, big, bold, and somewhat tannic wines. This current release from Sigillo Cellars, with tasting rooms in Snoqualmie and Chelan, is far more than that, with gorgeous aromatics of juniper berry, ripe strawberry, and chocolate, along with a complex flavor profile that features red currant, plum, vanilla pipe tobacco, and boysenberry jam. It’s both powerful and delicious and earned a 94-point/Double Gold medal from the judging panel at this year’s Pacific Northwest Wine Competition. Sourced from Weinbau and Rosebed Vineyards in Washington’s Wahluke Slope AVA.

For the week of October 20, 2024: Double Gold Medal Wines from Tinte Cellars – At this summer’s 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, Tinte Cellars scored a spectacular four Double Gold medals (as well as two Golds) out of seven entries. Tinte winemaker Noah Fox Reed has been crafting beautiful wines throughout his career, but as of late he’s completely taken this Woodinville-based winery to the next level.

Here are a few of the judge’s notes on the four Double Gold medalists:

2023 Grenache Blanc – White flower aromatics, bright and citrus-forward, tangy under-ripe yellow apple and peach flavors, vibrant with excellent overall mouthfeel. 2023 Viognier – Flavor profile of buttered popcorn, kiwi, ripe honeydew, green fig and baked apple; mineral notes, nice weight and acidity. 2021 Syrah – Black olive, black and red cherry, blue fruits, smoky, balanced, round and smooth with good acidity and supple tannins. 2021 Malbec – Nectarine, juicy cranberry, blackberry and plum flavors give way to white pepper, anise and vanilla bean; ultra-long finish.

For the week of October 13, 2024: Bergevin Lane Vineyards 2021 and 2022 The Princess Syrah – It’s the end of the era at Bergevin Lane, where General Manager and Founding Partner, Annette Bergevin recently announced that the winery will be closing its doors near the end of 2024. After 22 years, she’s ready to branch off into a new direction, which she hinted might be more focused on vineyard management, rather than winemaking and retail sales. That’s bittersweet news for Washington wine enthusiasts, who have been big fans of her wines for over two-plus decades, especially her Syrahs. She leaves us with two, still available releases from her Princess label, which showcase some beautiful fruit from Francisca’s Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Look for the varietal’s signature dark, inky color, lots of blackberry and blueberry flavors, touches of savory black olive, and nicely integrated tannins. The 2021 comes across as just a bit more floral and fruitier, but both vintages show exceptional promise for cellaring. That’s a good thing, because when the winery closes, Bergevin Lane wines will be gone forever.

For the week of October 6, 2024: New Red Wine Releases from Floating Balance Cellars – Floating Balance has three new 2022 vintage reds for you to try and they’re all winners: an Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from the winery’s Aria Vineyards, a Syrah from Patina Vineyard, and a proprietary red blend under the “Lost in Time” label. These wines all hit the sweet spot between fruit-forward flavors and youthful chalkiness, which makes them perfect for drinking now with the promise of being even better with proper cellaring. The Cabernet is a personal favorite, with big, voluptuous black cherry cordial and wild blackberry flavors and a near-silky finish. Only 300 total cases were produced for the three wines and all are available for purchase online at floatingbalance.com

For the week of September 29, 2024: Chandler Reach Vineyards 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon – If you’ve yet to visit Chandler Reach Vineyards, go! The Italian-style villa and tasting room, along with over 40 acres of vineyards, make for a lovely wine tasting destination, and it’s only about 15 miles west of the Tri-Cities off Interstate 82. This stunning Cab is intense and expressive, and if you’re seeking out delicious, full-bodied red wines you will not be disappointed. Violets and cherry blossoms on the nose lead to flavors of star anise, cherry cola, and ripe strawberry compote with hints of tobacco and leather on the finish. Double Gold/94 points from the 2024 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition, where one judge noted, “this is a beautiful, well-balanced wine.” Chandler Reach also earned a Double Gold for its 2020 Reserve Super Tuscan and Golds for its 2020 Cabernet Franc and 2020 Monte Regalo Red Blend.

For the week of September 22, 2024: El Corazon Winery 2022 Swordfight – Walla Walla’s Spencer Sievers and the El Corazon tasting room (now in its 18th year) have achieved cult-following status with a welcoming, laid-back atmosphere, R-rated wine pourers, coloring books and videos, and some very tasty wines.

This 50/50 blend of Syrah and Mourvedre comes across essentially as a GSM without the ‘G’, and there’s really no need for the Grenache because the other two varietals provide plenty of vibrancy to go with the mouth-watering fruit you’ll experience in every sip.

Blackberries, black plum, and red currant flavors are backed with understated touches of roasted coffee, cinnamon spice, licorice, and sweet tobacco, and the silky finish intermingles with pliable tannins. This wine simultaneously pulls off a fresh, fruity, and full-bodied profile, allowing it to please a wide range of palates. The Syrah was sourced from the Horse Heaven Hill’s Phinny Hill Vineyard, while the Mourvedre was harvested from Upland Vineyard in the Snipes Mountain AVA.