Taste Washington, the state\u2019s largest exhibition of wines under one roof, was held in Seattle on March 31 and April 1.<\/p>\n
The Washington Wine Commission estimates that the 225 participating wineries poured over 200,000 tastes from the 800-plus featured wines during the two-day event.<\/p>\n
After schmoozing and then swirling, sipping, and savoring my way through this year\u2019s wines it became apparent, yet again, that the state\u2019s winemakers have much to offer.<\/p>\n
Normally, I seem to find a handful of clunkers here and there, but that wasn\u2019t the case this time. Past vintages are maturing beautifully, and new releases are first-rate and diverse, although they might be a bit different from what you\u2019re used to.<\/p>\n
Many of the 2009 and 2010 reds are leaner and meaner than their predecessors, with less emphasis on fruit forwardness, good acidity levels, and plenty of structure.<\/p>\n
The 2010 and 2011 white wines I sampled were absolutely astounding. Big, crisp, clean acidity, notes of minerality, and superbly balanced fruit levels were the order of the day. These vintages could truly be among some of the best for Washington white varietals such as chenin blanc, riesling, sauvignon blanc, and semillon.<\/p>\n
Here are some of the more noteworthy wines I sampled:<\/p>\n
Whites: L\u2019Ecole No. 41 2010 Semillon<\/strong> (about $14) \u2013 Stone fruit and Meyer lemon flavors explode in this wine I\u2019d consider to be a great bargain. Cairdeas Winery 2011 Nellie Mae White Rh\u00f4ne Blend <\/strong>(about $19) \u2013 This exquisite combination of viognier and roussanne strikes the perfect balance between bright and viscous.<\/p>\n Page Cellars 2010 Sentimental Blonde<\/strong> (about $20) \u2013 Sauvignon blanc and semillon team up in a tasty blend with splashes of pineapple and tropical fruits. Buty Winery 2010 Bordeaux Blend <\/strong>(about $25) \u2013 Creamy, floral and citrusy in one delicious glassful! <\/p>\n Reds: Gifford Hirlinger 2009 Stateline Red Blend<\/strong> (about $16) \u2013 Dark red fruits and a dense, chewy texture make it an excellent beef-pairing partner. Heaven\u2019s Cave Cellars 2009 Two Degrees Barbera <\/strong>(about $36) \u2013 Picture strawberry\/rhubarb jam with just the right amount of acidity and you\u2019ve got this incredible red wine. <\/p>\n Hamilton Cellars<\/strong> 2010 Ros\u00e9 of Malbec (about $18) and 2008 Malbec (about $30) \u2013 Winemaker Charlie Hoppes has another pair of winners with an ultra-dark ros\u00e9 and a malbec with layers of blackberry, espresso, and spice. Hard Row to Hoe 2009 Estate Cabernet Franc <\/strong>(about $45) \u2013 Big, round, unconventional cola nut flavors underscore this guilty pleasure from Lake Chelan. Mellisoni Vineyards 2006 Reserve Merlot<\/strong> (about $35) \u2013 Gorgeous soft, silky black cherry and plum flavors highlight this must-try wine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Taste Washington, the state\u2019s largest exhibition of wines under one roof, was held in Seattle on March 31 and April 1. The Washington Wine Commission estimates that the 225 participating wineries poured over 200,000 tastes from the 800-plus featured wines during the two-day event. After schmoozing and then swirling, sipping, and savoring my way through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-bellingham-herald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=820"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":824,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions\/824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}