November 2009

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007

At first sip, this very pale citrine-colored

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Sauvignon Blanc actually reminded me of Chardonnay. I know, I know, but it's important to be truthful, yes? And I admit, freely, I don't know what I'm talking about. But once the wine warmed a little—I do think, honestly it was really several degrees colder than it should have been—it opened up, and was much more complex and yes, much more like Sauvignon Blanc. It shifted from acidic to slightly sweet peach and mango flavors, with the faint herbal-grassy hint I like so much with Sauvignon Blanc. The aroma too was decidedly fruity; peach and ripe pear.

Apex Chardonnay 2007

Apex Cellars in Yakima, Washington,

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is another of the Precept brands; you can find the marketing materials at Precept's site. Apex was created in 1988 by Harry Alhadeff, a much respected Northwest wine authority and disctibutor, and Brian Carter, a much respected winemaker. Apex produces three basic tiers of wine; Apex, Apex II, and Bridgman. Carter was joined as winemaker by Victor Palenci in 2007.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley 2007 Nellie's Garden Dry Rose

This is so far my favorite Washington Rosé. Mind, I have only tried two other Washington Rosés,

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Colombia Crest's Two Vines Rosé, and Gordon Brothers Rosé. Both were quite enjoyable, but this Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Vallen 2007 Dry Rosé does stand out. Syrah grapes were pressed and processed in Eastern Washington, at the winery Chateau Ste. Michelle uses for most red wine production. The juice was then cold fermented at the white wine production facility in Woodinville, Washington. There's a small amount (2%) of Grenache added as well. Most of the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks, with the remainder aged in neutral oak barrels. Wine Spectator gave the wine 87 points in June of 2009.

2007 Covey Run Dry Riesling Columbia Valley

I will confess to trying the Covey Run Riesling from their "Quail" tier a year ago. It was fine, really, just not enough to make

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me try another bottle, or, frankly, interest me in trying any of their other wines, though they're readily available all over the Pacific Northwest, and very much budget or consumer table wines. At the time, their Riesling struck me as watery and much too sweet. We picked this bottle of Covey Run Dry Riesling up on a whim at a local grocery store, in part because I remembered seeing that Wine Spectator listed Covey Run's 2007 "Quail" series Dry Riesling as one of their 20 "best values" award wines (most of their awards have been for their Reserve tier wines).

Silverlake 2007 Chardonnay Rattlesnake Hills

Silverlake Winery is in Zillah, Washington, in Washington's Rattlesnake Hills appellation.

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It's a winery particularly I'm interested in because it's the largest Washington consumer-owned (they have shareholders) winery. I've tried and very much liked their Silverlake Gewürtztraminer in the past. Silverlake's Chardonnay is a Washington Chardonnay, for sure. It's more fruit forward, and noticeably less oak and tannin than what I've thus far had in terms of California Chardonnays.

Washington Hills 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Washington Hills is one of the Precept Wine brands. The Washington Hills Web site emphasizes that they've been making "award-winning" wines in Washington

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state since 1989. They also describe their wines as "a brand of super-premium wines first released in 1989." The "super-premium" is code for wine that's in the vicinity of $20.00 a bottle, wine that has the potential for enjoying a year or two after purchase, versus "table wine." "Super Premium" refers, as the Washington Hills Web site puts it, to their "reserve" wines. They also produce, at the opposite end of the spectrum, their "core tier," and then somewhere near the "core tier" or consumer table wines, are the Washington Hills Chardonnay, Riesling, and Merlot "cask wines"; that's a box wine, to non-marketing folk.