J Bookwalter and Novelty Hill/Januik

The first stop on the wine tour with the bestie was Novelty Hill/ Januik. Now this is a beautiful complex, nice modern lines, big airy windows. But, I know this sounds terrible... it's cold. You don't get a welcome feeling when you step in the door. The staff are in a cement like island that doesn't oooze warmness. However, they do have many wines to choose from... so here we go:

Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Viognier: had a light straw color with a tad bit of sweetness on the tongue. I think Viognier is PERFECT with seafood, notably crab. Next the Januik 2006 Columbia Valley Cab. Nice ruby color, with stone fruit (think plum) and a tad bit of smoky finish on the tongue. Nice smooth finish, good with a nice well done steak, served with a small dallop of horseradish. Then we did a side by side of two Syrahs:

2004 Novelty Hill Stillwater Syrah: Very full bodied, earthy, jammy with splash of pepper

2006 Januik Lewis Vineyard Syrah: Tobacco, a little jammy, and still needs to open up.

The 04 Syrah was actually divine.

Finally, they have a great "everyday" table wine which is also known as the 2006 Januik Red Wine. Blend of Merlot, Cab, Syrah, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. While Merlot, my least fave varietal is the primary focus at 43%, the rest of the grapes balance it out nicely. At $20, I would call this a must have for everyday drinking.

Novelty Hill is a great place to go to try a bunch of cabs. Impressive? not to me, but I think the coldness of the building itself has a lot to do with it.

J Bookwalter: I do have a little bias. J Bookwalter is our neighbor down the road, and we both go and send customers to each others tasting room. Nick, who works in the tasting room, is AWESOME. They really care about their wine, and it shows. First off, the Subplot. This is actually one of my favorite wines. For reals. The 2006 Vintage is a blend of Cab/Merlot/Malbec/ Cab Franc/Syrah/Petit Verdot.... which seems like a daunting blend, but it is AWESOME. I love this wine, and for the price (about $20)... you can't go wrong. It has a long lingering finish and would pair well with just about anything. (Pizza, steak, pasta... you name it) Keeping it short, go to J Bookwalter. The cabs and merlots (yes, I said straight merlots) are delicious. They are full bodied, yet velvety smooth and have a great mouth feel. The wines are all highly refined and I think more people should be in the know about Bookwalter.