Adams Bench, a hidden gem.

So this upcoming weekend brings thousands (yes, literally thousands) of wine tasting, passport holding, and at times... less than well behaved masses to the city of Woodinville. Why? The masses are here for Passport weekend... that's why. They will be able to come to taste wine at one of many different wineries, many of them usually not opened to the public. Last year I was able to attend with my friend Jon, and it's really where I fell in love with Washington wines. This year.. I am working it.. and proud to call myself part of the Washington wine industry. Now, to all those are going... behave yourselves!

So tonight, the Hollywood area of Woodinville had a "preview to Passport" which included about 8 of the wineries. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, so I decided after work at my other job to head on over to a winery I hadn't been to and check it out. Behold: Adams Bench.

Adams Bench is definitely off the beaten path. You head up a long tree-lined street, up into what seems like a neighborhood.... but there are farms, animals, and best of all Adams Bench! It was beautiful there. They have a cute little barn like area where they conducted the tasting, and were ready to pour! (the pic on this posting is from Adams Bench)

I got to do two barrel samples, which is a treat in itself. (I got to do one at Baer last year and it knocked my socks off)

2007 Myth (Barrel Tasting): Half cab franc and half merlot. Definitely a smooth wine, that will get better with age. The cab franc takes away from the merlot, which is NOT a bad thing. This wine isn't being released til Fall of 2009, and I think that it will develop more complexity in the bottle. It's a wine to watch.

2007 Reckoning (Barrel Tasting): Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc.... yummy yummy jammy goodness. This has a lot of fruit on the palette and would be great with some ribs. Not being released til Fall of 2009.

2006 Reckoning: GOLD STAR!! Cab, Merlot, Malbec. This wine comes together perfectly. The nose on this wine reminds me of European styles: the earth, smoke, fruit. Excellent deep garnet color... and divine on the palette. I left with a bottle of this. I can't wait to grill a nice steak seasoned with salt, pepper... and dollop it with some horseradish.. have some potatoes, and corn on the side. Perfect food friendly wine.

2006 Reserve Cab "V": As noted on the tasting notes, it has a tremendous purity on the nose. The flavors, aromas, and color on this wine are all intense.. and fantastic. This is a wine that gets better with every sip. It's one to bring to a nice dinner party to wow your friends, and won't be too harsh on your wallet. ($42 isn't a screaming deal, but it's worth the price)

Thanks to all at Adams Bench... I am glad I made it out!

I will be back soon blog fans, I promise!