I am back, with an apology.

Goodness me... I look at how long it's been since my last post, and I have nothing to say but... I am SORRY!

I have been working in a new wine sales position and it's taking up a large amount of time. Therefore, my pobrecita little blog has been very neglected.

However, I am dedicating a few hours a week now to work on my blog from now on.

Just like a good wine, life has to have the right balance to be successful!

Carly

DeLille is now open to the masses.

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been MIA. I hope those of you who went to Passport weekend enjoyed yourselves and were safe. I know that at my stomping grounds, Brian Carter, it was controlled chaos.... but the masses were well behaved. To that, I say thank you!



OK, so now to the winery... DeLille. It's now open to the public. I suggest you go!



So as my little car bottomed up the precarious hill, I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore Toto! The tasting room looks like a house you would find in the hills of Napa Valley. You have to open a big, heavy door to get in and then walk up the stairs. I can totally see being intimidated by this. I was a bit hesitant to even go in. But, luckily, I knew one of the pourers... Karen. Whew.



The fee for a tasting is 15 bucks, which by far may be the costliest I have witnessed thus far in Woodinville. I know it's not as steep as Napa fees may be, but still!



Ok, off to the wines:

Doyenne Rousanne 07: This was one of the two whites I tried. A nice light straw color, but wasn't wowed by this Rousanne. In fact, in looking over my notes, both whites basically have nothing. Which is not really a good sign.

So I will move on to the reds!

Signature Syrah (Doyenne): Perfect inky color that I LOVE in a Syrah. Most of the grapes come from the Red Mountain, which turns out a lovely syrah. Perfect steak wine.
Syrah Grand Ciel Vineyard: So you ever try a wine, and go... "hmm... they KNOW this is good". This is one of those. They charge a whopping 75 bucks a bottle for this wine. Its a perfect syrah, not too "spicy" perfectly smooth and balanced. It will hold up in the wine cellar for a few years.
D2: This beauty looks like it may be sold out now. So if you see a bottle of the 2006 vintage somewhere... pick it up! Get this... its 52% merlot, and I like it. Then 38% Cab Sav, 7% Cab Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Its a fantastic blend, and at 35 dollars, a great value for DeLille. Has a wonderful earthy nose, deep purple color, and smooth on the palette. Let it decant for an hour or so to open up those wonderful flavors before serving.

So all in all, DeLille is a good winery to go visit. However, I noticed a few customers not be allowed in at four thirty, when they closed at five. I kept my mouth shut as they mumbled about the staff being snobby. If you are reading this DeLille, take note.

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!

Efeste is rockin, Des Voigne is delish, and Guardian is sellin out!

I am finally back to educate the masses about wine! Sorry for the extended absence. Let's get on it!

Efeste: This is one of the wineries in Woodinville to keep your eyes on. Brennon, the winemaker was just named "winemaker to watch" by Seattle Magazine. Considering there are over 500 wineries in Washington, this is a HUGE honor. They just recently opened an awesome tasting room (see pic on the left). I am a bit biased, since Efeste and Brian Carter produce wine in the same facility, but the wine also speaks for itself.

2006 Evergreen Riesling: With a light straw color, and a small bit of apricot, honey and minerality on the nose, this is a great, approachable riesling. Many rieslings are TOO sweet, but this is a perfect riesling. Very drinkable with a good meal.

2006 Ceidleigh Syrah:The grapes for this Syrah come from Red Mountain, which I think is why I like this wine so much! It has a great deep garnet color, with dark cherry and earth on the nose. It was aged in some French Oak, and would be excellent with a steak.

2006 Jolie Bouche Syrah: So this Syrah's meaning is "pretty mouth". It's a very smooth Syrah.. a little earthier than the Ceidleigh, but with more pepper on the palette. This would be a fantastic wine with gumbo, cassoulet, and yes, steak.

2006 Final Final: This is a FANTASTIC blend of cab and syrah. Its 50% of each, and they work together so well! This is the only blend they make, and it's perfect! Its layered with dark fruit, a tinge of smokiness, and a little earthiness. What to eat with? RIBS! BBQ! They would be fantastic.

2006 Big Papa: BY FAR THE BEST! 100% Cab, 100% perfection. Deep intense cab, smooth finish, and a lush red color. This has such a velvety mouth feel, and I just wanted to relish in my tasting for a while. I put *FAVORITE* in my tasting notes. If you love a good cab, please try Big Papa. It's nothing less than perfection of a straight varietal.

Thanks to Patrick and Daniel... you all ROCK.

Des Voigne Cellars: Just happened to walk by here Sunday, and saw they were open. I loved their "Untitled" blend which the next release will be 2010. But they still have some other gems.

2006 San Remo: A delicious sangiovese! Very smooth, drinkable, and would be delicious with any Italian food. The acidity of tomatoes would work perfectly with this.

2006 The Emcee: It's a merlot with a splash of cab. For a merlot, it's not bad. But as you fans know, merlot isn't my favorite.

2006 The Duke: The 2006 Duke combines Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Lemberger, Merlot and Syrah. It has a rich blackberry and peppery palette, and would be delicious with a wild variety of foods.

2006 Montreaux Syrah: Dark garnet color, with bold flavor. I think this would stand up well with a big steak, loaded with pepper and even horseradish.

If you ever see a bottle of wine called "Untitled" by Des Voigne Cellars... BUY IT. It's sold out at the tasting room, and I ate at a restaurant and got the last bottle. It's fantastic.

Guardian Cellars: I got to try Guardian Cellars at an event a while back, and what I was really impressed with was Jerry's (the winemaker) passion for his wine, and his love of talking about it with others. He used to be an undercover cop, and then worked over at Mark Ryan winery, before branching out on his own. His wine shows that passion for wine making. Besides that, Jerry is HILARIOUS. He saw me putting down tasting notes and came over to check out what I was writing. I love going to tasting rooms where you can interact with the winemaker. Lets you see who is behind it!

2006 Syrah: This Syrah is from the Wahluke slope area, and its delicious. It has a nice even smokiness, that doesn't overwhelm the nose of the wine. There is also a little spice, and some fruit as well. This one could age for a little more time, but it's super drinkable now. Perfect with some steak.

2006 Chalk Line:Chalk Line is the "kitchen sink" of Guardian Wines, but I LOVE IT. Its mostly Cab (50%) with Malbec (22%) Syrah (17%) and Merlot (11%) that's a light ruby color, and totally drinkable NOW. This would be a perfect wine for a dinner party with an eclectic menu. It will pair well with a lot of food!

2005 Gun Metal: Yummmm. This wine is a blend of cab, merlot, and cab franc. It's aged 20 months in French Oak, and this wine is a smooth blend as well. I think the Cab Franc gives it a nice velvety, rich blend that makes it one of my favorites. It is definitely great on it's own, but would pair well with many foods. I keep going back to steak, but a hearty stew, or even chili would be fantastic.

Thanks to Jerry, Jen, and Lisa Baer (from Baer winery) for making my time at Guardian so enjoyable!

3 courses for $30? In "this economy"? Yes.

I will be heading back into the trenches to work on my blog this weekend, but wanted to suggest you folks in the Seattle area check out some of the great restaurants that are having 3 course meals for $30 this month.

It's a great time to treat yourself to a good meal.

I may suggest the Barking Frog out in Woodinville, that has an amazing Washington wine list as well.

I'll be back in a couple days!

Woodhouse Family Cellars

Magic in the NW continued on the day we went to Hollywood Hills... after words we headed to Woodhouse Family Cellars. This is tucked away in a warehouse area... and is a massive space. Kevin greeted us and we jumped right in to the wines. (Luckily I knew Kevin from Brian Carter Crush, so that was a nice bonus!)
Here we go:
Kennedy Shah 2006 Picnic Blend: This is a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc. It's a nice golden color with peach, pear, and honey on nose an palette. After getting my mind blown at Hollywood Hills with their Rousanne, this white was very underwhelming.
Kennedy Shah 2003 La Vie en Rouge: Ok, NOW we are talking. This is a blend of Malbec/Syrah/Cab Sav/Merlot. The Malbec makes up 41% of this wine, which if you like Malbec... you will love this wine. It has great silky tannins and a small bit of spice on the palette. It's really a good everyday drinking wine, and the value on it: $20!
2003 USS John C Stennis Malbec: Interesting history on this wine. The winemakers at Woodhouse made this especially for the crew of the USS Stennis when in town. The crew and ship are now out for a few years, so their loss is our gain. It actually has a nice, smoky peppery finish, which is GREAT for BBQ. Think brisket or ribs, slathered in sauce. It is a medium bodied wine and is versatile for food pairing.
2002 Kennedy Shah Syrah: This Syrah actually has a bit of Cab and Vioginer (yes Viognier, only 2%) It has a good inky color and good berry fruit on the nose. Kevin recommended this one with pizza... and that night I made a flatbread with salami, goat cheese, caramelized onions and kalamata olives and it paired wonderfully!

We also got to try the newly released 2007 Tempranillo. Which is delish, but needs to open up a little more. (It's what we would call "young") A little more time in the bottle will be great. *I picked up a bottle myself.

Thanks to Kevin!

Hollywood Hills... a gem.

First of all, I am a big dummy and didn't take any pics this time around, because some of you may not believe it... it was a GORGEOUS sunny quasi-warm day here in the PNW. (Of course the day after some random snowstorm). I had a little time to kill waiting for my friend of 30 years, Robyn, to get done with a work thingy, so I did some research on where in the french toast to head to in Woodinville. First stop: The new tasting room for Hollywood Hills winery.

Hollywood Hills: Hollywood, here we come! I gave a call to make sure they would actually be open, and to my joy... YES! I went into their cute, modest tasting room where the absolutely adorable Becky Snyder (wife of winemaker, Steve) was there to greet us. Quick history: They actually had their old tasting room in the detached garage on their own property, where they do have some grapes growing. Becky showed us a picture: so pretty! They took the plunge and decided to get a tasting room in "tasting room country". I'll say... GOOD Move. They have great wine.
Hollywood Hills 2008 Rousanne from Horse Heaven Hills: HOLY &&&*(&*%^! Get this wine! Love this wine! I am NOT a big white wine drinker, but this is one that anyone could fall in love with. First, you don't see Rousanne very often in wines, let alone a straight varietal here in Washington. Secondly, try this wine. (Did I already say that?) This gem was just released and has a golden color with like honey and apricot on the nose. Palette wise.. a little sweet without being too sweet. PERFECT with seafood. This wine is $23 a bottle and worth every penny.
2005 Syrah Yakima Valley: So we got to try 3 syrahs, this being the first. It's a blend of 60% red mountain syrah and 40% Rattlesnake Hills (these being the places where the grapes are from) This one was in the bottle for 2 years prior to release. Nice, well balanced with hints of cherry and pepper.
2006 Syrah Rattlesnake Hills: So now you get a chance to taste the different areas of grapes on their own: awesome. This is what we could say is a masculine wine. Very European in style, tobacco and earth on the nose. Very plummy and bold on the palette. For $30, this is a great bold red. (I am loving on this one. Love the earthy nose!)
2006 Syrah Red Mountain: Nice jammy ripeness, without the spiciness that deters me from syrahs. Another must have in your wine collection.

Big thanks to Becky and Steve for letting me taste the wine. I see great things happening with this wine. If you are in the area, CHECK them out.