Washington State Wine – Episode #177

February 6, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Today Gary sits down and really gets into Washington State wine. This part of the country is bringing the thunder and many people don’t know how good it really is! Sit back and enjoy this run through Walla Walla and more.

132 Responses

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February 7, 2007

michael
Gary-
Enjoyed this epi on WA. wines.
Bold assertion in comparing Napa of 13-16 yr.s prior to that of present day Walla Walla…nice work. Red Mtn. is another to keep our eye on.

Here’s two of my favorites from WA.; Gorman Winery (Having just completed his 2nd release, Winemaker Chris Gorman has crafted some beautifully bold reds) and Owen Roe…I think that you too would find the experience gratifying at the very least…
February 7, 2007

Darin
Try the Covington Cellars Tuscan Red if you can find it. It’s a Washington Super Tuscan that retails for around $35. Definitely worth it.
February 7, 2007

GottaGoDrink
Gary- I meant without being complex.
February 7, 2007

GottaGoDrink
Gary- I got soaked at the Super Bowl, too. What an experience!

QOD- 2003 Ch. Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet. It might qualify as one of your “half fake” wines, as it sure is delicious with being complex.
February 7, 2007

bugbirdfishboy
QOTD: Does Covey Run count? Probably not.
February 7, 2007

JayZee
Great episode. I have have been among the masses who have clamored for a show on really good Washington State wines. Superb! QOD: My fave Washington State wines area; Delille D2; Matthews Bordaux Blend; Quilceda Creek Cab (WOW); Mark Ryan Dead Horse and Long Haul; and Boudreaux Cellars Syrah and Cab Sauv. Fantastic. I’d be happy to send you a few bottles for a tasting of the Mark Ryan and the Boudreaux.
February 7, 2007

SS Chris
Thanks to Gary (#53) and the many VaynIACS for the nice words.

It makes me happy to know people utlize the SS.
February 7, 2007

SpaceJay
Hey David K,
I am guessing that the number behind Gary everyday is the number of days until the Jets play again.
February 7, 2007

TonyT
So… what’s with the birds in the background? Are they pets or just background noise?

Nice episode – love Washington wines.
February 7, 2007

Awin
I am fan of Washington Wine and I have had Kiona Cab not long ago and it was great.
February 7, 2007

RandyB
Very informative and one of your best pure shows yet. I have not been a WA state fan primarily because I generally have only tried their everyday wines. I did try a 2003 Ch Ste Michelle Horse Haven Sauvignon Blanc that was above average but nothing spectacular. I now have new wines to explore and thanks to you and your commentors many great recommendations.

Ciao
February 7, 2007

Kirk
QOTD: Without a doubt…as so many people before me noted Owen Roe is a star. Their wines in both WA ond OR leave most others in the dust. Seriously great wines that will become hard to find the more we talk about them. Spring Valley and Copain should also be noted…hard to find…but worth the hunt.
February 7, 2007

ScottJ
QOTD: I’ve been a fan of Bob Betz’s wines for 4+ years now. Still have many bottles laying down, and the wife and I will drink a Betz wine at least once a month now. Just got a shipment from Cayuse, but haven’t really compared it side to side with Betz so far.
February 7, 2007

Wawine
As I live in Olympia, a good half of the wines in my cellar are from Washington. I’m glad to see them getting respect. As a side note, I don’t think people mistakenly believe there are 460+ wineries (or 30,000 acres of vineyards) somehow distributed throughout all 68.3 square miles of our U.S. Capitol. In my opinion, they are Washington wines (minus the “state;” you don’t say “Oregon ’state’ wines,” for instance).
February 7, 2007

JohnP
Gary,
Great episode. I am a Columbia Crest Reserve fan. CABs
and Merlots. Glad you did the Wash State thing, Thanks.
I would much rather spend $30 on a Wash than Napa.

Chris: I second the thanks for the Spreadsheet….
Gary: I want your signature “Vane Nerrr Chuck”
February 7, 2007

Pats All The Way
Nice episode. We are big fans of the Pacific Northwest, although we enjoy California, also. Cayuse and Betz are our favorites but we also love the Columbia Crest Reserve selections–great values as Gary notes–their Cab reserve is almost always exceptional. Quilceda Creek cabs are, as many of you may have heard, unbelievable but almost impossible to get now. We have enjoyed some nice syrahs also from L’ecole and Isenhower. Many of the Washington State vineyards are heavy on the biodynamic approach which is great (Cayuse is biodynamic, for example). Our only disappointment was a few years back when Wine Library had a big push behind the Klipsun Granite Peaks Reserve (a cab/merlot blend)–that one has never stood out as we expected, although we keep going back to it and maybe it will age well…

We typically recommend Covey Run and the Grand Estates line of Columbia Crest to people just getting into wine. They are excellent values which typically can be found under $10. And they usually score in the 85-90 point range so they are terrific values. Cheers!
February 7, 2007

EricS
Nice episode Gary! Nice to see and hear about some of these nice wines from Wash. I have a couple bottles of Andrew Will Merlot (1999 I believe) in my cellar. I’ll crack one open soon!
February 7, 2007

glenn
great episode! had a somme steer me into Fielding Hills and then Betz one Monday night in Vegas a few years ago. he got the big KEESH tip as my buds and i had an AWESOME night. we pounded Farve on MNF – the game where his dad had passed away – and he stomped Oakland flat. whole night was gratis thanks to Brett.

both of those wines are hard to find in CA but quite memorable. had a 98 Cos D Estournel 2 nights later in Del Friscos and it paled – for real.
February 7, 2007

Tom T.
Excellent job Gary!!
Never had a Washington State wine. Will try one after seeing this ep.
February 7, 2007

wino
QOTD- Had some Pepperbridge and loved the D2 froma couple of years ago, may have to look into some more. Great Episode.
February 7, 2007

Rich S
I really agree that Washington State puts out some of the best wine the US has to offer. Just about every WA wine I have had (granted, the # is probably under 10) was rememberable and I just can’t say that about other regions. That being said, the best WA wine I have had to date was a 2000 Snoqualmie Reserve Merlot. I posted TN somewhere in the forum a while back. Looking forward to trying some of the wines GV pointed out today………
February 7, 2007

Kyle "The K Man" Davis
Yo man

What a “stupid” episode….hehe

I love the vocabulary you have, or should I say “Vaynercabulary”….hmm that’s got a nice ring to it doesn’t it?

Peace

PS – I don’t know if you have Jets season tickets, I do, if you don’t you’re welcome to come to a game with me next season…I have a feeling it’s going to be a serious one.
February 7, 2007

jon777
Kudos to SS for the quick update!!! Good to be able to see the recap as that was A LOT of information.

QOTD: Mostly the major producers (Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Hogue). Have had a couple of the Snoqualmie Reserves (which I really liked). I think A to Z is Wash St, the Pinot Noir was a dissapointment. Looking forward to trying more!
February 7, 2007

ThomasS
Yuw Gary, been out of town for a few days. So … this is crazy man, no, I mean it: we just did a Wash. St. tasting two days ago with our Orbis! So, yes, even I, here at the other side of the blue ball have had Wash. St. wines.
What do I think about them? I was extremely excited about this, really. I thought: now we are gonna have it. But, yeah … you already feel there is some dissap. underneath. It’s not really the wines, but just the silly prices over here. For an average estate wine you just pay over 30 EUR, that’s silly, almost twice as much as you got to sprinkle the counter for. SO, YOU WITH ALL THE HUGE LOT OF US, will have to do smth. about that, because I am sure that the USA wines will never be appreciated rightfully over here when they are still sold at these ridiculously towering prices (and that’s not the wineries’ fault I’m sure, but the shortsighted politics of stupid wine merchants over here). Anyway, have had my rant here .
What do I think of them really? Well, not bad, really not bad. The basic Crest’s were OK, a bit onedimensional and fruit forward, but they are just 8-10$ wines (10 EUR over here, so these were quite fair). We even had some of these Col Crest Reserves and they were pretty good, not extremely exciting, but yeah, solid bottles, indeed, especially the Cab’s en Merlot’s. Even the lower price point Stimson’s from Ste Michelle were very nice: good varietal expressions, all of them, and with some interesting caramel and artichoke on them (they had it all, so it must be smth terroirlike???). The higher price points were a bit dissappointing if I am to be honest. The Ethos from Ste Michelle was just a bit light and open knit. Elegant, yes, but a tad bit subdued. For 30 EUR I can just have a very nice bottle of Bordeaux that ‘ll do much more. But okay, this one was okay, truly. The one I was really dissap. with was the Eroica Loosen-Ste Michelle. A curiously fizzy maleic acidity, quite umpleasant and just nothing much to it. A very basic palate of confit lemon peel, some cocos, pear and a very very very very faint hint of gasoline (not kerosine). The day after the fizzy sting was muffled away, but it still wasn’t worth me jumping around and smashing my head in the wall. So, no … this wasn’t it. You know I’m a Riesling fan, and I just was expecting much more of this one, especially because Loosen himself would have said that it was a ‘fairly nice effort’. No, it’s smth I’d have for 5 EUR over here (not 21!) and it would even be outclassed by the basic Devil’s Corner Riesling from Tasmanian Tamar Ridge (at 7 EUR) to compare it with smth. other New Worldy (and you know that I think the NW/OW debate is childish peckering) … .
So, OK, all of them (except the Red Diamonds, awful, horrible, … yuk!), nice wines, but they did not rock. I definitely want to taste those you had yesterday, maybe more convinced then!
February 7, 2007

eugene
QOTD:

Sagelands cab ( I am surprised you didn’t taste it on the show since it’s in stock)

Bridgemann cab, viognier

Washington Hills Gewurtztramminer