|
Tasting Notes Digest Click
Here To Save
WinesNorthwest.com (IE Only) OR
hold down Ctrl+D on your keyboard.
Ponzi Vineyards Winemaker Luisa Ponzi struck a new note in the winery's Chardonnay production with the 2005 vintage. While the reserve is still barrel fermented, this wine sees only stainless steel. Through Luisa's knowledge of the vineyards where grapes are sourced, she crafted a spectacular wine with depth and character and complexity. Spicy pineapple, tropical fruits and dusty vanilla lead the way on the nose, while flavors of stone fruits and citrus carry to a refreshing and crisp finish. Absolutely stunning with salmon! (8/06 CH)
Snoqualmie
Vineyards This wine is a great value and a superb food wine! The aroma opens with bright citrus, pineapple and floral notes leading to complex tropical fruits. The palate is rich with flavors of ripe pear and toasty oak. Crisp acidity and a mildly astringent finish call out for rich wild salmon from the grill! (8/06 CH)
Abeja
Winemaker John Abbott crafts this beauty in the full-blown, barrel-fermented style with 100% malolactic fermentation, 100% French oak (50% new) and exceptional fruit from classic Chardonnay vineyard sites. The secret to holding this blockbuster together is the selection of fruit from Celilo, Kestrel and Conner Lee Vineyards. On the nose one finds toasty/buttery apple, nutmeg, smoky herbs, anise and ripe pear. The palate offers all that plus crisp mineral notes and citrus flavors. Perhaps not the best wine for showing off the salmon, but sure to impress your guests with the potential of Washington Chardonnay. (8/06 CH)
Barnard Griffin Rob Griffin's Chardonnays have always been about richness from barrel fermentation and ripe fruit. This reserve offers aromas of pear, anise, pineapple and butterscotch. The palate adds citrus notes to the flavor profile, and the finish lingers with complex tropical fruit flavors and toasty, buttery oak. Serve before the salmon for a taste treat then continue to pour with the meal. (8/06 CH)
Chateau
Ste. Michelle A decade or so ago, I attended a luncheon where Chateau Ste. Michelle announced their program of producing single-vineyard Chardonnays from specific sites in the Columbia Valley. Each wine showed nuances and character that defined the terroir of the vineyard. Indian Wells was one of those wines and here it is still showing finesse and style. Notes of earth, truffle and butterscotch define the nose of the wine, while apple, pear and tropical fruit flavors dance on the palate. Another favorite with our salmon connoisseurs. (8/06 CH)
Desert Wind The Bare Naked part of the name refers to 100% stainless steel fermentation. Look for aromas of spicy apple, lemon and ripe pear. The palate offers ample acidity and flavors of tart green apple and hints of stone fruits. The wine was blended with 5% Semillon to round out the flavor profile. (8/06 CH)
Okanogan Estate Okanogan Estate is located almost at the Canadian border in the town of Oroville. Winemaker Mike Buckmiller sourced his fruit from several Washington vineyards to create a delicious Chardonnay to accompany salmon. Aromas of green apple, spicy oak and butterscotch lead to a palate that echoes the tart apple flavors along with barrel toast and tangy citrus. Slight astringency on the finish demands food to accompany the wine. (8/06 CH)
Robert Mondavi
In fairness, we taste non-Northwest wines
when available just to keep our local wineries honest! This is another
spectacular Chardonnay showing the complexity and character possible
when only the finest fruit is used and the winemaker employs classical
techniques from vineyard to bottle. The wine is predominantly barrel
fermented and aged sur lie (on the yeast lees). The result is aroma of
spiced apple, stone fruits, floral notes and butterscotch and light
smoky barrel toast. The palate offers green apple and pear flavors with
vanilla and crème brulée on the finish. Once again, the wine might
overwhelm your salmon, but your guests will cheer your courage for
serving one of America's best Chardonnays. (8/06 CH) Fumé Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc
Arbor Crest Wine Cellars Arbor Crest has always made a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc that is a lip-smacking accompaniment to oysters. Produced with stainless steel fermentation and no oak aging (or malolactic fermentation), the wine offers aromas of pear and spice mingling with tropical and citrus notes. The palate is bright with grapefruit and light pineapple flavors and finishes clean - a perfect refresher for bold oyster flavors of the sea. (7/06 CH)
Columbia Crest
This bargain offering from one of Washington's largest producers brings light aromas of citrus, apple and herbs leading to a crisp palate of citrus and pear with a light finish of vanilla and mineral. This is another terrifically refreshing oyster wine that is better with the pairing than alone. (7/06 CH)
Kim Crawford This wine stands out as a benchmark against which all half shell oyster wines should be judged. Aromas of gooseberry, grapefruit and tropical fruits are the classics for this varietal and one can detect hints of delicate cat pee (it's a good thing!) that some equate with gooseberry. Having owned cats, I can tell the slight difference. On the palate the wine is both crisp and rich, finding a balance of body and bold citrus flavors that massage your oyster into an ecstasy of wine pairing pleasure. A little pricey, but worth the expense. (7/06 CH)
Amity Vineyards
Ash Hollow
Chateau Ste. Michelle
Montinore Estate
Okanogan Estate & Vineyards
Washington Hills Washington Hills wines offer good value and are made in a consistent style that is very consumer friendly. Their 2005 Gewürztraminer has a nose of citrus and clove with hints of rose petal and lychee. The palate is slightly sweet (2.52% residual sugar) but has balancing acidity and great flavors of pear, green apple, pineapple and spicy citrus. A classic Northwest Gewurz to impress your out-of-town friends. (11/06 CH) (No recent reviews. Learn about Semillon in the Pacific Northwest)
Cougar Crest Deborah and David Hansen left their native Northwest in the mid-1970s to pursue careers in California. A return to the Northwest in the 1990s finds them in the Walla Walla Valley caring for estate vineyards in prime growing areas. This Walla Walla Valley Viognier offers spicy pear and tropical aromas leading to a rich palate that mingles honey, citrus and pineapple. Great with lighter cuisine or for evening sipping. (9/06 CH)
Bergevin Lane Annette Bergevin and Amber Lane came north from careers in California to escape the "rat race" and pursue personal growth. Annette's father Gary brings more than 20 years of vineyard and winery experience to help guide the venture begun in 2001. This reserve-style Viognier was barrel fermented and offers aromas of peach, honey, vanilla and light barrel toast on the nose. The palate is rich with stone fruits and citrus with a long finish of honey and vanilla. Choose this Viognier as a superb complement to ahi or other tuna species fresh from the grill. (9/06 CH)
Willow Crest Willow Crest Winery was founded in 1995 by Yakima Valley grape grower David Minnick. David wanted to take the love he had for raising grapes to the next level by making wine with a small portion of the harvest from the family vineyard. His Viognier offers light aromas of pineapple, citrus and pear with a palate that adds melon and apple to the flavor mix. This very likeable aperitif-style Viognier is a great value! (9/06 CH)
Coeur d'Alene Cellars Located in northern Idaho just east of Spokane, Washington, Coeur d'Alene Cellars reaches across the border to produce superb wines from Columbia Valley grapes. Their Viognier wines are whole-cluster pressed for maximum juice quality and minimum oxygen contact. This wine offers intriguing hues in the glass, shimmering from pale straw to green gold. The nose is of green apple, pineapple and melon with hints of herbs and floral notes. The palate leans to apple and citrus but evolves with additions of tropical fruit and mineral. The most complex Viognier we tasted. Delicious! (9/06 CH)
Reininger Winery Chuck Reininger makes some of the most delectable and approachable wines in the Walla Walla Valley. His intriguing wine names come from a family farm in Helix, Oregon (sold to provide funding for the new winery) and from the species name for escargot (slow down and enjoy the wine!). This blend of 60% Viognier and 40% Chardonnay offers the best of both varietals with spicy aromas of tropical fruits, lemon and pear with hints of vanilla and orange blossom. The palate takes a slight turn toward Chardonnay with flavors of pear, butterscotch and citrus. This truly refreshing wine is a great sipper or an accompaniment for your finest light cuisine. (9/06 CH)
Cougar Crest This blend of 70% Viognier with 30% Chardonnay brings the melon and apple flavors into the classic Viognier mix of tropical fruit. Hints of vanilla and pear add to the wine's enjoyment as an aperitif. (9/06 CH)
Waterbrook Waterbrook is one of the original producers of Viognier in Washington State. They produce a crisp and friendly style that sees only used oak and emphasizes the delicate qualities of the Viognier grape. Floral and spicy tropical fruit notes on the nose lead to a palate fresh with spicy pear, peach and citrus flavors. An extraordinarily versatile white wine with any number of foods, and also a popular aperitif. (9/06 CH)
Spangler Vineyards Loree and Pat Spangler have revived the former La Garza Cellars south of Roseburg and are making some very tasty wines. Their 2005 Viognier offers classic varietal aromas of spicy pear, honey and melon with floral notes. The palate is pleasantly off-dry, featuring flavors of stone fruits, pineapple and melon. A nice sipper or pair with fish or fowl. (9/06 CH)
Gamache Vintners
Bob
and Roger Gamache honor their mother and grandmother by naming their
inaugural vintage of estate Viognier after the two women. The rich aroma
of the wine features a background of white peach and apricot with honey
and herb notes dancing above. The palate adds citrus flavors to the
stone fruits with hints of pineapple and honey. (9/06 CH)
Copyright © 2003 - 2008 Susan R. O'Hara. All rights reserved. |
||||||||||
