David Shaw

9.1

Ruby red, light to moderate pigment extraction. Raspberry aroma, raspberry and cherry flavor. Light body, fruity, slightly tart, slight skin astringency and seed bitterness on finish. Decant at least 90 minutes; the red fruit flavors change and a hint of bergamot (Earl Grey tea) emerges — 4 months ago

David Shaw

9.0

92/6/1/1 blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussane, Picpoul and Marsanne (back label), 625 cases made. Pale white, sparkling clarity. Orchard fruit and citrus in mouth - pear, orange, dried lemon, a hint of apricot. Dry, very slight seed bitterness, almost crisp. Not getting much in the way of aroma initially beyond a maybe for white floral, but it’s not Viognier either — 7 months ago

Nicole Tyler

8.9

Smooth and a little juicy. Nice sipping with a light summer dinner. — 3 years ago

David Shaw

9.2

270 cases made. Ruby red, very good clarity, light to moderate pigment extraction. Strawberry and cherry skin aromas, flavors. Rounded soft mouthfeel with slight skin astringency and red berry flavors on finish with light seed tannin bitterness. Slight spritz with orange and black pepper aftertaste. There’s an earthiness and bright fruitiness that I have not gotten from other Washington state Grenaches. Fresh cherry flavor develops after 90 minutes. Complex yet on point varietally, well crafted as is typical from this producer. — 4 years ago

David Shaw

9.2

Royal Slope Grenache, 152 cases made. Excellent clarity, garnet red, light to moderate pigment extraction. Tangerine and wood aromas, cherry flavor with cherry cough drop, wood and tangerine finish. Good acidity and balance, flavorful, though there’s a solid seed tannin backbone on the finish. Consider aging this one or decanting a few hours. A serious take on this varietal, worth seeking out. — 4 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Purple, moderately extracted pigment. Blueberry and cherry on nose, same in mouth. Rounded mouthfeel and texture, soft, fruity, lower alcohol than many Cali Pinots, slight tactile note on finish, slight seed bitterness in aftertaste. Blueberry flavor has real length. 3472 cases made. Another winner, I keep getting the new vintages and enjoying them — 5 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Great label if you must shelter in place (reminds me of my grad school days). Anyway... New vintage, 110 cases made, what’s it like? Moderately extracted pigment, purple-red. Raspberry and blackberry aromas, if you can get past the initial barnyard. Blackberry and tart black plum flavors, medium weight seed tannins, late skin astringency on finish, graphite, umami and tart Black Beauty plum aftertaste. Needs time to open, at least 30 minutes. Pretty good acidity like all their wines. After 24 hours, barnyard aroma is gone, while raspberry and blackberry flavors predominate followed by plum and graphite-umami finish. — 6 years ago

David Shaw

9.3

Wallula Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills. Winery tasting notes mention Bing cherry, blueberry, citrus and sage flavors. Not sure I get the floral character on the initial pour. Dark red, high pigment extraction. Tannins are fine grained and mostly seed tannins initially though skin astringency starts emerging after 15 minutes. Elegant. Bright acidity. Some white pepper finish. A perennial favorite for me, with less herbal expression than some previous vintages, but there is definitely sage going on. 24 hours later,the fruit is fully forward, tannins mellowed, with brightness intact. — 5 months ago

David Shaw

9.3

La Combe Verte Vineyard. Herbal and Marionberry notes in the nose with a hint of butter. A panorama of berry flavors - blue, black, rasp - in the mouth. Soft, good acid but needs some time to open. Hint of black licorice on the finish. After an hour, a fine grind of seed tannins emerges while fruit flavors integrate and acid softens. Nice fluid mouthfeel too. More time needed? After three hours, hints of lavender and black currant emerge. Overall, a wine of subtlety with some remaining aging potential. — 2 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.4

2010 is in such a lovely place right now. Such freshness and so fragrant (opened an hour before Xmas dinner): raspberries, red and black currant, bing cherry, geranium, anise seed, dill, potting soil, sandalwood, cocoa butter, cayenne pepper, cumin, iron. Paired with herb-crusted, slow roast pork butt, heirloom beans, turnips and chard (aka Christmas carnitas). — 4 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

First bottle I’ve opened of this vintage. Ruby red, moderate pigment extraction, very good clarity. Strawberry and barrel notes in nose. Strawberry, cherry in mouth with good fruit length, good acid, delightfully light on the alcohol. Slight seed and skin tannins on finish, aftertaste. Light bodied. Worth reading up about online — 4 years ago

MaJ CappS

8.9

Smells of lovely cacao..

Cacao, hints of tabac, blueberry seed,! Bits of barnyard. A good Wine of hefty weight, yet certainly reminds me of a SoCal Syrah, with huge extraction.
A winters warmer, nonetheless.
— 5 years ago

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.0

2018 vintage. Good example of oaked Sauv Blanc blend (even says "elevé en fûts de chêne" on the label). 70-20-10 SB, Sémillon, Muscadelle. Lemon meringue, dill, a little coconut, banana peel, sunflower seed, dandelion. Oak is definitely overt, but well-integrated. — 6 years ago

David Shaw

9.2

Purple-red, dense, moderately to highly extracted pigment. Raspberry and black currant aromas. Raspberry, cherry flavors with blueberry and menthol on finish, slightly tight in initial pour, light to moderate skin astringency. Toasty smoky barrel aromas and flavors emerge after 30 minutes. A slightly bitter, slightly tart cherry-berry finish and aftertaste also emerge as the wine resolves. Umami shows up after 90 minutes. I appreciate the intention behind the winemaking here; this is not your typical Oregon Pinot, but instead a level beyond. This wine might need additional aging, which surprises me somewhat, but based on how the tasting plays out over the first 90 minutes from opening, it has high skin contact, moderate seed contact, and is probably age worthy given its vinification or processing, the high tannins and high pigment extraction. In essence, I opened this bottle too early. The winemaking style is unusual compared to most Oregon Pinot Noirs. Give this one another two or three years before opening. This could be a really special wine in terms of structure and balance. Unfortunately, this was my only bottle from this vintage... — 6 years ago

David Shaw

9.1

Let it open awhile, at least 45 minutes. It’s a lighter style of Malbec, we need more examples of it out there. Yummy. Blueberry aroma and flavor, blackberry flavor with depth and length, if you are patient enough, seed bitterness finish. Light alcohol, light acid roundness, heavy pigment extraction but almost no skin astringency. There’s a nice playoff between the fruit, acid and bitterness. — 6 months ago

David Shaw

9.0

Thanksgiving week so time to open this PDX baby up, made in Portland but grapes grown in Columbia Valley (they are an urban winery, fun place to visit). Purple, slightly cloudy, medium pigment extraction. Blackberries, blueberries and black currants in the nose. Soft, moderate alcohol, fruit with length and mild seed tannins in the finish and aftertaste. Graphite as well. I love this stuff in the autumn; get some now. Nothing fancy, just tasty, rustic and evocative — 8 months ago

Vanessa

9.1

This is a medium ruby wine with medium(+) intensity of ripe plum, prune, red currant, black cherry, violet, anise seed, nutmeg, cardamom, clove, leather, and forest floor notes.

Tannins are ripe, fine-grained, and well-integrated. Alcohol is high!!! 16% ABV.

This is a ripe, full-bodied, and high octane wine that has great potential for further aging. I’m excited to revisit down the road.

Clos Saint Jean Vieilles Vignes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge (2019) — 3 years ago

with Deked1

David Shaw

9.3

Purple to garnet red, moderate pigment extraction, very good clarity. Leather, wood and blackberry notes in nose. Blackberry, cherry flavors with length, raspberry on finish. Good balance, acid a tad above the ethanol but nicely so, some unresolved fine-grained seed tannins on initial pour with moderate skin astringency. I’m liking this one after 30 minutes, and wishing I’d bought more. 425 cases made. A solid version for WA state cab fans — 4 years ago

Justin Gilman CSW, CSS

9.0

Revisited one of my old favorites. This #zinfandel is very dark in the glass with deep purple hues. The body is heavy and compact with a somewhat fresh and cassis like. Tasting a savory component as the seed. Mildly tannic, moderate acid. #wine — 5 years ago

with Sindy

Severn G

9.4

Nose has ripe blackberry, fresh black cherry, cherry jam, mashed cherries, toasted anise seed, sweet smokey cedar, cherry liqueur. Rich and beautiful.

Palate has bright black cherry, old milk chocolate, cherry jam reduction, ripe fig, dried fig, black currant jam, moist garden soil, licorice and grape Jolly Rancher candy. Rich palate with mild tannins and long finish. This wine is in an outstanding spot with years ahead of it still, enjoy 2024-26, in proper storage. Decanted 6H.

Paired with pulled pork sandwiches, a Superbowl Sunday tradition for us. A local pork shoulder (Mill River Farm, New Marlborough, MA), dry spice rubbed and rested for 24H, then 10H in the slow cooker; it's just falling apart...so beautiful, our kitchen smells amazing! Garnished with our garden bread & butter pickles, homemade barbeque sauce, pickled red onion and a dash of cilantro, all a worthy combination. — 5 years ago