Wednesday Night Blind - May 2012

My two month hiatus from my groups monthly meetings came to a wonderful end last night as eight lucky oenophiles gathered at Peter Pratt's Inn in Yorktown, NY for a Washington wine extravaganza. There were no restrictions on the wines being brought and the bringer of the wine voted most enjoyable would be given a bonus bottle by the organizer, George. I had an amazing Big Eye Tuna Tartare for an appetizer and then a Rib Cap Steak for entree. Both were sublime. All of the wines were served double blind and most had been given some sort of aeration prior to the dinner. A ringer from our mutual friend Jason was served up as the first flight.

• 2008 Meadowcroft Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder

  A ringer from Jason, served blind: Pours dark, very tart and tannic, quite tight and unyielding initially. Slowly shows off some nice dark cherry and powdered cocoa notes. A bit simplistic in style, but enjoyable.

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• 2000 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

  USA, Washington

  LC - Blind - A dark and earthy wine with an abundance of assorted mushrooms, some lovely dark berry notes, very old worldish in character, wonderful balance. A very classy wine, elegant.

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• 2003 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines 91 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  MK - Blind - This was very rustic and had a distinct pine nut note, lovely amounts of cassis, beef blood and bing cherry. Really a nice wine with no flaws.

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• 2006 Betz Family Syrah La Côte Rousse 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  BC#1 - Blind - Huge ripe nose, but it turns a bit delicate on the palate. A very sexy wine. Velvety texture, fantastic depth and complexity, loads of rich, ripe fruit. Simply delicious.

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• 2009 Maison Bleue Gravière Upland Vineyard Flawed

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley Snipes Mountain

  GF#2 - Blind - Corked! Many deemed it the best corked wine they've had. It had tremendous underpinnings.

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• 2003 Januik Petit Verdot Ciel du Cheval Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  VS#2 - Blind - This was stunning! Huge amounts of dark brooding fruit, decadent and delicious. Layered but not over-the-top in anyway as the wine is deftly balanced. Unctuous and rich.

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• 2007 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  MF#2 - Blind - This is a big, rich wine, loaded with mint and bountiful notes of ripe berries, cassis, currants and fresh brewed coffee. Delicious as always.

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• 2008 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah The Unnamed 96 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  MA - Blind - I swore up and down this was a Cayuse, I guessed an '05 En Cerise to be exact, has the Cayuse funk down pat. Deep, mysterious, evolving, funky, ridiculous balance, loaded with crisp bacon on the finish. Lovely black and blue fruits. Stunning wine! Mine and the groups WOTN!

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• 2007 Sleight of Hand The Illusionist 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  GF#1 - Blind - Great depth of fruit, graphite and other minerals abound here, slightly sweet but not off-puting in any way, simply delicious wine. Deft balance and well integrated oak. My #3 wine of the night.

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• 2008 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  BC#2 - Blind - This showed a bit of sweet syrupy character as well as some heat initially, a bit of an ooze monster, glycerine, a bit tannic, black fruit, smoke, with air and food this really came around and was delicious if not brutally young.

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• 2003 Matthews Cabernet Franc Reserve Conner-Lee Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  VS#1 - Blind - BLACK in color, sucks light into it's core! Rich, deep, decadent, huge pure black fruit, amazing depth. Another stunning wine, my #2 of the night! Awesome juice.

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• 2009 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog 97 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  MF#1 - Blind - My second offering of the evening, and if I was including my own wines in my votes this would have been my favorite, especially after tasting it at the end of the night. Simply stunning wine. So pure, so pristine, so laser focused, rich velvety fruit, the classic Cayuse funk in abundance, mushrooms, forest floor, hemp, ocean spray, loads of black berries, blue berries, raspberries, cocoa, ground white pepper, just ridiculously complex and exotic. I feel blessed to get this off the mailing list.

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• 2007 DeLille Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Ciel 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  AC - Blind - Wow, stunning level of pure black fruit, cedar, currants, coffee grounds, smoke, graphite, ugh, so damn good! All wrapped in a multi-layered wonderland. Delicious.

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Another successful evening! This dinner just solidifies my love of Washington State wines. There are some truly epic wines being made in the Northwest and I am very happy that our group loves them too. It was a wonderful return and I look forward to next month's challenging theme of White Burgundy which will be held at a very highly regarded local seafood restaurant. It should prove most interesting.