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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 78 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Empirate on 12/2/2023 & rated 92 points: Surprisingly youthful and fresh, if a little disjointed on opening. 2h later, the fruit had filled out in the mid palate and early tertiary cedar notes were present on the finish.
Overall old world sensibility and classic. Excellent pairing with strong flavors of grilled beef and salt stone veggies.
Second of 3. First was too young (2017). I doubt I'll roll the dice on the last making old bones. No rush, expect it will drink at this level for 3-5 years. (529 views) | | | Tasted by arpaddagreat on 7/22/2023 & rated 93 points: Delicious wine. Concentrated dark fruits balanced with cedar wood and dark chocolate undertones. Drinks like good Margaux. Tannins well integrated. Enough acidity to pair well with lots of dishes (had grilled chicken tonight). Maybe this could age longer but it’s drinking perfectly right now. (771 views) | | | Tasted by Zinlady on 11/6/2022 & rated 94 points: So good Dark. Tannic. Great body beautiful legs on glass Had with 7 Hour Lamb. Great match. Some tar. Cedar (1342 views) | | | Tasted by slulkin on 9/30/2022 & rated 91 points: Dark crimson/purple in the glass. Nose showed dark blue/black fruit, anise and scorched earth. This continued on the palate in a rich mouth coating manner. Finished long with noticeable but silky tannin. Twelve years in this still seems fresh and young. Will see if I can hold my last bottle another 6 years. (1251 views) | | | Tasted by djpo on 7/7/2022 & rated 93 points: Strong nose of blackberry and anise, continues in the mouth. Full bodied, rich wine at its prime. (1494 views) | | | Tasted by EFrohmader on 4/23/2022 & rated 92 points: Cassis, violets, cigar box, graphite. Medium-full body. Fragrant. Still quite fresh and should last 5+ years. (1115 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 10/6/2021 & rated 93 points: Had this at a NYC Steakhouse. Opened, but not decanted. Very enjoyable. Medium-long finish. (2145 views) | | | Tasted by tunaguy on 8/22/2021: darker fruit, scorched earth, tobacco, cedar. a touch short but a very pleasant wine (1504 views) | | | Tasted by elevwine on 8/2/2021: Purchased in TX last month. Normally love this wine, but this may not have been handled well. Drinkable, but not up to expectations. (1470 views) | | | Tasted by wiscgrad on 6/28/2021 & rated 94 points: drinking really well right now. tar and smoke on the nose. mostly darker fruit. tannins have resolved. (1486 views) | | | Tasted by gamlingman on 2/25/2021 & rated 88 points: Although I do not agree with the never ending superlatives that every major expert has given this wine, I did enjoy it last evening as we went through a Double Magnum during our Wed night Wine dinner.
Nose had some deep smoke and licorice up front while the finish was tar , cedar and a touch of bright cherry. It has mellowed quite a bit, and was an enjoyable drinking wine, but it is definitely past its prime and certainly is ready to drink now. (2005 views) | | | Tasted by malbrecht on 1/2/2021 & rated 91 points: Still impressed by this wine maker. I have seen this wine compared to left bank wines, but I think it has its own sense of place separate from Bordeaux. Blackberries and plums on the front, with some cedar and anise. Nice balance between the weight of the wine, the alcohol (a relatively restrained 13.2% ABV), and acid. Nice job. (1394 views) | | | Tasted by EFrohmader on 11/22/2020 & rated 92 points: Blackberry, cassis, cigar box tobacco, violets. Medium-plus body. Medium acidity & tannins. Medium-long finish. A pretty wine. Drink now or in the next 5 years. (1326 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 11/6/2020 & rated 93 points: Decanted and followed a few hours. Dark fruited with herbaceous highlights adding complexity. Refined nose but still a bit shy. Tannins were quite stout and prominent. Approachable now but probably best to hold as there’s plenty of structure here. Great balanced new world bdx blend with old school leanings. (1586 views) | | | Tasted by Redteeth on 10/20/2020: I was pretty happy with this one. It had a lot of structure and mature fruit. (1436 views) | | | Tasted by Mr.Overhill on 8/8/2020 & rated 90 points: This one is still a wall of rough tannins, but the fruit doth lurk below. If the rest of the bottle is anything like the first glass this gal is barely out of her teen years. Will check back on day two. Hope it really loosens up.
By the third day with open air it loosened up somewhat but is still a rough beast. There's alot of dark fruits and black licorice/fennel with an undercurrent of stoniness, but I'm not sensing that the fruit component is really being allowed to show its true potential. I think it needs another 5+ years to soften up, and maybe even then it won't have any decent balance. It's just a black hole without any light at this point in time. (1330 views) | | | Tasted by DougLee on 7/9/2020 & rated 93 points: Opened about 90 minutes before being paired with grilled ribeyes. Dark opaque garnet. Nose of cassis, currant, fresh cut berry, beef blood, violets. Classy, focused layers of red currant, blackberry, pleasing sauvage, and tobacco on the palate. Smoothed, fine-grained tannin and excellent acidity. Long finish of chiming red fruit with leather and grip. Quintessential example of intensity without weight. (1324 views) | | | Tasted by EFrohmader on 6/20/2020 & rated 92 points: Cassis, pipe tobacco, black cherry, thyme, cedar. Medium-plus body. Medium acidity. Medium-minus, velvety tannins. Medium-long finish. Very nice right now, but can still hold a bit longer as well. (950 views) | | | Tasted by gmbdds on 2/7/2020 & rated 92 points: Not decanted. Never quite tight, but showed best starting at an hour. Currant and blueberry fruit. Floral and smoke notes compliment. This was contemplative and subtle - all class. (2204 views) | | | Tasted by Millennial Drinkers on 1/19/2020 & rated 92 points: Dark ruby red. Layered nose coated in graphite, black currants, herbs and anise. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and medium plus to full bodied. Dried red berries on the palate with some dried spices, forest floor and some roasted meats. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2030. (1875 views) | | | Tasted by jocelyng on 1/2/2020 & rated 90 points: Very pure fruit and good length but quite light for the price. I much prefer the « two blondes » 2008 and 2009 that I have. Drink now.
90-91 (1645 views) | | | Tasted by DustyB on 11/8/2019: Wine Meetup Dinner; slight tannin (1808 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 11/8/2019 & rated 92 points: Friday Night, Big Blind Wines for Steak! (Bobby Van's on Park, NYC): Part of a blind tasting, this was opened, but not decanted, at a NYC Steakhouse. This was the first red wine of the night, and that may make it tough to rate. We started drinking it before the entrees arrived, and it was very obvious that it needed food. At first it was tart and very acidic. But as it sat in the glass, and the food arrived, it really started to taste great. Maybe a decant would have helped. At only 13.2% alcohol, it was had the lowest percentage of the night's wines. My next bottle, will be decanted for an hour before drinking. (1806 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 6/9/2019 & rated 94 points: Fantastic Bordeaux blend. Refined and restrained, with ripe currents but in check. Lovey depth and complexity with just a hint of herbaceousness and tobacco leaf. Fine tannins, still quite prominent but polished. Needs more time. Much more expressive on night 2. Great stuff. (2553 views) | | | Tasted by GA_Seattle on 5/8/2019 & rated 92 points: Let breathe for 1hr. Charcoal, blackberries and nutmeg nose. Smooth mouthfeel, tannins have eased somewhat. Improved over 3 hours, very enjoyable. (1803 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Andrew Will Producer website
Andrew Will Winery was started in 1989 and is owned by Chris Camarda. The winery was launched out of a love for wine that Chris had developed while working in the restaurant trade for almost 20 years. Named after the Camardas’ son Will and nephew Andrew, Andrew Will has been a major contributor to the success and notoriety in recent years of Washington State wines. Initially, the winery consisted of 900 square feet of rented industrial space in Seattle.
In 1994, the Camardas moved to Vashon Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, where they built the present winery. The fruit however comes from the mainland, across the Cascades in Eastern Washington, where all the significant vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the mountains.
Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval vineyards are adjacent on the loam and gravel soils of Red Mountain but produce different styles of wine. Klipsun makes massive, opulent wine to appreciate early. Ciel du Cheval possesses a slightly more tannic structure and great ageing potential.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.Champoux Vineyard About Vineyard (Wikipedia)USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Horse Heaven Hills About AVA (Wikipedia) |
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