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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.8 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 64 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by randyjc on 5/16/2024 & rated 93 points: My last note from some two years ago was less than flattering but reflected much better day two. So this time I ran it twice through Venturi and that was a good move. Black and red fruit, compelling flavors, a bit of umami (odd but good), leather and chocolate with a truly brilliant showing of acidity just at and lingering into the finish. Black cherry and cedar and a bit of vanilla. Feels like a young, somewhat big St. Estephe. Yum!! Restoring my faith in Sorella! (245 views) | | | Tasted by Mdog on 10/29/2023 & rated 94 points: 85% Cab Sav,6%Merlot,6%Cab Franc,3%petit verdot 14.5%
Deep ruby
Initial opening dark red fruit, light oak fine tannins that coated the tongue on initial finish but quickly faded with pleasant hints of rose and dark cherry. Decanted for 4 hrs in the cellar at 55. Poured back in the bottle and brought to room temp ( diner and 6 other reds)
Nose with big red fruit subtle vanilla, hints of cedar
At one point over the 3 hr dinner the nose held but fruit disappeared with some graphite noted, fruit on palate returned with a bang. Some of the other wines had a more interesting nose but this was in my top 2 of the night.
4oz in bottle-fridge 24 hrs then brought back to room temp
Color darker ruby
Medium full body but definitely lighter than some Bordeaux blends
Fresh dark cherry nose with plum undertones of rose and cedar
Palate- integrated tannins with cherry and plum and pomegranate hints of graphite light astringency on finish that fades to fruit
One last comment-this wine was perfectly priced. (1678 views) | | | Tasted by PDXinSEA on 8/26/2023 & rated 95 points: My favorite in a blind tasting of ten 2015 Bordeaux blends
Tremendous power and balance. Massive fruit persists despite considerable ripe tannins. Has the stuffing and proper proportion to improve for at least a decade. 95+ (1092 views) | | | Tasted by corkscrews on 7/5/2023 & rated 92 points: A nose of some dark fruit and spice, dark garnet in color. A medium to full bodied red blend, with black cherry, plum, licorice and some herbs on spiced finish, still young, needs a decant. www.winelx.com (1284 views) | | | Tasted by JJYoyo on 5/14/2023 & rated 92 points: 1 hr air. Similar notes to last time. A little more depth and an edge of tar and maybe graphite that I didn’t notice before. A very nice WA cab, worth seeking out for more.
Score: 92. Relative to expectations: ++ (1569 views) | | | Tasted by americanstorm on 4/9/2023 & rated 94 points: Opened 3 hours before the party but didn't decant because it seems ready to go on sampling. I was amazed by how much weight this put on over the course of the evening. 16 people and no one guessed this was a Bordeaux blend from Washington state, but everyone liked it. My first bottles from andrew will and I would definitely buy again. Consumed 18 bottles of wine in all so my memory is pretty fuzzy on details! LOL (1396 views) | | | Tasted by Teaky on 2/13/2023: Popped and poured over about 5 hours, but of sediment at the end. Started off brambly with some vanilla, after an hour or two the vanilla was gone and this was all fruit, mainly blackberry and cassis but it did change a little over time getting floral and red fruited at various times. Slightly tannic, nice acidity has a moderately dense mouthfeel with a long finish. This was my first Andrew will and I enjoyed it a lot as did my wife, iver heard it compared to Bordeaux while I think it was more fruit forward and not as tannic but it was definitely distinct from California cabs. Overall it’s its own wine. Overall nice, will try to sit on my others for another 10 years. (1407 views) | | | Tasted by EvanRose on 11/30/2022 & rated 93 points: As good a wine as ive had all year. Layers of rich dark fruit with great body and soft yet well defined tannins. Long luxurious finish (1361 views) | | | Tasted by jpwines on 8/24/2022 & rated 95 points: Really enjoyed this wine--soft tannins, red fruits--got to buy more (1570 views) | | | Tasted by randyjc on 6/19/2022 & rated 87 points: It’s hard not to be disappointed in this wine I love Sorella and have tasted (and own) a dozen or more vintages. This is baffling. Nice mouth feel and bright red fruit and then it’s SO hot and alcoholic as to be nearly intolerable. My only solution is to just let is lay for years and see if this crazy alcohol disappears. I so wanted this to be fabulous. It’s not.
UPDATE: This really needs a day two note because the wine changed so dramatically. It went from being aggressively hot to spicy trending to a bit hot. But the flavors have emerged and the wine is smooth and soft and entirely wonderful. Day two - scored 92. Nice stuff. But the first day score remains where I marked it. Next time I pull this out I’ll decant it in the morning. (1783 views) | | | Tasted by KTelaak_Buffalo on 4/10/2022 & rated 92 points: This wine took about 2 hours to open up. In terms of overall quality, it's certainly one of the better offerings under $100. Fruit forward without being overly extracted. Medium complexity. (1832 views) | | | Tasted by JGinMO on 3/31/2022 & rated 91 points: Incredibly young and fruit forward at this time. PNP at restaurant so not entirely fair. Wait a few years. (1848 views) | | | Tasted by JJYoyo on 7/15/2021 & rated 92 points: Pop n pour, and into inadequate stemware. So rating is conservative. Blackberry/black cherry, burning peat, some spice, loads of fine tannins. There is incipient complexity coming into this that circumstances did not allow me to explore more. I really hope to try this again in about 5yrs with proper glasses. Surprising quality.
Score: 92-94. Relative to expectations: ++ (3098 views) | | | Tasted by Xer90 on 4/25/2021 & rated 94 points: The likely reason there is debate over the price point might be due to attaining sheer and undeniable quality in $$ and not $$$. Buyers get giddy and forget this is a 150usd wine at 90usd marketplace. Get over it and remember the wine industry is billions usd and have every angle covered. Suffice to say, this is one helluva deal for under 100usd. (2851 views) | | | Tasted by Sfflyer123 on 3/5/2021 & rated 93 points: This is an outstanding wine. It has complexity, balanced fruit, soft tannins, medium acidity, and very nice finish. It is a delightful wine. 93 points (3142 views) | | | Tasted by mathwonk on 2/14/2021: I don't know what people who criticize the price point are comparing to, but I would like to know, as I am having trouble doing better for less. This is $83, admittedly high. But in comparison to a $60 stags leap artemis 2018, a $55 jacob hart's vineyard rex hill pinot noir 2017, or a $50 frog's leap rutherford vineyard cab sav 2017, or a $35 montecillo gran reserve rioja 2010, this is much more impressive and disappears much more quickly. delightful, but obviously young. Maybe the critics are right,and perhaps the price point perhaps should be around $72. Unfortunately the French cabs I used to prefer at this point are currently over $100 (in the US) with the artificial tariff enhancement.
8-2021 still enjoying this, the main complaint from locals on it is they cannot find any!
8-2022: now in 2022, both the artemis and the rex hill have gone up to $75 and the sorella is still about $80. (2982 views) | | | Tasted by MicklethePickle on 2/5/2021 & rated 89 points: Very dark red. Good nose with some menthol. Not terribly complex at this young age. On the palate the wine is a bit herbal and weedy for my taste, but also sports red berry fruit. High-toned. Decent finish. At the price I wouldn't buy again. 5-11-15-8: 89/100. (2896 views) | | | Tasted by drdan8 on 1/10/2021: No numerical rating offered; as I believe the wine is painfully young at this juncture. One can sense that the components and stuffing are all there and should blossom given 7-8 years.
Redolent nose of dark cherry, earth, menthol, persimmon, and purple flowers. Somewhat linear on the palate due to its young age; albeit with power and finesse. Just lay these down and forget them for a while. (2418 views) | | | Tasted by Donnyhead on 12/10/2020: Sold to Tracy Bennett at cost. (2842 views) | | | Tasted by John McCabe on 11/16/2020 & rated 94 points: This was quite excellent, deep, powerful and extended, nicely structured. I think I slightly prefer the '14 though which was a hint more attractive, elegant and open. In five years this might have the edge though as there is more power here. (2795 views) | | | Tasted by joshabramson on 11/5/2020 & rated 94 points: Inky purple, ripe, big & young. Solid wine for what it is. (2470 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 10/25/2020 & rated 93 points: Very good, but I think it will benefit from another year of bottle age. (2425 views) | | | Tasted by Matt Scott on 10/16/2020 & rated 96 points: Decanted for three hours. This is so giving, and yet respectively restrained. Boysenberry, currant paste, Chinese five spice, black cherry, pan grille and terra cotta, with a touch of sultana. Savory, yet the layered, microfiber tannins offer so much with this complex, full-bodied wonder. Exciting, and long, with uniqueness and a sexiness as well. Possibly my favorite Andrew Will yet. This will age exceptionally well. Drink 2023 -. (2771 views) | | | Tasted by familydoc on 8/4/2020: This was a big boy, dark fruit, we under decanted, be warned, this needs it. A lot of promise showed on this under planned wine (on our part and didn't decant enough) (2388 views) | | | Tasted by jgreco on 12/25/2019 flawed bottle: Corked (3514 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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