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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 14 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Magnolian on 10/27/2010 & rated 93 points: I didn't know I had another bottle of this until I re-arranged my cellar a few weeks ago. What an amazing surprise. I gave this a 95 last time and while this didn't hit those heights, it was still an oustanding bottle. The midpalate has plenty of delicious, complex, red fruits left; tannins are mostly dissipated but still noticeable, and incredibly silky. Amazing balance. The finish is slightly clipped compared to what I remember from early '08, with just a touch of sour cherry. Still a benchmark in my book. (3957 views) | | | Tasted by brianms on 2/20/2010 & rated 92 points: Decanted, tasted over the next several hours. Plenty of life left in this one; I was not the only one in the group pleasantly surprised by its clear berry fruit and balance. Holds the structure of a much younger wine, but nonetheless very cozy on the palate - I'm sad that I don't have more of this vintage. (4282 views) | | | Tasted by andtheodor on 2/17/2010 & rated 91 points: Wines of Washington State (Fort Collins): "The Sister" Deep purple, surprisingly youthful color for a 14 year old wine. Fairly classic personality for a Bdx blend; currant, cedar, cherry, spice. Nice berry component on the palate complemented by a woodsiness on the long finish. Sizeable but not overgrown, this is elegant and nicely balanced. Medium weight. In a nice window right now, maturing but still holding some fruit and tannins. 91-92 points. (4940 views) | | | Tasted by Montecalvo on 2/8/2010 & rated 94 points: Served blind this would be mistaken for a 2nd or 3rd growth. Close to mature with a great nose of cedar, smoke, cigar box and a slight mint note. Although a blend the cabernet came through. Weakness were in the concentration and depth but a lovely finish. Overall very impressed. Best AW that I have tasted. (4141 views) | | | Tasted by eliotfagley on 11/21/2009 & rated 91 points: Great mature Bordeaux blend with tons of life left in the red fruit. Tastes like a significant portion of the blend is merlot. Color: appropriately bricked around the edges, with a core of bright ruby. On the nose: Asian spices and a little tomato. Initial attack: bright cranberry pucker! The midpalate is lush with leather, cherry, and cranberry. The finish is where this one sings... long on spices with a good bit of dusty tannins remaining. Tasty! This was worth the price of admission just to see how a top Washington producer ages. (4650 views) | | | Tasted by Tom_B on 4/3/2008 & rated 90 points: Dark ruby in color, clear and solid color throughout. Pleasing on the nose initially, after some air time notes of red onion appear. Plenty of black fruits, if you get past the onion. On the palate, the wine is much more pleasing. Medium bodied, plenty of acidity in the fruit, and the tannins have softened, leaving a very approachable wine. (1761 views) | | | Tasted by Magnolian on 1/6/2008 & rated 95 points: This is the best bottle I've ever enjoyed from AW. The nose filled the room when decanted (my wife noticed it from 10 feet away). Incredible mouth-coating dark fruit flavors including plum, licorice, and boysenberry. But the body and finish is what I'll remember. Smooth as silk, or velvet, and a finish that seemed to never end, and still lingers in my memory. Reading the other reviews this may be a bit of an outlier, or may this has finally aged into its full potential, but this is my new benchmark for Washington red wines. Incredible. (2434 views) | | | Tasted by Mark on 4/28/2006 & rated 90 points: This is ageing well. Very hard and tannic on initial opening, but after an hour, it really started to emerge. My overwhelming thought is sweet cheery, a good balance between fruit and tannins. Medium length finish that slowly opens up cassis and ripe cherry with cedar and some oak notes and then lingers away. Given a rather diluted nose, the finish is really what captivates me with this wine. (3083 views) | | | Tasted by Spencer on 4/11/2006 & rated 90 points: Big, with lots of dark fruit and a strong note of dill. This really evolved in the glass, becoming longer and more balanced. This should easily last five more years. (3151 views) | | | Tasted by Eric on 6/1/2005 & rated 88 points: Washington wine offline with Chris Cook (Bellevue, WA): Mineral, vitamin, sage and dill. This seems a touch dilute at first, medium weight with green tobacco. One first place vote. (4964 views) | | | Tasted by Eric on 4/16/2004 flawed bottle: Seattle Tasting Group Washington Wine Offline at Kaspar's (Seattle, WA, USA): What happened here? This was perhaps my biggest disappointment of the tasting. Stewed tomato, black cherry and stewed, overripe fruit is all I could get on the nose and palate. I'm hoping this was a cooked bottle. (6295 views) | | | Tasted by ScottG on 4/16/2004 & rated 84 points: WA wine dinner at Kaspars: Nose was very very sweet smelling with sundried tomato. Short and hollow, with a bit of an apple? note- very unusual. (3478 views) | | | Tasted by Jason on 4/16/2004 & rated 82 points: STG. The nose was fairly faint and showed gingerbread. The palate did show some sweet fruit and lushness but was dominated by a drying tannic finish. This wine was extremely disjointed. I don't see it improving. (3185 views) | | | Tasted by MikeATL on 6/19/1999: Primarily oak, plum, and a hint of spice and flowers. (459 views) |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, September/October 1998, IWC Issue #80
(Andrew Will Cellars Sorella Red Wine Washington State) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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.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 RimmermanWashingtonRattlesnake Hills |
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