2011 Fall Line Single Vineyard Horizontal Tasting

The Lovenest, Seattle, WA
Tasted Monday, March 13, 2017 by the_lovenest with 195 views

Introduction

Terrance and Amelie came over to taste through the three 2011 Fall Line single-vineyard red wines we bought a little while back from Garagiste.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

  • 2011 Fall Line Winery Red Willow Vineyard

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

    Did a horizontal tasting of the 2011 Fall Line Boushey, Artz, and Red Willow Vineyard Red Wines. The Red Willow was an odd duck, displaying prominent green pepper and tomato stem notes on the nose and palate and with a bracing acidity that some felt was overwhelming. Almost no fruit besides some cranberry acidity. At 13.1% alc I wonder if the cool year struggled to ripen the fruit, giving this Cab Franc-dominant wine an acidic, green character that you'd normally only see in Chinon. Not at all what you'd expect from a Washington Cab Franc. Not a favorite, I kind of wish I had a bottle or two to sleep on for another couple of years to see if it grows into something really unique.

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  • 2011 Fall Line Winery Boushey Vineyard

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

    Did a horizontal tasting of the 2011 Fall Line Boushey, Artz, and Red Willow Vineyard Red Wines, the Boushey felt like it had the most oak influence jumping right out but otherwise showing balance. Not the most exciting of the three out of the gate, but maybe the most enjoyable after a glass or two. Black fruits and smoky vanilla on the nose and plate, just a hint of fine grained tannin and some fresh acidity keep it from feeling too heavy. There is a roundness on the palate we initially took as a lack of sophistication but it made the wine seem more enjoyable as the night went on.

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  • 2011 Fall Line Winery Red Wine Artz Vineyard

    USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

    Did a horizontal tasting of the 2011 Fall Line Boushey, Artz, and Red Willow Vineyard Red Wines. The Artz was definitely the biggest and boldest of the three, and while the most balanced would probably need food to shine. Black cherry and red plum dominate the nose and palate, and while the highest alcohol of the three, it wears it the lightest. Very little obvious oak influence but with big bold fruit, tannin, and acid this wine either needs a bit of time or a steak to tame it. It was an early favorite but the intensity was high enough people started to gravitate away after a little while.

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Closing

While nothing knocked our socks off, the wines were (with one obvious exception in the Red Willow) fair representations of their respective vineyards and AVAs, decently performing Washington bordeaux blends at a fair price. Definitely a step above many wines in the $15-$25 price range but nothing too earth-shattering, and a good time was definitely had.

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