Walla Walla Visit, End of Summer 2009

My annual visit to Glacier National Park ended this year with an extra day of travel time. I visited a Montana winery on the way out of the state, then, since it's relatively "on the way" back to Portland, I was able to spend a day tasting in Walla Walla. It was a great chance to check out the style and flavor of this region, and I was impressed by the large number of new and growing wineries. The atmosphere seems very fertile for new producers, and I can see this sort of culture bringing more and more great wines to the world. It was also great for me to taste enough wine from the region back to back to get a feel for the type of fruit contained in the wines (at least over the vintages I was exposed to.)

This winery is located right along Flathead Lake in Montana. Some grapes are grown right on the lake, and some of the wines are made from juice sourced from other states. The wine make has been at it for over 20 years, and it was interesting to hear his take on Montana wines, and to taste what he's been working on. Most striking to me were the "strange" wines that I expected to be fruity, sticky, and pretty rough, the Huckleberry and Chocolate offerings were actually quite well done and enjoyable. I also picked up a 2003 Pinot Noir, a year that was super hot in OR. When I mentioned this, the wine make excitedly replied, "Yes, it was hot in Oregon, which means it was great here!" I look forward to giving that a shot in the near future.

• 2008 Mission Mountain Winery Riesling 86 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  Apples with an interesting funky, tangy, note on the nose. The wine delivers some nice crisp apple flavors along with some pears and some light, but present acidity. 87- but still a "buy" at $10

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• NV Mission Mountain Winery "Huckleberry Mountain" 86 Points

  USA, Washington

  (8/29/2009)

  This wine obviously has some huckleberry flavors added, and I expected it to be strange and fruity in nature. However, the nose distinctly reminds me of a muscat, and little else. There's the funky, cantelope and apple fruity notes on the nose that scream muscat to me. The wine maker said that it's a proprietary white blend that forms the base of the wine. On the palate, the huckleberries are light, and contribute well. The profile again reminds me of muscat for the most part with a thick, silky texture on the mid palate. There are a hit of apple and melon flavors as well. Totally drinkable for the reasonable price of $10

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• 2006 Mission Mountain Winery Chardonnay 84 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  The nose is perfumed with distinct apple and a bit of honey. The palate is simple and short with notes of violet, and some light pear flavors.

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• 2006 Mission Mountain Winery Merlot Reserve 86 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  The wine has an enjoyable nose with some nice oak and structure hanging over lurking cherry scents and a hint of blueberries. When tasted, the tannins deliver evenly across the palate with the cherry flavors making a solid appearance. The acidity is nice on the front end, and dries out on the finish as some dried cherry flavors come into play. Overall the fruit is kind of light, but at $19, it's still a solid offering. 87+

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• 2003 Mission Mountain Winery Pinot Noir Tawney 85 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  This is an interesting take on Montana grown pinot noir. The wine delivers cherry scents along with caramel and a floral hint on the nose. It's simple on the front palate, with some acidity coming into play on the mid. Aged raspberry and caramel/oaky flavors linger out on the finish.

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• NV Mission Mountain Winery Cocoa Vin 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  Wow. This wine is full on chocolate. It delivers even more than I was expecting with the name. Chocolate is all over the nose and palate. Overall the wine is clean, and enjoyable on the finish as well. A hint of red fruit makes a play on the mid palate, but the chocolate dominates. At $19, this is a solid, fun bottle for candy/dessert drinking.

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We arrived in town fairly late, and after a quick scan of some menus, decided to eat at the "fancy hotel" for the night. I had heard a lot about the Canoe Ridge Riesling, so I was excited to give that a shot. I wasn't impressed with the riesling, but the food was spectacular. A wonderful gazpacho served with a tiny scoop of basil ice cream, and the best halibut I've ever eaten were the highlights. While picking out a bottle of red, our server informed us that the Cavu Horizon Red was made by a member of the bar staff, Joel. We ordered the bottle, and the wine maker came over from the bar area to discuss it with us. We talked wine for a while, and it came out that our server, Dawn, was a wine maker as well, and they were both nice enough to taste us on some other offerings they had on hand. They were also very excited about the growth in the region, and about other people just getting into wine making. They offered some great recommendations, and I was thrilled to hear the excitement and energy surrounding wine making in the town. Thanks Dawn and Joel!

• 2006 Canoe Ridge Riesling 86 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  Apple scents with an underlying hint of caramel and roasted lamb(!) appear on the nose. The wine is clean on delivery, with some nice apple flavors on the mid palate. Overall, the acid is pretty light, but makes its presence known right in the center of my tongue. The wine is clean overall, but gets a little flabby on the finish. 86+

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• 2006 Cavu Cellars Horizon Red 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  This nose is HUGE and full of rich cherries, a hint of tar, and a floor of oak boards holding the whole thing together. There is a very light amount of tomato flavor on the front end with cherries coming into play on the mid palate. The wine has some nice acidity, and cranberry flavors show up with some nice oak to round out the finish. The tannic structure is nice here, and with a year or so to integrate, I can see this blend really shining. A great effort for a new producer in the region! 89+

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• 2007 DaMa Wines Cowgirl Cab 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/29/2009)

  The nose hints at a cab on the drier side, with some plum and cherry scents evident along with a hint of dried grass. The wine delivers a lovely tannic evolution on the palate that winds into a super dry finish. There are some light cherry flavors up front, and a little bit of heat shows up mid palate. Personally, I'd like a bit more fruit, but this is a solid dry cab.

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• 2007 Cavu Cellars Barbera 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills

  (8/29/2009)

  Red cherries show up on the nose along with a blend of light green peppers, distinct tomato, and a hint of brown sugar. The red fruit is light on the front end, and cherry flavors roll in on the mid palate. The tannins show up late, and develop along with some dark cherry flavors to fill out the finish. The tannins dry the whole experience out, and the fruit on the mid palate is quite interesting, but it's still a little disjointed. I think another year or so in bottle will do a lot to tie the experience together.

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Adamant is located in a cool little development that contains 6 buildings designed for new wine makers. The buildings contain a production studio in back, and a tasting room and office in the front. They're placed in an arc around this nice little courtyard, which creates a welcoming appearance. And, to keep giving fresh faces a place to start, nobody can rent space in the buildings for more than 6 years. I was pretty impressed by this idea. It's a great opportunity for new folks, and it will stay that way! Adamant Cellars was the first winery open that morning, and it was fun to talk to the wine maker about his move to Walla Walla to pursue the dream. The wines were solid as well, and I look forward to seeing more work from him.

• 2007 Adamant Cellars Nalin 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Very light nose, but this was tasted shortly after the bottle was opened. The wine has some nice blackberry flavors along with some rhubarb and a some nice acidity. A little bit of heat shows up near the finish. 88+

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• 2006 Adamant Cellars Red Blend 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  This smells like blackberries and dark cherries wrapped up in a pie crust. It has lots of nice acidity on the palate, with some nice, dark, tangy fruit. The tannins are on the lighter side, but still play well.

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• 2007 Adamant Cellars Syrah 85 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Straight up dark cherries on the nose here. Some nice fruit shows up on the mid palate, but the wine is a bit disjointed toward the finish.

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• 2007 Adamant Cellars Merlot Winemaker's Select 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  The wine has an interesting nose with cherries and sweet baked goods reinforced by some serious tar and cedar scents. The wine delivers nice dark fruit flavors, primarily cherry, on the palate, with the fruit seeming to have a sweeter touch. The tannins are nice and even, and contribute to a good mouth feel throughout the experience. 88+

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Lodmell is also located in the development described above. They were open second on that Sunday, and were also very friendly with a cute dog running around the courtyard.

• 2006 Lodmell Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  This sauv blanc delivers rich grapefruit scents on the nose, backed up by some honey notes, and an interesting scent of rich, dark earth. The dark earthy flavors deliver on the palate as well. I know! It's a white wine! The grapefruit comes through as well with some nice acidity and pineapple later. The dark notes are really interesting here. I'd swear there's a hint of chocolate late on the finish as well. Fascinating.

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• 2006 Lodmell Cellars Syrah 84 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  There's a bit of heat on the nose here, along with some dark cherry notes and some acidity. The wine starts out with a wonderful smooth mouth feel, and some gentle fruit, but the heat noticed on the nose comes rolling in pretty quickly, and dampens the experience.

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These guys have been around for a while, and the lovely, rocky vineyards around the entryway, the massive "K", and the nice tasting room back that up. There was a motorcycle parked right in front, with 3 heavy books, including one about Einstein, piled on the ground beside it. From the tasting room, we could hear loud music being played in the attached production facility, and the tasting room staff informed us that they were indeed making wine that day.

• 2008 K Vintners Viognier 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  The nose is very gentle, with floral notes, some honey, and a hint of baking flour that makes it kind of interesting. The wine is super gentle from the start when tasted, but some wonderful acidity blooms quickly. Overall the wine is smooth, and the flavors are light, with some pear flavors being the most noticeable.

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• 2007 K Vintners The Boy 87 Points

  USA, Washington

  (8/30/2009)

  Cherries, a nice floral component, and a deep earthy funk make for a fairly complex nose on this wine. The floral notes play heavily on the palate as well along with sharper blackberry notes, and some cherry flavors that come in on the finish. There is a bit of minerality and some acidity in the wine as well. Overall, the wine has a light feeling to it, which is in interesting contrast to the hints given by the nose.

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• 2007 K Vintners Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope

  (8/30/2009)

  When I smelled the wine, I noticed tomatoes, some nice dark cherries, and a hint of black pepper. The cherries on the palate are cool and deep, and they run on for a good length of time. The wine has a lovely texture, as mild acidity and tannins work together with delicacy to keep this lush wine from becoming too flabby. This is on the lighter side for a syrah, but the structural elements make certain that the wine won't be considered "weak". Cool stuff.

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• 2008 Charles Smith Riesling Kung Fu Girl 88 Points

  USA, Washington

  (8/30/2009)

  The wine has a light, crisp nose dominated by honey scents and complimented with a bit of apple. The apple delivers nicely up front when tasted, and some earthy apple peel flavors come in on the mid palate. There are some light floral notes as well. The flavors wrap up quickly, and there's something a little distracting very late, but overall this is a decent riesling, and a solid offering for $12. (I don't remember the previous vintage of this that I tasted, but I like this 2008 significantly more.)

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• NV Va Piano Vineyards Bruno's Blend V 84 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Raspberry fruit on the nose along with some cedar plank, and some heat. The rasp shows up on the palate along with some dark cherry skins, and the heat from the nose.

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• 2006 Va Piano Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 82 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Light cherry notes on the nose along with oak wood, not vanilla oak, and some heat. The front end is nice with some great tart and juicy blackberry flavors. Some rich apple fruit starts out the mid palate, but then the whole thing collapses as oak and tannins wash out the fruit in short order. Maybe it would mellow out a bit with some time?

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• 2007 Va Piano Vineyards Syrah Estate Walla Walla Valley 84 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  The nose is very light with a bit of blackberry fruit showing through. The wine delivers apple flavors right out of the gate. It has a nice citrus note that appears on the mid palate transitioning to orange peel later. Strong oak wood flavors show up late on the mid palate, and, like obnoxious party guests that arrive late, they dominate the experience from this point on and distract from the flavors tasted earlier.

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I was happy to get a chance to visit the tasting room here, after trying the Cowgirl Cab with dinner the night before. The tasting room is right in the middle of town, and is quite glitzy. The atmosphere was friendly though, and the wines were quite nice. I look forward to trying more of their bottles in the future, and would encourage anyone to try one of their cabernets.

• 2007 DaMa Wines Viognier 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  The floral component on the nose is nice, and there is a lot of citrus, mostly lemons with a little bit of orange. The wine opens on the palate with delicate honeyed flavors, and wraps up with flower petals on a nice clean finish.

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• 2007 DaMa Wines Syrah Stoney Vine Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Strawberries and raspberries on the nose here. The wine starts out nicely with rich strawberry flavors across the palate. It has a nice mouth feel, and some lighter tannins linger precisely on the middle of the tongue through the finish. 88+

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• 2007 DaMa Wines Cowgirl Cab 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Light plum notes on the nose, with the acidity evident along with a faint hint of heat. The wine has a nice clean start and delivers some enjoyable apple fruit flavors on the front end. Dark cherry flavors come later, and full on tannins roll in on the finish.

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• 2005 DaMa Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Heavy fruit all over the nose that reminds me of Bordeaux wines. Some of the scents that show up are blackberries and apples, along with a slight hint of perfume. The apple flavors deliver nicely on the front of the palate with a hint of cherry coming through later. Nice softer tannins evolve across the entire experience and linger well out on to the finish.

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• 2006 DaMa Wines Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Dark plums all over the nose of this wine topped with a hint of baked sugar. A bit of oak comes through on the nose in a good way, and there's a hint of nice tannic structure as well. The wine delivers some lovely blackberry flavors right away, with gentle tannins coming into play immediately. The tannins linger throughout the entire experience along with the plum flavors. The finish hangs on nicely as well, rounding out the experience nicely. 89+

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Reininger has been around for a long time, and produces the Helix line as another label. I stopped here to taste a few years ago, during a winter trip to Walla Walla. They pour a LOT of wines in the tasting room. I think it's great to have that much variety available. I also think it's pretty cool to do a 100% carménère bottling.

• 2008 Reininger Helix Aspersa White 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  The viognier in this blend dominates the nose delivering apple peel and floral notes. The wine has some nice, bright acidity on the palate, with some good pear and apple flavors. The mouth feel is nice and smooth as well, and I feel the wine delivers quite well for the varietal. (I'm still figuring viognier out in general.)

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• 2008 Reininger Sangiovese Helix Stillwater Creek Vineyard 85 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  An interesting scent like aged strawberries on the nose along with a floral note. The strawberries deliver on the palate, and are surprisingly dark. There is also some nice acidity, and a bit of spice.

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• 2005 Reininger Sangiovese Helix 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  The nose is full of deep, dark earth, and some cherry scents. The tannins are strong through out the wine, with cherry flavors dominating. Straightforward, but solid.

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• 2003 Reininger Cima 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  This has a heavy, rustic nose full of stewed tomato, tree bark, and cherry scents. The wine starts out with light flavors reminding me of baked goods, and some interesting blackberry notes come in quite late along with tannins that fill out through the finish.

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• 2006 Reininger Carménère 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Rich blackberries, cinnamon, spicy tannins, and a light floral note all come together when I smell the wine. Some light raspberry flavors deliver right out of the gate. Some very well balanced black pepper and clove flavors hover over a foundation of faint dark fruit. The wine is quite balanced now, and I think it will improve significantly with a little more time in bottle. Nice and interesting.

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• 2005 Reininger Merlot 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Rich blackberry on the nose along with a bit of minerality. The blackberries are tart on the palate, and the oak structure is quite strong. There is a nice chocolate note near the finish, which lingers well. The tannins are distinct on the sides of my mouth, which makes for an interesting sensation.

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• 2005 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Blackberry notes with a hint of pine and citrus on the nose. The blackberries show well on the palate along with some bright acid, firm tannins, and some apple flavors that show up on the mid palate.

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Woodward Canyon is another old school Walla Walla producer. I've been quite impressed with the last two vintages of the Artist Series that I've tried, and I was excited to try more of their line up.

• 2008 Woodward Canyon Sauvignon Blanc Estate 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Light lemons on the nose, with a hint of a green note and some clean acid. The lemons come through immediately when tasted, with a smooth, clean mouth feel over all. 87+

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• 2008 Woodward Canyon Dolcetto Estate 84 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Cherries and leather scents show up on the nose. The cherry flavors run through along with some dusty leather on the palate. Some tannins show up at the end, but they are a bit disjointed.

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• NV Woodward Canyon Red Wine 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  The wine has a smoky nose, with prosciutto and raspberry scents that work nicely together. Some nice raspberry fruit delivers on the palate along with some good acidity on the finish. Some tannins appear and build up to the finish as well. Not too complex, but a very nice table blend.

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• 2006 Woodward Canyon Merlot 87 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Leather and dust wrap up ripe blackberry scents on this wine. On the palate, a gentle start builds into strawberry flavors and tannic structure that rises up. Everything fades away on the finish, with some balanced oak flavors being the last to go.

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• 2007 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 88 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  (8/30/2009)

  Smoke, leather, and plums on the nose. Some nice plum flavors appear on the palate, and they lead into a gentle evolution of tannins. Some nice acidity appears as well along with a bit of blackberry later. 88+

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• 2006 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series 90 Points

  USA, Washington

  (8/30/2009)

  The nose on this is just bursting with rich cranberry scents. The wine delivers lovely smooth cherry flavors on the palate with some well integrated oak. Gentle, well integrated tannins support it through out the whole experience. The fruit flavors are excellent, and the wine is balanced. Very nice. 90+

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Again, the growth of new wineries, and the excitement about not only the wine, but the region, and other producers among everyone I spoke with really made this a great visit. I look forward to seeing what new bottles show up in the Portland market, and I definitely look forward to my next visit out to Walla Walla where I hope to spend 2 days nerding it up in the tasting rooms.