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Day 2 in Woodinville
Woodinville, WA
Tasted June 17, 2011 by tooch with 1,058 views
Introduction
My buddy Dave and I got up to Woodinville a little before lunch time to try out some wines around town. We stopped at Efeste, J. Bookwalter, Mark Ryan, Ross Andrew, & Cougar Crest before heading back to Seattle. It was a lot of fun being up there on a Friday afternoon - there weren't crowds, the weather was beautiful and everyone we met was incredibly nice.
Flight 1 - Efeste (5 notes)
This was recommended to me from Dave Butner of Kaella Winery. I was very happy to have stopped there as they offered up some really beautiful wines.
White
2010 Efeste Sauvignon Blanc Feral Evergreen Vineyard
88 points
Intensely grassy, this also has a lot of white florals and lush grapefruit. This teeters on the edge of becoming a bit too grassy for me...as I feel some Sauvignon is becoming, but there's a nice balance and nice white florals that kept me slightly distracted from the amount of grass on the palate.
White
2010 Efeste Riesling Evergreen Vineyard
87 points
A very modern style of Riesling with a touch of sweetness. The nose has some lanolin, crushed rocks and some herbal tones. Palate was a bit lush for me, but what saves it is its acidity. This reminded me a German Spatlese in terms of style.
Red
2008 Efeste Syrah Ceidleigh
90 points
Very nice syrah with grilled meats, clove and black fruit on the nose. Palate was medium-weight with some nice olive, meat and black fruit flavors. Finishes nicely with some violets and a touch of acidity.
Red
2007 Efeste Final-Final
87 points
Toasty nose with some coffee and black fruit. Thought the palate had nice balance with rich black fruit, some espresso, and sweet cassis. A touch too modern for me.
Red
2008 Efeste Cabernet Sauvignon Big Papa
83 points
Modern styled Cabernet with bold cigar, cranberry, sweet cherry and olive on the nose. Palate was dense with brooding black fruit and blueberry tones. Came across a bit sweet to me...borderline cocktail wine.
Flight 2 - J. Bookwalter (6 notes)
After lunch, we stopped at J. Bookwalter. This was the first time I had tried any of their wines and overall, I wasn't too impressed.
White
2010 J. Bookwalter Couplet Conner-Lee Vineyard
83 points
This had some fresh herbs, a touch of honey and a good amount of citrus. Seemed a bit simple to me.
White
2010 J. Bookwalter Riesling Anecdote
84 points
2.1% residual sugar and you could taste every last drop of it. The sweetness got away a bit from the winemaker here as it was a clunky Riesling with some tropical fruit and grassy, herbal notes.
Red
N.V. J. Bookwalter Red Wine Subplot #25
87 points
Thought this was their most interesting wine. A non-vintage selection of grapes going back to the 2006 vintage. The nose had nice sour and red cherry tones with cloves, subtle blueberry and blackberry tones. Palate was medium-weight and had some espresso, cigar, red fruit and florals.
Red
2008 J. Bookwalter Merlot Foreshadow
85 points
Jammy fruits with red berries, blueberries and blackberries. Palate had milk chocolate, plums, red florals and spices. The finish was a bit hot for me...all-in-all a bit disjointed.
Red
2008 J. Bookwalter Cabernet Sauvignon Foreshadow
84 points
Much like the Foreshadow Merlot, this was a jammy modern style Cabernet. Nose featured dense black fruit, incredible amounts of toast and aromas of blueberry cream. Palate was again showing a fair amount of heat. Not really my style of wine.
Red
2009 J. Bookwalter Syrah Antagonist Elephant Mountain Vineyard
86 points
This was popped and poured at the tasting room. Incredibly dense nose of blackberries, blueberries and smoke. Palate had a nice smokey mineral component with some ultra-dense black fruit - finish was a touch hot.
Flight 3 - Mark Ryan (6 notes)
Immediately next door from J. Bookwalter is Mark Ryan. Incredibly modern style of winemaking that is not in my comfort zone. Great people there and it was fun to taste some of his wines that I can't find in the East.
White
2009 Mark Ryan Viognier Columbia Valley
86 points
Nice color with subtle honey on the nose and a heaping of white florals. The palate was medium-weight and was packed with dense white florals...finish was a touch hot.
Red
2009 Mark Ryan The Dissident
85 points
Incredibly dense black fruit, lots of spices and nice violet tones. Sadly, the wine was just too hot on the finish...it was hard for me to get around that.
Red
2009 Mark Ryan Syrah Wild Eyed Red Mountain
83 points
At this point I was getting more adjusted to this type of syrah with its dense blueberry and blackberry tones. What makes these hard for me is the almost nonexistent acid. I am not looking for wines that taste like blackberry cocktails...and without a stronger structure, that's what's happening here.
Red
2009 Mark Ryan Syrah Lost Soul Les Vignes de Marcoux
85 points
A bit more restrained than the Wild Eyed Syrah, but still not bringing the elegance or complexity that I'm looking for in high-end wines.
Red
2008 Mark Ryan Long Haul Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
88 points
I've had this cuvee before and feel it's one of his more restrained, elegant efforts. It still has the massive dark fruit, but there's a bit more emphasis on the florals and acid.
Red
2008 Mark Ryan Dead Horse
86 points
This was my first time trying his Dead Horse bottling and I think it was one of his better ones. Didn't have the jammy fruit the Wild Eyed and Lost Soul syrah's had, but a subtle meatiness and spice component that added a bit more complexity.
Flight 4 - Ross Andrew (4 notes)
This was another producer I had never heard of before Dave Butner told me to check them out. Located immediately next door to Mark Ryan, it was only a short commute to stop in! Very interesting wines and their Boushey Syrah was one of my favorites from the trip.
White
2009 Ross Andrew Winery Pinot Gris Celilo Vineyard
85 points
A very delicate pinot gris that had spring flowers, some melon and white peach on the nose. The palate was light, but lack precision. The notes of melon, herbs and citrus were not harmonious.
Red
2006 Ross Andrew Winery Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon
84 points
A very dense, modern wine with plums, blueberry sauce and baking spices on the nose. The palate was equally modern with more pronounced charcoal, cigar, black fruit and spice. A bit too big and clunky for me.
Red
2008 Ross Andrew Winery Cabernet Sauvignon "Glaze"
85 points
Their base level Cabernet had black fruit, spices and lots and lots of charcoal. The palate was fruity and long with unrelenting red and black fruit with lots of spices. Didn't have the acidity to keep the finish in balance...seemed to lack precision.
Red
2008 Ross Andrew Winery Syrah Boushey Vineyard
92 points
Compared to the other wines being poured in their tasting room, this was in a league of its own and deserves recognition as one of the more unique Washington syrahs. The nose is driven by soil, toast, and a dense meatiness that's comparable to Northern Rhone syrah in its depth and complexity. The palate had blood, sour cherry, crushed rocks and herbs seamlessly blended together. Its mouthfeel was pretty lush and bold - so that's a bit different than many Northern Rhone syrahs, but this is such a unique wine that really made me pay attention.
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Flight 5 - Cougar Crest (11 notes)
Having heard they just opened a tasting room in Woodinville, I had to stop in. I had been in their wine club for a couple years, but recently dropped out after a couple disappointing shipments of club wine. To my surprise, their winemaker Deb Hansen was pouring wine while we were there and we happened to be the only people in the place. Spent almost an hour with her tasting through 12 wines. Some were quite good, others were a bit disappointing. It was great to finally meet her and spend part of the afternoon with her and her husband.
White
2008 Cougar Crest Viognier
87 points
Nice viscosity to the wine with tones of honeysuckle, melons, and white flowers. Mid-palate and finish were a touch short.
Rosé
2009 Cougar Crest Grenache Rosé
90 points
Another nice example of Rose from Washington state! This had delicate florals with sweet strawberry and light cherry. Mid-palate and finish also featured a vein of minerality that gave the wine verve.
Red
2007 Cougar Crest Dedication Four
86 points
This had chocolate notes on the nose with some herbs and dried florals. Palate had some darker fruits and a nice spice component.
Red
2006 Cougar Crest Merlot
86 points
A richer style of Merlot with raspberries, red florals, some milk chocolate and spice on the nose. The palate was a bit spicier with distinct herbal tones and crushed clove. Good amount of ripe red fruit on the palate - not all that much acidity.
Red
2007 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc
93 points
Continues to be one of my favorite domestic Cabernet Franc cuvees. Great depth on the nose with lots of herbs, peppers, red fruit and dark fruit. Palate had sizzling minerality, red fruit, forest floor tones and subtle (but noticeable) red florals. This got 93 from WS...might be a hair conservative.
Red
2007 Cougar Crest Anniversary Cuvée
87 points
Red fruit on the nose blends cherry and pomegranate with blackberry and spices. The palate is relatively dense and firm with potpourri, black cherry and soil.
Red
2005 Cougar Crest Syrah Stellar Vineyard
90 points
I had this a couple weeks ago and my notes for this are basically the same. While talking to winemaker Deb Hansen, she mentioned to me that the vines used here were brought in from Cayuse's Christophe Baron. Interestingly, she mentioned this to me after I made the comment that the animal nature I typically find in Cayuse were lurking underneath the polished red and black fruit here. Very interesting wine that put on another great display.
Red
2006 Cougar Crest Syrah
85 points
Another relatively "meh" performance from this wine (especially after the beautiful 2006 Stellar). Found this one to be a touch meatier than the bottle I had a couple weeks ago.
Red
2008 Cougar Crest Estate Syrillo
84 points
This is a blend of Tempranillo and Syrah. Very candied nose of raspberry, mocha, and toasty oak. The palate was dense and modern - with high-toned red fruit and smoke notes. Not really my cup of tea.
Red
2007 Walla Walla River Winery Tempranillo Cougar Hills
83 points
Not a very polished wine with dense, robust red fruit, tea, and olive flavors. Strange flavor profile...and the palate seemed a bit disjointed. I've enjoyed a couple other bottles of tempranillo from Walla Walla...but I don't regard this as one of the best.
Red
2008 Walla Walla River Winery Barbera
84 points
I know that there are many serious Barbera's out there...but I always think of them as quintessential "pizza wine". Well, here's another example of a great pizza wine. It had red fruited tones with some spice. Not overly complex, but I imagine this would be popular.