Exploring the Walla Walla Valley
Walla Walla, WA
Tasted May 24, 2013 - May 27, 2013 by Jake112380 with 748 views
Flight 1 - Reininger Winery (7 notes)
Our first stop as we drove into Walla Walla from the west. Good mix of wines and price points here.
White
2011 Reininger Chardonnay Helix
87 points
Light color with an apple and slightly saline nose. Honeydew melon and apple flavors are balanced by a healthy bite of acid on the finish.
Red
2009 Reininger Merlot
88 points
Aromas of smoke, spicebox, and black fruit. Black fruit flavor is bookended by tannins.
Red
2007 Reininger Sangiovese Helix Stillwater Creek Vineyard
88 points
Medium red color. Red fruit and tobacco aromas precede similar flavors, followed by a long finish. Fairly pleasant.
Red
2008 Reininger Helix SoRho Stone Tree Vineyard
90 points
Pleasant Southern Rhone blend of 42% Mourvedre, 31% Grenache, and 27% Cinsault.
Ripe red cherries with earth and a hint of cedar on the nose. Fills the mouth with cherry and plum flavors, then moves to a full finish.
Ripe red cherries with earth and a hint of cedar on the nose. Fills the mouth with cherry and plum flavors, then moves to a full finish.
Red
2009 Reininger Syrah
90 points
I smell gunpowder, forest floor, and dark cherry. Flavors are initially black fruit, but as the wine flows through the palate it develops a mineral character. Long finish. Great expression of terroir.
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Red
2009 Reininger Carménère
89 points
Strong pepper sensory experience throughout. There's also some plum and black raspberry flavors. Would be good with some carne asada tacos or perhaps a peppercorn steak.
Red
2003 Reininger Desiderata
93 points
An intentionally aged wine, it spent five years in oak and was only released in 2011.
Portish aromas--think raisins, dried plums, oak, and earth. Flavors are dark fruit, and, oddly enough, soy. Long finish with just a hint of tannins.
Portish aromas--think raisins, dried plums, oak, and earth. Flavors are dark fruit, and, oddly enough, soy. Long finish with just a hint of tannins.
Flight 2 - Seven Hills Winery (6 notes)
My wife's favorite winery. Lots of good stuff here, and tons of friendly people as well.
White
2012 Seven Hills Winery Pinot Gris
87 points
Nectarine and vanilla aromas. Quick punch of acid followed by citrus flavors. Pleasant finish. Good lawnmower wine, or a porch pounder on a summer day.
White
2011 Seven Hills Winery Riesling Columbia Valley
86 points
A fruit salad on the nose--apple, banana, you name it. Quickly tart on the palate, then sweet cherry, then Granny Smith apple.
Red
2010 Seven Hills Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Seven Hills Vineyard
92 points
Nose of black currant, vanilla, and smoke. Tons of structure with red fruit and baking spice flavors. Long finish. Very refined and pleasant.
Red
2010 Seven Hills Winery Petit Verdot McClellan Estate Vineyard
89 points
Deep, dark purple color. Spices and smoke on the nose, and dark red fruit flavors.
Red
2010 Seven Hills Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Klipsun Vineyard
91 points
Black currant, smoke, and oak aromas lead into similar flavors. Long and somewhat tannic finish. Should lay down well for several years.
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Red
2010 Seven Hills Winery Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
93 points
This Bordeaux blend is heaven in a glass. Layers of red and black cherry, some oak, some tannins, and a long finish.
Flight 3 - Spring Valley Vineyard (7 notes)
Last stop on day one. The wines are all well made, but some are priced a bit high for my tastes.
Red
2010 Spring Valley Vineyard Merlot Mule Skinner
88 points
Spicy nose also has some red red fruit and a hint of herbs. Flavor features cherry and oak flavors, but it's a bit harsh (tannins?). Long and slightly tannic finish. Has some potential to improve, but its hard to say for sure where this wine is going.
Red
2010 Spring Valley Vineyard Petit Verdot Sharilee
90 points
Nose of lavender and gravel pit. Flavors of black cherry and earth with a touch of refreshing acid. Pleasant finish.
Red
2010 Spring Valley Vineyard Cabernet Franc Katherine Corkrum
87 points
Inky purple in color. Slightly spicy nose also features dark cherry. Mix of raspberries, cherries, and black pepper on the palate. Long finish with hints of green pepper.
Red
2010 Spring Valley Vineyard Uriah
89 points
Faint black cherry nose. Layered black fruit flavors with toasted oak notes. This merlot based Bordeaux blend is built to age.
Red
2010 Spring Valley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Derby
89 points
Saline nose with notes of green olive and gravel. Big dark fruit flavors give way to tobacco nuances. Long finish. Lots of structure. I'd like to see where this wine is in five years.
Red
Red
2010 Spring Valley Vineyard Syrah Nina Lee
90 points
Floral nose with red fruit also present. Bright red cherry flavors built off of earthy undertones. Long and pleasant finish.
Flight 4 - Gramercy Cellars (4 notes)
Fun people, fun winery, great wines. And a kickass tasting room (the old Amavi room, for those of you that remember their first location).
Rosé
2012 Gramercy Cellars Rosé Olsen Vineyard
87 points
Rose petals, peach, and citrus aromas. Flavors of almost ripe strawberry cut with pleasant acid. Slightly floral finish.
Red
2010 Gramercy Cellars L'idiot du Village
91 points
Nose of seared steak, blackberries, and smoke. Similar flavors with the addition of oak notes. Long, dark fruit finish.
Red
2010 Gramercy Cellars Syrah Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Wonderful smoky, spicy nose with notes of tobacco and black fruit. Flavors of dark cherry and toasted oak with subtle spice notes. Lingering black fruit finish.
Red
2010 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo Inigo Montoya
89 points
Nice mix of flavors: slightly spicy, a bit woody, and some red fruit flavors. And a great name to boot.
Flight 5 - Amaurice Cellars (6 notes)
Good stuff here, and it gets better each year.
White
2011 ÀMaurice Cellars Viognier
88 points
Apple, pear, and honeydew on the nose. Rich and creamy on the palate with flavors of stone fruit and whipped cream. Refreshing finish.
Red
2010 ÀMaurice Cellars Syrah/Grenache Boushey Vineyard
90 points
Wonderfully complex nose. I got slightly herbal and floral aromas as well as vanillin and red fruit. Flavors are dried red fruit and just enough oak to balance. Long and slightly warming finish.
Red
2009 ÀMaurice Cellars Syrah Fred Estate
90 points
Definitely a mineral driven Syrah. Earthy/salty nose leads into a balanced mix of mineral and red berry flavors. Good structure.
Red
2010 ÀMaurice Cellars Malbec Gamache Vineyard
89 points
This wine needs a thick, juicy steak. Venison and lavender aromas, big and meaty on the palate with a spicy finish.
Red
2010 ÀMaurice Cellars The Graves
89 points
Fruit forward blend from the greater Columbia Valley. Nose of red and black berries along with earth. Tons of fruit through the palate with just a hint of oakiness. Long finish.
Red
2009 ÀMaurice Cellars Night Owl
89 points
An estate blend. Still fruit forward like The Graves, but also has a faint floral aspect to the nose. Darker fruit flavors, but also meaty like a malbec. Slightly chewy finish.
Flight 6 - Tamarack Cellars (6 notes)
Probably my favorite Walla Walla winery in terms of QPR. The Firehouse Red is a great RTW, and the Counoise we tasted was the surprise of the trip for me.
White
2012 Tamarack Cellars Viognier
89 points
This is their inaugural vintage of Viognier. Fermented all in stainless steel. Aromas of fresh mown grass and peaches flows into white nectarine flavors. The fruit is balanced by a healthy but not annoying shot of acid, which leads to a bright finish.
Rosé
2012 Tamarack Cellars Mourvèdre Rosé
88 points
Nose of strawberries and plowed earth. Pie cherry and bright acid on the palate. It's just a bit too tart to make the leap from very pleasant to superb.
Red
2011 Tamarack Cellars Counoise Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
90 points
Spicy nose with tobacco and earth notes. Flavors of dark plum and blackberry with a touch of pleasant tannins. Spicy finish.
Red
2009 Tamarack Cellars Sangiovese
89 points
Translucent deep red color. Dried strawberry and spices on the nose foretell similar flavors. Acidity has managed to integrate quite a bit. Still begs for a hearty pasta dish.
Red
2008 Tamarack Cellars Syrah Ciel du Cheval Vineyard
91 points
Smoky and meaty nose. Smooth through the palate with mostly dark berries, but also a hint of the nose. Pleasant finish. Great QPR.
Red
2008 Tamarack Cellars Reserve Sagemoor Vineyard
92 points
This wine is layered with tons of varied flavors. I got earth and red fruit throughout, with some leather and tobacco aromas also present. Great structure with an incredibly long finish.
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Flight 7 - Dunham Cellars (5 notes)
Solid wines here, and a great location. Honestly, though, I didn't see what all the hype was about.
White
2011 Dunham Cellars Chardonnay Shirley Mays Lewis Vineyard
88 points
Mostly oak related aromas (toasted oak, vanilla) with some tree fruit as well. Fuji apple and melon on the palate, with some acid to balance.
Red
2010 Dunham Cellars Trutina
89 points
Nose of seared steak, dried red fruit, and lavender. Palate has dark fruit with oak, with some port-ish aspects on the finish.
Red
2010 Dunham Cellars Syrah
88 points
Dark fruit, leather, and earth on the nose. Tons of dark fruit on the palate with oak and spice. Sort of your average non-minerally Walla Walla Syrah.
Red
2007 Dunham Cellars Merlot Lewis Vineyard Reserve
88 points
A wee bit heavy on the oak, which dominates the wine. Dark cherry flavors and aromas are present as well, but for now the oak is really assertive. Rated a bit high since I hope it will resolve with time.
Red
2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
90 points
Drinking well now. Aromas of cherry and raspberry with some leather present as well. Similar flavors driven by the fruit. Some oak also lingering around on the fringes. Short but pleasant finish.
Flight 8 - Patit Creek Cellars (8 notes)
Decent wines here, but you have to buy by the case to get any kind of a decent deal.
White
2009 Columbia Valley Riesling Wings-Pizza-n-Things
88 points
Light and bright in appearance. Peaches and melon on the nose, with similar flavors as well as some citrus.
White
2009 Columbia Valley Chardonnay Wings-Pizza-n-Things
85 points
Oak bomb. Some apple flavors as well.
Rosé
2012 Patit Creek Cellars The Brooke
88 points
This GSM rose looks like cherry Kool-Aid. Aromas of strawberries and mushrooms lead in to a full-on strawberry flavor experience with some balancing acid. A very pleasant porch pounder.
Red
2010 Patit Creek Cellars Trinite Columbia Valley
88 points
Aromas of black pepper, grilled steak, and black fruit. Primarily black fruit driven with oaky notes. Spicy finish.
Red
2009 Patit Creek Cellars The Creek Columbia Valley
87 points
Cooking spice and forest floor on the nose. Red fruit on the palate. Also some notes of oaky spice and earth. Pretty decent RTW.
Red
2009 Patit Creek Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Aromas of dried cherry and herbs de provence. Similar flavors with some earthy notes as well. Long finish.
Red
2010 Patit Creek Cellars Roux
89 points
Patit Creek's premier blend features red currant, plum, and earth on the nose, followed by similar flavors. The long finish is quite warming from the alcohol. Needs some time still.
Red
2010 Patit Creek Cellars Tempranillo
89 points
Aromas are slightly spicy and woody. Similar flavors with black fruit accents. Long and somewhat tannic finish.
Flight 9 - Isenhower Cellars (5 notes)
Brett and Denise have built a great winery here. The Sangiovese was especially good this visit.
White
2012 Isenhower Cellars Roussanne White Paintbrush
88 points
Aromas of apple blossom and honeydew melon. Nectarine and pear on the palate. Flavors are complimented by a pleasant finish that's bright with acid.
Rosé
2012 Isenhower Cellars Pink Paintbrush
88 points
Nose of candied raspberry and strawberry. Refreshing flavors of strawberry with earthy notes. Would be great on a hot summer's day.
Red
2011 Isenhower Cellars Sangiovese Desert Hills Vineyard Yakima Valley
90 points
Complex nose of coffee, chocolate, and toffee. Rich flavors of dark fruit and chocolate with just a hint of acid. Pleasant finish. Great on its own, but would be phenomenal with food.
Red
2011 Isenhower Cellars Syrah Wild Alfalfa
89 points
Black fruit driven wine with additional coffee and oak notes. Long and slightly warming finish. A bit weird that its in a Bordeaux bottle, but you'll get over it once you realize it still looks good in a glass...
Red
2011 Isenhower Cellars Malbec "A Bloc"
90 points
Brett and Denise's first attempt at Malbec turned out quite well.
Dried plum and smoke on the nose is followed by black cherry flavors. Well structured, so I expect it will be even better in a couple of years.
Dried plum and smoke on the nose is followed by black cherry flavors. Well structured, so I expect it will be even better in a couple of years.
Flight 10 - Dusted Valley Vintners (8 notes)
Definitely worth a stop.
Rosé
2012 Dusted Valley Vintners Ramblin Rose
88 points
Red currant and strawberry aromas. Flavors of tart cherry balanced with acid.
Red
2011 Dusted Valley Vintners Squirrel Tooth Alice Red Heaven Vineyard
91 points
The wine is as good as the name is creative. Very earthy throughout. Mushrooms and blackberry on the nose. Earthy palate with black fruit and fig notes.
Red
2011 Dusted Valley Vintners Mourvèdre Stonetree Vineyard
89 points
Very big wine with a balance of earth and cherry flavors. Higher alcohol leads to a warming finish.
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Red
2010 Dusted Valley Vintners Syrah Tall Tales Walla Walla Valley
90 points
Nose of bar-be-que smoke and tobacco. Really big through the palate--almost chewy--with predominately black fruit flavors. Long and pleasant finish.
Red
2010 Dusted Valley Vintners Syrah Rachis
89 points
Blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah. Dark purple in color. Aromas of leather, plum, and tobacco transition into flavors of blackberry and earth. Slight green pepper notes on the finish reveal the Petite Sirah influence.
Red
2010 Dusted Valley Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon
89 points
Aromas of red berries and pie cherries with a subtle herbal influence. Good balance of flavors: oak, red and black fruit, and tannins. Overall very pleasant.
Red
2010 Dusted Valley Vintners Cabernet Franc
88 points
Tobacco and marionberry on the nose. Tons of blackberry flavor balanced by oak. Long finish. None of the unpleasant green pepper flavors people sometimes associate with this grape.
Red
2010 Dusted Valley Vintners BFM Dionysus Vineyard
91 points
Layered black fruit, leather, and tobacco aromas. Black fruit driven flavors with oak and spice notes. Long finish with blackberry notes.
Here's a hint about the acronym. It's what this wine is designed to do.
Here's a hint about the acronym. It's what this wine is designed to do.
Flight 11 - Beresan Winery (8 notes)
Decent wines. I especially enjoyed the Carmenere.
White
2012 Beresan Winery DeVine
87 points
Tropical fruit salad nose. Mouth coating with flavors of guava and pineapple. Short finish with punchy acid.
Rosé
2012 Beresan Winery Sangiovese Rosé
86 points
Light pink color--almost looks like a white. Faint fruit flavors and aroma--mostly strawberries--but there's not a ton going on here.
Red
2010 Beresan Winery Tom Foolery Reserve
89 points
Nose of blackberry and nutmeg with a hint of earth. Similar flavors. Solid wine.
Red
2008 Beresan Winery Stone River
88 points
Cherry and plum flavors with river rock notes. Similar fruit flavors with spice box notes.
Red
2008 Beresan Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Nose of boysenberry and tobacco. Lots of cherry flavors on the palate. Starts out as ripe cherry, then tends toward tart at the back of the palate. Long finish.
Red
2007 Beresan Winery Syrah Columbia Valley
89 points
Smoky charred steak on the nose with blackberry notes also. Balanced red and black fruit with leather and earth. Short finish.
Red
2008 Beresan Winery Malbec Walla Walla Valley
87 points
Plum and leather on the nose, tending toward a raisiny experience. Flavor is just an onslaught of blackberry and other dark fruit flavors with nothing to balance--your classic fruit bomb.
Red
2008 Beresan Winery Carménère Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Classic Carmenere. Tons of pepper throughout with red fruit accents. Appears to be very food friendly.
Flight 12 - Pepper Bridge Winery (3 notes)
Solidly made wines here. The Cab Sauv is very impressive each year.
Red
2010 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
90 points
Dried raspberry, earth, and tobacco on the nose. Big and bold on the palate with red and black fruits. Fruit flavors are balanced with oak and tannins. Long finish. Still young--I'd wait at least two years before trying again.
Red
2009 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
91 points
Aromas of black fruit with earthy undertones. Red and black fruit flavors with oaky notes. Long and expressive finish. Will lay down for a few more years at least.
Red
2009 Pepper Bridge Trine
89 points
Lots of aromas wafting out of the glass--tobacco, black fruit, baking spices. Primarily marionberry flavors with lots of oak. Long finish.
Flight 13 - Sleight of Hand (4 notes)
Not my cup of tea.
White - Off-dry
2012 Sleight of Hand The Magician Evergreen Vineyard
87 points
Melon, guava, and ozone aromas. Tropical fruit flavors with acid to balance. Punchy finish.
White
2012 Sleight of Hand Chardonnay The Enchantress Old Vine
87 points
Barrell fermented, so it definitely tends to the oaky/buttery side of chardonnay. Not much else going on.
Red
2011 Sleight of Hand The Conjurer
88 points
Spicy red fruit flavors and aromas. Slight and not unpleasant green pepper notes as well.
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Red
2010 Sleight of Hand Cabernet Sauvignon The Illusionist
88 points
Tobacco, leather, and dried cherry aromas. Similar flavors. No finish I could detect.
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