Important Update From the Founder

Reininger Pick-Up Party

Pike Place Market Atrium

Tasted November 19, 2015 by skifree with 226 views

Introduction

A friend invited me to attend the Reininger Pick-Up Party at the Pike Place Atrium (did not even know that existed until now!) from 6-9 PM Thursday evening. We arrived around 7:30.

The event seems to be a nice benefit to being one of their club members; my friend had just joined while on a visit to WW. The food was definitely impressive, with lots of different cheeses, salami, bread and crackers, olives, and smoked salmon spread out on three tables along the side of the Atrium. They kept it fresh, including bringing out a nice hunk of smoked salmon at 8 PM!

I got to talk to Chuck Reininger towards the end of the event - we started out talking skiing (he thought he recognized me from Crystal Mountain), and I quickly ascertained that he is a much better skier than me! As we talked about wine, he talked about his appreciation for the terroir of Washington, and it became apparent that he minimizes the impact of cooperage so that the grapes can shine. For example, he told that he thinks Syrah loses its varietal characteristics with too much oak. I also liked his statement "It takes a lot of great beer to make great wine" to reflect how much hard work it takes to make wine.

Flight 1 (4 notes)

The event had six wines to taste. Given our limited time I focused on the four Reininger wines in my notes, not the two Helix wines I tasted momentarily. All the wines were for sale at the event.

White

2013 Reininger Chardonnay Reserve USA, Washington, Columbia Valley

87 points

Well made wine in the lighter chardonnay style. However, it lacked for me a distinct personality and style and as such did not make me fall in love with it.

Comment

Red

2011 Reininger Merlot USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

90 points

I liked this wine as a food friendly Merlot with good fruit and acidity, and one that showed off the style of the vintage very nicely (classical style). Chuck Reininger told me that 2011 reminded him of vintages he saw when first working in the cellars at Waterbrook.

Comment

Red

2009 Reininger Merlot CPR USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

89 points

Chuck Reininger told me this was aged in barrel since 2009 - wow! It had lots of sappy red fruit and intense mocha - so it was a big wine but a little over-the-top as a Merlot for me. There were only 41 cases produced of this, I believe.

Comment

Red

2009 Reininger Cima USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

92 points

This was my favorite wine from the 2015 "Pick-up Party", which was a surprise for me given it's Super Tuscan make-up. It was complex and smooth, round tannins in the mouth, had lots of black fruits, and a nice long finish. A second tasting after the bottle had been open for a bit was even better.

Comment

Closing

Reininger is on the west side of WW. I look forward to trying more of their wines when I make a visit to WW in the future, as I liked the philosophy behind the wines and it's "family style" business model.

Reininger Pick-Up Party

Pike Place Market Atrium

Introduction

Flight 1 (4 notes)

Closing

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