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Washington Wine Tasting

Woodinville, Seattle, Jet City

Tasted June 29, 2017 - July 1, 2017 by GoBlue2002 with 706 views

Introduction

We stopped at many wineries over 3 days during our 5th wedding anniversary trip. Listed below are our tasting notes for the wineries. Wines are listed in the order they were tasted.

Flight 1 - K Vintners (14 notes)

K's tasting room in Jet City. Only the downstairs room was open. Great wine!!!
Tasting fees waived with purchases.

White
2014 SIXTO Chardonnay Uncovered USA, Washington
90 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Light golden in color. Nose - mineral, bright stone fruit, floral. Taste - oily, mineral, spice, subtle fruit. A different style of chardonnay compared to the others in the lineup.

Me - 91, Wife - 90
Comment
White
2014 SIXTO Chardonnay Moxee USA, Washington
92 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Light yellow in color. Nose - mineral, fruit, spice. Taste - more oak than the Uncovered, smooth, warm spices, nice acidity for balance. Longer finish than Uncovered. Great chardonnay.
Comment
White
2014 SIXTO Chardonnay Roza Hills USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
90 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Golden in color. Oaky nose -- a bit unbalanced. Buttery, oak, some mineral, subtle spice & fruit. Medium length on finish. Good but not the best of the lineup.
Comment
Red
2013 K Vintners Guido USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Color - orangy / light red.
Nose - Tomato! Brandy/boozy
Taste - rose-like. Light, with spice/acidity. Earthy. Dried fruit palate. Finish -- smooth & acidic.
Summary -- Very different -- for sangiovese, washington, K... etc.
Good for a change but if you want great sangiovese at this price point look to Italy.
Comment
Red
2014 B. Leighton Gratitude Olsen Brothers Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
92 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
70% mourvedre, 25% grenache, 5% syrah.
Cloudy red in color. BIG nose of spicey fruit. Rich with balanced acidity. Long finish.
A powerful fruit forward GSM blend -- not for everyone.
Comment
Red
2013 Substance Merlot Super Substance Northridge Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope
91 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Purple/red in color. Nose of fruit and meat (odd for merlot)?
Tasteof spice, fruit, meat, more tannic than a typical merlot and K's other wines.
Long finish. Good, but needs time. Drink 2019+
Comment
Red
2014 K Vintners Syrah Powerline Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
92 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Dark purple in color. Nose of smoke & meat. Taste - meat, earth, smooth. Long finish. Such a great wine at this young age, but give it some time if you can.
Me - 93, Wife - 92
Comment
Red
2014 K Vintners Syrah Rock Garden USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Purple in color -- almost looking aged on the rim.
Nose - earth without much fruit.
Taste - very earthy, mushroom. Not enough fruit. Unimpressive finish.
Not out style of wine -- especially for K.
1 person found this helpful Comment
White
2014 SIXTO Chardonnay Frenchman Hills Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
93 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Golden yellow in color. Nose - spicy oak. Taste - silky, buttery, bright, balanced, pear/some citrus. Long lovely finish. Our favorite of the lineup -- for those who like balanced oaky Washington chardonnay.
Comment
White
2015 Substance Sauvignon Blanc USA, Washington
88 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Yellow/golden in color. Nose of wet earth, fruit, and a bit of acid on the finish. Somewhat unique and a decent change of pace, but there are better sauv blancs at this price point.
Comment
Red
2014 K Vintners El Jefe Stoneridge Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
90 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
An interesting domestic tempranillo.
Looked almost redish & aged.
Earthy nose.
Taste of dark fruit, earth, balanced, light body. Medium finish.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 K Vintners Syrah Milbrandt Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope
92 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
Deep purple in color. Nose of spice, dried fruit, earth.
Taste of spice, dark fruit... this is a big/rich syrah, especially at this price point. Bold long finish.
An in your face Charles Smith syrah.
Comment
Red
2014 K Vintners Malbec Broncho Stoneridge Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
93 points
Purple in color. Nose of spice, fruit, meat. Lots of spice & fruit on the palate. Well balanced. Could use a bit more time, but great already!
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2015 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon USA, Washington
89 points
Sampled at the K tasting room in Jet City.
A great cab at this pirce point, but I'd give it a bit more time.
Bronzed red in color. Nose of herbs & spice. Taste of spice, dried fruit, and some tannins. Good length on the finish.
Comment

Flight 2 - Sleight of Hand (8 notes)

Wines tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle. Great decor!
Tasting fee waived with purchase.

White - Off-dry
2014 Sleight of Hand The Magician Evergreen Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
90 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
A light fruit. 1.2% residual sugar riesling with a nice smack of acidity. Should pair with food nicely.
Comment
White
2014 Sleight of Hand Chardonnay The Enchantress Old Vine USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
89 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
Wente clone chardonnay.
Smooth, round, leggy but a short finish. This also shows some oak, mineral, and spice, but is lighter on the fruit than I prefer for my chardonnay. Short finish. An ok chardonnay at this price point.
Comment
Rosé
2016 Sleight of Hand Cabernet Franc Magician's Assistant Rosé USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
90 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
Smooth, sparkle, round, light & delightful. A great QPR rose.
Comment
Red
2015 Sleight of Hand The Conjurer USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
Blend of cab sauv, cab franc, merlot, and peitite verdot.
A little puckering at the moment, so I'd age this for a bit. That said, still shows a beautiful balanced nose with a smooth palate. The relatively high percentage of cab franc adds some nice lift/pop. Nice acidity as well.
91-92 pts
2 people found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 Sleight of Hand The Archimage USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
90 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
This would make a great food wine.
56% cab franc, 38% merlot, 6% cab sauv.
More old world in style than some of the other wines in their lineup -- I'd also aged this one for a couple years before drinking.
Comment
Red
2013 Sleight of Hand Cabernet Sauvignon The Illusionist USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
Blend with 89% cab sauv
This is young and needs some time, but the potential is definitely here.
91-92 pts.
Comment
Red
2014 Sleight of Hand Syrah Levitation USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
Meaty, black fruit, balanced with a somewhat firm tannic structure and acidity. Earthy. This is good now but will likely be great with a few more years.
Comment
Red
2014 Sleight of Hand Syrah Psychedelic Stoney Vine Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
93 points
Tasted at the Sleight of Hand tasting room in Seattle.
Soooo smooth already!
Earth, full bodied, and MEAT. Yum.
1 person found this helpful Comments (1)

Flight 3 - JM Cellars (5 notes)

Woodinville tasting room on the hill. Quite a nice spot -- would hve been great to hang out there. Met one of the winemakers as well.
1 tasting fee waived with 2 bottle purchase.

White
2016 JM Cellars Sauvignon Blanc USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
90 points
Tasted at JM Cellars tasting room in Woodinville.
95% sauv blanc, 5% semillon
Clear and bright in appearance.
Nose of mineral & citrus
On the palate lots of tang, citrus, and mineral. Nice acidity. Longer finish.
A quality SB.
Comment
White
2016 JM Cellars Viognier Stillwater Creek Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at JM Cellars tasting room in Woodinville.
Mineal, earth, crisp with acidic balanced. Quite a nice viognier.
Comment
Red
2014 JM Cellars Bramble Bump Red USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
92 points
Tasted at JM Cellars tasting room in Woodinville.
43% merlot, 26% petit verdot, 22% carmenere, 5% cab sauv, 4% syrah.
Big fruit & pepper on the nose!
Full bodied/tannic, lots of spice & dark red fruit.
Long finish.
This drinks well now, but could improve with another year or two in the cellar.
Comment
Red
2014 JM Cellars Malbec Margaret's Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Tasted at JM Cellars tasting room in Woodinville.
Dark purple/red.
Nose of pepper & leather.
Smooth, with deep dark fruit and spice.
Needs some time. Good, but a bit pricey.
89-90
Comment
Red
2014 JM Cellars Syrah USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
92 points
Tasted at JM Cellars tasting room in Woodinville.
Purple in color. Meaty/smoky on nose.
Yum!
Fruit, meat, spice on palate. Good length on finish.

Me - 91, Wife - 93
Comment

Flight 4 - Novelty Hill / Januik (12 notes)

Lovely spot -- go outside if you can. The pizza (only on weekends) was AMAZING.
We had a free tasting coupon which we obtained for our hotel, but normally it's 4 taste for $15, with 1 tasting fee returned for every 3 bottles purchased.

White
2016 Novelty Hill Winery Roussanne Stillwater Creek Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
89 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
94% roussanne, 6% viognier
Oily, peach, spicy; but with a minimal finish.
Comment
White
2015 Januik Chardonnay Cold Creek Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
88 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Bright, balanced, pear, citrus, neutral oak... but simple.
Comment
Red
2014 Novelty Hill Winery Grenache Stillwater Creek Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
92 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District. Ordered a glass for $11.
Aromatic, structured... just a delight!
Comment
Red
2014 Novelty Hill Winery Sangiovese Stillwater Creek Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
88 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Tomato, vanilla, chocolate, flat finish. Doesn't quite taste like sangiovese. Good if you want something different... but this is not for me.
Comment
Red
2015 Januik Cabernet Franc Weinbau Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope
92 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Aromatic, full bodied (especially for a cab franc), spice, dark fruit. Give this a year or two -- drink 2018/19-2023.
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Januik Petit Verdot Ciel du Cheval Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
90 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
98% petit verdot, 2% cab sauv.
My first varietal PV. Loved the aroma!!! Pepper, spice, tannic. An interesting flavor... which just wasn't that flavorful. An interesting experiment.
Comment
Red
2015 Januik Merlot Klipsun Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
90 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Light, but also young and needing time. I've enjoyed previous vintages of this wine far more, but I've never had one anywhere near this young. Drink 2020+ ?
Comment
Red
2014 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
88 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Meh!!! Disappointing.
Comment
Red
2014 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Weinbau Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope
90 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
A bit more green/vegetal than I enjoy in a cab. However, it was still spicy and flavorful.
Comment
Red
2014 Andrew Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Stone Cairn USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
92 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
92% cab sauv, 8% cab franc.
Shows a little extra lift from the cab franc. Cocoa, and somewhat desserty aromas. Not a wine for everyone!
Drink 2019-2025
Comment
Red
2014 Andrew Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Lady Hawk USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
91 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
93% cab sauv, 4% malbec, 3% merlot
More black & blue fruited than red. Needs time -- 5-7 years. Peppery.
91 now with room to improve in time
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2014 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
93 points
Tasted at Novelty Hill/Januik tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
98% cab sauv, 2% malbec
Oh ya, here we go.
This is an aromatic wine which just pops. Ready to go now but will improve with age. Pepper, spice, long finish.
Comment

Flight 5 - Gorman (6 notes)

A nice spot overlooking the round a bout. Live music on the weekends in the evening (but no tasting pours). Just don't go on a day in the mid 80's!

White
2015 Gorman Winery Chardonnay Big Sissy USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at Gorman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Nose of big oak/vanilla (depsite only 15% new oak). Flavors of stone fruit, touch of tropical fruit, touch of oak/spice/butter. Only knock is a short finish. Enjoyable on a sunny day in the 80's!
Comment
Rosé
2016 Gorman Winery 42-39-56 USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at Gorman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
A cab sauv (and others) based rose... different!
A somewhat tropical nose leads a refreshing light rose. Very pleasant on a hot day! Crazy QPR for a rose.
Comment
Red
2015 Gorman Winery Zachary's Ladder USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
90 points
Tasted at Gorman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
73% cab sauv, 15% syrah, 12% petit verdot.
Smells like tawny port... but not in a cooked wine sort of way.
Lusicous, but I'm not sure I'd enjoy drinking an entire bottle of this.
Comments (2)
Red
2013 Gorman Winery Syrah The Pixie USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
88 points
Tasted at Gorman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Aromatics of big pepper, meat, earth... just not much fruit. Taste was meh Weak finish. Perhaps the open tasting room in a day in the mid 80's was just too much heat for this wine to work?
Comment
Red
2013 Gorman Winery Cabernet Sauvignon The Bully USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
90 points
Tasted at Gorman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Nose of chocolate, earth. Give this 5+ years if you can.

90 now, with lots of room to improve.
Comment
Red
2013 Gorman Winery The Evil Twin USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
92 points
Tasted at Gorman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
There we go, now we're getting to some good Gorman reds.
Inky dark purple in color. Meaty.
Smooth, but could still use 2-3 more years of age. Long peppery finish.
1 person found this helpful Comments (2)

Flight 6 - Sparkman (5 notes)

One of our favorites on the trip.
Tasting fees were waived, but we bought a lot! The lady pouring our wines was very knowledgable and made our trip enjoyable.

White
2015 Sparkman Cellars Riesling Birdie USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
92 points
Tasted at Sparkman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Seriously -- domestic Riesling this good? Wow!
Tropical & citrus on nose. Fruity yet still dry. Long finish
Comment
White
2016 Sparkman Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Pearl USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
89 points
Tasted at Sparkman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Grass/hay on nose. Smooth & easy to drink. However, not much of a finish -- too watery.
Comment
Red
2012 Sparkman Cellars Ruby Leigh USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at Sparkman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
52% merlot, 22% cab franc, 20% cab sauv, touch of malbec.
Smooth!
Spicy and fruit. Long finish. Good to go now and should continue to improve.
Comment
Red
2012 Sparkman Cellars Stella Mae USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
93 points
Tasted at Sparkman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
67% cab, 11% merlot, 11% cab franc, 11% petit verdot.
Bramble in flavor and just delicious. Ready to drink now!!!
Comment
Red
2012 Sparkman Cellars Syrah Ruckus USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
92 points
Tasted at Sparkman tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Drinking well now.
Meaty, somewhat funky in flavor. Very smooth.

92-93
Comment

Flight 7 - William Church (5 notes)

A nice spot, although the wines were average.
Tasting fee waived with a bottle purchase of $25 or more per tasting, although we had free tasting coupons from our hotel.

White
2015 William Church Viognier USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
89 points
Tasted at William Chuch tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Somewhat funky, like sauv blanc, mineral on palate. Ok.
Comment
Red
2013 William Church Sur la Mer USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
90 points
Tasted at William Chuch tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
58% merlot, 18% cab sauv, 8% petit verdot, 8% cab franc, 8% malbec
Aromatic, more old world in style. Pepper, spice
Comment
Red
2013 William Church Malbec Gamache Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
89 points
Tasted at William Chuch tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Aromatic, chewy, balanced!, high acid. Blackberry, tart. Drink 2018/2019+
1 person found this helpful Comment
Red
2013 William Church Cabernet Sauvignon USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at William Chuch tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Richer than the 2014 we also tasted (bonus!)
Great nose woth the petite verdot mixed in. I'd also suggest drinking this cool.
Comment
Red
2014 William Church Syrah Red Willow Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
90 points
Tasted at William Chuch tasting room in Woodinville's Hollywood District.
Fair amount of fruit. Slight pepper & meat. Too warm on this day in the 80's.
Comment

Flight 8 - Pepper Bridge / Amavi (8 notes)

Our first stop of the morning, and a little off the beaten path. Quite a friendly pourer.... who just kept pouring different wines! We ended up tasting 8, buying 1 bottle, and had the tasting fee waived!

Rosé
2016 Amavi Cellars Cabernet Franc Rosé USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Bright, clean, mild, smooth.
Comment
White
2016 Pepper Bridge Sauvignon Blanc USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
88 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Mild... meh.
Mineral, citrus.
Me - 88, Wife - 89
Comment
White
2016 Amavi Cellars Sémillon USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
90 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Herbal, fruity --- pair with shellfish.
Best white of the tasting group.
Me - 90, Wife - 91
Comment
Red
2014 Amavi Cellars Syrah USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Aromatic, slight funk and meat on palate, earth.
This needs a few years still. Drink 2019+
Comment
Red
2014 Amavi Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
77% cab sauv, 105 cab franc, 8% merlot, 5% malbec
Earth, cherry, cocoa.
Mild, smooth, slightly tannic.
Good but not too interesting.

Me - 90, Wife - 89
Comment
Red
2014 Pepper Bridge Merlot USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
92 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
77% merlot, 16% cab franc, 7% malbec
The aromatics of cab franc shine through and provide a great amount of interest.
Pepper, cocoa, bramble, red fruit/cherry.
Lots of umpf in this merlot!
Drink 2019-2024
Comment
Red
2013 Pepper Bridge Trine USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
92 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
37% cab sauv, 34% cab franc, 16% merlot, 8% malbec, 5% petit verdot
Quite smooth and ready to go now.
Plum flavors
Me - 92, Wife - 91
Comment
Red
2013 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Amavi/Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
83% cab sauv, 9% merlot, 4% malbec, 2% cab franc, 2% petit verdot.
Quite aromatic. This is quite tannic and could use some time, unless you prefer that type of cab! Drink 2020-2028
Comment

Flight 9 - Alexandria Nicole (7 notes)

In the basement of the school house. This winery was at a lower price point than most of the other wineries we went to, but they did have a couple stand outs.
Overall their wines are softer and more approachable while young.
The pourer was a long-time list member with a ton of background info, and they had a cheese platter available for purchase (in a refrigerator behind where you sit at the tasting bar).
1 ($20) tasting fee waived with 2 bottle minimum purchase

White
2016 Alexandria Nicole Albariño Affinity USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
90 points
Tasted at the Alexandria Nicole tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Mineral. Not bad
Comment
White
2016 Alexandria Nicole Viognier Crawford Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
88 points
Tasted at the Alexandria Nicole tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Honeysuckle, grapefruit. Mild, yet juicy.
Not bad, just kinda boring.

Me - 89, Wife - 88
Comment
White
2016 Alexandria Nicole Sauvignon Blanc Steel Horse Destiny Ridge Vineyards USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
89 points
Tasted at the Alexandria Nicole tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
A softer style of sauv blanc, Grapefruit, mineral.
Comment
Red
2014 Alexandria Nicole Merlot Gravity Destiny Ridge Vineyards USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
89 points
Tasted at the Alexandria Nicole tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
A lighter style of merlot, with a great deal of spice and vanilla. The elements didn't quite seem to be in balance yet -- this could use a year or so.
Aged 22 months in 30% new French oak & 70% 1-year old French oak
Comment
Red
2014 Alexandria Nicole Syrah Jet Black Destiny Ridge Vineyards USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
91 points
Tasted at the Alexandria Nicole tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Meaty, long finish, smooth & ready to drink now.
18 months in 35% new French oak & 65% 1-yr old French oak.
Comment
Red
2014 Alexandria Nicole Cabernet Sauvignon a squared USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
89 points
Tasted at the Alexandria Nicole tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
77% cab sauv, 14% merlot, 9% malbec
Not a style of cab sauv for everyone -- this had very sweet fruit and a light body. An easy drinker.
Comment
Red
2014 Alexandria Nicole Petite Sirah Mr. Big Destiny Ridge Vineyards USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills
91 points
Tasted at the Alexandria Nicole tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
This bottle was opened the previous day, which the pourer indiciated helps immensely.
This already has fairly smooth tannins and is remarkably open for a PS so young. Tasty!
Comment

Flight 10 - Cougar Crest (5 notes)

Not a good stop -- the 2 employees in the tasting room just talked to each other and pretty much ignored us until we needed to move on to the next wine. Wines were ok.
$10 tasting fee waived with any wine purchase.

White
2015 Cougar Crest Viognier USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Cougar Crest's tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
This just pops on the palate -- so smooth.

This drinks so well now, why wait!
Comment
Rosé
2014 Cougar Crest Grenache Rosé USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
88 points
Tasted at the Cougar Crest's tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Comment
Red
2012 Cougar Crest Dedication Ten USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Tasted at the Cougar Crest's tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
55% syrah, 20% cab franc, 17% merlot, 8% petit verdot
Fruit-forward, almost zin-like. Mild finish

Me - 88, Wife - 89/90
Comment
Red
2010 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
90 points
Tasted at the Cougar Crest's tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
A cab franc with umpf!
A little funky, light body, slight greenness.
Comment
Red
2012 Cougar Crest Encore Cougar Hills USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
89 points
Tasted at the Cougar Crest's tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Meaty, smooth
Comment

Flight 11 - Fidelitas (6 notes)

Great location in the strip. The wines were good but need time.
$15 tasting fee waived with bottle purchase, altough our hotel had a coupon for 2 free tastings.

White
2015 Fidelitas Optu White USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
90 points
Tasted at the Fidelitas' tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
This wine just pops and sparkles. Quite smooth, and not as herbal as you might expect.
Comment
Red
2014 Fidelitas Malbec Red Mountain USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
91 points
Tasted at the Fidelitas' tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Quite a pretty nose -- much much aromatic than many of the other malbec's we've tasted on this trip.
Fruit forward, smooth, long finish
Comment
Red
2014 Fidelitas Red Wine The Canyons Vineyard USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
89 points
Tasted at the Fidelitas' tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Herbal, earthy, tannic, pepper, needs time.
Comment
Red
2013 Fidelitas Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
90 points
Tasted at the Fidelitas' tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Plush, red fruit -- but needs time and hard to score. Drink 2019-2024
Comment
Red
2014 Fidelitas Optu Red Mountain USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
91 points
Tasted at the Fidelitas' tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
70% cab sauv, 15% merlot, also petit verdot and cab franc
This pops while at the same time is tannic yet polished. Personally I'd wait quite awhile on this one -- peak drinking 2022-2027; although if you prefer big tannic cabs then dive right in!
Comment
Red
2014 Fidelitas Merlot Red Mountain USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
90 points
Tasted at the Fidelitas' tasting room in Woodinville's Schoolhouse District.
Meaty, earthy, dry, not very fruit-forward.

Me - 89, Wife - 91
Comment

Flight 12 - aMaurice (0 notes)

A fun artsy place. No notes taken.

Tasting fee waived with purchase. Our favorite bottle:
* 2013 ÀMaurice Cellars Artist Series "McCool" Blend Walla Walla Valley

Flight 13 - Matthews (4 notes)

Off the beaten path, north of the Schoolhouse District. You will need a car, but it's worth the stop for the ambiance and great wine.
$15 Tasting fee waived with minimum $35 purchase.
Great wine!!!

White
2016 Matthews Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Matthews' tasting room in Woodinville.
A strongly herbal sauv blanc with grass/hay character.
Comment
Red
2014 Matthews Claret USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
91 points
Tasted at the Matthews' tasting room in Woodinville.
54% cab sauv, 23% merlot, 13% cab franc, 6% malbec, 4% petit verdot
To me this wine was great -- fruit forward yet with a fair amount of body. It popped. However, I think this will improve with a bit of time.
Drink 2019-2025

Me - 92, Wife - 90
Comment
Red
2014 Matthews Merlot USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
92 points
Tasted at the Matthews' tasting room in Woodinville.
83% merlot, 13% cab franc, 4% cab sauv
Fruit-forward, almost Napa-ish.
Comment
Red
2013 Matthews Reserve Red Wine USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
93 points
Tasted at the Matthews' tasting room in Woodinville.
68% cab sauv, 28% merlot, 4% cab franc
Potent aromas -- a Parkerized wine. For me... I love it!
Black fruit with mild tannins.
Comment

Flight 14 - Gard (0 notes)

No notes taken, but a fairly fun stop. Our first in the warehouse district.
Stand out wines (which were purchased) were:
* 2012 Gård Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Lawrence Vineyards (a crazy deal for $19.99/bottle with at least 4 bottles purchased)
* 2012 Gård Vintners Syrah Grand Klasse Lawrence Vineyards

Flight 15 - Two Vintners (0 notes)

What a cool stop to end the day!
They have a kid's play area in back and a disco ball in the main area. Yup, fun!
But the wines were very good as well.
Our favorites (which were purchased):
* 2014 Two Vintners Syrah (amazing APR)
* 2013 Two Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Sal Mays Discovery (Yum!)

Closing

What a Trip!
Standouts: Matthews (great wine), K (great wine), Novelty Hill/Januik (good wine, great food & ambiance), Sleight of Hand (good wine, great ambiance)
Lowlight: Cougar Crest

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