Mid-Columbia Wineries Have Many Gifts to Offer
By Bob Woehler
'Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to feel the
Christmas spirit than by getting a fine bottle of Washington wine?
For a wine lover, it's the perfect gift. Many wineries are
catering to the Christmas trade with special gift box offerings this
year, including verticals of a certain variety.
I decided to feature five Tri-City and Prosser-area wineries and
five Walla Walla-area wineries. All are close enough that you can
visit in person -- the best way to look at a wide variety of wines.
If you don't want to take the sleigh out for a drive, you can use
the Internet to make a purchase and have the wine on hand well
before Christmas. You also can check your local wine outlets to see
if they can obtain a certain wine.
Many of the wines featured here have won multiple awards, and I
have personally tasted them. I can heartily recommend them all.
So here goes. I'm hoping that a special someone is reading this,
and I'll find one of them under my tree.
Woodward Canyon in the Walla Walla Valley is offering a
unique gift box of 2001, 2002 and 2003 artist series Cabernet
Sauvignon in half-size bottles for $58, the perfect gift for that
single person on your list. The 2001 received nothing but ratings
above 90 points (on a 100 point scale) by international publications
and was described by Wine Enthusiast as big and bold with luscious
blackberry flavors.
Barnard Griffin in Richland has a vertical of reserve
Merlots. Rob Griffin, who year-in and year-out makes some of the
best Merlots on the planet, is offering for $85 a vertical of three
of his best — 2001, 2002 and 2003. The 2003 won a gold at the
Tri-City Wine Festival and was described as "very full and rich,
broad and long on the palate with a firm structure."
L'Ecole No. 41 is offering its 2003 Walla Walla Valley
Cabernet Sauvignon for $36. It received a 91 score from Wine
Enthusiast, which described it as "warm, lush and seductive with a
vibrant mix of boysenberry, blueberry, black raspberry and black
cherry."
Terra Blanca always has done well with its special ONYX
reserve, which is a Bordeaux blend. The 2000 Red Mountain Estate,
which sells for $45, received a 90-point rating from Wine Spectator.
"Smooth, lush flavors of blackberry, black cherry and cassis wrap
around a core of full, yet soft, structured tannins on the long,
silky finish."
Three Rivers in the Walla Walla Valley has a multitude of
vertical offerings, including the 2001, 2002 and 2003 Cabernet
Sauvignon in a special box for $60 or a six-bottle wooden box
vertical of award-winning Meritage red for $270 that includes the
2003. This wine won best of class and gold medal at the L.A. County
Fair Wines of the World Competition. Wine and Spirits Magazine
wrote, "The 2003 is aromatic with red raspberry fruit and a hint of
strawberry, juicy and succulent, bright and expressive, with a red
cherry fruit core."
Goose Ridge is offering four gift packs. The Snow Goose
for $36.50 includes a bottle of 2005 Riesling and 2005 Chardonnay.
The Gosling for $50.50 includes a bottle of 2003 Syrah and 2005
Viognier. The Gaggle for $49.50 offers a bottle of 2004 red blend
and 2002 Viero red blend. And the Canadian Honker at $94.50 has a
2003 reserve Syrah and a 2004 reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Each comes
with a gift box and gift card.
Forgeron Cellars of Walla Walla, where the 2002 Merlot for
$25 really caught the fancy of Wine Press Northwest, was a featured
wine of the week. "The nose of plums, pomegranates, maraschino
cherries and cigar tobacco includes a bit of smoky bacon fat, a sign
of the splash of Syrah. Flavors focus on cherries with a rich and
delicious finish. It's also bottled in a magnum for $57.
Thurston Wolfe has some unusual wines in the Northwest,
including Petite Sirah, Sangiovese and Zinfandel, but I recommend
the 2004 JTW Port for $20 for a full-sized bottle. It is a blend of
Touriga, Souzao and Petite Sirah. It offers flavors of black
cherries, boysenberries, chocolate and black pepper and is a perfect
match for homemade Christmas fudge.
Dunham Cellars of the Walla Walla Valley has a
three-bottle box of Eric Dunham's best reds, including original art
labels by Dunham for $250. Included is 2004 merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon and Syrah. The Syrah has dense black cherry and
pomegranate flavors with waves of spicy cloves and mountain berries.
If $250 is too much, many folks would like his funky three-legged
red label that sells of $19 a bottle or $28 for a magnum. On the
label is a picture of his three-legged cellar dog, Port.
Fidelitas considers its 2003 Optu Red Wine Columbia Valley
for $40 at the top of the food chain. It got a 90 from Wine
Spectator. Winemaker Charlie Hoppes says the 2003 is "harmonious,
seamless, of exceptional character, complex with black, dense,
satiny texture, heavenly black raspberry, cherry and oak flavors."
Bob Woehler has been writing a
biweekly column about wines of the Pacific
Northwest since 1978. Send him e-mail at
bwoehler@charter.net. |
