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Tagaris Winery of Richland plans to release 13 new wines for Catch the Crush this year, which will mark a coming-out for winemaker Frank Roth.

Roth, 26, has spent 14 years in the wine business, and his family heritage in it reaches back five generations.

A preview showed his wines are clean, tasty and well made.

There is a reason for that. He was trained for 10 years by Rob Griffin of Barnard Griffin, arguably one of the top winemakers in the state.

And Frank's father, Coke Roth, has a life-long interest in wine, is an internationally known judge and is considered to have one of the better wine palates in the Northwest.

Frank started moving hoses part time for Barnard Griffin when he was 12, went to British Columbia after he graduated from high school at 16 to work for Harry McWatters of Sumac Ridge and Hawthorne Mountain. Then he returned to work his way up to Cellarmaster for Barnard Griffin.

About a year ago, he moved next door to work for Mike Taggares, a third-generation Mid-Columbia farmer and lifelong friend of Frank's father.

Taggares, who for years had his wines custom made, in 2005 opened the new Tagaris Winery and Taverna Restaurant on Tulip Lane next to Bookwalter and Barnard Griffin.

"We believe this is the largest number of new releases in the history of the Washington wine industry," Taggares said. "Frank Roth is an exceptional talent who has proven that he can craft incredible wine from the amazing fruit that comes out of our vineyards."

Frank's great-great-grandfather Charlie and great-grandfather Al, were in the beer and spirits business in Wenatchee before Prohibition. After Prohibition in 1934, Al became a wine distributor.

Grandfather Al Jr. and father Coke operated one of the largest distributorships in the state.

Coke later sold the distributorship and became a Tri-City attorney, but kept his hand in the wine business serving on wine blending panels for winemakers and as a wine judge. He recently has plunged into the wine business with several partners at a new Red Mountain vineyard.

With the new Tagaris wines, the winery plans to begin marketing outside the winery at supermarkets, restaurants and wine shops.

The new wines mark the debut of a two-tier lineup, with the new Eliseo Silva line named after Mike Taggares' longtime vineyard manager selling in the $10 to $12 range for both reds and whites. The traditional Tagaris label wines will sell in the $18 to $30 range.

The Eliseo Silva label will be released to the public Nov. 1.

Here's a quick summary of how the new wines shape up:

Tagaris 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, $18 -- Co-fermented with Gewurztraminer, this wine shows alluring spice and pear aromas with fresh lemon-lime flavors.

Tagaris 2006 Chardonnay, $18 -- Fermented in stainless steel and then slightly aged in almost new oak barrels, this shows pineapples, vanilla and a creamy finish. A great cocktail wine.

Tagaris 2006 Pinot Gris, $20 -- Delicate and delicious with touches of pears and dried citrus, plus a hint of fennel and a crisp apple finish.

Eliseo Silva 2005 Chardonnay, $10-$12 -- Tropical fruit and oak, light and refreshing, plus an appealing richness.

Eliseo Silva 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, $10-$12 -- Think fresh lemon and limes and spice. This was co-fermented with a touch of Gewurztraminer.

Tagaris 2004 Merlot, $28 -- Excellent mouth feel, smooth with dark chocolate and dark cherries complemented by bold tannins for body.

Tagaris 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, $28 -- French styled with dry berry and oak aromas and a touch of coffee. The concentrated flavors include red currants and more berries with a big finish.

Tagaris 2005 Syrah, $26 -- As smooth as a piece of chocolate pie. Floral aromas lead directly to blackberry jam flavors with a finish of black pepper.

Eliseo Silva 2005 Merlot, $10-$12 -- An excellent low-cost merlot, with essences of cinnamon and oak and smooth berry and chocolate flavors.

Eliseo Silva 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, $10-$12 -- The smell of dark berries followed by a big kick of berry flavors. Easy drinking, great with steak.

Eliseo Silva 2005 Syrah, $10-$12 -- Floral and blackberry aromas with round, broad berry jam flavors. Nice chocolate and black pepper overtones.

Tagaris 2005 Red Roan red wine, $30 -- A play on words for a Rhone blend of Syrah, Counoise and Mourvedre. Charming with touches of dark berries yet a bit of lighter strawberries. Smooth and flavorful.

Tagaris 2005 BoarDoe red wine, $30 -- You guessed it! A Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Nice spiciness and black currants launch this wine, leading to more currants, a bit of black tea and an expressive, juicy finish.

Frank Roth said the 2006 Counoise, 2006 Malbec and 2006 Sangiovese will be released soon.



 
Bob Woehler, a retired Herald staff writer, has been writing a column about wines of the Pacific Northwest since 1978. Send him e-mail at bwoehler@charter.net.

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