When you drink wine for a living, one of the questions you get asked nearly daily is: "What is your favorite wine?" Our pat answer: "Whatever is in my glass at the moment."
We do taste thousands of wines annually, and we sort through the good, bad and ugly on a weekly basis. We rate wines as "Recommended," "Excellent" and "Outstanding." Those that don't make the cut are retasted or not reviewed. We judge all wines blind, meaning we don't know who made the wine or what the price is. That's important to us because the wines should speak for themselves and we should not be influenced by the price, the grandeur of the tasting room or whether we like a winemaker's haircut.
This summer, we've had the opportunity to taste a lot of wine, and a number of them stand out as superb. All the wines we are reviewing here were awarded our top "Outstanding" rating.
To find this week's selections, check with your favorite wine merchant or contact the winery directly.
Ash Hollow Estate Vineyards & Winery 2007, Nine Mile Red, Walla Walla Valley, $20: This blend includes cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and petit verdot. The mood is set with inky aromas of blackberry, vanilla extract and anise. The palate delivers silkiness and richness with flavors of black cherry, marionberry, blackberry, fudge butter creme chocolates and Graham cracker.
Coeur d'Alene Cellars 2007 Boushey Vineyard syrah, Washington, $36: Attractive smokiness allows for sniffs of blackberry, cherry jam, blueberry, boysenberry, coffee, mint and a sense of gaminess. There's more charm between the lips with plush and juicy boysenberry and blackberry flavors.
Westport Winery 2009 Lighthouse White, Washington, $24: Gewürztraminer and riesling are the components in this off-dry blend. Aromas of grapefruit are backed by inviting tones of pineapple, lychee, jasmine, apple blossom and fresh linen. The tasty drink is hugely tropical and akin to ambrosia fruit salad with more pineapple and a dusting of cinnamon and finish of an Arnold Palmer ice tea. Its residual sugar of 3.2 percent is balanced.
Kitzke Cellars 2008 sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $18: This expressive red wine opens with aromas of red plums, poached cherries, leather, cherry liqueur and a hint of cigar smoke. The palate shows off flavors of black cherries and Dr Pepper, all backed with bright acidity and an absence of tannin.
Dusted Valley Vintners 2008 Tall Tales syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $53: The guys at Dusted Valley make no fewer than a half-dozen wines that focus on syrah, and this stands out as one of their best. It opens with aromas of blueberry, chocolate and a whisper of smoke, followed by plush flavors that reveal blueberry, leather, cinnamon and that intriguing Côte-Rotie-like gaminess.
Fujishin Family Cellars 2009 Late Harvest riesling, Snake River Valley, $15: This opens with distinct aromas and flavors of papaya, mango and passion fruit, along with apricot jam, nectarine, honeycomb, a hint of botrytis and anise. The residual sugar sits at 6 percent.
Holmes Harbor Cellars 2008 petit verdot, Walla Walla Valley, $38: Opulent aromas of black cherry, cola, cinnamon, vanilla, caramel and cedar give way to a palate with delicious cherries and dark chocolate with rich tannins that are akin to a petite sirah.
Northstar Winery 2007 merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $50: Harmonious aromas of black currant, Bing cherry and strawberry include a background of graham cracker and pink peppercorn. The palate shows elegance with notes of black cherry, boysenberry and chocolate pudding with pleasant acidity and a fascinating feel of sandy tannins.
Eliseo Silva 2009 Arete Vineyard Dry chenin blanc, Columbia Valley, $16: This second-tier label for Tagaris Winery shows a lot of sophistication with this overlooked grape variety. Lemon yogurt, gooseberry, starfruit and 7UP aromas show fresh-squeezed yellow grapefruit on the bright and clean palate. In the background are Gala apple and Lemonhead flavors.
*Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman are the editors of Wine Press Northwest magazine. For the freshest reviews, go to www.winepressnw.com/freshpress.
