Wine & Spirits - October 2017 - 101

US NEW RELEASES
tobacco leaf and cedar; all will put you in
mind of Bordeaux. The flavors, while oak
dominant, have a burnished, cedary polish;
the feel of the tannins is firm, gripping and
concentrated, making this a wine to decant
and savor over steak. (628 cases)
450271

90 | Three Rivers

507775

92 | Pepper Bridge

$60

2014 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Pepper Bridge in a warm vintage seems
almost to double down on its structural
prowess; this wine's tannins bristle in the
glass and seem so thick that they feel furry.
With air, they relax and start to lengthen, no
less powerful but allowing some dark fig flavors to come through. Cellar, then serve with
smoked pork. (2,288 cases)
450154

91 | Fidelitas

$75

2014 Red Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Viewed as if from behind a veneer
of oak, this Red Mountain brute has a spicy,
cola-like scent and a seductive core of dark,
irresistibly plush fruit. Its surfeit of oak and
fruit tannins needs food to bring it into balance. Decant and pour with something off
the barbecue, like flank steak. (216 cases)

$21

2014 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ This well-priced cabernet
overdelivers on every level. Along with its
scents of mace, clove and other savory spices,
its whiff of evergreen will make you think of
the Pacific Northwest. Its flavors are dark,
intense and pure, with a concentration and
firm grip that makes decanting a good idea.
For a steak. (2,632 cases)
507654

89 | Chateau Ste. Michelle

$28

2014 Horse Heaven Hills Canoe Ridge
Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^
Canoe Ridge often produces the most intense
wines of Ste. Michelle's suite of red wine vineyards, and in a warm vintage this one doesn't
disappoint. The aromas of roast plum and
tanbark give way to a smoky, cedary set of flavors, oak dominant, brooding and powerful.
507659

88 | Chateau Ste. Michelle

$15

88 | Seven Falls Cellars

$23

2015 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ This cabernet aims for
greatness and succeeds better than many
wines three times its price. It has remarkable
aromatic complexity, giving off smoke, cedar
and olive, and its flavors have a piney top
note, with just a touch of herb on the finish.
It feels natural and complete-a steal at $15.
507645

508125

91 | L'Ecole No 41

$40

2014 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ^ This powerful cabernet is a blend from
multiple sources, including Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Ferguson vineyards. It leads
with scents of carob and blackberry, giving
way to darker, more fig-like flavors. It stays
on the rails with a finessed tannic payload
and just enough acidity to keep it aloft.
(2,300 cases)
507722

91 | Woodward Canyon

$99

2014 Washington Old Vines Dedication Series #32 Cabernet Sauvignon ^
From three long-established Columbia Valley vineyards-Sagemoor, Champoux and
Woodward Canyon Estate-this august cabernet has savory scents of clove, cinnamon,

2014 Wahluke Slope Cabernet Sauvignon
(Best Buy) ^ Cabernet from a warm place in a
warm vintage makes for a smoky, savory red
with crowd-pleasing plushness in its broad
dark fruit flavors. The wine's baked-fruit richness would pair beautifully with barbecue.

MALBEC
450312

90 | aMaurice Cellars

$42

2014 Walla Walla Valley Amparo Estate
Malbec ^ Scents of purple basil, violets and
lavender propel this fierce, powerfully tannic red from the aMaurice estate vineyard.
The flavors are burled up but there's enough
blackberry and dark plum at its core to merit
cellaring. Then serve with lamb shoulder.
(250 cases)

MERLOT
508127

90 | L'Ecole No 41

$37

2014 Walla Walla Valley Merlot ^ This warmvintage merlot has a dusty cherry scent and
just a hint of that classic tobacco-leaf savor
found in many Walla Walla bottlings. The flavors of spiced plum meet dark, firm tannins.
Decant it to serve with tri-tip. (1,240 cases)

RED BLENDS
507548

92 | Buty

$60

2014 Walla Walla Valley Rediviva of the
Stones Rockgarden Estate ^ Buty's Rediviva
is always exotic and compelling, driven by
the sanguine wildness of Rocks syrah (77 percent) but reined in a bit by a stalwart presence
of cabernet. The flavors are demonstrably
herbal-parsley and celery leaf-darkened
by an olive-y core and a sanguine, licoriceroot finish. Now wild and long, it will benefit
from some aging. (325 cases)

SYRAH
450313

93 | aMaurice Cellars

$45

93 | Northstar

$40

91 | Tenet

$25

2015 Walla Walla Valley Fred Syrah ^ While
2015 may have been a warm vintage, the
coolness of Mill Creek may give this estate
wine its contours. There's a hint of violets
and black plum in the aromas, and a dusty,
mineral note that prevails on the structure
of the tannins, along with an impression of
fruit extract that gives the wine some bounce
and suggests a long life. Even so, it's balanced enough to drink now, with a steak.
(253 cases)
507662
2014 Walla Walla Valley Syrah ^ From the
Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, this
wine leads with cherry fruit exotically spiced
with scents of sassafras, chipotle pepper and
carob. That might lead you to expect an
over-the-top wine but, instead, it's surprisingly taut and mouthwatering, with freshness that's deeply satisfying and makes one
hungry for pork loin. (362 cases)
507903
2015 Columbia Valley The Pundit Syrah
(Best Buy) ^ From the joint venture between
Ste. Michelle and two French Rhône masters,
Michel Gassier and Philippe Cambie, this is
syrah in the plush, ripe mode, leading with
plums and grilled fig scents, finishing smoky,
almost slatey. It has the dark fruit flavors and
intensity that will set you up for barbecue. n

WINE & SPIRITS

OCTOBER 2017

101

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - October 2017