winewaves

Mano A Mano La Mancha Tempranillo 2004

Tempranillos can range in body and intensity, and this one is bold as Cervantes.  Importer Jorge Ordoñez is a bull fighter when it comes to Spanish wines, and Mano La Mancha is a personal project for him.

Ordoñez has directed this abundant young red to appeal to US taste buds, while retaining its Spanish heritage. Composition is 100% Tempranillo, aged 6 months in oak. Tasting Notes. Color: Deep black purple ruby, translucent. Aromas: Cherry, pomegranate and hints of meat and bacon fat. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, with intense dry gravelly tannins to balance the bold fruit flavors and tart acidity which explode on the palate. The finish is firm with warm echoes of lush red fruit and a dryness that begs another sip. Closure: Real cork. Excellent value ($12)

Kestrel Yakima Valley Merlot 2003

Merlot remains a serious pursuit at Kestrel, a 35,000 case winery located in the Prosser Washington Wine and Food Park. Production of Merlot was up for the 2003 vintage, although well behind the pace of the late 1990's.

Kestrel Merlot 2003 is 97% Merlot (3% Malbec), from the 1200' elevation Kestrel View Estate in Prosser. The oak aging was 20 months in 3/10 new "Eastern European" barrels. Production was 1700+ cases. Flint Nelson has been Winemaker since 2004. Tasting Notes:  Color: Deep dark ruby red translucent. Blueberry, cherry, nutmeg and cola aromas introduce this medium to full bodied, smooth textured dry red with moderate tannins. Ripe, lush red and blue fruit flavors turn cedary oaky in the finish. Closure: Real cork. Nice value ($19, Pete's).

Amavi Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Amavi specializes in Syrah and Sémillon from Walla Walla Washington.  Amavi and "sister" Pepper Bridge wineries are the partnership of four successful people brought together by shared interests in Walla Walla Wine. Their name, Amavi (pronounced "ah mah vee"), derives from the latin "love" and "life".

Partner Jean-François Pellet, a third generation Swiss winemaker who has worked at Heitz Cellars, is responsible for Amavi and Pepper Bridge wines. Partners RG Hess, Jr. and Ray Goff were involved at Hogue before it was sold to Vincor. Partner and General Manager Eric McKibben grew up in Walla Walla.

Amavi Cab 2003 is a blend of 81% Cab, 14% Merlot, 4% Syrah and 2% Malbec. The fruit was sourced nearly half from Pepper Bridge Vineyard, and also from Seven Hills, Les Collines and LeFore Vineyards. The aging was 17 months in 6/10 French, 2/10 American and 2/10 Hungarian oak, 6/10 new. Production: 2927 cases. Tasting Notes. Color: Deep dark ruby red, translucent. Cedary oak, cherry, cassis and sweet pie spice aromas lead into a medium bodied dry red with solid tannins. The red and black fruit flavors are supported by lots of oak, spice and hints of mocha, and the finish is polished and dry.

Closure: Real cork. Very nice value ($17, Pete's). Food Pairing: Filet Mignon.

Hedges Three Vineyards Red Mountain Red 2003

Solid, cellar quality efforts keep flowing from Red Mountain Washington's Hedges Cellars.  Tom and Anne-Marie Hedges founded Hedges Cellars in the late 1980's, and their focus on Merlot and Cabernet from the Red Mountain AVA has brought them success in the wine business. Anne-Marie is from Champagne, France, which explains the appearance of the Hedges Chateau in Red Mountain.

Tom and Anne-Marie farm three Red Mountain estate vineyards: the 18-acre Chateau estate, the 40-acre Bel'Villa vineyard, and the 36-acre Red Mountain (Dingenthal) vineyard. Three Vineyards Red is a blend of all three.

Hedges 3 Vineyards Red 2003 is 56% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cab Franc, and 1% Syrah. Tom's brother Pete Hedges, assisted by Jon Zimmerman, are the Winemaking team. Tasting Notes:  Color: Deep dark ruby with purple tint, semi-opaque. Smoky, sweet spicy overtones frame the cherry and blueberry fruit aromas. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, with good concentration and huge dusty, rocky tannins. Layers of red and blue fruit plus sweet spicy oak reverberate as the wine finishes warm, young and firm. Closure: Real cork. Excellent value ($18, Pete's).

Hightower Cellars Murray Cuvée Red 2003

Tim and Kelly Hightower and their big yellow dog, Murray, are irresistible. Picking the bottle up at Pete's in Seattle, "Is This Just a Pretty Label?" slipped out. Still, Murray came home to Nashville with me.

2003 is the inaugural vintage for Hightower Cellars Murray Cuvée Red, named for the Hightower's "best friend".  The blend is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot, from Alder Ridge in Horse Heaven Hills (4/10), Red Mountain (3/10), and Pepper Bridge in Walla Walla Valley (3/10).

Tim & Kelly both appear to take equal credit for their success, including the making of this cuvée. Tasting Notes. Color: Deep purplish ruby red, translucent. Rich fruity cherry, blueberry and cassis aromas are accented by light toasty oak and vanilla. On the tongue, there is medium body, with tart acidity and dusty tannins. The ripe red, black and blue flavors are backed by hints of pepper as the finish evolves toasty cedary oak. Closure: Real cork. Very nice value ($16, Pete's). The Hightowers seemed destined to meet and make wine together.

They recently distanced themselves from Woodinville (Seattle) and have set down roots in Benton City, Red Mountain AVA.

Novelty Hill Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

It would be easy to predict this wine will be a "big noise".

Novelty Hill Winery is owned by Seattle attorney Tom Alberg. Mike Januik, former Chateau Ste. Michelle winemaker and owner of Januik Winery, is Consulting Winemaker. Januik's label and Novelty Hill will soon share new winery facilities and a tasting room in Woodinville (Seattle), Washington.

Novelty Hill Columbia Valley Cab 2003 is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 4% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Vineyard sources included the estate vineyard, Stillwater Creek, Seven Hills, and Red Mountain. Aging averaged 20 months in primarily French oak barrels, new and one-year-old. Tasting Notes:  Color: Deep purplish black cherry, translucent. Aromas: Complex, with racy blackberry, cassis, smoky oak, buttery crust, earth, and sweet pie spice. On the tongue, the structure is there. Dark fruit, cedary oak, pepper, nutmeg, and even cocoa, propel this nicely tart claret as the finish lingers.

Closure: Real cork. Excellent value ($17, Pete's). Production: 2150 cases.

Pete's Supermarket Seattle Washington

The I-5 traffic heading south into Seattle was heavy as usual at 5 pm Wednesday, so my rental car took the Boylston Avenue exit and headed down Lynn Street towards Lake Union. There stands Pete's, the neighborhood supermarket turned wine destination I'd read about.

The local buzz is Pete's has great prices, and right away it was apparent, this is true. Case in point: Hedges 3 Vineyards Red was $5 less than at an area Safeway.

For an hour or so, I enjoyed the atmosphere, engaged in some winespeak and compared travel notes with Joel, the resident wine expert and world traveler, and met two new friends who were from the South, like myself.

My goal was to pick up a half dozen Washington reds and a shipping box that could be checked as baggage for my flight back to Nashville. No problem here, except for limiting my choices. The receipt from my wine purchases says "over 1000 wines". The store isn't that big, but the wines are there, crammed into every available space, making for a "treasure hunt" layout. The inventory includes lots of Washington labels beyond the usual names, as well as impressive labels from the world over, including Bordeaux. Very tough work, narrowing it down to six wines.

Once again ready for the I-5 crawl, my rental car headed back up Lynn Street, turned right and merged into the still heavy but now moving freeway.

Two bottles of just-reviewed Bonaire Yakima Cab were among my purchases, and the others are soon to be reviewed.

Address: 58 East Lynn Street (at Fairview Avenue), Seattle, Washington 98102
Phone: 206-322-2660. Website: http://www.petes.cc
Note: Pete's does ship where legal, which unfortunately does not include Tennessee.

Bonair Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Travel to Seattle was required to discover this excellent "monolithic" Washington fruit and American oak Cabernet.

Bonair Winery farms 40 acres of vineyards near Zillah*, in the Rattlesnake Hills of Yakima Valley, and produce their wines on the estate.  The original Château Puryear Vineyard is named for the owners.

Bonair is best known for white wines and sweet wines. Only about 200 cases of Yakima Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 were made by Assistant Winemaker Bill Mechem, which he aged 18 months in mostly American oak barrels. Tasting Notes. Color: Deep dark ruby translucent. Straightforward cherry, sweet spice and oaky aromas introduce this medium-bodied Cabernet with woody tannins. The flavors follow true to the nose, displaying plenty of red fruit, oak, and spice throughout the dusty dry finish. Closure: Real cork. Outstanding value ($8).

Duck Pond Oregon Pinot Noir 2004

Versatile, food-friendly and affordable, the first bottle of Duck Pond* Pinot Noir paired well with Wood-fired, Herb-Roasted Chicken, and the second bottle went well with Pan-Seared Salmon and Blackberry Glaze.

Duck Pond Oregon Pinot Noir 2004 is 100% Pinot Noir from South Salem Hills, where the soil is described as "Jory": a weak volcanic ash and rock mixture which stresses the vines. Vinification appears to have included a short period of oak aging prior to May release. Greg Fries is Winemaker. Tasting Notes:  Color: Bright cherry cola, transparent. Aromas: Exotic, lightly floral, strawberry and raspberry fruit, plus a sweet spice chord. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, tart, and nicely structured with back-end tannins. Tart bright berry flavors mello out in the relaxing finish.

Closure: Real cork. Very nice value ($14). Cases produced: 16,000.

*Duck Pond Cellars is family owned and operated, by the Fries and Jenkins. The family farms in Washington and Oregon.

San Guiseppe Veneto Pink Pinot Grigio 2004

Pink Pinot Grigio by San Giuseppe is certainly a small new wrinkle in the U.S. market, playing on the fact that Pinot Grigio grapes mature with a range of hues, including pink.

San Giuseppe Pink Pinot Grigio is the Brand idea of Vintwood International's Frank Gentile and Bob Musso. Their San Giuseppe website doesn't give any information regarding the source of the pink color. We do know the alcohol is on the light side (12%), and there is some residual sugar. Tasting Notes. Color: Very pale salmon rose. Really light citrusy, floral aromas invite you to taste the tart juicy, minerally, lightly fruity (orange, grapefruit, apple) flavors. On the tongue, this is a Pinot Grigio with some structure and body, just slightly sweet, and the finish is longer than many popular Pinot Grigios. Closure: Screw cap. Nice value ($10).