Winery - Amavi Cellars
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Barrel-fermented in used French oak, it is instantly delicious, with appealing fruit flavors of citrus and pear, accented with scents of citrus oil and what winemaker JF Pellet identifies as linden tree blossom (you will have to find your own linden tree to check that out). The midpalate is round and smooth, with proportionate natural acids.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Still young, grapey and deep purple in color, this effusive Syrah opens with scents of violets and tart berries. It bounces into a tangle of berry and bright, high-acid fruits, also tasting a little briny and hinting at gamy smoked meat flavors that are waiting to blossom with a bit more bottle age. Vineyard sources are Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge and Les Collines.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tannic, young and slightly green, this mixes bright, high-acid berry fruit flavors, at first a bit briny and tight. The acids are penetrating, the aromas are penetrating, the berry flavors are penetrating; it’s just a little young, and the tannins outstrip the fruit. Give it plenty of breathing time, or another year or two in the cellar.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Amavi’s Cabernet constitutes almost three quarters of the winery’s total production, and it’s a gem. The aromas of fresh bread dough waft over dark plum and berry fruit. Baking spices, dark chocolate, and a streak of coffee runs through it. A lush mix of Walla Walla fruit styles, but the wine leans to the darker, smoky side of Cabernet. Cellar worthy.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The 14% Sauv Blanc really brightens up the Sémillon. Round and fruit driven, barrel fermented in neutral oak, broad and delightfully fruity and open; the flavors mix Satsuma orange, some citrus rind, a bit of peach and buoyant acidity. A very accessible and immediately delicious wine.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Beautifully fragrant, with intense, polished berry and currant fruit flavors, more than a light sniff of fresh mushroom and lovely herbs. This is a truly remarkable effort, elegant and complex. There are nuances of blood, and garrigue, and just the right amount of whole cluster (about 20%) giving definition and texture through the finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Wine club only, single vineyard and pure varietal. This is tightly focused, with strong herbal and stem flavors dominating over wild berry and tart black fruits. This needs more bottle age and probably decanting. But what force and concentration!
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dark and ripe, with a strong smoky component. It shows plenty of muscle in this difficult vintage, along with firm acids and blackberry fruit that is broader and more open than the Les Collines. Though it falls just short of that wine’s exceptional complexity, here the smoke and licorice notes add interesting streaks of darkness to the wine as it extends into a finish of dark, smoky tannins.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Following the shortfall of grapes in 2004, this is a welcome return to a widely-available, sappy and fragrant Walla Walla Syrah at an affordable price. Fragrant and pleasingly floral, it immediately sends up scents of citrus and pepper, following with tart berries and plenty of snappy acidity. The wine expands beautifully in the glass and tastes great even after being open for a full 24 hours.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Les Collines is in a cooler, wetter site than most Walla Walla vineyards, but managed to harvest an excellent crop in 2004. This pure Syrah is intensely aromatic, dark, herbal and meaty. It shows some earthy, funky character, but a marvelous texture, and flavors and scents of mixed mineral, compost, soy and funk. Though the style is not for everyone, it’s got real depth and complexity.
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