Winery - Fielding Hills
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A new winery, in Washington’s emerging Columbia Cascade wine region, whose early releases have been superb. This well-handled Merlot mixes pleasing oak with bright, black cherry fruit, and hints of stone.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tight, confident and built upon well-ripened, berry-flavored fruit, this complex, impeccable Cab mixes in notes of iodine, smoke and iron. It suggests what the British call “breed”—a mixture of power and elegance.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
An emerging trend in Washington is to spice up the standard Bordeaux Cab-Merlot mix with a splash of Syrah; in this instance, 6%. The wine is dark and smoky, yet taut and nervy rather than jammy. Clean fruit and well-managed oak contribute to a lovely, balanced, lively and textured red blend.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Fairly light, with simple fruit flavors that are a bit overshadowed by the new oak. Perhaps a pullback from 100% new barrels would be worth considering. Nonetheless, this is a very pleasant and good-tasting effort.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Dark, tannic and smoky, this has more tarry tobacco flavor than the other two reds in this series. Muscular, dense and tight, it offers cassis, raspberry and sappy, delicious red fruits. This is very young, very tight, but already nuanced with extraordinary notes of leaf and clean herb. It’ll be interesting to see where it goes in 5–10 years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Young as this is, it is a complex, aromatic, blend that is open enough for immediate enjoyment, but full and detailed enough for long term cellaring. Right now it’s all about strawberry jam, light pepper, and hints of rock. Big, lush and delicious.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This is lighter, more approachable than the other Fielding reds, with strawberry and cherry fruit and good acidity. Though it does not quite carry the weight of the others, it has wonderful balance, and it is perhaps the most approachable of the new releases, drinking beautifully, with a satiny smooth finish that slides across the palate. Absolutely seamless and poised.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A sharp, spicy, beautifully-defined example of Washington Syrah. Purple berry fruits, lingering, focused, and intense. Tasted right at release, it is still sharp and woody, and very much in need of more bottle age. But the basic juice is exemplary, and the finish has a pretty, toasty ring to it.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tribute is 41% Syrah, 30% Merlot and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, all estate-grown. The bouquet opens immediately into a fascinating complexity. What wafts up from the glass is a heady mix of incense, smoke, jam, toast, iron and herb—you can spend a pleasant 10 or 15 minutes just counting all the threads. Spicy, loaded with raspberry and strawberry fruit, gentle acids and silky tannins, this glides comfortably into a tangy finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Included in the blend is 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Syrah, all estate-grown. It shows both the broadness and the depth of Washington Merlot, mixing plummy fruit with streaks of tobacco and licorice. There’s a suggestion of earth and a savory aspect to the finish, which exits smoothly and softly, with a last kick of cinnamon.
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