Winery - Pend d'Oreille
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Bordeaux blend has good, tart, spicy, berry-driven fruit as its focus, and some pleasing, chocolaty tannins wrapping around. It’s well made, with streaks of anise and tar adding depth; a middleweight that could age for 5–6 years.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Soft and oaky, this is an easy-drinking wine that is already showing some brick around the edges. It’s not for cellaring, but for right-now chocolaty pleasure it delivers the goods.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Despite alcohol listed at 15.4%, this seems thin, with watery cherry fruit and not much else. A plastic sensation is all that’s left after a quick finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Despite (or perhaps because of) its 15.5% alcohol, this reserve, sourced from the Lawrence Vineyard in Washington’s emerging Royal Slope region, is a tired, weedy, short and quite tannic wine that delivers little pleasure.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
There’s a whiff of volatile, hot fermentation aromas that overlie black cherry and smoky tar. In the mouth this is a chewy, earthy, smoky Cabernet, suitable for outdoor dining and grilled meats. The tannins are still showing a little green edge, but some extra breathing softens them up.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Idaho winery uses Washington fruit to deliver this light, crisp, pleasant wine. This wine offers pale green berry flavors, lemon zest and the barest hint of spice on the refreshing finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tannic and chewy, the fruit is at the cranberry/pomegranate end of the cabernet spectrum. The tannins are chalky and green, and there seems to be some smoky earthiness, perhaps from older barrels, in the finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
There is a distinctly herbal scent, green olive, thyme and bark, that is often found in cool climate Washington grapes. Some sour cherry and rough tannins suggest that it would be best with spicy, smoky grilled meats.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
It’s a shame there were only 100 cases made of this delicious Syrah. Fleshy black cherry aromas touched with celery burst into layers of red plum fruit on the palate. The tannins are rich, but there’s enough acidity here to balance them out. —C.S.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Aromas of green olives, wet dirt and a dash of pepper makes one speculate, “Where’s the fruit?” Some can be found on the palate in the form of red berries mixed with vanilla, but for the most part this is a soil-driven Merlot that is a bit too tart and tannic on the finish. —C.S.
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