Washington vs. California Part One

Last night, I had my usual get together with my local wine nerds and decided to step it up and do something I have been thinking about doing since I started this blog, a head to head tasting. Over the next few weeks, I will be comparing Washington state wines against their counterparts both domestically and abroad. Each of these wines will be of similar pricepoints, similar scores or accolades, and also similar styles for the varietal.

Tonight, I decided to pit two of my favorite Cabernets against each other, the 2005 Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2004 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon. Each of these producers are very storied, produce consistently great wines from vintage to vintage, and retail for about the same price if you are able to get them.

The first on deck was the 2005 Leonetti Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced fruit in the Walla Walla Valley. For those who are not familiar with Leonetti Cellars, Leonetti is one of the oldest wineries in the area, started by Gary Figgins in 1977. Since then, Gary has focused his efforts on the Walla Walla Valley and has been making storied wines there since the late 70's. The wines typically score extremely well, many of the more recent vintages being rated well above 90 by the Advocate and Spectator. This particular vintage received a 94 from Parker's Wine Advocate.

Leonetti is primarily a mailing list wine, with a few retail outlets being able to get a few bottles every so often. Thankfully, I am relatively close to one of those places. I picked up the bottle from J. Emersons Fine Wine and Cheese in Richmond, VA for $99.00.

Initial Impressions: This wine quite simply has amazing color. It is primarily black, with some dark garnet tinges on the outer rim and also completely opaque. Tipping the glass does virtually nothing to the density, with the dark black color extending to the outer rim of the glass. First whiff of this wine brings about a nice amount of milk chocolate and dark cherries, with a little vanilla.

Nose: This nose already shows the balance and care in which this wine was made. Everything melds together beautifully and seemingly effortlessly. There are huge amounts of dark and powdered milk chocolate on the nose, which is by far the most apparent component. It is followed up by dried cherries, cherry skins, blackberries, and extracted blueberry juice. Everything seems to work very well together in this nose and it is everything one would look for I think in a Cabernet.

Taste: Much like the nose, the balance of this wine is absolutely amazing. Again, the flavors that are very present are integrated and layered beautifully on top of each other, allowing everyone to play a part in the delectable flavors that is sooo there in this wine. There are huge amounts of sour black cherries, milk chocolate, bitter dark chocolate, vanilla extract, rose petals, and the acidity of strawberries and other red fruit. The flavors are seemless in their integration and are solid and beautiful from start to finish. The mouthfeel of this effort is amazing, giving the feeling of velvety silk just draping itself perfectly over the palate. The finish just goes and goes, lulling you to take another sip of the wine with perfect amounts of silky chocolate and earth.

Overall Impressions: This wine is in my opinion one of the best examples of what the Cabernet grape can do. It has the brightness and bombastic nature of what you come to find in the new world, while having the balance and polish of a fine left bank Bordeaux. In my opinion it is a little young, but structurally is elegant enough now to drink and could last many years if put down. I quite simply love this wine. 97 Points

Its competitor is the 2004 Philip Togni Estate Grown Cabernet. While still generally not as well known as the Caymuses and Silver Oaks, Togni is one of the most respected vintners in the Napa Valley region, producing wines that are in my opinion as good as some of the best Napa Valley mailing list only wines sold for many times what Togni sells for. This particular vintage received a 95 rating from Parker in the Wine Advocate and a 96+ rating from Gary Vaynerchuk. I picked up this wine from Total Wine and More in Newport News, VA for $99.99. Without further ado, lets get to the wine.

Initial Impressions: Much like the Leonetti, this wine is loaded with dark, inky, black color with a little garnet. Certainly this stands up to the Leonetti in this respect. Tipping the glass does nothing to lessen the density in color that this wine has and just extends the dark black and garnet tones to the end of the glass. Absolutely beautiful.

Nose: A definite change from the Leonetti, the Togni is absolutely beautiful in a different way. There are huge amounts of Jalepeno and Bell pepper juice and skins at the front end, segwaying nicely into a well integerated mix of earth, dark chocolate, black fruit juice, and very sour cherries. Not quite as seemless as the Leonetti though, although a lot more bombastic and in your face.

Taste: Whoa, this is definitely what California brings to the table. I have not had this type of punch from a Cali Cabernet since I had a taste of Harlan and Bryant Family cabs ala 2001 from a very generous friends cellar. This wine kinda punches you in the face with a balanced attack of bell pepper skins up front, quickly segwaying into a bombastic attack of sour cherries, some earth, blackberry skins, strawberry like sweet acidity. There are some definite tannins present, showing that youngness of the wine and the value of putting the wine down for a few more years. The mouthfeel is ridiculous, coating the palate with a little less refinement that the Leonetti has. The finish lasts for minutes, not letting your palate go until its good and ready.

Overall Impressions: While not having the elegance or refinement of the Leonetti, the Togni definitely brings it with the huge amounts of loaded flavors and huge mouthfeel. It is an amazing example of a California Cab, but without the amazingly huge price tag that these mailing list only efforts are charging. I am simply in love with this wine, much like the Leonetti. Pick this one up. 95 Points

Decision: While both wines are stellar examples of everything that can be done with the Cabernet varietal, I would have to give the nod to the Leonetti Cellars Cabernet. The refinement and structure of this effort simply pulls it away from most of what Washington and California has to offer, along with perfectly melding everything together into one perfect little package.

Washington 1, California 0

Friday Night Value

Tonight after a pretty long day of around the house projects and some heavy lifting, I decided to reward myself with some wine. Seeing as these times are not terribly conducive to breaking out the big, bling bling bottles on demand, I decided to bring out some lower priced wines I picked up a few weeks ago.


The first wine in question, the Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red, is a pleasant Cabernet (70%) and Merlot (30%) blend that retails for about $10-$13 when available. I picked up the bottle at Total Wine and More in Newport News, VA for $11.99.

Initial Impressions: Overall the wine has surprisingly great color, especially for the pricepoint. It has a great dark garnet color and is pretty much opague. The density of the color is great, barely having any color change when tipping the glass. Overall, it is great showing for the pricepoint.

Nose: A little tight, the nose is showing some nice hints of plum, red fruit, a little hint of milk chocolate, dark chocolate and a little alcohol. Its a pretty simplistic nose overall, with nothing being too hard to find and the nose not evolving all that much with time in the glass. It is certainly attractive, albeit simple, and on par with a lot of offerings in the $10-$20 spectrum.

Taste: Overall a nice amount of strawberries, red currant, cherries, and some faint hints of chocolate and mocha. Its a little hollow on the mid palate, tapering off with the strawberry flavors, then coming on strong with a lot of red fruit and some mild acidity. The finish is not terribly long, tapering off after about 15 seconds or so. There are no real tannins or structure to speak of, showing that this wine would probably fall apart after a few years. Not by any means complex, but it is a very fun wine and not offensive by any means.

Overall: This is a very nice simple wine, not something that will change your life or make you fall in love, but again I don't really expect it at this pricepoint. It is certainly a very pleasant wine, albeit a little boring. I would definitely pick this one up again, especially for parties, as it will be a nice inoffensive red for guest and those just getting into wine. 86 Points

Next up on the list is the Columbia Crest H3 2005 Merlot. H3, standing for Horse Heaven Hills, is a value priced Merlot from one of the more famous growing regions in Washington. This particular vintage picked up an 88 from Wine Spectator, quite high for the price point. I picked up the bottle for $12.99 at Total Wine and More in Newport News, VA.

Initial Impression: Much like the Snoqualmie, this wine is rocking with the color. It has a beautiful, opaque, blackish garnet color, that is nice and dense. This is a great initial impression for a wine at this pricepoint to make. There is not much of an initial nose, just a nice hint of plum and dark chocolate at the front end.

Nose: This nose is very, very attractive, on par with a lot of $30 efforts that you will see out of California and Washington. There is a beautiful plum component, with nice layers of chocolate, cassis, and faint spices coming through. There isnt a huge amount of complexity, but definitely a lot more than you would think for something at this pricepoint.

Taste: Much like the Snoqualmie, this is a very pleasant tasting wine, albeit with a more tannins and structure to hold it up. There is a great red fruit component, with cassis, mocha, and asian spices bringing up the rear. It is pretty straightforward, with not a huge amount of complexity or layers to it. There is a bit more structure when compared to the Snoqualmie, but not so much that I would think this could last much longer than two years. It is definitely something you want to drink now.

Overall Impressions: Much like the other wine, this is a very nice, pleasant, racy wine that gives the drinking a good amount of satisfaction, staying inoffensive across the entire experience, and an easy drinker. This is not something to put away for a special occasion, but a great overall choice for an everyday wine. 87 Points

The Deal

Ahh, another night, another wine. I came together with one a few of my good friends and fellow wine nerds to imbibe and compare notes on the wines we are having. Tonight, we had several wines, but the clear standout was the 2006 K Vintners The Deal Syrah.

For those who don't know, K Vintners is the brainchild of Charles Smith, the owner and creator of Magnificent Wine Company and Charles Smith Wines. Charles has a certain way with Syrahs, making them more in the Old World Northern Rhone style rather than the jampot fruit forward style typically found in domestic Syrahs. The majority of his wines are very viscous, chewy, meat, and vegetal driven wines, more in the mold of a Rhone than the US.

We decanted the wine for about an hour before drinking it, as it is a complete beast and is quite high on the alcohol at 15.5%. It rolls in for about $40 at most places, and we picked up this bottle for that from the Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, VA. Well lets get to the wine.

Initial Impressions: If you ever want to see a concentrated, viscous wine , you need to view this wine in the class. It is black, completely opaque, with a small tinge of dark plum surrounding the outside. It nearly sticks completely to the glass when you swirl it, with a lot of it just coating the glass. It has a very apparent initial nose of dark dark meaty chocolate with a little spices.

Nose: An amazingly dense nose, with huge amounts of gamey, vinison types of flavors on the nose. There is a nice amount of dark and bitter chocolate, along with a great amount of dusty plum and dark black and mulberry flavors on the nose. There is also a little alcoholy, mediciney smell to it, kind of like a minty Vicks Vaporub. Overall a very nice nose.

Taste: This wine is so viscous and big I want to chew on it. This could definitely divide a room, but it just fills the mouth with this huge, bombastic, meaty, and vegetal bomb. It is more of a meal than a wine, with a beautiful amount of beef jerky, venison, red cabbage, dark fruit, and a great amount of asian spices. The tannins are apparent in the wine, along with a small tinge of alcohol, showing a bit of its youth. Overall this feels like a brighter, more lively version of a Northern Rhone.

Overall Impressions: In terms of what I love about Syrah, this is it. While Aussie and most New World versions of the grape can be interesting and great, this effort really speaks to me on how this varietal should really be expressed. This is a truly special wine for the new world and should be sought out. I would personally put the bottles down for a couple of years to find their footing, but they are special now and can easily be drunk. 96 Points

Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells 2006

After a long, long day trip up to DC, about 6 hours of so on the road, I arrived back in my home area of Williamsburg and was jonesing for a little bit of vino to take the edge off and end the night on a good note. Not wanting to waste a good bottle, especially since my palate was destroyed by that point, I picked out a bottle I bought the previous week on a whim, the 2006 Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon by Chateau Ste. Michelle. For those who don't know, Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the biggest and oldest wine producers in the state of Washington and through various partnerships produces some amazing wines, including their Erioca Reisling. I picked up the Indian Wells bottle from the local Farm Fresh for $16.99, which is on the lower end for mid-priced Cab. So, lets see if its money well spent.

Initial Impressions: Overall a very dark, blackish, ruby color in the glass and just reeks, and I mean reeks, sugary candied grapes and assorted Nerd candies. Overall its very attractive in the glass, with a nice dark color, thicker texture, and looking very concentrated and extracted. The intial nose suggests a huge amount of New World love in it, which is definitely the style they were going for on their website.

Nose: Put your nose in a huge bowl of assorted candies, that is this nose. It has a huge, and I mean HUGE, amount of sugary, candied fruits on the nose. There is a little milk chocolate on the back end, but no real depth or difference in flavors beside the whole attack of candy and sugar. This is definitely attractive smelling, but it is a little much and kinda puts me off on the wine intially. I have found this nose on the lower end offerings from Columbia Crest and many other large California producers, who roll in at under $10. Overall, not too promising at this pricepoint.

Taste: This wine I could definitely find for under $10 anywhere else in the world, and probably find a better wine. It is loaded with a huge amount of sugary, candied black and red fruits. Extremely explosive and overbearing, kinda like the date who just didnt take no for an answer. This wine is overall a huge New World Cabernet bomb, with no real depth, earthiness, or thickness on the palate. Comes off as slightly thin and incipid. Some may love this profile, unfortunately, I am not one of them.

Overall: This wine I would best compare to fermented Kool-Aid, loaded up with sugary, simple goodness. It is way way way too much for me in the sugar department, but could be a hit for those just getting into wine and those who just love this style. Overall, I am not feeling it. 74 Points

Pleasant Wine, Pleasant Night

Ahh, the NCAA Tourney Finals. Since my bracket died a slow painful death back in the Elite 8, I sat down tonight to enjoy the final between Michigan State (who I had going out in the Sweet 16), and UNC (who I had going out in the Final Four), with a nice, somewhat value oriented red meritage by Ryan Patrick. The wine in question, the 2006 Ryan Patrick Rock Island Red, is a bordeaux blend, with 70% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 14% Cabernet Franc. I picked up the bottle at Bello Vino in Richmond, VA for about $20 even.

Initial Impressions: Overall the wine looks a little thin and watery, has a medium to dark grimacey purple color, and resembles a lot of Merlots at this pricepoint and lower. Not a blockbuster, but not a huge disappointment either. The intial nose is pretty tight, with a faint amount of light chocolate and woody aromas coming through.

Nose: The Cab Franc really comes to the forefront of this nose. The nose is kinda tight, but bell and sweet peppers come to the forefront and dominate a lot of this nose. After searching around a bit, there is a component of red cherries and strawberries, along with a faint aroma of sugarfied dark chocolate. A little flat on the nose overall, but not totally dead.

Taste: Very different from the nose. Really easy drinking, with little structure or tannins to speak of. By no means a "sweet" wine, but does have some sweet characteristics to the tannins that are there. There is a nice milk chocolate component, with nice rounded flavors of cherry and strawberries coming along for the ride. It is pretty simplistic, but also very tasty and pleasant to the tongue. It is pushing the pricepoint a little, but still not overpriced in the least.

Overall: This is simply a good everyday or night type wine, depending on your tastes and what you look for. It is pretty simple and easy to drink, not asking a lot out of you as long as you dont ask a lot out of it. There are better values for the pricepoint, but I think a lot of people new to reds would find it nice because of its simplicity and sweetness. 85 Points