please join us this thursday evening to meet and taste with esteemed wine writer turned winemaker paul gregutt. what we find very compelling about his waitsburg cellars project is his very focused sensibility for each varietal from his years of tasting wine analytically. it's also fun to see that there is no single clear winner in this flight, every one of the wines is somebody’s favorite. (that's always our goal when planning a tasting at the shop and this thursday is no exception.) and for the guy whose spent his career critiquing, he has received super positive reviews from his peers. (the hosemaster is one of our favorites, check it out, but be warned-PG-13! Good Things Come to Those Who Waitsburg) http://
these wines will be profiled in an upcoming issue of seattle magazine with other national reviews are in the works, but this is your chance to taste them first. we couldn't have planned a better lineup for a more beautiful evening, we look forward to seeing you. In Paul's words: "As I have written before, this is a huge learning process for me, and very exciting at that. I’ve pulled a few arrows out of my back, but I guess that goes with the territory."
His take on the five wines we will taste:
Waitsburg Cellars 2012 Cheninières – this is one of the two Chenin Blancs. Here the model is Savennières, meaning its finished to absolute dryness, and kept at the lowest possible alcohol (12.6%). In my view this brings out the nuances that these old vines (40+ years) from the Upland vineyard can provide. The wine is tart, herbal, spicy, aromatic, and shows excellent length. A perfect oyster wine more than one person has commented. ($17 full retail)
Waitsburg Cellars 2012 Chevray – also old vine Upland Chenin Blanc, modeled after Vouvray. Residual sugar is just above perceptible, but the ripeness of the fruit rounds out the palate and pops up the alcohol a couple of notches. This wine is the easiest to enjoy right out of the bottle, no airing required. It jumps up and grabs you by the nose, then leads you to the land of flowers and lovely fruits. ($17 full retail)
Waitsburg Cellars 2012 Pinot Gris – from the oldest block of Pinot Gris at Willow Crest, this has rung the bell for more than one reviewer. It’s done in a bright, fruity, yet complex style that will nicely accompany a broad range of summer salads and seafood. ($15 full retail)
Waitsburg Cellars 2012 Riesling – also old vine, from a Yakima valley vineyard, this wine was the favorite of the Hosemaster, and it is one of the wines in this portfolio that I expect to have a long life. I left a ¾ consumed bottle out on the counter a few weeks ago and came back to it two days later. Damn if it wasn’t better than when first opened. Supremely aromatic, complex and detailed, it’s no surprise that Washington can make great Riesling, but I believe this competes with the best of them. ($15 full retail)
Waitsburg Cellars 2011 Three Red – this proprietary blend of Merlot, Malbec and Mourvèdre launched the project, and may be considered the flagship wine. I’ve tasted it at least two dozen times, and each time it surprises me. It’s a sleek, tart, aromatic red wine, very young and a bit backward. It is always better after a minimum of 6 hours breathing, and often after 12 – 24. I take that as an indication that it will also age quite nicely. Here again, the goal is to capture details that are lost when wines spend too much time in too much new oak, or alcohol levels are pushed too high. I love aromatics and nuanced flavors, and that is what is built into Three. ($25 full retail)
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