I bought this wine without knowing that it would come in a bizarrely shaped bottle with a fancypants smudge of black wax atop the cork – oh, and the label itself looks like it was printed (or is that prynted?) at a Renaissance Fayre. Ugh. I guess twee is really in these days, but I digress…Anyhow: on to the wine. The color is a dead ringer for pear cider or clarified pear juice (at least the kind found in Eastern European markets here in San Diego). Again – I don’t know why I feel compelled to mention this, but here goes – it’s super bright, buffed to an otherworldly sheen. You know, would it hurt anyone to release a white wine that has a little bit of optic heft to it?The nose has what I personally find to be that smell you get when you buy wines from new, boutique wineries that are trying to make a mark on the wine market by releasing things in ridiculously small numbers, most of which are from lieux-dits and feature ecology-be-damned murder-weapon-heavy glass bottles, hand-printed labels, wax, serial numbers, and everything else you’d expect in an expensive wine – or, rather, a wine that looks expensive regardless of whether or not it is. These bottles often seem to go hand in hand with a certain vapid nose that smells of amateur winemaking, low yields, high sugars, and a certain amount of indifference. For me, this is a dead ringer for Marie Callender’s lemon chiffon pie: it’s lemony, kind of chemical, and not especially attractive. If you are however into gobs of fruit, gobs of hedonistic fruit, or gobs of jammy, hedonistic fruit, then this just might be your thing. There’s also a hint of a matchstick note that isn’t altogether integrated into the rest of it; letting down my guard and being less of a jerk about it (I know, one should never be swayed by packaging alone, but there you go) there’s also a subtle nuttiness here, sometimes reminiscent of boiled peanuts from a Georgia roadside stand, sometimes more elegant than that.Wildly zingy and acidic at first, the acid drains off to reveal a strangely flat midpalate that is remarkably similar to lemon curd; there’s an interesting texture here that reminds me of partially cooked noodles – if you’ve ever bought fresh noodles and eaten one, you get an almost mealy effect which this wine suggests, at least to me. The finish ticks upwards and once again shows the sprightly acidity to great effect, and the length is quite good – which is kind of a shame as it tastes mostly of that same cheap lemon pie that I described earlier. Strangest of all, the acidity seems to die down very quickly and then the wine seems to sit back, undo its belt, and really allow its girth to overflow its Sansabelt: it turns kind of broad, flabby, messy, and still that acidity keeps jumping out at you like a Juggalo at Wal-Mart. It’s not entirely unexpected but decidedly unwelcome.Come to think of it, it’s possible that U2 may well have been thinking of this wine when they wrote ‘Lemon’:These are the days
When our work has come asunder
These are the days
when we look for something otherI, too, wish that I had looked for something other. Although I love Washington wines and know that wines from the Champoux Vineyard show enormous potential, I really do feel that something’s gone wrong along the way here. My guess is that the winemakers wanted to make a Chablis – but forgot that Washington is a relatively warm climate for grapes and as a result is probably better suited to making something like a Kistler. My recommendation: don’t fear new oak, lees stirring, and malolactic fermentation. Let love in. Your grapes are too good and too ripe to pretend to be Chablis.O’Shea Scarborough
Price: $25
Closure: Cork
Great write up Chris, thank you. And I completely agree re new oak, lees and malo. Winemaker input shouldn’t have as much stigma attatched to it as it does. It doesn’t have to reduce terroir if done properly anyway! And I don’t even think that terroir HAS to be everything- “these are the days that we look for something other”
cheers
j
I’m sorry but you’re pretty wacky! I’m not some expert on wine, but I do drink what I like. I searched for this wine after tasting the ’06 & ’07 side by side, and it was amazing what a year does. You reside in SD so what makes you an expert on WA wines and the climate??? I bet you’ve never even been to eastern Washington. I hate Kistler white wines and I hate ML fermentation in most wines and new oak (except from Burgundy). Have you ever heard of Forman, Chat. Montelena, Girgich Hills, Trefthen, or one of my all-time favorites, Stony Hill. This wine resembles these. Isn’t Napa a warm climate??? Unfortunately the wine is sold out (however I found a wine shop which does have it…and i bought it, despite your comments)…and i couldn’t disagree more with your strange notes (who cares about packaging, it’s what’s in teh bottle! You have such hubris when you write…lose it! Go drink your oaky buttery chards (big fan of Rombauer i bet) and be happy. Why are you so snobby (not just in this, but in your entire website and writing?) Why don’t you learn about aging wine, and maybe when you taste a wine that you don’t like this much, get another bottle–ever hear of an “off” bottle?? Who are you anyway? You’re no professional and why do you think it’s your “civic duty” as you say to point out your opinion in such a lame and agrogant way? Seriously…why bother? And why did I really bother writing this…maybe it’s my “civic duty.” By all means I’m not saying I’m better or anything, but drop your supercilious attitude and your desire for big words–it would do us all a favor. And learn about styles of wine…some people actually prefer to taste the grape and not oak or butter…weird isn’t it…people who like differnet things.
-greg
Hi Greg! I’m delighted to hear that you like this wine – I’m glad that it has its fans.
For the record, I’m a graduate of the Wine Trade Professional certificate program at Central Washington University. Ellensburg may not be in Eastern Washington, but I have spent time in Walla Walla, the Tri-Cities, and even Spokane. I’ve also heard of Ch. Montelena, Grgich Hills, Trefethen, and all the rest of them – and no, I don’t like oaky, buttery chards in particular, but I’m also not afraid of a little malolactic fermentation and oak influence, especially when (in my opinion, at any rate) it would help lend interest to an otherwise mediocre wine.
As for those of us who prefer to “taste the fruit and not the furniture” (as Randall Grahm once said, if memory serves me correctly), that’s just great – but the grape’s got to taste good in and of itself, and this wine failed for me in that respect. I’m happy to hear it worked for you, though – one man’s meat is another man’s Pouilly-Fuissé, as they say.
Good for you. But a graduate of the “Wine Trade Professional Certificate” at Central Washington. Wow. I think I got the same thing after typing my name and two double clicks over the internet. What does that entail exactly? Can you scan a copy of the certificate…maybe put it on your website:)
I’m really not defending the wine anymore, I’m done with that…I’m just wondering why don’t you make wine. You seem to be this narcissistic critic, however you claim you are “but a simple caveman” (-SNL), but you just rip off authors and artists and meander around with your words on wine…it’s really boring.
Especially since you write this in your Notes on notes section: “Finally, please allow me to repeat myself: if I’m not entertaining you, and if you’re not getting anything out of your drinking, then we’re both doing something seriously wrong. Wine is a luxury and an entertainment – don’t forget to treat it as such.”
Sorry dude, not entertaining…and I’m not doing anything wrong because i get plenty out of my drinking…I just don’t get anything out of your notes.
I’m also curious about your other statement: “With any luck, I’ll either tempt you into wanting some or warn you away from blowing your paycheck on a bottle of crap.”
Does the certificate make you want to justify some desire to tempt and warn us–us common folks? Maybe I should look into one of those certificates…nah, i’ll just trust my own palate, and stop reading your silly over-the-top descriptors…
Stick to your day job, and seriously think about not using so many clichés…
Going to edit this too? Make sure nobody reads it??? Thought I’d give it another try…
Good for you. But a graduate of the “Wine Trade Professional Certificate” at Central Washington. Wow. I think I got the same thing after typing my name and two double clicks over the internet. What does that entail exactly? Can you scan a copy of the certificate…maybe put it on your website:)
I’m really not defending the wine anymore, I’m done with that…I’m just wondering why don’t you make wine. You seem to be this narcissistic critic, however you claim you are “but a simple caveman” (-SNL), but you just rip off authors and artists and meander around with your words on wine…it’s really boring.
Especially since you write this in your Notes on notes section: “Finally, please allow me to repeat myself: if I’m not entertaining you, and if you’re not getting anything out of your drinking, then we’re both doing something seriously wrong. Wine is a luxury and an entertainment – don’t forget to treat it as such.”
Sorry dude, not entertaining…and I’m not doing anything wrong because i get plenty out of my drinking…I just don’t get anything out of your notes.
I’m also curious about your other statement: “With any luck, I’ll either tempt you into wanting some or warn you away from blowing your paycheck on a bottle of crap.”
Does the certificate make you want to justify some desire to tempt and warn us–us common folks? Maybe I should look into one of those certificates…nah, i’ll just trust my own palate, and stop reading your silly over-the-top descriptors…
Stick to your day job, and seriously think about not using so many clichés…
Oh, no offense or anything, but great story on how in ’98 you tasted wine on plane and you were hooked….10+ years drinking wine…wow…a natural. maybe you should go back to beer and stop giving stupid notes like “smells like the nursing home” which is in your review of Napa Family Vineyards Chardonnay. Are you kidding?