Walla Walla Wine Cellar

An Ancient returns! (And we don’t mean us. We mean Carmenere.) This week we’re back with news from both sides of the world. The story starts in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France where Carmenere has known origins. Though there are stories (like from Pliny the Elder) placing it at the scene of crimes in ancient Iberia. But now it is best known as a product of Chile. This is a story of love, loss, and resurrection — with many years of mistaken identity.

Justin had a few words on the wine:

Carmenere: At one time, this peppery robust variety was once as widely planted as Cabernet sauvignon in Bordeaux, France. Post Phylloxera the grape had practically been pushed to extinction. Re-appearing in the early 90s in Chile via a Spanish traveler. Today the grape is Chile’s claim to fame, as they are the world’s number one producer of this spicy beast. While quality levels vary quite a bit there are some great examples that can be found at many price points. A small amount of this grape exists in Washington. Seven Hills vineyard is home to some acreage. The grape seams to be fairing [sic] well. When it is available it sells out pretty fast. There are some Walla Walla producers that are blending the grape and others crafting it into a stand-alone variety.

The history of Carmenere is truly exciting. Thought extinct after a 19th century plague, mistaken for Merlot in Chile, grown in Italy under the false identity of Cabernet franc until the late ’90s, Carmenere has now emerged to reclaim its true identity. This returned Ancient is here to stay, and I for one am grateful.

Locally, there are several wineries who bottle (or have bottled) Carmenere: Reininger, Morrison Lane, and of course Colvin (who has decided to close its doors). In addition to Seven Hills Vineyard, Morrison Lane and Colvin Vineyards have been the primary sources of Carmenere in the valley.

Quick note on spelling: In the title you see the correct name, Carménère. But since most people do get lazy with accents, and there is not consensus, it can be seen spelled in a variety of ways. The most common are Carmenère and the un-accented Carmenere. We have chosen the latter for the simple reason that web browsers sometimes do strange things with accents. We may change this if the accents pass testing.

Justin is back this week. Valentine’s Day has passed and we’re moving from France to Italy. We’ll let you ponder whether this is the right time to make that move or not.

Sangiovese: One in five vines in Italy are planted to some sort of the Sangiovese grape. As the major component of what everyone knows as Chianti, Sangiovese’s roots stem from the Tuscany region of Northern/Central Italy. The wines can range from light and delicate like some of those from Chianti to bold and full-bodied like the great Brunello’s of Montalcino. Sangiovese can be very long lived and makes for a wonderful food wine on all levels. There are plantings in many places, especially In Washington and California. A good number of the American examples tend to lack some the depth and flavors of their Italian counterparts, but progress is being made. Sangiovese seems to have found a good home in Washington and should continue to improve.

Here in the Cellar we love a good Sangiovese! We see no reason why this varietal should not continue to improve in availability. And we certainly have faith in our winemakers to keep up the good work.

Some of our favorites are K Vintners 2005 Guido (super low availability!!!), a cult favorite, and the always pleasant Yellow Hawk Cellars 2003 Sangiovese.

We are also super excited about the upcoming release of the Helix Sangiovese. This Spring! Yeah! And don’t forget that yummy yummy Walla Walla Vintners Sangiovese. (Boy, we’re spoiled here in Walla Walla.)

Ciao.

We promised Bordeaux blending. And Malbec is a star. There are a few good ones around, so here’s a bit more data on the variety.

Malbec: Yet another Bordeaux blending variety. Malbec, when grown alone under the right conditions, can be crafted into highly aromatic, fruit forward, full-bodied wines that taste like nothing else. Known for its hulking structure and deep purple color, Malbec is a major variety in the black wines of Cahors, France. (Who wants to say more about black wines? Do we all know about them?) Perhaps Malbec’s most prolific following has been in Argentina. The Argentines are known for crafting their best wines from Malbec. They have a great set of unique growing conditions ideal for coaxing this grape into some of its most beautiful examples. As of late there has been a wave of Washington producers crafting Malbecs that represent the grape fairly well. It is gaining popularity at a rapid pace.

We’re thrilled to see this rise in popularity and increased attention because we’re huge fans here at Wine Cellar. Love the stuff! And as you might remember from our Barrel Tasting blog post, we were so sad there wasn’t more.

Try Seven Hills 2005 Malbec and Dusted Valley 2005 Malbec. Both fantastic buys in our opinion. (Don’t worry, we have these at home too.) Limited supplies on both as they’ve been hugely popular.