Walla Walla Wine Cellar

The other night a friend brought over a bottle of 2002 K Vintners Morrison Lane Syrah to have with dinner. We were making dinner at home, and I had simply asked that they bring some beverage. What a treat; the ‘02 is drinking beautifully right now. Couldn’t have asked for more to go with the savory crepes we ate: spinach, blue cheese, anjou pear and walnuts; arugula, pine nuts, asiago; tomato, mozzarella, shallots… the combinations continued. (Vegetarian menu.)

But le vin, oh, le vin. Depth of color and flavor. It could nearly have been a meal in itself.
Dark berries, pepper, a bit of game. Blueberry, tobacco (not necessarily blueberry tobacco), leather, and a slight grittiness that kept me paying attention. Not for the faint of heart, this wine aims to impress.

Thankfully, in a proper throwback to days of wandering the streets of Paris, we ended the evening with banana and Nutella crepes and washed it all down with another round of drinks.

The ‘02 Morrison Lane is tough to find these days, but subsequent vintages are faring well. And from our shelves, I highly recommend the ‘05 Cougar Hills with it’s unique, enticing palate and rich mouthfeel. For those of you score mongers, Wine Enthusiast gave it a 93.

But for those of you more interested in Morrison Lane Vineyard and its production, there’s an article on Morrison Lane from Paul Gregutt dating back to 2006. He’s profiling the winery, but his discussion of the vineyard sheds some light on what makes the K Vintners Morrison Lane worth trying.

Robert Parker has a few thoughts to share on K Vintners too. Check out the article from Business Week, “K Vintners: Washington State Superstar” published last August. He hands out a 92 to the Cougar Hills.

“The 2005 Syrah Cougar Hills is restrained aromatically with an elegant personality. Concentrated, ripe, and round, the flavors are already exhibiting complexity, and the finish is very long. Allow for another three to four years in the cellar and drink it through 2020.”

Still wondering if you should try it? Come on. Just a little swirl and sip.

That’s right. What could be better than jewelry and wine for Valentine’s Day?

We have some exceptionally good Valentine’s Day packages prepared for you at Walla Walla Wine Cellar. Gift Baskets available by special order. Local chocolate goodies. And — now this is the real kicker — not only local wines to knock your socks off, but some special imports as well. Contact us for details.

Would you believe we’ll even have some rosé sparkling wine available? And this stuff goes fast! Really fast. I’ll tell you, it’s hard to keep this stuff on the shelf… so tempting.

The real trick to Valentine’s Day is to be authentic. So know what that special someone values, and go from there. We’re excited to see those who are in town and can make it to our Bling and Wine event.

Sunday, February 8th, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Some suggestions to start you off:

– Helix Stone Tree SoRho
– Reininger 2002 Cima
– Tertulia Cellars 2005 Les Collines Syrah
– Seven Hills 2005 Malbec

Many more excellent options to choose from.

We and Rootielicious are both offering some special Valentine’s Day sales so come early before the specials are sold out. And as always, we look forward to seeing wine lovers and jewelry fans alike. Most importantly, we want to help you have a happy and fun February. Let us know if you have any special requests and we will do our best.

Here’s a teaser.

This month our tasting group did a blind tasting of four wines: all labeled syrah. There are more photos of the event on our Facebook page.

We carefully examined and compared our tasting notes, noting the varying tastes of those present. There was, however, a clear winner, and we had to dig into the library to supply the demand for it once we’d tasted it.

The winner was the Long Shadows Sequel Syrah 2004. Smoke and bacon fat, rubbery berry goodness. Blueberry, chocolate and anise, People kept going back to bag #3 for another taste. Not only was it the winner by an overwhelming majority, it also happened to be the oldest of the four wines tasted.

From L to R: Snoqualmie 2006 Columbia Valley Syrah; 2005 Black Tie Syrah, Napa Valley; Helix 2005 Columbia Valley Syrah; Sequel Syrah 2004.

Further tasting notes on the Sequel:

Wine Spectator 92 points. Smooth and velvety, this is a graceful, beautifully balanced Syrah that shows off its blueberry and plum fruit against shades of white pepper and cedar. The finish keeps welling up with haunting flavors. Drink now through 2014. 1,359 cases made. -HS

Sequel Syrah from Longshadows Vintners’ 2003 vintage received 92 points from Wine Spectator too. This second 2004 release is darkly-hued with cherry and cassis aromas to match. This is a focused Syrah loaded with black fruit, spice and a hint of vanilla across a supple frame. Give it time in the glass to fully reveal the wine’s layers of fruit and concentration.

Made by John Duval, the very famous winemaker who for fifteen years made Australia’s most celebrated wine, Penfold’s Grange.

Yakima Valley’s Boushey Vineyard (35%) gives the wine its elegance and balance; Alder Ridge (24%) and Wallula Vineyard (7%) in the Horse Heaven Hills combines with Red Mountain vineyards (32%) to add black fruit and richness. A small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon from Sagemoor’s Dionysus Vineyard on a southwest facing slope in Pasco adds complexity and more layers.

The Black Tie was said to be the most fruit forward, though several people couldn’t get past the nose. The Snoqualmie was the academics’ choice, a cheap red wine for frequent consumption–helps us get through all those papers while not breaking our budget. Not highly recommended for the connoisseurs. And the Helix easily ranked Second Place in the blind tasting.

It’s a bit unfair, perhaps, to taste a $5 bottle of mass produced California syrah next to a $65 bottle of Long Shadows proportions. But it was educational to say the least. What a lovely evening we had! Come by and see the collection of tasting notes. It’s endlessly fascinating.

Remember that every third Thursday we have a tasting group that meets from 7 - 9 p.m. at our shipping center. Come join us next. Wine category to be announced, so stay tuned.