Spokane Valley--Townshend Cellar

Image is courtesy of Spokane Wine Magazine

  The last day of my trip to Spokane Valley was one of the best days--we went to Townshend Cellar.  Townshend, I did not realize produces over 10,000 cases per year and over 20 different wines!  This winery is right in the middle of tourist destination, Greenbluff, which is home to several orchards, ranches and lavender fields.  As I mentioned, there are about 20 different wines and I tried nearly all of them, however, a few stood out as unique and memorable wines to me.

  Townshend Cellar makes a Lemberger!  If you are wondering what this is, it's a grape variety out of Germany--it can range from light and fruit driven to robust with good tannin structure.  The one Townshend makes--2007 Lemberger, is the latter with a deep hue of purple.  It has a nose full of black cherries, sweet figs and cinnamon.  You may notice an earthy smokiness on the palate and more of those figs you got in the nose--just writing about it makes me want a glass!  The finish is truly beautiful, smooth and long with smokey pepper notes that linger on--a wine that would pair perfectly with a variety of cheeses and stand up to almost any cut of meat or if vegetarian, your favorite hearty pasta dish.

  Not many wineries, in my opinion, can pull off an excellent Cab Franc. The varietal is a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, which is made up of its' other parent, Sauvignon Blanc.  Cab Franc typically is lighter in body than Cabernet Sauvignon and is peppery--sometimes it can produce notes that are vegetal, sometimes reminiscent of green peppers.  I hate wine that tastes like green peppers so I avoid Cab Francs that have this herbaceous characteristic.  Townshend Cellar, however, makes a lovely 2004 Cab Franc.  By the vintage, you can tell this wine has had plenty of time to age well in the bottle.  On the nose, there is subtle earthiness and black peppercorns that leave you longing to reach the palate.  The palate is light in body with soft tannins, bright cherries and present oak and once you get to the finish, there is even more of those black peppercorns.  This is definitely a wine that could stand up to semi-hard cheeses, salumi and even seafood.

  My favorite wine at Townshend Cellar would have to be the Late Harvest Chenin Blanc.  Chenin Blanc is a white grape variety out the the Loire Valley of France and is light in body with high acidity (which makes it able to set down longer than most light whites).  I have mostly had Chenin Blanc as a dry white, but it is lovely as a Late Harvest wine as well.  On the nose, bright citrus, creamy vanilla and subtle oak make this wine one you may spend much time smelling before you get to the palate.  Creamy vanilla is present on the palate in addition to mandarin orange and mild pepper notes.  More of the mandarin lingers on in the finish with distinct vanilla bean flavors--it's truly delicious and I made sure I didn't leave Townshend Cellar with out some of this goodness!

  There were so many wines that I truly enjoyed including the 2007 Malbec, 2003 Merlot, 2002 Reserve, Late Harvest Viognier, 1999 Port and 2000 Port.  If any of these wines appealed to you, follow any of the Townshend Cellar links and you can order from them or plan a trip to visit this outstanding winery!


Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the images I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove if from the blog.  Thank you).

 

Spokane Valley--Caterina Winery

Image is courtesy of Caterina Winery

  During my trip in Spokane, I got a chance to try wines from the very popular, Caterina Winery.  Located in the historic Broadview Dairy Building, Caterina Winery has been producing wines since 1993.  Though it has gone through many different owners and winemakers, this winery has recently come into its' own, producing lovely whites and reds in such a beautiful and charming atmosphere.

  One of the wines that stuck out to me among the twenty something wines I tried was the 2001 Seven Hills Merlot.  On the nose, soft, lush and dense dark fruit is proof that this wine has had much time to age well in the bottle.  On the palate, dried raspberries, subtle oak and great mouthfeel are balanced with enough acidity to make this wine a great one on its' own or a compliment to any well prepared entree.  The finish is velvety and smooth with notes of vanilla that linger on and on after you have finished this wine.  It is excellent and a wine that I remember fondly.

  The second wine that I absolutely fell in love with is their 2001 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon.  You could say that I fall easily for wines produced using Walla Walla fruit--Seven Hills is a vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley Appellation and in my opinion, they are producing some of the best fruit in Washington, hands down.  This Cab is another wine that has held up quite perfectly in the bottle due to the quality of fruit and the solid tannin structure.  The nose is full of dark and ripe blackberries, pepper and even more present oak than in the Merlot.  On the palate, rich, robust blackberries, earthiness and french oak fill your mouth in this full bodied wine.  The finish is silky and smooth with beautiful floral notes--definitely a wine you may find yourself falling madly in love with.

  These are my two picks from Caterina Winery and I hope you get a chance to try them before they are gone.  If they sound delicious to you as well, please follow the link to Caterina Winery and order yourself some of these great wines!


Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the images I site and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I have any of your photos, please let me know and I will be happy to remove if from the blog.  Thank you).

Spokane Valley--Barrister Wines

Image is courtesy of Spokane Wine Magazine

  This last week, I got the chance while on vacation, to tour some of Spokane Valleys most impressive wineries.  To my surprise, not only are these wineries making great wine, but they are also paving the way for Spokane Valley to be a destination spot.

  Barrister, one of the more familiar wineries to me, was an absolute thrill to see.  Located in a one hundred  year old building, the winery is situated right in the heart of the historic Davenport Arts District.  Not only did my family and I get to tour the winery with the both kind and knowledgeable assistant winemaker, but we also got a chance to do barrel samples of both New French oak as well as New American oak, which impart completely different flavors in the wine.

  One of my favorite wines in the tasting room is their 2010 Red Mountain Sauvignon Blanc.  For the person who dislikes how tart and acidic the average Sauvignon Blanc can be, this is your wine.  On the nose there is plenty of honeysuckle, pear and tropical fruit to keep you perfectly content. When you reach the palate, it is evident that there is about one percent residual sugar which gives off even more slightly sweet honeysuckle and balances well with crisp lemon notes.  Then, you reach the finish which is bright, acidic and clean.  In my mind, this is the perfect summer wine.  I would definitely agree with Wine Enthusiast for giving this wine 92 points--it's superb!

  Another excellent wine from Barrister would have to be their red table wine, 'Rough Justice.'  This wine is a non-vintage and consists of 43% Merlot, 26% Syrah, 19% Cabernet Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon.  This blend changes each time they release it due to the fact that it is a non-vintage and the style they want to go for.  On the nose, there is lush and earthy dark dried fruit almost reminiscent of an Amarone.  The palate is balanced with toasted oak, black cherries, more of that dense dried fruit as well as a strong and solid tannin structure.  At the finish, there is a pleasant smokiness and more of those black cherries you got in the palate.  This wine also received a Gold Medal from the American Fine Wines Competition and I would absolutely recommend it as a perfect all year round wine.

  I was impressed by many of the other wines that Barrister had to offer including the 2009 Merlot, 2009 Sangiovese and 2008 Cabernet Franc.  If any of these wines appeal to you, feel free to follow the Barrister link to visit their website and possibly even plan a trip to Spokane Valley!


Ciao!
Erin

(I try to list all the images I use and if possible, the photographers who take these lovely photos.  If I use a photo of yours, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it from the blog).