Taste Washington – Some Delightful Wines to Enjoy

It has been four years since I last attended Taste Washington in Seattle.  COVID shut down the event, but now Taste Washington is back and maybe even better.  This is the event where you can taste the wide variety of wines made across Washington state, without having to drive yourself.  Winery focus seems to have changed.  During my tasting time, I came across many orange wines and pet-nat sparkling wines which were not there four years ago. Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling were also not as prominently featured.

My Wine Tasting Notes

White, Sparkling, and Orange Wines

Pét Project Wines Orange Cuvée 2021 – a blend of 64% Muscat Ottonel, 33% Pinot Gris, and 3% Riesling fermented with indigenous yeasts.  Organic. A cloudy mandarin orange colour.  Medium-plus intensity aromas of oranges.  Medium to higher acidity leaves a prickle in your mouth.  Medium-sized bubble.  Orange and orange skin flavours.  Medium length.  Tart with a hint of bitterness.  More details here.

Archipelago Pet Nat Chardonnay 2021 – Cloudy, medium-intensity lemon colour.  A cidery apple nose.  Cidery flavour.  Medium body with medium-sized biting bubbles.  A touch of skin tannins. 

Treveri Blanc de Blancs NV – sparkling wine. A light peach and pineapple nose with aromas continuing to the palate.  Medium-plus body, dryish.  Some lemon, plus apple on the mid-palate to the finish. Medium-sized mix of creamy and biting bubbles.

Syncline Rosé 2018 – a sparkling wine made in the Traditional Method. A red cherry colour and aromas.  Tart crisp red apples and red cherries on the palate along with some roasted apple.  Medium-sized biting bubble. 

Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards Skin Ferment Orange Muscat 2021 – A bright lemon colour with bright orange aromas.  Medium-minus body, soft and dry with a lean mouthfeel.  Citrus, orange and lime flavours.  Light tannic structure. Delicious! –

Browne Family Vineyards Viognier 2021 – A light melon nose. Medium body, smooth and round with medium acidity.  Melon and stone fruit flavours.

Rising Wines Collective Streetvine Sauvignon Blanc 2021 – A light lemon colour.  Gooseberry aromas.  Light body, dry with expressive green fruit, gooseberry and lime flavours.  Medium-plus acidity.

Vin du Lac Winery Chardonnay 2021 – A light lemon colour.  Light ripe stone fruit aromas.  Dry, medium-plus body with a soft mouthfeel.  Medium acidity and light toastiness.  Pears and vanilla flavours.  

Andrew Will Cuvée Lucia Semillon 2020 – Medium lemon colour.  Toast and lemon on the nose.  Medium body, soft with a light mouthfeel.  Medium acidity.  Toast and citrus flavours. –

Janiuk Cold Creek Chardonnay 2020 – Medium lemon colour.  Light citrusy and vanilla aromas.  Medium body, smooth and round with lower acidity.  Vanilla, sweet spices, melon, citrus rind and toasty flavours. –

Gramercy Cellars Picpoul 2022 – Medium lemon colour.  Flowers and stone fruit aromas.  Medium body, dry with medium acidity.  Melon on the palate plus some minerality. –

Kerloo Cellars Chardonnay 2021 – Light apple and butterscotch on the nose.  Dry, soft and round with vanilla, butterscotch, apple and melon flavours. BTW, I learned that Kerloo is the sound that a crane makes.  –

Red Wines

Willow Run Vineyard Carmenere First Edition, NV – a blend of 2018 and 2020 wines. Opaque ruby colour.  Capsicum and red fruit on the nose.  Medium-plus body with a lean mouthfeel.  Red fruit, candied red fruit, plus touches of sweet spices and some minerality. Light tannins. 

Whitman Hill Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – has 15% of Cabernet Franc blended in this wine. Medium-plus garnet colour.  Medium-intensity aromas of red and black fruits, plus a touch of oak.  Medium body, with a smooth mouthfeel.  Red and black fruits, plus cedar toward the finish.  Medium-intensity tannins.  A touch of sweet vanilla on the finish. 

Sparkman Cellars Darkness Syrah 2019 – A medium-intensity translucent ruby colour.  Medium-intensity aromas of toast, red fruit, and black pepper.  Medium body, dry, with a lighter mouthfeel.  Medium acidity and tannins.  Red fruit and smokiness on the palate.  Not a heavy wine.  Nice.

Camaraderie Cellars Cadeaux de Rhone 2020 – a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, and Cinsault. Medium intensity clear ruby colour.  A medium-intensity nose of red berry fruit.  Dry, medium body with a lean mouthfeel m Medium acidity.  Red fruits, raspberries, and black pepper on the palate. Don Corson makes these top-quality wines for many years.  I hope he gets recognized more locally and across the country.

Camaraderie Cellars Cabernet Franc 2019 – A medium-intensity clear garnet colour.  Light red fruit nose.  Medium body and acidity with a touch of oak.  Red cherry flavour plus a touch of capsicum. –

Amavi Cellars Syrah 2020 – Opaque ruby in the glass.  Lighter aromas of raspberries.  Dry, medium-plus body, round with a medium-intensity backbone.  Raspberries and black cherries on the palate.  Light acidity and a touch of oak. A mix of light pepperiness and sweetness on the finish.

Tasting Plates

Besides wine, there were many Seattle area restaurants serving hot and cold, sweet and savoury appetizers to try with our glasses of wine.  Here are a few photos showing the range of dishes we enjoyed.

Thank you to the organizers of Taste Washington for providing me with a pass to attend this event.