Beautiful Red Wines from Washington
Hello to all our loyal readers! We found some stunning red wines from the State of Washington that you must add to your wine cellar. They are affordable and delicious. They fit the category of “Best Buy” wines. Our gang of Vintage Wine Tasters recently gathered for lunch at Jim’s house. Jim has been our Washington State red wine guru over the past few years. He picked some of his favorite reds and wrapped them in bags to blind taste and judge.
2015 Casa Smith “Jack’s Vineyard” Walla Walla Barbera
Out of the six wines we judged, we are recommending five wines. We begin with the 2015 Casa Smith “Jack’s Vineyard” Walla Walla Barbera. Yes, a Barbera from the State of Washington! This wine is a complex Barbera, yielding delightful pleasures to the palate. It is pretty different from a Barbera from d’Alba or d’Asti. This Barbera is more robust than its Italian cousins. There is less acidity, but more fruit flavors and a bit of spice.
The wine name comes after its producer, Charles Smith, who founded Casa Smith. The grapes are from Jack’s Vineyard in the Rocks District, known for its distinctive terroir of cobblestone soils and volcanic bedrock. This wine scores 93 Points from Jeb Dunnuck and 92 Points from James Suckling. We rank it with a 90-Point rating. You can find it at KL Wines for $14.95. That is a steal. The 2016 vintage is selling at the winery for $45.
2019 Avennia “Lydian” Columbia Valley GSM Blend
The 2019 Avennia “Lydian” Columbia Valley is a GSM Rhone-style wine composed of 40% Grenache, 33% Mourvèdre, and 27% Syrah, all sourced from various vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley AVA. Each varietal is fermented and aged separately in French oak barrels before being blended and aged for an additional 16 months in the barrel.
The “Lydian” GSM is a very balanced and generous-tasting wine. It is mellow, while at the same time providing a little enthusiasm in each taste. It has a great nose and a long finish. We like this wine at 90 Points. James Suckling agrees with us at 90 Points, but the Wine Enthusiast goes with 93 Points. You can find it at KL Wines for $19.95.
2019 L’Ecole 41 Columbia Valley Merlot
We love the L’Ecole 41 winery, and we always enjoy their wines. They are one of the first wineries in Washington, with a first vintage date of 1983. This Merlot is a blend of Merlot grapes from four vineyards in the Columbia Valley. It is a winemaker’s recipe of mixing the different Merlot grapes, plus 13% Cab Franc, 3% Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot. As a result, the wine becomes a robust and delicious Merlot-based wine. Costco is selling this wine in Northern California for $18.99. The price at the winery is $27. Costco’s price is crazy good. 89 Points
The next two wines are from vineyards in the Wahluke Slope AVA in Grant County. The Wahluke Slope is within the larger Columbia Valley AVA and contains 8000 acres of vineyards. It is one of the driest and warmest locations in the State.
2018 Luke Columbia Valley Wahluke Slope Syrah
Like many Syrah wines from Washington, the Luke Syrah is robust, deep in color, and has a multitude of fruit flavors. The name Luke comes from Wahluke. 91-Point rating from James Suckling, and 90 Points from the Wine Spectator. We like it at 89 Points. You can buy it at Costco for $17.99.
2020 Kvine Kirkland Wahluke Slope Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaker Charles Smith has his hand in this wine, making the wine under the Kirkland label for Costco. Out of his House of Smith winery, he makes several labels of wine, including the Barbera above. He is also the winemaker for the well-respected Substance Cabernet Sauvignon. We rate Kvine Kirkland at 88 points. It is a well-balanced Cab more in the medium-bodied variety, and thus a more versatile food pairing wine. At Costco, it is $13.99.
Washington red wines love food
Jim and his wife, Kris, prepared a fantastic French lunch to go with our Washington State red wines. The French Onion soup was terrific with the Syrah, and the tasty Croque Monsieur was delightful with the Barbera. A Rum Baba dessert capped a memorable wine-tasting event.
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