Woodinville Passport Weekend - DeLille
A wine writer from California, recently wrote about the Woodinville wine country, comparing it to the Napa Valley. Well, he went to the wrong wineries. He missed DeLille, Januik, Mark Ryan and many others that open their doors for Passport Weekend.
The mob scene at DeLille on Saturday was too much for us so we returned on Sunday when things were much calmer. At 11:00 in the morning there was a groaning board full of wonderful treats, enough for what the Norwegians call mittagessen, to accompany barrel tastings of two wines to be released in November. As usual, the wines were wonderful.
The 2004 D2 Bordeaux-Style is a blend of four of the five classic Bordeaux grapes - 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot. Sixty percent of the grapes come from Red Mountain vineyards Ciel de Cheval and Klipsun Vineyards. 'D2'', by the way, is the "2nd wine of DeLille" and is also the main route through the Medoc region of Bordeaux. The 2004 has a nose of berry fruit and vanilla oak. In the mouth there are tastes of tobacco, plums, and berry fruit with a hint of tannin in the finish. An elegant, silky textured wine that is absolutely delicious (about $34, Pre-order from winery -$30)
The Doyenne 2004 "Aix" is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Syrah that tastes more like a Syrah than a Cab. "Aix" is an allusion to Aix-en-Provence in the Rhone Valley of France. Bigger and fuller than the D2, it, too, has delicious berry flavors and a soft texture. This wine tastes like a melange of black fruit served on a plush goose down comforter ($36, pre-order -$32)
The wine writer from California missed the "Chateau Lafite of Washington." He missed Mike Januik's perfect Merlot and Chardonnay, and he missed most of the wonderful Woodinville "garagistes."
The mob scene at DeLille on Saturday was too much for us so we returned on Sunday when things were much calmer. At 11:00 in the morning there was a groaning board full of wonderful treats, enough for what the Norwegians call mittagessen, to accompany barrel tastings of two wines to be released in November. As usual, the wines were wonderful.
The 2004 D2 Bordeaux-Style is a blend of four of the five classic Bordeaux grapes - 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petite Verdot. Sixty percent of the grapes come from Red Mountain vineyards Ciel de Cheval and Klipsun Vineyards. 'D2'', by the way, is the "2nd wine of DeLille" and is also the main route through the Medoc region of Bordeaux. The 2004 has a nose of berry fruit and vanilla oak. In the mouth there are tastes of tobacco, plums, and berry fruit with a hint of tannin in the finish. An elegant, silky textured wine that is absolutely delicious (about $34, Pre-order from winery -$30)
The Doyenne 2004 "Aix" is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Syrah that tastes more like a Syrah than a Cab. "Aix" is an allusion to Aix-en-Provence in the Rhone Valley of France. Bigger and fuller than the D2, it, too, has delicious berry flavors and a soft texture. This wine tastes like a melange of black fruit served on a plush goose down comforter ($36, pre-order -$32)
The wine writer from California missed the "Chateau Lafite of Washington." He missed Mike Januik's perfect Merlot and Chardonnay, and he missed most of the wonderful Woodinville "garagistes."
posted by Gene Stein, Ph.D. @ 6:42 PM
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