Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Washington Wine: A Dash Of Taste


The wines of Washington were center stage last week at Cork’s as Dave Pirwitz of DJP Selections sampled a selection of fine Evergreen State wines.

Featured wines included:

Thurston Wolfe PGV – A 2008 blend of 57% Viognier and 43% Pinot Gris.  Crisp with flavors of orange and tropical fruit. Should thurston wolfe be nice with chicken and seafood dishes.

Alexandria Nicole 2008 Shepherd’s Mark -- We like the wines from this boutique winery. This wine is named after markers, still standing, left by sheepherders in Horse Heaven Hills along the  ridge line the  Destiny Ridge estate vineyard. This

is a  Rhone Blend of Rousanne, Marsanne and Viognier. A tasty white with layers of fig, lemon and baked apple. Complex flavor with a refreshingly finish.

Thurston Wolfe 2007 Doctor Wolfe’s Family Red – Something different for us, this is a unique blend of Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Lemberger.  Spicy, fruity and full-bodied.

Elegante Cellars 2007 Sangiovese – Another pick from a Walla Walla Valley boutique winery. Tasty but not the favorite.

Five Star Cellars 2006 Merlot – This was the winner of the evening. Lush mouth feel with black cherry,  pepper and spice. An extended round finish with subtle oaking.

damalabel_syrah07 Dama Syrah 2007 – Dama is a high-end winery by two women winemakers. Only 290 cases were made of this great smoky and spicy Syrah. This wine is an excellent buy.

Make The Dash Count Icicles 2006 Riesling Ice Wine - This is a nicely balanced ice wine with floral and cinnamon aromas. Intensely sweet with flavors of honey and ripe apricots. Sales of the wine benefit the Make the Dash Count Foundation which educates youth in the responsibilities of community leadership and charitable giving. 

While enjoying the great tasting, the topic turned to the the inspirational poem, The Dash. The Dash is an poem by Linda Ellis and refers to the dates on a gravestone. The key message is it’s not your birth date or date of death that matters, but what you do with your life (represented by the dash between the two dates).

It’s a heavy thought best pondered with a glass of nice wine…
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great review of our favorite wine distributor!

Signed, Dave's mom

Bean said...

The Five Star Merlot is a big favorite of mine. It was a highlight during the recent Merlot Gone Mad event that we held in Washington last week. I am surprised that you were able to get Five Star outside of Washington state. They only let very little of that wine escape as it normally sells out.