In honor of Washington Wine Month, I am reviewing 4 different wines over the next 4 weeks from the state of Washington. I do not have much familiarity with the state of Washington nor its wine industry, so I want to frame the importance of the wine industry to the state, as well as the nation over the next four posts. The state of Washington currently has 50,000+ acres of wine growing inside of its borders, as well as ranking 2nd nationally in "premium wine production", according to Washington State Wine. Washington has had grapes planted for over 200 years in its soil and they are known for their excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other red blends. As noted in the World Atlas of Wine, 7th Ed., Washington's vines are quite young due to the explosion of the wine industry in the past few decades, specifically the last ten years. This youth gives the taste of Washington wines a "distinct" difference in taste from their California counterparts. The majority of the eastern region of Washington is covered by the Columbia Valley AVA, with more distinct regions in Washington being occasionally placed on labels, including: Yakima Valley AVA, Horse Heaven Hills AVA, and Walla Walla Valley AVA to name a few. I chose to dedicate a few of posts in this series of Washington wines to the Charles Smith label for a few reasons: it's accessibility (I found almost all of their wines at the local grocery store), each was on sale, and their price point was just beyond the magical $15 mark where wine experts assert there is a noticeable difference in taste and quality. I began my Washington wine quest with Charles Smith's The Velvet Devil Merlot, 2015 vintage. Charles Smith seems like a guy with lots of creative ideas and uses wine as an outlet. A native of California, he got into the wine making business in the late 1990's in Washington state and has been releasing different series/labels of wines ever since. Currently, he has a few different lines including the "Wines of Substance" series which has different varietals, including "Vineyard Collection" labels that has an asking price of $45 dollars on his website. The more I learn about Charles Smith and his wines, the more I'm drawn and intrigued to them and have added many to my "to find" wine list. He also has won numerous awards in the wine industry, including Winemaker of the Year by Food & Wine in 2009 and Wine Enthusiast in 2014 - the only person to win WOTY by both publications. Charles Smith sold his "The Modernist Project" wines to Constellation Brands in 2016. He states on his website he did this to make it more accessible to the consumer, and for the consumer to enjoy them now, as was his intention of The Modernist Project. Prior to The Velvet Devil (which is from his "The Modernist Project"), I had his Kung-Fu Girl Riesling (also from "The Modernist Project") and was blown away with it. Not only does Kung-Fu Girl feature a 12% ABV, but also a crispness that I found to be unmatched by many other Rieslings. Onto the tasting. I've had maybe a handful of Merlot in my lifetime, so this one was a learning experience for me. Looking up information while I was tasting, the Merlot varietal has medium-high tannins, body, fruit, and alcohol content, which seemed right up my alley. It should be noted, too, that this wine is blended with at least three other varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. So there is a little of the darker fruit (plum, blackberry, black cherry, etc.), with some herb-y tastes thrown in. The color in the glass was a purple-ish hue with a lot of crimson red throughout; not an opaque purple. This represented, at least on the surface, that the wine would have some lighter characteristics/flavors: red fruit, lighter earthy flavors, and no heavy, dry feeling. The scent of the Merlot was a little cedar and tobacco with red cherry, raspberry, and plums. However, the wine wasn't pungent, it was very light and pleasant smelling. But when I tasted it, the red fruit pushed through the front and then the touch of dryness finished the taste. After a few sips, I noticed that the front and mid-taste had a smoothness to it that transitioned into that touch of dryness at the end. Just enough dryness to make you feel its presence without taking the wine over. I let the wine sit another day before having more, and the flavors blended a little bit more with the dryness being more pronounced...not a bad thing, just a noticeable difference in mouthfeel. This wine encouraged me to seek out more Merlot, as well as seek out Merlot wines that are closer to 100% Merlot. While this wine was good (I will buy again), but I want to see what Merlot can do, especially given its sometimes negative reputation in the wine industry. I will also actively seek out more wine from Washington, including those outside of those that are readily available in the wine aisle at the grocery store. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this Merlot and will keep an eye out for more Charles Smith projects and I think you should too. Charles Smith website Specs: ABV: 13.5% Varietal: Merlot: 84%; Cabernet Sauvignon: 9%; Malbec: 3%; Cabernet Franc: 2%; Other (WA State): 2% Region: Walla Walla Valley AVA, Columbia Valley AVA, Washington, United States Bottle size: 750ml Pairings: Beef, chicken (surprisingly), tomatoes, duck
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Author20 something living in Beer City USA with an affinity for wine. Other hobbies include photography, reading, and playing my pup. Archives
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