March 5, 2020 - Pepper Bridge Winery and Amavi Cellars

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 We are delighted to offer the wines of Amavi Cellars and Pepper Bridge Winery for our March tasting.  

Pepper Bridge Winery represents the pioneering spirit of the Walla Walla Valley. Owned and operated by three families - the McKibbens, the Goffs and the Pellets, the winery is a leader in quality winemaking, innovative technology and vineyard development. Amavi Cellars is owned by the same families and signifies love (amor) and life (vita) through their wines, which are 100% estate, 100% Certified Sustainable, and 100% Walla Walla Valley.  The wineries are dedicated to producing estate grown wines that showcase the distinct personality of the Walla Walla region and the estate wineries are among the most famous and exclusive in Washington.

The winemaker for both wineries is Jean-François Pellet, a third generation Swiss grape grower and winemaker who worked for Heitz Winery in Napa Valley before coming to Walla Walla.  Jean-Francois plays an active role in management of the vineyards and is a founding member of the Walla Walla Valley's sustainable viticulture program, VINEA where the ultimate goal is to make quality wine and leave the soil healthier for future generations.

We are also incredibly honored to have Norm McKibben lead us through the tasting of these wines. For those of you who don’t know him, Norm is one of THE Founding Fathers of the Walla Walla wine region and Norm’s fingerprints are not only on his own wine, but also on many of the innovations in winemaking and vineyard management that have defined the Walla Walla region and as a mentor for many of the most successful people in wine in Washington State.

We will be tasting through the wines of both wineries which will give us a survey of classic expressions of wine from the Walla Walla Valley.

January 9, 2020 - Right Bank / Left Bank Bordeaux Tasting

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The WAC Wine Club cellar team is proud to present a Right Bank/Left Bank Bordeaux tasting featuring five notable wines from the Club’s cellar. There are distinct differences between the two areas of Bordeaux—culture, soil, large estates/châteaux and more. Wine-making styles vary significantly between the two wine regions—Right Bank wines are Merlot-dominant while the Left-bank produces predominantly Cabernet-based wines.

The ‘bank distinction’ refers to the right and left banks of the Gironde River that divides the Bordeaux region.  The Left Bank major appellations include St. Estèphe, Pauillac, St.-Julien and Margaux in the Haut-Médoc and Pessac-Léognan in Graves. All first growth Bordeaux estates are found in this area. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape followed by Merlot and Cabernet Franc with lesser amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec.

The wines from the Right Bank, a larger area of the Bordeaux region, exhibit several different soil types. Merlot is the dominant grape followed by Cabernet Franc, some Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and a small amount of Petit Verdot. The estates are much smaller than the Left Bank and include the celebrated Chateau Petrus, a producer of one the most expensive wines in Bordeaux. Major Right Bank appellations include St. Émilion, Pomerol, and Côtes de Bordeaux.

A wine professional will guide our tasting of the following wines:

2005 Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux – Médoc

2009 Château de Fieuzal – Grand Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan

2010 Château Malescot St. Exupery – Grand Cru Classé Margaux

2010 Château Gombaude-Guillot – Pomerol

2010 Le Tertre Roteboeuf – Grand Cru St. Émilion

November 14, 2019 - Bergström Winery

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Bergström Winery – Superb Oregon Pinot Noir

The WAC Wine Club is thrilled to present Bergström Winery at our November 14 meeting. Bergström is best known as a producer of premier Oregon pinot noir. Bergström also makes a magnificent chardonnay and an exciting, limited quantity syrah, which we will also be tasting. The wines will be available for purchase after the tasting.   

Bergström has five estate vineyards totaling 84 acres that span across four of the Willamette Valley’s best appellations: The Bergström Vineyard, Silice Vineyard, Winery Block, Gregory Ranch and Le Pré du Col.  Each estate vineyard is farmed biodynamically, and the winery produces approximately 10,000 cases of ultra-premium and extremely sought-after wine each year, including two chardonnays and nine different pinot noirs.

The winery is managed by Josh Bergström, whose parents planted the original Bergstrom vineyard and founded the winery. Josh studied viticulture and enology at a post-graduate program in Burgundy before returning home to Dundee, Oregon with his fiancée Caroline.  The two were married at the winery.  Josh is the vineyard manager and winemaker and Caroline manages the sales team. 

The five wines we will be tasting will give us a great cross section of the Bergström lineup:

2016 Sigrid Chardonnay - Sigrid is a blend of Bergström’s best barrels of chardonnay from its biodynamic estate vineyards. The 2016 Sigrid Chardonnay is saline and salty with fantastic citrus driven acidity with an herbal tea complexity and sweet pastry notes without being a sweet wine and it begs for oysters, lobster or crab as a food pairing.

2015 Gregory Ranch Pinot Noir - Gregory Ranch is a 21-acre estate-farmed vineyard in the western coast range hills of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA in the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley. Gregory Ranch was planted in 2007 and the Gregory Ranch Pinot Noir is beautifully colored with a bright dark cherry red.

2016 Silice Pinot Noir - This is the 14th vintage from an amazing 21-acre terroir of rolling gentle slopes which used to be ancient dunes, sandy beaches and sea bed tens of millions of years ago. This sandy vineyard site is well-exposed to copious sunshine and wind all season long, providing a perfumed, elegant, and ethereal pinot noir.

2017 Shea Pinot Noir - Since 2003 the Bergströms have bought fruit from the Shea family’s renowned 140-acre vineyard in the middle of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Bergström purchases fruit from six different clonal blocks, totaling 16 acres. This pinot noir is intensely perfumed in the mouth, and has great energy, fruit sweetness, and juicy acidity with fine, elegant ripe tannins. 

2015 Garganua Syrah (Oregon) – Gargantua is a beautiful Syrah with a very small production. The wine has been in high demand ever since it was first released. 

We are very excited to have this top producer of superb Oregon Pinot Noir present to our club and round out our exposure to Pacific Northwest wines.

September 19, 2019 - Northeast to Southeast France

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A Tour of France’s Special Wine Regions from Chablis to the Southern Rhône

The WAC Wine Cellar is proud to present a Northeast to Southeast French educational wine trip where we’ll taste some of the best varietals along the way. On our first stop we’ll sample a Grand Cru Chablis from the 2011 vintage of William Fevre Vaudesir and contrast it to the totally different expression of chardonnay that Jean-Noel Gaagnard’s Chassagne Montrachet provides. From there we’ll continue our journey south to taste a 2010 Savigny La Dominode, from the Chanson vineyard, made from the pinot noir grape. We’ll then arrive in the Northern Rhône where we’ll taste a beautiful syrah--2005 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Terres. We’ll complete our trip in the Southern Rhône with an impressive example of what this area has to offer, a grenache-dominant Domaine de la Janasse.

 

Our tour guide will be a professional wine educator who will focus on the various varietals and help us understand why these wines are so distinctive.   All the wines are 90 points-plus and have been carefully selected for this tasting.  We will also feature some beautiful French social wines to complement the tasting.

June 13, 2019 - Gaja

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A WAC Wine Club Gaja Finale - A Night to Remember

What a tasting we have planned for the Club as our finale!  It’s not often we get to drink Gaja wines as they can be exclusive and expensive. This WAC Wine Club event will feature a selection of five special bottles ranging from years 2005 to 2007, from the Piedmont to Tuscany, with interesting varietal combinations. 

The Gaja Winery was founded by Giovanni Gaja in 1859 and has been owned and operated by five generations of the Gaja family. Giovanni Gaja was the great-grandfather of Angelo Gaja, the Winery's current owner. 

Our guest speaker, Arnie Millan, is an expert on Italian wines and actually has spent time with Angelo Gaja so can talk first-hand about how truly exciting the Gaja wines are.

Wines will be paired with small bites prepared for us by the WAC’s Chef Eric.

Here’s a sneak preview of what to expect:

2005 Gaja Sito Moresco— Langhe/Barbaresco; Rare red blend--Nebbiolo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon; A combination of sweet fruit, with delicate herbaceous notes, chewy tannins and a full body to offer a deliciously unique red wine experience.

2005 Gaja Sperss—Langhe/Barolo; Nebbiolo; Simply a gorgeous wine in its layers of super-ripe black fruit, smoke, licorice, French oak, new leather and spices. 

2006 Gaja Ca’Marcanda Promise—Tuscany/Ca’Marcanda; Merlot/Syrah/Sangiovese; A delicious, full-bodied red loaded with ripe fruit, spices, leather and grilled herbs with tons of balance and sheer class. 

2007 Gaja Dagromis Barolo— Langhe/Barolo; Nebbiolo; Lots of balanced fruit, wood and tobacco, with a little tar, tannin and acidity with a dusty rose petal nose.

2007 Gaja Rennina Brunello di Montalcino—Tuscany/Montalcino; Sangiovese; Soft, gracious and impeccably balanced, with plump, rich blackberry flavors, chocolate, leather and dark spice--crushed flowers and spices.

May 9, 2019 - Rasa Vineyards

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The featured winemakers for our May tasting are Billo and Pinto Navarane from Rasa Vineyard.  As one of the top wineries in the state, Rasa is an ultra-boutique, small production of incredibly high quality that produce only 100 – 500 cases of each wine in the lineup.  The meticulous care and passion are apparent in each bottle and we are very fortunate to have them for the next WAC tasting.  Furthermore, Billo is only one of less than five people in the state to have achieved the Master of Wine (MW), which is one of the most difficult certifications to earn in wine.  He will be sharing some of his vast knowledge and experience at our event.  This is an absolutely can’t miss tasting and look forward to seeing everyone there.

Here are the feature wines (The reviews below are from our very own WAC wine club member and top wine reviewer in the state, Dr. Owen Bargreen of the International Wine Report and Washington Wine Blog):

2015 Rasa Vineyards 'Primus Inter Pares' Grenache

This stunning Grenache wine was sourced from Monette's Vineyard in the Walla Walla Rocks region. Prior to bottling the wine was left on the lees for 18 months in neutral French oak barriques. This wine begins with aromatics of rose petals, white flowers, Mandarin orange rind and potpourri. This leads to flavors of red cherry, strawberry, orange zest and strawberry jam. This is pretty, feminine, sexy and absolutely irresistible at this juncture. While less acid-driven than the ’14 bottling, this outstanding wine is just as good and even more impossible to put down as the gorgeous aromatic and flavor range shows through. Only 103 cases made of this absolutely stunning Grenache wine which is one of the best of its kind in Washington state. Drink 2017-2029- 95

2015 Rasa Vineyards 'Tilting At Windmills' Red Wine

 The 2015 ‘Tilting At Windmills’ by Rasa Vineyards is an inspiration by head winemaker Billo Naravane to make a Washington wine in the style of the profound red wines of Priorat. It is a sexy blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah which was aged in 40% new French oak (predominantly from Troncais and Alliers) and 60% neutral French oak prior to bottling. This wine begins with aromatics of black tea, black olive, rose petals and suggestions of baking spices. This leads to dense flavors reminiscent of black tea, red cherry, raspberry jam and umami that sit alongside some moderate tannins. This wine is another stunner by superstar winemaker Billo Naravane. Drink 2017-2029- 94

2014 Rasa Vineyards ‘Veritas Sequiter’ Syrah (#9 on top 100 wines of 2018)

 Weighing in at 13.5% alcohol, the 2014 ‘Veritas Sequiter’ will be released in November 2018, the wine is sourced from the famed SJR vineyard. The wine underwent 100% whole cluster fomentation and was aged in 80% new oak for 27 months prior to bottling. Distinctly Walla Walla Rocks AVA, this has bacon fat, horse manure, seaweed and Umami aromatics that bring you back to the glass for more. The palate is highly compelling and has marvelous weight and tension. The wine shows wonderful Umami, black licorice, green olive and bacon fat flavors that collide with marvelous minerality. The balance and complexity of this wine is truly amazing. Drink 2018-2030 - 96

 

2013 Rasa Vineyards 'Fianchetto' Red Wine

This wine is the follow- up the stunning 2012 Rasa Vineyards’ Fianchetto’ Red Wine and is a massive blend of 56% Cabernet with the remainder Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The wine opens with a bouquet of black cherry, creme de Cassie, mocha, crushed gravel and Earl Grey tea. Dense and intense, there are ultra ripe flavors of mocha, creosote, coffee grounds, black olive and black tea with cherry cough syrup. The finish is exceedingly long. This is massive yet feminine as this really needs one more year to fully settle. The balance and mouthfeel is exquisite. Powerful and seductive, this is another heavyhitter of a wine crafted by the talented hands of Billo Naravane. Drink 2018-2035- 96

2014 Rasa Vineyards 'A Perfect Union' Red Wine

Rasa has crafted another wonderful red wine with their 2014 ‘A Perfect Union’ Red Wine. This wonderful blend begins with aromatics reminiscent of crushed mint, red bell pepper and red cherry with cigar box.  The plush mouthfeel and silky texture is lovely as this wine is soft and supple. The red wine has dense flavors of black tea, mocha, baking spices and blackberry pie. This lovely blend can benefit from another year of bottle age for the fruit to fully integrate. Drink 2018-2033- 93

November 8, 2018 - Huskies vs. Cougars: Passing Time vs. Doubleback

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We are in the heart of college football season and the WAC Wine Club has a special treat arranged for our next meeting. 

Damon Huard and Drew Bledsoe are icons of college football in our state, who also share a common love for wine. Following their prolific NFL careers, they returned home to start their own wineries. Damon, the former Husky, teamed up with Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino and winemaker Chris Peterson (formerly of DeLille and currently Avennia) to create Passing Time. Initially started as a single vineyard Bordeaux blend, it has now expanded to three different appellations. Drew returned to Eastern Washington, where he played for the Cougars, to start Doubleback and the Bledsoe Family Winery, with winemaker Josh McDaniels (formerly at Leonetti) where he has produced highly-acclaimed Bordeaux-blend wines. 

All their wines are highly rated, consistently above 95 points and have extremely limited availability. The 2015 vintages are sold out to the public. We have very limited bottles exclusively for our tasting, and we will be the one of the very first to sample the 2016s at our next meeting. 

Some of the wines will be available for purchase at the tasting, and I would strongly encourage everyone to join their wine club. Not only will you get to the front of the waiting list to receive guaranteed allocations, you will have access to their reserve portfolio. 

At our meeting, we will be tasting the following:

  • 2016 Doubleback, Estate Reserve

  • 2016 Doubleback, Cabernet Sauvignon

  • 2016 Bledsoe Family Winery, Flying B Cabernet Sauvignon

  • 2016 Passing Time Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

  • 2015 Passing Time Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

  • 2015 Passing Time Columbia Valley Red Wine

Please feel free to wear your school colors and accessories at the meeting (as long as it meets the WAC dress code) and get ready to enjoy some absolutely stellar wines.

September 13, 2018 - Learn to Recognize the Different Grape Varieties by Smell and Taste

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The WAC Wine Club’s first meeting of the 2018-2019 season will be a classic varietal tasting of six classic wines that will help us better learn and understand how they differ from one another. Wine components are sometimes difficult to distinguish, especially when it comes to astringency, levels of alcohol, sweetness (or not) and levels of acidity.  Come taste with a professional and learn about tasting blind --detecting acidity and tannin levels, and much more.  Understand which typical markers are identified with certain wines--pepper, blueberries, tobacco and more—these can help you more easily determine what wine you’re drinking.  We’ll pull some of our WWC cellar wines for this tasting.  Learn the difference between Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay; Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon; Malbec and a Syrah.  Reggie Daigneault, certified wine expert and instructor extraordinaire, will walk you through some tips and tricks in understanding WHAT you’re smelling and tasting.