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