Adams Bench, a hidden gem.

So this upcoming weekend brings thousands (yes, literally thousands) of wine tasting, passport holding, and at times... less than well behaved masses to the city of Woodinville. Why? The masses are here for Passport weekend... that's why. They will be able to come to taste wine at one of many different wineries, many of them usually not opened to the public. Last year I was able to attend with my friend Jon, and it's really where I fell in love with Washington wines. This year.. I am working it.. and proud to call myself part of the Washington wine industry. Now, to all those are going... behave yourselves!

So tonight, the Hollywood area of Woodinville had a "preview to Passport" which included about 8 of the wineries. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, so I decided after work at my other job to head on over to a winery I hadn't been to and check it out. Behold: Adams Bench.

Adams Bench is definitely off the beaten path. You head up a long tree-lined street, up into what seems like a neighborhood.... but there are farms, animals, and best of all Adams Bench! It was beautiful there. They have a cute little barn like area where they conducted the tasting, and were ready to pour! (the pic on this posting is from Adams Bench)

I got to do two barrel samples, which is a treat in itself. (I got to do one at Baer last year and it knocked my socks off)

2007 Myth (Barrel Tasting): Half cab franc and half merlot. Definitely a smooth wine, that will get better with age. The cab franc takes away from the merlot, which is NOT a bad thing. This wine isn't being released til Fall of 2009, and I think that it will develop more complexity in the bottle. It's a wine to watch.

2007 Reckoning (Barrel Tasting): Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc.... yummy yummy jammy goodness. This has a lot of fruit on the palette and would be great with some ribs. Not being released til Fall of 2009.

2006 Reckoning: GOLD STAR!! Cab, Merlot, Malbec. This wine comes together perfectly. The nose on this wine reminds me of European styles: the earth, smoke, fruit. Excellent deep garnet color... and divine on the palette. I left with a bottle of this. I can't wait to grill a nice steak seasoned with salt, pepper... and dollop it with some horseradish.. have some potatoes, and corn on the side. Perfect food friendly wine.

2006 Reserve Cab "V": As noted on the tasting notes, it has a tremendous purity on the nose. The flavors, aromas, and color on this wine are all intense.. and fantastic. This is a wine that gets better with every sip. It's one to bring to a nice dinner party to wow your friends, and won't be too harsh on your wallet. ($42 isn't a screaming deal, but it's worth the price)

Thanks to all at Adams Bench... I am glad I made it out!

I will be back soon blog fans, I promise!

Efeste is rockin, Des Voigne is delish, and Guardian is sellin out!

I am finally back to educate the masses about wine! Sorry for the extended absence. Let's get on it!

Efeste: This is one of the wineries in Woodinville to keep your eyes on. Brennon, the winemaker was just named "winemaker to watch" by Seattle Magazine. Considering there are over 500 wineries in Washington, this is a HUGE honor. They just recently opened an awesome tasting room (see pic on the left). I am a bit biased, since Efeste and Brian Carter produce wine in the same facility, but the wine also speaks for itself.

2006 Evergreen Riesling: With a light straw color, and a small bit of apricot, honey and minerality on the nose, this is a great, approachable riesling. Many rieslings are TOO sweet, but this is a perfect riesling. Very drinkable with a good meal.

2006 Ceidleigh Syrah:The grapes for this Syrah come from Red Mountain, which I think is why I like this wine so much! It has a great deep garnet color, with dark cherry and earth on the nose. It was aged in some French Oak, and would be excellent with a steak.

2006 Jolie Bouche Syrah: So this Syrah's meaning is "pretty mouth". It's a very smooth Syrah.. a little earthier than the Ceidleigh, but with more pepper on the palette. This would be a fantastic wine with gumbo, cassoulet, and yes, steak.

2006 Final Final: This is a FANTASTIC blend of cab and syrah. Its 50% of each, and they work together so well! This is the only blend they make, and it's perfect! Its layered with dark fruit, a tinge of smokiness, and a little earthiness. What to eat with? RIBS! BBQ! They would be fantastic.

2006 Big Papa: BY FAR THE BEST! 100% Cab, 100% perfection. Deep intense cab, smooth finish, and a lush red color. This has such a velvety mouth feel, and I just wanted to relish in my tasting for a while. I put *FAVORITE* in my tasting notes. If you love a good cab, please try Big Papa. It's nothing less than perfection of a straight varietal.

Thanks to Patrick and Daniel... you all ROCK.

Des Voigne Cellars: Just happened to walk by here Sunday, and saw they were open. I loved their "Untitled" blend which the next release will be 2010. But they still have some other gems.

2006 San Remo: A delicious sangiovese! Very smooth, drinkable, and would be delicious with any Italian food. The acidity of tomatoes would work perfectly with this.

2006 The Emcee: It's a merlot with a splash of cab. For a merlot, it's not bad. But as you fans know, merlot isn't my favorite.

2006 The Duke: The 2006 Duke combines Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, Lemberger, Merlot and Syrah. It has a rich blackberry and peppery palette, and would be delicious with a wild variety of foods.

2006 Montreaux Syrah: Dark garnet color, with bold flavor. I think this would stand up well with a big steak, loaded with pepper and even horseradish.

If you ever see a bottle of wine called "Untitled" by Des Voigne Cellars... BUY IT. It's sold out at the tasting room, and I ate at a restaurant and got the last bottle. It's fantastic.

Guardian Cellars: I got to try Guardian Cellars at an event a while back, and what I was really impressed with was Jerry's (the winemaker) passion for his wine, and his love of talking about it with others. He used to be an undercover cop, and then worked over at Mark Ryan winery, before branching out on his own. His wine shows that passion for wine making. Besides that, Jerry is HILARIOUS. He saw me putting down tasting notes and came over to check out what I was writing. I love going to tasting rooms where you can interact with the winemaker. Lets you see who is behind it!

2006 Syrah: This Syrah is from the Wahluke slope area, and its delicious. It has a nice even smokiness, that doesn't overwhelm the nose of the wine. There is also a little spice, and some fruit as well. This one could age for a little more time, but it's super drinkable now. Perfect with some steak.

2006 Chalk Line:Chalk Line is the "kitchen sink" of Guardian Wines, but I LOVE IT. Its mostly Cab (50%) with Malbec (22%) Syrah (17%) and Merlot (11%) that's a light ruby color, and totally drinkable NOW. This would be a perfect wine for a dinner party with an eclectic menu. It will pair well with a lot of food!

2005 Gun Metal: Yummmm. This wine is a blend of cab, merlot, and cab franc. It's aged 20 months in French Oak, and this wine is a smooth blend as well. I think the Cab Franc gives it a nice velvety, rich blend that makes it one of my favorites. It is definitely great on it's own, but would pair well with many foods. I keep going back to steak, but a hearty stew, or even chili would be fantastic.

Thanks to Jerry, Jen, and Lisa Baer (from Baer winery) for making my time at Guardian so enjoyable!