Best Red Wines From Washington
Best Red Wines From Washington – The Pacific Northwest region of the US has recently made significant advances in its international wine presence.
With its dense Cabernet Sauvignons and lush, plummy Merlots, Washington State’s production of quality wines has bloomed over the last couple of decades.
Located just north of Oregon, Washington’s inland AVAs have experienced the most success due to the Cascade Mountains protection from the marine influence of the Pacific Ocean and the Puget Sound.
While Washington has 11 defined AVAs, the Columbia Valley is by far the biggest and most prolific.
Covering almost a third of the state, and even creeping over the state line into Oregon, it encompasses several smaller AVAs, including Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, Walla Walla and Yakima Valley.
Best Red Wines From Washington – The greatest Washington State wines have been described as having the structure and finesse of the Old World while displaying the flashy and ripe fruit of the New World.
While red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the most notable, Chardonnay and Riesling have proven to be the favored white varieties, creating dependable wines with plenty of vibrant fruit and crisp acidity.
Recently, Washington wine trends have begun to favor the production of Syrah-dominant reds.
Best Red Wines From Washington – These powerful, Rhône-styled wines are packed with smoked meat, tapenade and black fruit flavors.
Best Red Wines From Washington -Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley, Washington
$250
The 2012 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is a seamless wine that coats the entire palate with copious amounts of blackberry, blueberry and cassis fruit with complex soy, smoke, graphite, spice and mineral undertones.
All of this deep and rich fruit is perfectly complemented by additional floral suggestions of Hyacinth and Lavender.
This classic wine should age effortlessly for 20+ years.
Dark, robust and juicy in the glass, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is still firm with generous oak essence on the nose with elements of Chambord, plum reduction and blackberry jus.
Full-bodied, the palate offers a juicy, fruit-forward expression with an intense weight and volume for Cabernet, which evolves to show elevated alcohol across the mid-palate.
The wine continues to offer a hedonistic and pleasurable expression and shows the first signs of the wine going from young, vibrant and juicy to matured, tertiary and elegant.
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
K Vintners The Hidden Syrah 2018
Syrah/Shiraz from Wahluke Slope
Columbia Valley, Washington
$70
It is not a secret the magnitude this wine can reach. In this vintage, femininity reigns supreme.
Perfume, flowers, cassis.
All anchored to sense of place with stone, ancient soil and chanterelles that make this wine a wine of the earth.
Kirsch, ripe black cherries, roasted herbs, violets, and orange blossom notes all emerge from the 201.
The Hidden Syrah Northridge Vineyard, which is all Syrah brought up in neutral oak.
Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully polished, it packs loads of fruit yet stays light on its feet, with no sensation of heaviness.
As with all of these Syrahs from Smith, it’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age.
Blend: 100% Syrah
Best Red Wines From Washington –Force Majeure Syrah 2019
Syrah/Shiraz from Red Mountain, Yakima Valley
Columbia Valley, Washington
$99
This Red Mountain estate Syrah is grown predominantly at the top of their hillside vineyard, where it is steepest and rockiest.
The vines must put put down deep roots to gather moisture and nutrients, and the soil helps to create a powerful but elegant wine with a volcanic soil backbone.
There are a variety of Syrah clones and trellising methods employed, including gobelet sur echalas.
Few winemakers can match Todd Alexander’s talent and pedigree.
Formerly at Bryant Family Vineyards, Alexander is known for making deeply concentrated wines from the estate vineyard set on Red Mountain.
The 2018 vintage speaks to Alexander’s talents, as he has brilliantly captured the warmth and the textural elements that the growing season brought to producers.
His 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is the finest I have tasted here, pushing perfection in a bottle.
Alexander’s new Mourvèdre and Tempranillo are some of the best single variety examples of these wines in North America.
The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Blend: 98% Syrah, 2% Viognier
Sleight Of Hand The Illusionist Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley, Washington
$66
The 2019 Illusionist is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, sourced from our estate blocks at Blue Mtn. Vineyard, Red Mtn. Vineyard, and Phinny Hill Vineyard.
Aged for 20 months in 52% new French oak, it has a knockout nose of blue and purple fruits, with incense and spice notes lingering in the background.
The palate shows tons of cassis, blueberries, Italian plums, leafy herbs, and spice.
This wine blends fruit from the winery’s Blue Mountain estate, Red Mountain Vineyard and Phinny Hill.
Dark and succulent from the moment it’s poured, it feels like a drama between power and grace.
There’s a substantial oak frame, and yet light aromatics effortlessly slip through that architecture—violets, pine and olive.
A Blue-Mountain evergreen note carries through on the palate, a delicious counterpoint to the dark intensity of the fruit from Red Mountain and Phinny Hill.
The components come together with a textural refinement that’s completely satisfying.
Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc
Best Red Wines From Washington -Pedestal Merlot 2018
Merlot from Columbia Valley, Washington
$72
A concentrated and layered wine offering dark fruit aromas with a hint of tobacco.
The mouthfeel is opulent, with luscious wild blackberry and chocolate-covered black cherry woven around an appealing note of spicy clove.
Beautifully complex, the flavors and weight of the wine combine to leave a rich, satisfying finish.
An utterly spectacular showing from this exciting vintage. 82% Merlot with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, this revels in its Turkish coffee aromas with sandalwood, dark currants, chocolate fudge and blueberry compote rounding out the bouquet.
This presents a hedonistic bent with an intense mouthfeel and glorious length.
Unabashedly big, the acidity and firm tannins hold this gorgeous core of blue and dark fruits in place.
Blend: 82% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec
Figgins Estate Red Wine 2017
Bordeaux Red Blends from Walla Walla Valley
Columbia Valley, Washington
$100
Dark to the rim, with signature aromatic notes of ripe red and blue fruits, tanned leather, black olive, and lilac.
The nose simply brings a smile.
On the palate, if I had to describe the wine in one word it would be precision.
The way the sweet fruit and dramatic length are braced by lively acidity and tannins aligns so perfectly that the wine is, quite simply, delicious.
The 2017 Estate Red Wine has a robust nose with juicy aromas and complex layers of red and black fruits that are dense and expressive with resinous purple flowers and integrated oak tones.
Full-bodied, the wine initially has a firm tannic grip on the palate, leading to flavors of dark plum skin, dark dusty cherry and blackberry essence with a mineral tension and subtle flavors of bitter dark chocolate and walnuts.
The finish is long and textured, guided by a tannic edge.
The wine rested in French oak barrels for 23 months.
Best Red Wines From Washington -Substance Vineyard Collection Klein Bx Blend 2018
Bordeaux Red Blends from Walla Walla Valley
Columbia Valley, Washington
$70
Concentrated and layered like a rose bud, revealing itself one petal at a time.
This wine oozes with flavor and personality.
Pleasant aromas of ripe red fruit and berries, nutmeg and milk chocolate.
Full-bodied with tight tannins.
Rich palate with brooding character.
Plush and comfortable in its depth and intensity. Cocoa powder and espresso come through.
Blend: 41% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc
Cadence Cara Maria Vineyard Bel Canto 2019
Bordeaux Red Blends from Red Mountain, Yakima Valley
Columbia Valley, Washington
$74
Minerality, plums and blueberries.
Strikingly seamless already at this young age and like Camerata just builds effortlessly from the deep berry front to glorious tannins that linger on a long finish.
Power and complexity, grace and balance, an epic vintage for Bel Canto.
The 2019 Bel Canto is more Cabernet Franc-dominated and includes 17% Merlot.
While it doesn’t match the 2018, it’s a beauty offering impressive redcurrant and spiced plum fruits, notes of spicy oak, dried flowers, and leafy herbs, medium to full body, a pure, seamless, gorgeous texture, and ultra-fine tannins.
It’s just a stunning Cabernet Franc from Washington State that offers incredible pleasure today given its balance and texture yet will evolve for 20+ years.
Blend: 83% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot
Best Red Wines From Washington – Andrew Will Winery Ciel du Cheval 2017
Bordeaux Red Blends from Yakima Valley
Columbia Valley, Washington
$65
Dark ruby in color, the 2017 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is dark-fruited with juicy black plum, blackberry essence, and dark cherry with hints of currants and cassis.
Soft aromas of red flowers and pencil shavings waft with a dusty tension.
Medium to full-bodied, the wine shows precision with an elegant frame and sturdy tannins, ending with a long-lingering, mineral finish with high-tone red fruits of dark, dusty cherry skin and red plum skin.
Dark ruby in color, the 2017 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard is dark-fruited with juicy black plum, blackberry essence and dark cherry with hints of currants and cassis.
Soft aromas of red flowers and pencil shavings waft with a dusty tension.
Medium to full-bodied, the wine shows precision with an elegant frame and sturdy tannins, ending with a long-lingering, mineral finish with high-tone red fruits of dark, dusty cherry skin and red plum skin.
This will drink fantastically for the next decade, but it won’t do you wrong if you open a bottle tomorrow.
B. Leighton Gratitude 2019
Rhone Red Blends from Yakima Valley
Columbia Valley, Washington
$47
The wine is velvet smooth and long as a summer day.
It continues with black raspberry, spring flowers, fresh pine needles, crushed black slate and orange peel.
It is something to be discovered, grace and contentment.
The 2019 Gratitude Blend checks in as 70% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and the rest Syrah, all from the Olsen Brother’s vineyard in the Yakima Valley.
Brought up in neutral barrels, it’s a smoking good wine from Leighton offering medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe red and black fruits, peppery herbs, iron, and loamy earth.
With the fresher, focused, elegant style of the vintage, it brings ripe tannins, has a great mouthfeel, and beautiful length on the finish.
This is one thrilling expression of Mourvèdre that will keep for a decade.
Blend: 70% Mourvedre, 25% Grenache, 5% Syrah
Best Red Wines From Washington
Best Red Wines From Washington – Out of 70 wine varietals, five make up over 80% of this region’s production: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, and Syrah. Columbia Valley wine is the most recognized and varied of all of Washington’s wine-growing regions.
Best Red Wines From Washington – The big four Washington wine grapes are:
Chardonnay (36,900 tons)
Riesling (36,700 tons)
Cabernet Sauvignon (35,900 tons)
Merlot (34,600 tons)
Best Red Wines From Washington – With over 1,000 wineries and 8 wine-touring regions, there is something for everyone: islands and urban environments, industrial complexes and tourist destinations, remote locations or small towns.
Best Red Wines From Washington – Tour the areas within the vineyard region of Washington State known as Washington Wine Country: Tri-Cities, Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley.
Best Red Wines From Washington – In Washington Wine Country, you will experience award-winning wines straight from the source and often poured by the wine-maker.
The Chianti Wine Region Of Tuscany >>
Italy’s Best Super Tuscan Wines >>
