WTN: Rollat, Boudreaux

[Jenise]

We opened these two Washington Bdx blends for company the other night:

2005 Chateau Rollat, Walla Walla
Poured first. Pleasant cab-blend flavors muted by just a bit too much oak. Soft tannins and low acid make a plump mouthfeel. The acid in particular suggests that the wine has already peaked and won't improve from here--drink up. Purchased at the winery exactly one year ago when the wine seemed firmer, this is Rollat's entry level blend. Hopefully, owners of the more complex and expensive Sophie and Edouard bottlings (and that's me on the latter, haven't opened one of those yet) have more time.

2004 Boudreaux, Columbia Valley
This is a beauty. Gorgeous Columbia Valley black cherry and blackberry fruit have put on weight in all the right ways since our first bottle about two years ago. Good acidity and better tannins than the Rollat give it cut and precision and hold the opulence in check, keep it classy. This wine is just entering it's prime drinking window and should hold here for some time. Definitely one of the better Washington reds I've had.

Had the regular Boudreaux Cab a year or so ago; really liked it - that's one of the best reds I've had from WA.

(Unfortunately I didn't like the Boudreaux Reserve anywhere near as much - seemed much goopier without the same balance and a lot of VA.)

[Jenise]

Had the regular Boudreaux Cab a year or so ago; really liked it - that's one of the best reds I've had from WA.

(Unfortunately I didn't like the Boudreaux Reserve anywhere near as much - seemed much goopier without the same balance and a lot of VA.)

Happens all too often with Reserve bottlings, doesn't it? Not the VA part, but the goop: felt that way about a Pride Reserve a few months ago. Too thick, too sweet. By the way, notice you don't see that many Washington reserve wines? That's because Washington wine law ensures that the word Reserve has teeth: no more than 15% of a winery's total production can be a Reserve. Therefore you can't even make a Reserve unless you make a substantial quantity more non-reserve wines.