This was an exemplary tasting. I've like Martin's wines since they first came on the scene with the '14 vintage, best I recall, but a recent winemaker change (to Todd Alexander) brought old world elegance to the line-up. The wines are less-extracted, less polished, and more sophisticated. Most of the old names (Curiositas, Ramparts etc) have been re-used but the wines are all new in intent and, sometimes, grape constituents. And at these prices they're among the best values in the Valley.
2020 The Walls Vineyards Cruel Summer Columbia Gorge Grenache Blend
From 78% Grenache and 22% Mourvedre, a pearlescent, transparent saignee that sees almost no skin contact. Bright and creamy. $25
2019 The Walls Vineyards Chardonnay Martin's Gold Yakima Valley
From Walla Walla's French Creek Vineyard. A medium style chardonnay that's something of a middle lane between the ripe, golden butterscotchy chardonnay I recall of past Martin's Golds and the cooler-climate style like the La Lutte. IOW, American style. Good for what it is but not in my wheelhouse. $42
2017 The Walls Vineyards Chardonnay McAndrew White Salmon Columbia Gorge
From the cool White Salmon vineyard (Washington's very first chardonnay vines) planted in the Gorge in the early 70's, comes this pale chardonnay. It wasn't in the lineup but was offered to me when I asked after the La Lutte which had swept me off my feet a few years ago, and which fruit they no longer have access to. A different wine but similar in white Burgundian spirit and definitely the less overt/ripe style I hoped for, this one's fermented in concrete egg, after which half of it is exposed to new and 1 yr oak and the other half is aged in SS. The result is Chablis-like with a bit of flint on white and green fruit; just lovely. Of course, I bought some.
2018 The Walls Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Curiositas Red Mountain
New winemaker Todd Alexander's penchant for elegance shows throughout The Walls current collection, but perhaps nowhere better than in this wine (especially if you had the '16 just a few months ago to compare it to). Now 100% Red Mountain fruit (from the highly coveted Quintessance Vineyard), this cabernet exudes quiet power with sandalwood and incense on the nose backed up by dark cherry and plum fruit on the palate. It's full-bodied without the slick extract of past vintages with a plush finish. $65--a bargain compared to top Cabernets elsewhere in the Valley.
2018 The Walls Vineyards The Ramparts Red Mountain Red Blend
This red Rhone blend is 100% Red Mountain fruit, with 50% Mourvedre joined by grenache, counoise and syrah that saw only 20% new French oak. It's an extremely complex wine and all about red plums and berries, bright and yet earthy with a cashmere mouthfeel. Prices remain in the low-$30's ballpark of previous vintages but I think this a better wine. Added some to my cellar.
2017 The Walls Vineyards Mahana Walla Walla Valley Syrah Blend, Syrah
The Mahana is new to The Walls' lineup. 100% syrah from Rocks fruit, and it's the Cary Grant of syrahs from that district. That is, the funk's there but it's a suave and elegant purring kitty compared to the roaring tiger animale character of most Rocks syrahs, and I love it for that. Couldn't have been more impressed; added some to my cellar. $56
2018 The Walls Vineyards Bellamy Walla Walla Valley Red Bordeaux Blend
Though in 2016 the Bellamy (for Belle Amie) joined the roster as majority Merlot, it's now 80% River Rock Vineyard Cabernet with the remaining 20% spread among the other four usual suspects. The nose is sweetly alluring and a little floral--I would have guessed higher merlot, but that's not a complaint. Medium or so bodied with blueberry fruit, subtle spices and deceptively firm tannins, it dances weightless on the palate into a long, lasting finish. Beguiling, excellent. $58