WTN: Mostly wines you've never heard of

[Jenise]

Stuff we drank over the past two weeks:

2023 Dominio de las Abejas Nebbiolo Saignée Baja California
And the most delicious rose I drank all summer came from [drum roll]...Mexico! Actually, Baja California. But it's this one. Bold pink color. A nebbiolo siagnee, it had a nose of strawberries, raspberries, bay leaf and spice. Complex on the palate with perfect fruit-to-acid balance and a dry, savory finish. In style, closer to Italy than Los Angeles.

2020 Primrose Trail Pinot Noir Grande Réserve Russian River Valley
John's bottle. So who gives their winery one of those girly Gallo-ish names like 'Primrose Trail', slaps a meaningless 'Grand Reserve' on the bottle like Kendall Jackson, and on the label uses an old world font typical of Chateauneuf du Pape or a King James Bible? Beats me, but based on all of the above my very low expectations were exceeded in that the contents were actually drinkable, even though it had bombastically more oak than fruit and bore no actual resemblance to pinot noir.

2018 GLF Wines Chardonnay Russian River Valley
GLF is a Greg Follette label, he formerly of Flowers Winery in Sonoma. Astonishing for a ripe vintage 6 yr old Calchard--neither age nor ripeness show, just elegant fruit and perfect balance in a Macon sort of way. If it were poured for me blind, Cali would not have been among my first guesses.

2018 Acorn Syrah Axiom Alegría Vineyards Russian River Valley
Very Californian. More cheerful easy drinker than complex with sweet red fruit and some lactic notes.

2013 Le Vieux Pin Syrah Cuvée Violette Okanagan Valley VQA
Rusty purple black color with black and blue fruit, charcoal barbecue, sage, black olive, and earth on the palate. First glass seemed perfect, but the finish dried out a little on the second. Would not hold any longer.

NV Champagne Paul Launois Le Mesnil sur Oger "Composition #6" Champagne Grand Cru Chardonnay
What CharlieC said: "100% Chardonnay. Fine, very active bead. Light gold color. Lovely light lemon and mineral nose. Gorgeous on the palate, exceptionally crisp, lemon, pear, minerals...Brilliant acidity, fabulous balance." Long, clean finish.

2023 Dominio de las Abejas Vino Naranja Baja California White Blend
A re-purchase as I loved my first two bottles so much, but six months later. Last night's bottle was less hazy (it's unfiltered) than the first ones. Seemed shyer than previous bottles, too, it was not happy to see us. In fact, it was so reticent that I decided that I must have been mistaken that I bought the same vintage and went to CT to double check but no, same vintage.

2020 1 Mill Road Pinot Noir Home Block Naramata Bench
Bought this 18 months ago after loving a bottle at the Naramata Inn; this one disappointed. Strong salinity more typical of Sonoma Coast than a landlocked vineyard in British Columbia dominated the more ethereal raspberry/cranberry notes of what seemed like fading fruit. Disappointed.

2009 Christophe Billon Côte-Rôtie Les Elotins Syrah
Mouthfeel is slick and extracted. Black fruit. Modern. Eh.

2013 Buty Chardonnay Conner-Lee Vineyard Columbia Valley
From magnum. This was divine! A library bottle purchased from the winery when it was sold two years ago, this 11 yr old bottle had powerful and complex notes of ripe pineapple, lemon curd, green apple and corn on the cob. No sign of age.

2018 Halpin Cabernet Sauvignon Coombsville
Opened yesterday and deemed too rustic and awkward for the event I was going to, so we're having it tonight. There actually isn't much change. Big black cherry and blackberry fruit, earthy but some might call it dirty owing to the obviously unfiltered textures. I don't hate it but it lacks any of Napa's usual charms. Hopefully more bottle age will improve its POV. Next bottle: 2026.

2018 The Walls Vineyards Syrah Gaspard Red Mountain
Ripe and hefty; will be more interesting when/if it develops some secondary characteristics down the road.

2021 Nichol Vineyard Extra Brut Rosé Naramata Bench Pinot Blend
Excellent bone dry sparkler which is holding up beautifully. Plenty of fruit and spice; clean finish. Wish I had more.

2018 St. Innocent Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs Willamette Valley
Same as six months ago: texture's good but the flavor is cloyingly ripe and sweet.

2016 Result of a Crush Syrah The Unnamed Series Walla Walla Valley
It needed a full two hours of decanting to unfurl some fruit which leaned toward rhubarb and strawberry, and there remains a lot of roadside brush and green olive notes in the manner of a lesser Crozes Hermitage. Vs. pryor bottles, this is finally acting like a wine I'd want to drink.

2013 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Washington
Decanted two hours. Showed well with sweet dark fruits, but at 11 years old secondary development is behind where I thought it would be by now.

2016 Time & Direction Syrah Solaksen Vineyard Columbia Valley
Wow did this show well last night. In a group of 6 mixed WA cabs and syrahs, it was the only one that 1) didn't give off 'sweet' as the first impression, 2) had interesting secondary development and 3) might be mistaken for a European wine. Specifically Northern Rhone with red berry fruit, fennel, smoked meat, black olive tapenade and a little bit of funk. Sorry I don't have more to follow over the next couple years.

2020 Phantom Creek Estates Pinot Gris Okanagan Valley VQA
Substantial body and flavor, a very Alsatian approach rarely seen in North American PG. It's aging in bottle very well; each bottle is better than the last.

Well, I was familiar with the BC and WA ones, at least. Sad to hear about the 1 Mill Road, I have been eyeing them but will hold on on buying. Too bad also about the 2013 Le Vieux Pin - I am still not convinced about long aging BC wines yet. Maybe except Osoyoos Larose?

The notes about the WA wines were interesting. From my more limited experience, not many WA reds show secondary or tertiary notes, even after 10-15 years: they just get older and mellower rather than better (whatever than means). A blanket statement, of course, but usually true perhaps? Buty made some very good wines, too bad they closed the winery. Sounds like the chardonnay improved at least! They had a tasty cab/syrah blend (can't remember the name now) that I often bought when visiting their tasting room at the airport.

The PG sounds right up my street......eeerrrr $56 Cdn?

[Jenise]

The notes about the WA wines were interesting. From my more limited experience, not many WA reds show secondary or tertiary notes, even after 10-15 years: they just get older

Very true and due to, I guess, young vines and young winemakers making wine for early-drinking locals. It is, however, a little less true now than it was when I got here 20 years ago even if the American wine industry in general has pulled in the reigns on making ageable wines. And separately, the Woodward Canyon has always been a wine that ages well. I've had 20 and 30 year old bottles. I was within my rights for hoping to see some development on a '13.

Funny fact: I took the Buty magnum to a birthday party, 16 or 18 guests. My host, who considers himself the wine expert in our neighborhood second only to me even though 99% of his experience is based solely on Chateau Ste Michelle wines, put the wine aside and later, after dinner, pulled it out and before pouring addressed the crowd saying we probably shouldn't expect much from a 15 year old WA chardonnay. And in my head I'm going, "Layne, that was MY bottle. It's a magnum, it's a Buty from a cool vintage and I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!" But of course all I could do was smile and wait.