William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Oh mama...fantastic wine. My Pinot Noir drinkers often ask for recommendations of Oregon wines. Well, now added to my Strongly Recommended list is this Knudsen Vineyards 2015 Pinot Noir Estate Reserve, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon. It rocked! This wine came from their estate vineyard. Specifically, Block 1, Block 5 and Block 6, all French Dijon clone 777. Block 1 is the youngest part of the vineyard, planted in 2006 at a higher elevation of 755-840 feet, it provided added brightness, freshness and aromatic expression. 2015 was an extraordinary vintage. Growing conditions produced a stunning Pinot Noir from Knudsen Vineyards . Bud break was a month earlier than normal, with early warm weather. The growing season tapered off to normal by September, providing a break from the heat and the development of balanced, concentrated fruit for harvest. And it shows in this beautiful wine. Tasting Notes Color : Clear rim, pale ruby. Nose : Soft, strawberry skin, low ...

You seldom encounter an Oregon Pinot Noir of this quality at this price.  "I’ve missed you Oregon Pinot Noir." I am strongly recommending the Real Nice Winemakers 2015 Black Magnolia Pinot Noir. My Pinot Noir drinkers will instantly appreciate this wine. And speaking to you non-Pinot Noir drinkers, this wine is the perfect excuse to try again. It is well crafted and priced reasonably. You can afford to give it a taste. I think you will be as pleased as I was. "Wow. Very good. Ready to drink. Big like." Tasting Notes Black Magnolia 2015 Pinot Noir Color : Pale ruby, clear rim. Nose : Medium intensity, earthy raspberry, savory spice, blackcurrant, strawberry jam. Pretty. Palate :  Medium body, fruity, bright red cherry, ripe strawberry, creamy, medium plus acidity, dry, pretty medium finish. Well done. 30 minutes : Medium ruby color. Tobacco leaf, candied fruit, ripe raspberry, perfume on the nose. Fluid, medium minus body, cranberry, cherry, str...

Some wines just taste like home. You know that question? The one where you're asked, " If you were stranded on a desert island, and had only one wine to drink, every day, which wine would it be ?" My first response is always, " Champagne! " and my second response, " Washington Syrah! " Syrah, Washington Syrah, offers a tremendous amount of complexity, in aromatics and flavors. Washington Syrah is reflective of place, and shows a tremendous amount of variation from vineyard to vineyard site. So, don't expect all Washington Syrah's to taste the same. They don't! And I believe that's good. I love the diversity of styles, and even the nuance of some of the blends being produced. This wine today hit my sweet spot, particularly on day one. The 2015 Charles Smith Wines Boom Boom Syrah is exceptionally good. Even better at a reasonable retail price below $20. Plus, it tastes of Washington, it tastes of home. And it was difficult not...

Showing well today, with even better potential. Whenever I drive to work in Prosser, I pass the extensive Goose Ridge estate vineyards. The production facility is visible in the background from the highway. Their local tasting room is on Dallas Road in Richland. A cozy place, with a Bocce ball court and a wide open lawn perfect for events and sunsets. "I strongly recommend purchasing a case or two for your home..." Goose Ridge Vineyards was founded by the Monson Family in 1999. Goose Ridge is an estate winery dedicated to handcrafting wines from grapes grown on their 2,200 acre vineyard. This is the first Goose Ridge  g3 I have experienced made by Winemaker Andrew Wilson. I have previously enjoyed the Tall Sage wines he makes too. It is always a pleasure to drink and review Goose Ridge wines. I've been enjoying them for almost two decades. I hope the g3 Cabernet Sauvignon is available where you live, so you can enjoy it too. With 12 years previous winema...

It was almost impossible to review this wine. My wife kept taking the bottle. Reviewing the Delille Cellars 2015 Chaleur Blanc white wine was challenging. I should mention that I first reviewed the 2015 vintage in October of 2016 . Loved it then too. This time, I thought I'd share with my wife while I was taking notes. Mistake? Before I knew it, half the bottle was gone, and I was only just started on my notes! "Truly a Northwest classic!" I had to hide the bottle just to save some wine for my day two notes and for photographs. She loved the Chaleur Blanc! Note to self, " Delille Cellars Chaleur Blanc is now one of my wife's favorite wines. Don't forget. " That is strong recommendation for this wine. From both of us! 2015 Chaleur Blanc by Delille Cellars. Tasting Notes Nose : Delicious toast, white flower, minerality, citrus. Palate : Good weight, creaminess, tart citrus and toast, lime skin, nice spike of acid mid-palate, leaned ...

One of my favorite white wines. We had snow today. And the wind is bitter cold. On cold, dreary winter days, when those sad, heavy blues try to keep you feeling down, I like to reach for a taste from the southern hemisphere. What I fondly think of as liquid sunshine. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This wine lifts my mood, and always puts a smile on my face. Note : I used my favorite Schott Zweisel wine glass  when I evaluated this wine. This wine glass was designed for Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Gris. It shows the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc beautifully. Strongly Recommended. Tasting Notes 2015 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Color:  Clear, clean, lemon-green. Nose: Medium intensity, tropical, ripe mango, kiwi, savory grassy note. Palate: Crisp, dry, lemon-lime, salinity, tropical, passion fruit, mango, on the finish salty-lime. Yum. Where is the shrimp? Thoughts : New Zealand rocks the Sauvignon Blanc. They just do. I’m not sure ho...

 “Find a Tall Sage and you have found a place that will sustain superior grape vines.” Dr. Walter Clore. The Tall Sage label is the Monson Family’s tribute to a man of great stature, the founder of Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards , Arvid Monson. A tall sage is one that develops deep tap roots. I have been a fan of Gooseridge wines for many years. 2015 was one of the hotest growing seasons on record. The consistent heat developed sugar in the fruit quickly in many grape varieties. Canopy management was key to protecting the fruit from heat and sun. De-leafing and deficit irrigation was moderated during this vintage to allow the vines to cope with the hot growing season. The 2015 Tall Sage Chardonnay is ready to drink now. The 2015 Tall Sage Cabernet Sauvignon drank better on day two and could use another 6 months of bottle age to hit my sweet spot. Both Recommended . Tasting Notes 1. Review Tall Sage 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley AVA Color : Straw, green highli...

"You have not experienced Washington wine or cuisine, until you have enjoyed the Chaleur Blanc with Pacific Northwest seafood." Ah, October in wine country, the leaves are turning colors of fire and sunset. Yes, it is noticeably cooler, I needed a blanket last night to sleep and I find myself wearing a hat indoors. Friends and readers know that this is the time of year I begin to crave Chardonnay. It is my wine of the season. And yet, I find myself drawn this year not to Chardonnay, but to a Sauvignon Blanc dominant white wine. A wine which was difficult to resist drinking in one sitting. A wine made in the Pacific Northwest for Northwest fare. The 2015 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc is styled as a classic Bordeaux blend, with 73% Sauvignon Blanc and 27% Semillon. After more than 20 vintages, the Chaleur Blanc has become a signature wine. I was impressed. Strongly Recommended! A true Pacific Northwest pairing! Tasting Notes Color : Dark Straw. Aroma : Yeas...

As eager as I am to start writing about 2016, I feel compelled to reflect on my 2015 wine experiences and writing efforts. Last year was full of wonderful conversations and many bottles of wine. It was also a year of change. My sincerest thanks to everyone I interacted with and for the discussions revolving around wine. I look forward to an exciting and tasty 2016. - William ~.~ 1. January This month featured my most personal post of 2015. A Resolution For Greek Wine, A Recipe For Avgolemeno #WinePW8 @DOMAINESKOURAS In January, I wrote about Emmanuel Brokos. He was from the island of Crete and my step-grandfather. There were several reasons why I wrote about him. For one, it was for the 8th Wine Pairing Weekend twitter session #WinePW . We were tasked to write about a wine region we wanted to explore along with a related recipe and wine. The Greek wine I chose was very good. The Avgolemeno chicken soup was wonderful and the recipe was fun to follow. The story about my...

Dear Friends, Sorry for the late notice about this stellar event on Red Mountain at Col Solare Winery. The 2015 Vintners in the Vineyard is this weekend! (This event was formerly known as Revelry on Red Mountain and the name change caught me off guard). There is still time to purchase tickets . The view south from Col Solare Winery, Red Mountain AVA. Red Mountain is a gem of an AVA blessed with wonderful sun exposure, perfect soil for growing the best wine grapes in the world and a magnet for attracting talented winemakers. This translates to wines of great depth and character. This event is your opportunity to learn and experience Red Mountain wines. You are being called to Vintners in the Vineyard.  The event name has changed, but the venue and wines are all about Red Mountain AVA.  Delicious wines, great food. Details follow: This Saturday night, join your favorite Red Mountain AVA Alliance winemaker and help raise funds for the Auction of Washing...