William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Tim Henley of Gordon Brothers Winery Delivers the Goods. Cooler weather and clouds have settled into the Columbia Valley. While Fall is shifting my preference in wine to red, this week I reveled in a bottle of white wine from Gordon Brothers. Loved this wine and it was perfect with my slow cooked chicken.

Sign as you enter the private winery. Sunday I visited Gordon Brothers Winery during their “Crush Weekend”. The winery is located above the Snake River near Pasco, Washington. They are a family owned winery and produce Estate Grown and bottled wine. Their winemaker since 2007 is Tim Henley (he’s doing a great job too).

Gordon Brothers Pasco Winery Open for Weekend Tasting and Purchasing! I just received a reminder from Katie Nelson of Gordon Brothers Winery, they are open for tasting Friday 29 April from 2-6 PM, Saturday from Noon-6 PM and Sunday May 1st from Noon-4 PM. If you live in the area or are passing through, this is a great opportunity to visit their winery. The winery is seldom open to the public - and they make some outstanding wines. Specials for the weekend include:   25% off 2007 Merlot and 25% off 2009 Reserve Chardonnay ( link to my last review ). Also, they found several cases of 2005 Chardonnay it is on sale for $3/bottle or $30/case. 2005, you say? Yes, it’s a little old but Katie says it is maintaining quite well! And you can’t beat $3/bottle, that's a great deal! Directions to winery: from Pasco, take I-182/Hwy 12 east toward Walla Walla. Take the Kahlotus exit and head out the Pasco-Kahlotus highway 10.2 miles. Turn Right on Levey road and the wine...

Some overdue shout-outs and mentions. Last month I was at Taste Washington in Seattle, and it was a 7 hour rush. That is, I was rushing around on my “breaks” from greeting 3,000+ attendees. My breaks only allowed for a bit of time here and there to visit and taste. Today I’d like to say thank you to those I did not mention last month. Shout-Outs! Kitzke Cellars Before the event started, I did manage to visit briefly with Vickie Kitzke and her friends Linda and Bill. This was their first time at Taste Washington. I reviewed Kitzke Cellars here . Their tasting room in West Richland is open by appointment. Check them out at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st if you missed them in Seattle. Gordon Brothers Winery I had hoped to visit with Katie Nelson of Gordon Brothers Winery, but she was engaged with a crowd of tasters when I stopped by. My last visit to Gordon Brothers is reviewed here . They too will be at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st. Hedges Family Estate Winery...

Go find the 2007 Rock Lake Red while you can. I was lucky to find this bottle last week. Oh yeah, this wine is aging fine. I last reviewed this wine six months ago and the 2007 Kamiak Rock Lake Red is still rocking ( July 2010 Kamiak Rock Lake Red Review ). The 2007 vintage greets you with a  gorgeous deep red color and raspbery jam nose. On my first taste the raspberry was very noticeable. After about ten minutes, swirl, swirl, and the flavors shifted to cherry and currant, with cola in the finish. I quite like this wine. For about $13, there's a lot of enjoyment in this bottle. But wait, the raspberry came back with some chocolate... Yes, I like this wine, it's a "buy me, drink me" wine. I sure did, now it's your turn. note : Not all wines age at the same pace, and not all wines age gracefully. While it is true some wines do improve with age, other wines will be no be...

Oops, I did it again. As lovely as the 2005 Tradition was upon opening, it was even better on day two. Tonight, as the last bit of this delectable wine left my glass, just as it was going past my lips, I found myself thinking, "Oh...this is good, it's just now, so very good and it's now gone". I certainly enjoyed this wine, it was immediately approachable at opening. But the true merits of this wine did not manifest, for me, until the second day. Soft, silky, earthy/leather, touch of graphite, floral elements, good mouth feel (chocolate covered cherries on the sides of my tongue), balanced (by day two) and only 13.5% alcohol - if you have some, stash it away for a few more years. If you can't help yourself, open, taste and save most of it for day two. I purchased this bottle at the Gordon Brothers winery during Crush weekend this September. Winery notes: Estate Grown, Columbia Valley, 65% Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 8% Syrah. Production: 1,201 six packs (600 ...

Gordon Brothers Winery Tasting Last Saturday I'm making time today to share some photos from my visit to Gordon Brothers Winery last weekend. The winery is located off of the Pasco Kahlotus Highway, above the Snake River and Levy Park. It's about a ten minute drive from Pasco, Washington. While it's not the most exciting drive, it's worth the trip for the view and the fantastic wines. The Gordon Brothers winery is only open to the public twice a year, Crush weekend and in December ( contact the winery for date and time). Enjoy the view of the Snake River from the winery. Freshly harvested Syrah grapes. Katie Nelson pouring while Winemaker Tim Henley gives a tour in back. Winemaker Tim Henley gives a barrel tasting tour. The newly released 2005 Tradition - my favorite of the weekend. 2005 Tradition - Estate Grown : This is a just released vintage. It's been in the bottle for 1.5 years. As I've mentioned before, 2005 is one of my favorite years. This wine...

Taste at the Gordon Brothers Winery on CRUSH WEEKEND 2010  The winery is located above the Snake River near Pasco, Washington October 1 - 3, 2010 They're only open for tasting twice per year, so come on out and taste their new releases and take advantage of vintage closeout specials! If you are in the Tri-Cities, passing by on the way to or from Walla Walla, then this is your chance to sample some fantastic wines at the Gordon Brothers winery. Enjoy our great weather and the view from the winery. Friday, October 1: 2PM-6PM (sorry I'm late posting) Saturday, October 2: Noon-6PM Sunday, October 3: Noon-4PM Directions: From Pasco, take I-182 East towards Walla Walla. Take the Kahlotus Exit and head NE on the Pasco-Kahlotus highway 10.2 miles. Turn right on Levey Road. The winery is about a mile ahead on your left. http://www.gordonwines.com/ I'm going out there today, hope to see you. Cheers!

Back in the Saddle I’m back in the saddle again, the Syrah saddle that is. Wait, that just sounds inappropriate, I apologize. What I am doing appropriately is enjoying Syrah again. Specifically, I’m enjoying Gordon Brothers 2006 Estate Syrah. I recommend you immediately go out and find this wine – it’s truly a gorgeous Syrah. Notes: The first thing I noticed was the wonderful dark purple color. Putting my nose in the glass I enjoyed a smoky, berry reduction aroma with a hint of tobacco. In the mouth there’s good weight, it’s bright with ripe, dark fruit pie and a touch of meatiness on the sides of my mouth. More please? I took the opportunity to pair this Syrah with grilled lamb at home. While some may find it cliché to pair Syrah with Lamb, this made for an absolutely incredible pairing. I did well. As, I’m typing, I realize that my only complaint is that my bottle is empty. If you'd like to read about my visit to the Gordon Brothers Winery, here's the link. FYI: I...

Not to Miss Event If you're in the greater Seattle area, then you'll want to check out the Release Party at Gordon Brothers tasting room in Woodinville, Washington on August 28th. They will be featuring: 2006 Syrah – 91 Points, Wine Enthusiast and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon – 90 Points, Wine Enthusiast. I've enjoyed the 2006 Syrah which I highly recommend. There will be one-day-only specials on both these wines! This event is open to the public on August 28, 2010, Noon-7:00 PM. Contact Info: Gordon Brothers Tasting Room 19501 144th Ave. NE #A-800 Woodinville, WA 98072 http://www.gordonwines.com/ Cheers!

Tonight, I enjoyed the Gordon Brothers 2007 Kamiak Rock Lake Red. Katie Nelson  gave me the bottle Monday at the Gordon Brothers winery. I made a couple of sliders to go with the wine. Sliders were tasty and so was the wine. The Rock Lake Red is easy to drink. It’s smooth with gentle tannins, balanced acidity and a pleasant café mocha finish. After a couple of hours, I’m getting aromas of cherry and chocolate sundae, a subtle note of raw broccoli, black pepper and a whiff of carnation. I find myself with my nose still stuck in my glass. This wine is perfect for dinner, would go great at a wedding reception and will impress your guests. While this wine retails for $15 or less, it reminds me of a particular $25 bottle I’ve enjoyed on occasion. Save yourself $10 or more and try the 2007 Kamiak Rock Lake Red. My suggestion is to find any excuse for a party or a summer BBQ and share this wine with your friends. This wine is ready to drink now my friends, recommend...

An Eminent Family Owned Washington Winery Yesterday, owner Jeff Gordon, daughter Katie Nelson and winemaker Tim Henley took time off from their busy schedules to visit with me and tour the Gordon Brothers Estate Vineyards and winery. Tim and I barrel and tank sampled through 2008 and 2009, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Kamiak White and the 2007 Tradition (gorgeousness). Gordon Brothers has been producing outstanding wines since 1985 . They share the privilege of being among the earliest, eminent Washington wineries. My first visit to the Gordon Brothers winery was about 20 years ago. Back then, there was a small tasting room adjacent to the family home. While the tasting room is now located in Woodinville, Washington, as always, the fruit is grown and the wine is made, on their property overlooking the Snake River and Levy Park. These vines are not afraid of heights Gordon Brothers winemaker, Tim Henley, was my genial guide as we toured the 10...

A quick post while I'm cooking dinner. Just back from Gordon Brothers Winery/Vineyard located above the Snake River. Winemaker Tim Henley gave me a truly fun tour of their 100 acres of grapes (looking good) and we barrel sampled 09 Chardonnay/Rsv Chardonnay, 08/09 Syrah (funky vs fruity), 09 Merlot, 08 Merlot (gorgeous), 08/09 Tempranillo, 08 Tradition (lovely, lovely wine) and 3 or 4 Cabernet Sauvignon samples (clone 6 is new). We even sampled from their other label, the Kamiak white. Thanks Tim and Katie - I'll have a more thorough review/post soon. What's for dinner? I'm cooking chicken wings, marinated with oregano, lemon-mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt and dry vermouth. Smells great. Oh, and I'll have some Gordon Brothers Chardonnay with dinner tonight too - yummy. Cheers!

Now that I'm back home from a week of camping, it's time to start posting event notices and wine reviews. Katie Nelson of Gordon Brothers Cellars, emailed me about an upcomming Winemaker Dinner at Bin 20 Restaurant. Here are the details: Join GORDON BROTHERS CELLARS and Bin 20 Chef CHARLIE REED, For a wonderful pairing event! Chef Reed and Gordon Brothers Winemaker Tim Henley have worked together to come up with a fantastic menu of food and wine you won’t want to miss! When: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 Time: 6:30 PM Place: Bin 20 Restaurant, located inside the Pasco Red Lion Price: $60 per person (includes six-course meal with wine) For reservations: Call Perlicia Mullen-Rando, Red Lion Food & Beverage Manager, (509) 544-3950 Seating is limited - looks like a good time. Cheers!