William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Just released 21 October 2015 At first taste I knew this would be a "Wine of the Week." Kudos to Josh and Amy Stottlemeyer for producing such an exceptional Washington Malbec. Expect more reviews of Stottle Winery soon. Stottle Winery and main tasting room is located in Lacey, Washington just off I-5 and north of the state capital, Olympia. Thoughts: Ready to drink now. Wonderful with food. Well done. Decanting for an hour showed the elegance and depth of this wine. Don't wait too long to purchase this vintage. Only 110 cases were produced. Strongly Recommended + Wine of the Week . ~.~ Tasting Notes Stottle Winery 2012 Malbec Elerding 6 Prong Vineyards Color: Dark purple. Nose: Candied plum, baking spice, clove, grape bubble yum in background. Palate: Spiced plum, berry spice, chocolate, focused to middle, medium body, cherry on the finish. Tasty at open and ready to go. Enjoyed the finish. After 15 minutes: Savory berry, sandal wood, spice. Wo...

Take time to enjoy family and friends with Stottle Wines. The dreary, cool weather and that on and off drizzle has me bundled up today. Jacket and sweater are no longer optional. I'm cold, hungry and craving comfort. Good food, good friends and a good bottle of wine are on my list for tonight. My wine selection for this weekend is the Stottle 2011 Syrah Horse Heaven Hills. Because I'm fond of Syrah and the Horse Heaven Hills. Make some fond memories over the weekend and hug your loved ones. Tasting Notes Stottle Winery 2011 Syrah Horse Heaven Hills Color : Dark purple. Nose : Perfumed, smoky, violets, dark cacao, dark fruit, bacon fat, clove. Palate : Energetic, gripped my ears, pepper, leather, blackberry. 15 minutes : Relaxing, acid more present than tannin, dark fruit and dark chocolate, nose is more complex. Lively chocolate, plum finish kept it interesting. 30 minutes : chocolate, clove, mint nose. Tasty flavors, blueberry compote, tar, dark chocolate, balanci...

A Season for Sweet Lucille.  This time of year the sun sets earlier and earlier. Temperatures are gradually dropping and that bit of early fall is slowly shifting my mindset to thoughts of comfort foods and beverages. Enter Lucille by Stottle Winery. Lucille is a late harvest Viognier. A well crafted dessert wine, Lucille is sweet but balanced with appropriate acidity, so the sweetness does not dominate this wine. If you are already thinking of holiday plans and meals, Lucille would be wonderful served after dinner and by the fireplace or fire pit. It was a delight enjoying this wine at sunset after home cooked meals. Thank you Amy and Josh. Tasting notes : Color : Pale silver-gold. Nose : Honey, stone fruit, fresh minerality. Palate : Medium-sweet, resin, honey, apricot, nectarine, fluid mid-palate, gentle tart. Palate cleansing. Thoughts : Not heavy, refreshing. Balanced sugar and acidity. As it warmed it seemed sweeter with fig. I think it would be a good palate c...

A Stylish Washington Malbec.  Malbec is another of the varietals Washington winemakers have embraced. Strongly associated with fine wines from Argentina, Malbec is a red wine varietal originally from the Bordeaux region of France. Stottle Winery has crafted a truly stylish Washington Malbec. A fragrant food worthy wine. The smart label design adds to the impression of style. A wonderful wine for your next formal occasion. Tasting Notes : Color : Smoky Garnet. Nose : Smoky, dark chocolate, candied cherry, black licorice, shell of hazelnut, blueberry, espresso, hint of juicy fresh sliced cherry tomato, elderberry. Palate : Juicy, dark fruit, Medium-light mouth feel, black cherry, cola, mocha, super fine tannin on the gums, fresh medium finish with tingle across the tongue. Wine seeking food. Day two : Blackberry, tobacco, hint of orange and tar, fine tannin, smooth, dry with bright notes on the medium finish. Finish lingered on the mid-palate with dried dark fruit. N...

A blissful bottle of Washington Tempranillo. It is a privilege to taste, sample, experience and review wine. Over the years I have built a mental image of what wine means to me. The more wine I experience, the more I want to experience. There is a world of wine waiting to be discovered. If you have followed along with the #winemuse podcast show I am co-hosting, then you know that each month we taste and review a wine from a different country. So far we have visited Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and next month Austria. As the show has evolved, we have added conversations with the winemakers. We are expanding our knowledge and awareness of wine from around the world and hope that some of you are joining us. It is a lot of fun and worthwhile. My mental image of wine continues to evolve. How does this translate and how is it relevant to the 2011 Stottle Tempranillo ? Recognition of exceptional wine. I knew instantly this would be my "Wine of the Wee...

Baby it's hot outside! We are well on track for a warmer than usual growing season. Yes, it is hot. Thankfully, every business I visit in the Columbia Valley has AC. At home too. Earlier this week I was in Seattle for a couple of days. Surprising how many businesses do not have AC in the Emerald city. If you are seeking respite from the summer heat, I recommend the  Stottle Winery Viognier . Serve with or without AC. Thank me later for recommending this wine. Enjoy and keep cool. Tasting Notes Stottle Winery 2012 Viognier Eldering Vineyard Color : Straw/pale gold. Nose : Pear, fresh baled hay. Palate : Medium-full body, creamy, pear skin, almost tart, hint of heat. Tingle on the lips. Medium pear skin finish. After 10 minutes : Pear, Honeydew melon, river rock, nutty on nose. Creamy mouth feel, mild pear, mild tartness back palate, river rock on the long pear finish. Modest wine at open, finish dominant and enjoyable, lingered and lingered. 30 minutes : Spicy, melon-pe...