huevos con vino

I should warn you right now.  There are two things you need to know before you read the bulk of this blog entry.

First, I am not a fan of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon.  But I feel that my disappointing previous experiences represent a string of bad luck rather than anything wrong with the wines or the wineries.  Too much acidity and a dry, conflicted flavor suggests to me that I am drinking wines far too young.  So I’m excited about WBW #34 because I have been searching for the right WA Cab Sauv to make me forget that Hestan I drank two years ago.  And that Silver Oak…and that one Harlan Estate….

Second, if you are interested in wine, but you are less than familiar with Walla Walla Valley wines from Washington State, I recommend a quick look at the official Walla Walla Valley Alliance Web site.  If you’ve only ever heard of Walla Walla onions, you’ll be surprised by the history of this wine-growing region of the country.  If I were you, I’d check Wikipedia for more information on the town of Walla Walla itself, which was famously namechecked by Bugs Bunny, among other cartoon characters.

If you’re too lazy to visit those links, let me provide a little history.  Over the past 20 years, the Walla Walla area has distinguished itself among Washington State AVAs.  The Cabernet Sauvignon that comes from this AVA is regarded as superb, although Merlot, Chardonnay, and Syrah are stars as well.  Now, I live in the Seattle area, so it’s relatively easy for me to find many of the wines from the 60+ wineries in the Walla Walla AVA.  Some wineries are obscure even in the state of Washington, though, which is why I’m glad the Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman asked everyone to look beyond Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest, two of the massive Washington wineries with which most people are familiar.

One of the higher-end Walla Walla wineries that you might have heard of is Reininger.  The Reininger winery has been around since 1997, and it is an impressive family affair.  Judging by the history page on the Reininger Web site, no less than six family members work at the winery.  The “Helix” brand, a more economically-priced line of Reininger wines produced from Columbia Valley fruit, takes its name in part from the town where one of the winery owner’s grandparents used to have a farm.  The word “Helix” also represents the name of the taster’s choice in escargot, apparently.  The Helix line of wines features some interesting new options, such as Sangiovese and a Merlot Rosé.  Every good winery needs a gimmick, and the Helix wines provide that marketing focus for Reininger.

But the portfolio at Reininger really shines when you look at the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot releases made from Walla Walla Valley fruit.  The first Reininger releases in 1997 were Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, all of which featured varying levels of each of these varietals in the blends.  In 1999, Reininger folded some Syrah into their offerings, with a 100% Carmenère release close behind.  Lately they have also released a Chardonnay/Pinot Gris blend named “Helix Aspersa,” one of the specific species of escargot that we all enjoy.  Seriously.  I love escargot.

Back to the Cabernet Sauvignon.  In my opinion, this is Reininger’s big gun, so to speak.  Although their other wines (particularly their Merlot) regularly receive awards and industry tasting scores of 90+, it was their 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon release that put them on the map with a 90-point score in Wine Spectator and a couple of gold and double gold awards from local wine competitions.  The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon hit 93 points in Wine & Spirits, while the 2000 release earned 4 stars from Decanter.  Wine & Spirits gave the 2001 93 points yet again, while the 2002 earned 91 points from that source and 90 points from Wine Advocate.  Clearly, the national wine media pay attention when Reininger releases a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2002 vintage is the wine that I decided to try for this Wine Blogging Wednesday tasting.  The 2002 is 14.2% alcohol and features a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon gathered from three Walla Walla vineyards: Ash Hollow, Pepper Bridge, and Seven Hills.  The remainder of the blend is comprised of 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Carmenère.  No Merlot to be found.  That might make all the difference, as it turns out.

In terms of cooperage and aging, the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon uses a small percentage (4%) of Russian oak to go with the primarily French oak, in which the wine resides for just under 2 years.  The barrels are split almost evenly between used and new wood, with slightly more used than new.  I like this approach because the balance of used oak softens the flavors a little in contrast with the new oak.  I’m not sure what sort of toast they use at Reininger; frankly, that’s the sort of absurd trainspotter detail that I find interesting mostly because I like barrels.  Strange, I know.  If you are interested in the toasting process, here’s a decent article explaining why Chardonnay had such a backlash recently.

Okay, enough about toast.  What about the wine?  Will it live up to my high, seemingly California-centric standards?  Have I finally found the Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon that makes me want to come back for more?  Or will I be disappointed again by a mouthful of acid and bitterness?  Read on for my notes on this 2002 Reininger Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon:

• Aroma: A complex medley of blackberry, cassis, black cherry, smoky leather, dark chocolate nibs, and coffee.  Very enticing, rich aroma that filled the room when I opened the bottle.  Impressive start.
• Flavor: Lush blackberry jam, black currant, and blueberry notes with supple tannins and firm but accessible acidity.  A well-balanced wine right out of the bottle, surprisingly enough.  Over time I got more of the wild strawberry essence that was promised on the winery Web site; I think this flavor is caused by the acidity peeking through the black fruit curtains, so to speak.
• General impression: Eureka!  A Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon that speaks my language.  I’m impressed.

The verdict?  We have a winner!  The 2002 Reininger is wonderful, and well worth the $37 I paid.  It’s a serious wine, weighty but accessibly light and fruity without the need for decanting.  Now that was shocking to me; I have become accustomed to decanting young wines.  But this one is ready to go once you pop the cork.  I like that.  I also like the fact that this wine features primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and no Merlot.  Most of the other Washington Cab blends I’ve had featured Merlot, sometimes in significant quantities.  Perhaps Washington Cabernet Sauvignon grapes simply blend better with Cabernet Franc and Carmenère?  I assume that smoky leather aroma came from that dash of Carmenère; it’s quite a nice addition to the bouquet.

So as Wine Blogging Wednesday #34 winds down for me, I must say that my faith in Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon has been restored.  And I didn’t need to spend $100 to restore my faith, either.  All I had to do was try a little harder to find a wine that I liked.  For me, Reininger fit the bill!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 12th, 2007 at 6:25 pm and is filed under Wine Blogging Wednesday, wine review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.