Supple, dark, and laced with licorice, cassis, and clove, this well-crafted Bordeaux blend does not scream high alcohol, though it tops 14.6%. What keeps it focused and precise are the vivid acids and sculpted tannins. It’s the work of a young winemaker who is improving dramatically with each new vintage, even as his vineyard puts out better and better fruit.
— P.G.
(7/1/2011)
Fascinating; this was co-fermented with 7% whole cluster Roussanne, then blended with another 4% Viognier. Inky, vivid, saturated and loaded with appealing scents of meat, smoke, cedar, pencil shavings, blackberry, black cherry and much more, this is Washington’s answer to Barossa Shiraz. Yet the alcohol remains a sensible 14.3%, and the wine has impeccable balance.
— P.G.
(5/1/2007)
Mixed tart and racy fruit flavors of blueberry and plum, pie cherry and more are softly coddled with spicy, chocolaty oak. This is the best wine Alexandria Nicole has yet produced, and should pave the way for more Washington-made Bordeaux blends to emulate this fruit-driven, well-balanced style.
— P.G.
(5/1/2007)
A fragrant, rich mix of olive, smoke, earth, black cherry, cassis and more. It offers fine value, good texture, grip and a very appealing, silky-smooth evolution in the finish.
— P.G.
(7/1/2011)
This has a buttery, creamy softness that belies the usual hardness of Washington Cab. Excellent winemaking shows off not just the plum and cherry fruit, set against a thick wash of chocolaty oak, but also the firm acid and hints of citrus and earth that elevate the wine beyond the ordinary.
— P.G.
(12/31/2007)
Very fresh and juicy, this mouth-pleasing Viognier mixes peaches and grapefruit, zippy acidity, with highlights of lemon zest. It’s beautifully balanced, detailed and refreshing.
— P.G.
(12/1/2009)
Though the term late harvest would suggest a sweet, dessert wine, this is more on the off-dry side of Riesling, with juicy acids that cut the impression of sugar. Fragrant with scents and flavors of apricots, apple pie, honey and biscuit, it is expressive, nicely balanced and loaded with flavor.
— P.G.
(12/1/2009)
Full-bodied, ripe and packed with mixed fruit flavors of blackberry, cherry, plum and cassis, this complex offering from the estate’s Destiny Ridge vineyard layers in star anise, vanilla and licorice as it breathes open. Fine structure and balance.
— P.G.
(12/1/2009)