But I did get to the wine tasting at Parker Wine Cellars, as evidenced by the photo above, and I'm glad I went. Wines from the Saint Laurent winery in Washington State were featured. I learned a lot -- first of all, did you know that Washington State is on the same latitude as France? That's one of those little factoids that doesn't occur to either my conscious or subconscious brain until it's pointed out, but it makes sense that grapes would grow in Washington State. Of course, the soil and other conditions are not the same as France; however, as you will see below in Jeff's thorough descriptions, the growing conditions are excellent for the Saint Laurent wines: "Owned and operated by Michael and Laura Mrachek which began some plantings in 1978, this Washington State winner seems to get over looked by some wine aficionados. Beginning in 1999 Mike planted 60 acres on the Wahluke Slope and today there are over 260 prime acres under vine near the beautiful Columbia River. Here the growing conditions are any winemakers pleasant dream. Long sunny days and a unique soil profile from lava flows and ancient glaciers all come together to put the right fruit in the right bottle."
And now, the wines we tasted:
2008 "LUCKY" WHITE~~ This blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay meld together to offer a generous nose of gardenias, lemons, and ripe apricots that all seem to show up on the mid palate as well. A jaunty little wine that seems to have a chameleon personality that almost changes with each sip. Dry and crisp on the finish, the balance seems to lean toward the fruitiness instead of any sweetness. Finishing strong, it comes off medium to light bodied with enough muscle though to stand next to your dinner plate and work well with several light dishes. (MY NOTE: This was a fascinating wine. As noted above, with each sip the taste subtly changed, and I could detect the different flavors. I would drink this wine with a cheese and fruit plate or something that would allow you to concentrate on the wine.)
2006 "LUCKY" RED~~ This fruit forward blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah with all estate grown grapes from the Wahluke Slope imparts the flavors and aromas of cherry, currant, vanilla bean, black tea and hints of clove that seem to alternate on which one stands out more. The mid and rear part of the palate seem to notice a little muscle, but used with a slight finesse that shows a balance of soft tannins and ripe dark fruit. The finish is fairly long with just enough acid not to come off as flabby. This wine almost begs to put it with your favorite loaded pizza or pasta, but on its own it seems to be a stand out treat, and definitely would work well with your favorite DVD. (MY NOTE: The merlot, which was about 65%, if I remember correctly, did stand out. The cab and syrah balanced it out nicely but did not blend so much that you couldn't appreciate what you were drinking. I don't like to drink a blend that has been so sternly put together that all you think is, "I'm drinking red wine.")
2006 SYRAH~~ Here we have a 'Showcase' wine that shows off what Washington can do with this Rhone style stalwart. Dark and brooding in the glass, the nose exudes wave upon wave of spicy blackberry, tea leaves and mushrooms. The palate then gets to show off the ripe fruit that brings out raspberry, clove, graphite and black currant that all seem to fight over what's going to stay on the finish longer. Really structured well, the balance shows strength, acidity and a depth of ripe dark fruits that can stand out at the dinner table with a multitude of wonderful meals. Wine Spectator~~91 POINTS (MY NOTE: Oh yeah, this one was a winner! Absolutely delicious. A perfect syrah.)
After a quick run to the local emergency clinic to check on a sick friend, I scooted home and threw together chicken breasts in puff pastry, mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms to feed the gang. I kept telling them that Europeans eat dinner at 9 p.m. so it can't be THAT horrible.
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