When you think of great wine cultures your mind conjures up provinces of France, rugged struggling vines in Spain, fruit & nut Californians, enterprising Australians, and Carmenere-saving Chileans. Probably the last culture you would associate with viniculture are horn-helmeted raiders from the land of the midnight sun. No great wine has ever come out of Norway aboard a longship. Sure these barbarians named Sven and Ole would plunder a cask or two, but make it? Never.

I know that Washington State is one of those places where Norwegians settled upon emigrating to the USA, but what lunatic thought that melding that with the state’s wine production was a good idea? Somewhere in the Yakima Valley of Washington is a place called Outlook, and though I’ve never been there I’d have to say the Outlook is bleak if this is what comes from there. My dictionary describes the word “raucous” with the following synonyms: harsh, strident, screeching, piercing, shrill, grating, discordant, dissonant; noisy, loud, cacophonous. That pretty much sums up the drinking experience.

I paid $7.99 for this bottle, and that was a deep discount. I can’t imagine how cacophonous my reaction would be had I paid full retail!

The look on Mrs. Barbarian’s face upon her initial tasting of the wine could serve as a dictionary illustration for “grating” or “discordant.” Thankfully I had a funnel handy and the glass you see here went right back in the bottle after I confirmed her suspicions.

I initially thought about saving it for use in cooking, which is my usual response to a bad tasting wine. After further consideration I ended up pouring that $7.99 right down the sink.

I’ll let you in on a not-so-hidden secret: While I like wine quite a bit, I don’t know much about wine. When I sit down to share what I thought about any particular wine it is usually a bit after the fact. I snap a photo of the wine, and jot some drunken notes on my not-so-smartphone. I can recall the reactions of those who are with me at the time, and can certainly remember if I liked it or not. But anything more factual is usually conjured from the vast reaches of the Internet via Google. I like to provide links should you, my dear reader, wish to go out and buy some of this stuff yourself. I never read what other reviewers have said about a wine… I honestly do not care. Besides I find all the wine-snob terminology frustrating as hell. I swear, if I ever actually hear somebody say something like “essence of blackberries and tobacco” in my presence I’m likely to bury my forks in their eye sockets (salad fork in the left eye of course!) and drink all their wine myself. I’ve been known for other barbaric, though not-so-dramatic acts… for instance taking empty wine bottles home from fancy restaurants. I do this as a reminder to myself of how good the wine was, and a way for me to catalog it later for you. Mrs. Barbarian is always shocked and embarrassed by this behavior of mine … though she hasn’t yet said “oaky” or “shoe leather” yet while at a fancy bistro with me. She thinks walking away with an empty, and then (shock! horror!) leaving it sitting at my desk for weeks on end is “tacky.” Of course my retort to her is “you picked me… what does that say about your judgement?”

Not long ago Mrs. Barbarian & I visited our favorite eatery and as my eye wandered over the wine list it fell upon something I’d never seen before. A Petite Syrah from the Pacific Northwest. I had to try it. The proprietor of this place loves to present hard to find, usually very unusual wines. Sure, he has a big list of safe choices for those lacking in courage, but there are enough whack-jobs like myself among his clientele that oddball wines and offbeat varietals are always available on the periphery of his list. I suspect that in the case of this wine, he only had a handful, if even a case. It was there one week, and gone the next. I’m glad I stumbled into enjoy it while it was available.

Despite the fact that I kept the bottle, this Petite Syrah remains a mystery.

The front label says only:

Fallöbst
Petite Syrah
Zephyr Ridge Vineyard
Alc. 14.2% by volume

2006

The back label continues the enigma:

I’m Just Sayin’
I have eaten
the grapes
that were on
the vine
………………..
and which
you were probably
saving
for harvest
……………….
Forgive me
they were so delicious
so sweet
and so oval

PRODUCED AND BOTTLED BY FALLOBST
MILTON FREEWATER, OREGON

All that Google can tell me is that Fallöbst winery does exist in Milton-Freewater (a town not far from Walla Walla, Washington), has paid taxes, and has distributed this wine to a few places in the Pacific Northwest (how it got here to me is yet another mystery!) Zephyr Ridge Vineyard appears to be in Horse Heaven Hills, which is in Washington state in the Columbia River Valley. Beyond that this wine retains all manner of mystery.

I can not recall what I paid for it, likely around $35, which means if it was on a store shelf it would cost around $15—$19. That my friend would be a bargain because this is a wonderful Petite Syrah. Big, bold, smooth, and able to stain your teeth beyond any hope of a career on television.

A nice little birthday dinner for the Mrs. Barbarian of the household and once again we visited her favorite haunt. She loves to explore the menu, trying new things. Me? I order the same thing every time: New York Strip, medium-rare. The chef here has that steak down pat, so why tempt fate? I limit my explorations to the wine list. The owner of this little small-town bistro always has great stuff on the list and to be honest, like the chef’s steak the wine list has never let me down. On this trip I noted another wine from that Walla Walla place up in Washington, specifically Basel Cellars. We’d really enjoyed their Claret which was a cheap thrill indeed. This other selection was called “Merriment“. What better choice for a celebration? While it was well over 2X the price of the Claret we’d tried before, it still wasn’t outrageously priced as so many reds can be.

Merriment is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. It is also awesome. Mrs. Barbarian loved it. I loved it. Wonderful stuff.

Americans have occasionally been shown to be … shall we say “geographically challenged“. Your humble Barbarian however, always knows where he is, and normally can find just about any place on a map. Navigation to me is an enjoyable past time. I can find cardinal directions quite easily and though my travels, when judged on a global scale, have been rather modest (the number of countries I’ve visited number less than a dozen) I can still tour the world through a bottle of cheap red wine… and often do.

I saw this Pinot Noir on a grocery shelf, with a price of about $10. It proclaimed its origin from the Columbia Valley, which I know straddles both Oregon and Washington. The Washington side of the river, being on the north, which means facing south, contains the vast majority of the grape growing areas. I noted also that the winery is called “Castle Rock”. Now this is a rather common place name, especially in the western US, where I bet every state contains a town or a feature named “Castle Rock”. I know for a fact there is a town with this name in western Washington, somewhere north of Portland, where the Willamette River (whose valley produces so much excellent Pinot Noir!) flows into the Columbia. I seem to recall a place long the Colombia River as well named Castle Rock… perhaps it is a geological feature. So the grapes are from this valley in Washington state… where is the winery?

The label says Sonoma, California, and their website says Palos Verdes Estates, California.

That seems odd to me as I doubt the grapes made either a 600 or a 1200 mile journey from vineyard to winery. If so those grapes are better travelled than most of the Americans they passed on Interstate 5!

However the geographical conjecture is meaningless as the wine itself is quite good. Mrs. Barbarian and I enjoyed it with a grilled chicken caesar salad the other night. I was supposed to do the grilling. I imagined slicing the chicken breasts like filets and pounding them flat with some garlic and herbs before tossing them on the grill. But I became distracted with some chore out in the yard … and the Mrs. being hungry and an impatient type of person put one of those cast iron griddle things on the stove and started cooking. When I finally finished my manly wrench spinning, or grass chopping, or whatever it was I was doing I wandered into a smoky kitchen to find lumpy chicken and a coughing wife. I casually mentioned my idea of a filet cut, and was met by a verbal assault. If she’d been armed with a filet knife I imagine I’d be on the menu.

I beat a hasty retreat to the wine cellar and as it was the first day of summer and this was a light meal, I grabbed a Pinot. This Pinot: Castle Rock 2006 Columbia Valley Pinot Noir. Mrs. Barbarian put the food on the table and I opened the wine. Within minutes her mood improved. It could have been hunger being sated, or it could have been the wine. I’d like to think it was the latter, as it was light, refreshing, and quite tasty. Not a sophisticated Pinot, but certainly significantly better than your average low priced one. In fact I’ve paid twice as much for bad Pinots! So for the money, this is likely one of the better ones I’ve ever had. Kept me from being served as dessert.

www.castlerockwinery.com

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Thank you Mr. Dickens for Comparison Only is what we’re here to perform.

My parents were visiting recently, ironically stopping by before departing on a wine tour of the west coast, including Napa & Sonoma, Oregon and Washington. I often say “I aspire to my father’s lifestyle” and I mean it. He is enjoying the rewards due to him from a lifetime of labor by pursuing that which provides him great pleasure. One of these pleasures is the fruit of the vine. All of the finest wines I have ever tasted have been either at my father’s table, or at a table hosted by my father. It is through him that I have come to this passion for the vintners craft.

We made a reservation at our favorite local bistro for a dinner. While we both perused the wine list I spotted a Carmenère, from of all places, Walla Walla, Washington. My father introduced me to Carmenère about a decade ago and told me its story. I know that he visited Chile a few years ago and toured the varietals’ adopted homeland, so I suggested we try it. Pulling paternal rank knowing that he’d be footing the bill when the check arrived, he demurred, saying it was a bit too expensive (at around $42. You see I come by many traits honestly!) Not wanting to let the opportunity pass, I said “I’ll buy it.” He agreed and I ordered up a bottle. The proprietor let me know that it was an excellent choice and that it was one of his last bottles.

How Carmenère came to be planted in Walla Walla, WA is a story I’d love to hear some day, until then I’ll have to let the wine speak for itself. This Beresan Carmenère is a wonderful example of the varietal, which any Chilean winery would be proud to produce. It drinks as I’d expect a good Carmenère to drink; deep, rich, complex, and flavorful. While not as massively dense as some I’ve tried, it certainly isn’t what you would call light. Between the four of us the bottle went pretty fast and my father ordered a bottle of the other Carmenère found on the wine list; a Chilean called Root:1 (at around $32 at the restaurant, likely much less at retail.) I’ve had a Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon before, but never their Carmenère until now.

It has all the same characteristics of the Beresan Carmenère, but with a slightly lighter flavor with quite a bit more fruit. Perhaps the fact that it is only 75% Carmenère, with the rest being Cabernet sauvignon and Syrah is what gives it the fruit-boost and lighter profile. Honestly they were both excellent, with the Beresan being my favorite of the two.

As Dickens said it is indeed the best and worst of times. A time when a modestly wealthy gentleman much watch his expenses due to the foolishness of the great titans of Finance who brought upon us this winter of despair. But it is also our Spring of hope, with everything before us, such that amazing fruits of far off continents are available to us for a few dollars here and there. Savor the fruits where you find them.

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

Links:
Beresan Wines.
Root:1 Wines.

A few nights ago I opened two bottles of Syrah. The first was one of our old standby’s, Cameron Hughes Lot 105 2004 Sonoma Mountain Syrah. I bought a case of this a while ago and we love it. Mrs. Barbarian and I enjoy this wine and have one likely twice a month. We have never NOT enjoyed it, and it is certainly a pleasing wine. Mrs. Barbarian likes syrah more than I do, and she has no complaints about Lot 105. It is a great value at $12 a bottle.

The second bottle is more than twice that price, at right around $30. Rarely do I spend that kind of money and frequently when I do I’m disappointed. Not so this time!

This is Chatter Creek 2003 Syrah from the Clifton Vineyard in Washington state. It literally blew away Mr. Hughes’ wine. This was a case where the price was justified by the product within the bottle. Especially when compared to the California Syrah (which, I’ll repeat, we LIKE), the Chatter Creek is truly awesome. Much richer flavor. Much more depth. As much as I love it when the low price wine meets or beats the higher priced one, in this case it did not happen.

I recommend both of these wines, but if the occasion warrants it, go with the Chatter Creek.

Horrible photograph of a very nice wine.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately… I came down with the flu a while ago and it utterly destroyed my senses of smell and taste for weeks. I’ve been recovering and along the way I’ve enjoyed a few good wines. This is a fine example, Basel Cellars 2006 Claret. Mrs. Barbarian, her sister, and I enjoyed this at our local favorite restaurant last weekend. “Claret” is a British term for “Bordeaux blend” and this indeed is a blend of mostly Bordeaux varietals, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and the a bit of the Rhone thrown in, in the form of Syrah. Basel Cellars is from that wonderful corner of Washington state that the natives call “Walla Walla”… funny name, great wines.

This bottle retails for right around $20 bucks. You really can’t go wrong at that price. Excellent value, and good enough to be a bit better than an everyday wine.

This that Cab Franc I mentioned in my last post. It is from Owen Roe, and named “Rosa Mystica” The bottle features a moody photograph of a ruined Irish abbey and tells tales of the misdeeds of the evil Oliver Cromwell on the Emerald Isle. Our bottle was numbered: 4753 of 7596 produced. The winery is located in Oregon, but the grapes are sourced from it’s northern neighbor, Washington state. I’ll tag it as the both.

We enjoyed this wine with a fine meal at Mrs. Barbarian’s favorite restaurant. She did the two-starters thing for dinner, whereas I went completely overboard with Chef Martin’s special of the night, a pair of venison chops in a red wine reduction sauce that was so amazing that I spooned it all up and was about to start licking my plate when Mrs. Barbarian deftly snatched the plate away to avoid death by embarrassment. What did she expect, marrying a Barbarian? Sigh.

The Owen Roe Cab Franc lived up to it’s name, being both red, and mysterious. Big as one would expect from a cab franc, but with subtlety and depth. Give it a try, I bet you’ll like it.

You’d do well to find Chef Martin and fresh-cut tender Bambi though. yum! (Now that I mention it some rabbit would be good with this too. mmmmmm…)

This wine sells for mid-range $35-$45 bucks, so again, it is a bit above my usual range. Seems par for the course for domestic products though, which is a shame. Well, I’ll always have Chile. I’ve decided to add a new category in this range’s honor: “Expensive, but not outrageous.”

Mrs. Barbarian & I went out for dinner last night. It was Christmas Eve and we’d done nothing to prepare, so when the better half declared “let’s go out” I was already dialling our favorite small town bistro for a reservation. Our little foothills burg had been blanketed with an unusual snowfall. Not that we don’t get snow, it is just we rarely see more than a dusting. For the past nine days we’ve been getting dumped upon. Our home is buried under over 3 feet, and down in town things are Alaskan in appearance. Our favorite bistro was indeed open on this semi-holiday, and we secured a table for two.

Upon arrival we found a festive atmosphere and a likeness of the owner/chef, Chef Martin in snow out front:

We were seated in a comfy spot at the back, beyond a large party of revelers, but adjacent to the wine racks and small bar. We both ordered one of their “signature martinis”… neither of which are really martinis in the traditional sense. Mrs. Barbarian’s was more like a margarita, with a salted rim, and tequila as the main liquor. Mine was called a “Toasted L’Orange” and is a bourbon-based concoction. Both were awesome. Chef Martin had a special for the occasion, a slab of prime rib that looked too good to pass up, so I ordered that along with an onion soup. Mrs. Barbarian ordered a pair of appetizers as her main course, some potato latkes with smoked salmon, and an amazing glazed prawns thing which she prevented me from tasting in a fit of selfishness. Her soup was a squash/curry contrivance that was spec-effing-tacular. Midway through our soups I ordered some wine. Martin’s business partner Steve always has a great wine list and introduces me to all sorts of good stuff. Last time we visited we enjoyed a wonderful Cabernet Franc (review coming soon) so I was paying close attention to that varietal. I didn’t see anything that caught my eye until I ran down the list of blends and here was something at a reasonable price point that just had a promising ring to it: Fall Line Winery Horse Heaven Hills Red Wine 2005, 39% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, and 28% Cabernet Sauvignon.

It proved a wonderful accompaniment to our meal. Smooth and flavorful. Very drinkable. Very deep and satisfying.

The wine retails for around $30, so it is just a bit outside my usual range but I always throw my cheap side under the bus when I go out to eat. Mind you, it still calls out to me when I order so I never do anything stupid like order anything in triple digits! This wine falls into that grey area between “cheap” and “expensive” so I’ll classify it as both. However, I will be pursuing this one on my own and perhaps more of the output from this small winery in Washington state. From what I read on their website they make very limited quantities, so if you want to get yours before I hoard it all for the apocalypse, get off the couch and buy some!

The Vinagoth can’t take a photo obviously. Of course if you knew the circumstances leading up to this photo you might be more forgiving. It was at the Office Xmas Party last Friday night. I ended up at a table with the CEO, who said “You’re the expert, pick the wine!” That’s like handing a chainsaw to a psychopath! How could I resist?

So, perusing the long list I picked a Cab Franc that looked promising… a total wild ass guess to be honest. The Sommelier thought I was some sort of genius, saying something like “That is my favorite!” She brought the first bottle, which she expertly poured for the FIVE of us at that end of the table sharing that bottle. I thought she was a genius for getting the pour exactly right in each glass while and ending up with nothing left and all even. Damn this wine was good. The place where we had our party charged $60 a bottle, and I didn’t pay for it… well, I did pay for one bottle later, but it’ll be covered on my next expense report! I think between the five of us we polished off five bottles. It WAS a five course meal though.

Everyone at my table thought I was a genius, and everyone loved the wine. So what is it? Have a look at the photo above, can’t you read?

It is a O*S Winery 2006 Cabernet Franc. I can’t take a photo, but I can make an blur-free HTML link:

Here you go.

I have no idea what it goes for retail, but I may seek it out and buy some. How can you resist? It makes you into a genius!