Skip to main content

Wine of the week: Purple Star 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon @PurpleStarWines

photo

This year I have had the pleasure of getting to know Kyle and Amy Johnson of Purple Star Wines. We keep meeting each other at Washington wine tasting events. I've enjoyed several bottles of Purple Star at home and promised I would start writing about their wines. Kyle has over 10 years of Washington winemaking experience and it shows in the quality of his wines. In 2008, he and Amy decided to start their own label emphasizing family, friends and the enjoyment of wine, Purple Star Wines.


January 2013 - Kyle and Amy Johnson at Washington State Wine Awards.
May 2013 - Amy and Kyle Johnson at Revelry on Red Mountain.
August 2013 - Amy Johnson pouring Purple Star at Cheese Louise in Richland.
September 2013 - Amy and Kyle also poured at the Red Mountain Block Party.
Kyle and Amy are also good people. Purple Star Wines donates 15% of Purple Star Wines’ proceeds to Seattle Children’s Hospital to benefit uncompensated care—a gesture they hope will lighten the financial burden of families overwhelmed by the expenses associated with critical medical care. It’s their way of “paying it forward.”

Tasting Notes Purple Star 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Color: Ruby with garnet highlights.
Nose: Dark fruit, espresso, cocoa, pepper mill, whiff of violets.
Palate: Dark cherry, ripe blackberry, medium body, balanced acid and tannin, good mouth feel, tasty at opening, medium finish. With some air this wine really opened up nicely, captivating lush nose, rich palate and bigger finish. Very dark color too. Lovely focus in the front palate, with a dry brightness, lip smacking occurred.

Thoughts: An excellent choice for grilled steaks, I enjoyed this wonderful Washington Cabernet Sauvignon at home. The price was friendly too. It would be lovely with a Prime Rib roast this holiday season. Definitely a worthy "Wine of the Week." Recommended.

Note: Purple Star has recently moved into a tasting room in Vancouver, Washington with several other Washington wineries. If you are in the Portland, Oregon area there's no excuse for not discovering the wonder of Purple Star Wines. Address below.



Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.5% Merlot, 7.5% Petit Verdot.
50% Wahluke Slope - Milbrandt Vineyards
40% Yakima Valley - Olsen Brothers Vineyards
10% Red Mountain - Kiona Vineyards
Closure: Natural cork
ABV: 14.2%
Paid: $15.95
1036 Cases Produced

Purple Star Wines
VISIT FOR A TASTING
1812 Washington St.
Vancouver, WA 98660
(360) 693-2700
Friday 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM
*Open First Friday until 9:00PM
Saturday 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Sunday 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Or by appointment.

INFO@PURPLESTARWINES.COM
www.purplestarwines.com
@PurpleStarWines



Native Sun by Purple Star Wines.

I would also like to recommend the Purple Star Syrah and Rose. Both of these wines are very good, so demand is strong. You may have difficulty tracking them down. If you see them buy them. Kyle and Amy also have another label for their "super premium" red wines called "Native Sun." They are a product of Kyle's passion and therefore extremely limited production and more expensive, but so worth it. Stunning wines.

Cheers!

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle ...

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine.  That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d...

Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon. The style has changed.

“There is something special going on at Col Solare." In mid-June 2022, I began working for Col Solare winery on the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. The Red Mountain AVA and Col Solare are famous for stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. That I knew going in.  We are not here to make more wine... We are here to showcase place. At the end of June 2022, Col Solare winemaker Darel Allwine retired. Darel had been winemaker since 2013. Prior, he had been Col Solare assistant winemaker for Marcus Notaro. Marcus had been Col Solare winemaker when the Red Mountain facility opened and was winemaker before we had our Red Mountain facility.  On July 1, 2022, Col Solare assistant winemaker, Stephanie Cohen, was promoted to Col Solare winemaker. I was present for this change. It was the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Col Solare is the third winery I have worked for. I chose well.  Often, I am asked by Col Solare guests, as I was last week, “Tell me about Col Solare. Wh...