There's a new winemaker in Walla Walla, Washington, by the name of Brad Binko. Write that name down. Now go look for his wines.
"Life is about stories so let’s go make one!" Brad Binko
Brad is a big guy, with a friendly smile and warm personality. He's quick to shake your hand and ready to talk wine. I enjoyed meeting Brad and enjoyed tasting his first releases. First releases? Yep, Brad has done a wonderful job crafting white, rose' and red wines. I'm quite impressed at the quality, depth of flavor, maturity of style and his cool label designs. Have you written down his name yet?
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Brad Binko is a Certified Sommelier and today is making small lots of terroir driven Washington wines. He focuses on Rhone Varietals and single vineyard wines using native fermentation, extended maceration, and non-intrusive wine-making techniques. Eternal Wines only uses hand harvested fruit from premium vineyards. Production is at 400 cases.
Brad Binko studied winemaking at the Center for Enology and Viticulture on the campus of Walla Walla Community College. Formerly the assistant winemaker at Walla Faces Winery, today Brad is the owner/winemaker for his own Eternal Wines. Established in 2014, Eternal Wines is located at 1460 F Street in Walla Walla, Washington at the airport district.
Follow along with my tasting notes. I encourage you to ask for, seek out and drink Eternal Wines. If you would like to meet Mr. Binko in person, outside of Walla Walla, he will be pouring his wines on Saturday 9 July at the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser, Washington.
Tasting Notes - First Releases
1. Visit Columbia Valley 2015 Northern White Blend
Color: Straw, some effervescence at open.
Nose: Honeyed pear/melon, floral aroma blown in with fresh rain on an early morning breeze. Big like.
Palate: Weighty, tropical, salinity, orange zest, focused to the middle, pineapple, savory into the dry, crisp, slightly tart finish. Like. Ready to drink and for food.
15 Minutes: Toast, pear, honey, marmalade on the nose. Pear with honeyed brioche, lightly spiced, medium body, with Braeburn apple and apple tannin into the crisp finish. Like. Would be wonderful with fried chicken, grilled trout or Halibut fish and chips.
30 Minutes: Toasty, honeyed pear, almost tropical on the nose. Fresh, juicy, apple, pear, kiwi, pineapple, party in the mouth! Would be wonderful with Tilapia, grilled shrimp, and mango salsa. Like.
1 Hour: Toasty minerality, stone fruit, lemon honey on the nose. Fresh, pear to lemon, nuttiness on the medium finish. Like. Broiled Halibut would be lovely with this wine. Or chicken wings.
Day Two: Yum, mango-peach on the attack, floral quality to the nose with banana, pleasant weight, mango-peach into the dry finish. Craved duck tacos. A perfect summer patio sipper.
Thoughts: Stylish, friendly wine, definitely a wine for summer fare and seafood. While suitable for white linen meals, Tilapia, Halibut and Trout, this wine could equally chill with finger food, fried chicken and fish and chips. Mango Salsa optional. My speed.
Recommended + Great Value.
Blend: 90% Roussanne, 8% Marsanne, 2% Viognier
Vineyards: Art Den Hoed(YV), Blue Mountain(WW), M. Anderson(WW)
Closure: Natural Cork
ABV: 13.7%
Sample provided by winery
Production 42 Cases
SRP: $19
2. Welcome to Columbia Valley 2014 Chardonnay
Color: Gold.
Nose: Vanilla, lemon taffy.
Palate: Vanilla, taffy, lemon, dry on the gums, crisp, dried pear, light spice, medium-light body, light stone fruit on the dry finish.
15 Minutes: Light yeast and nuttiness, vanilla with melon on the nose. Melon, spiced pear, focused to back, melon and spiced pear followed into the enjoyable medium finish.
30 Minutes: Toasty nose, savory with light melon, nutty. Focused, vanilla, melon, hint of sweet fruit, spice, pear skin, dry finish, tingle back palate.
1 Hour: Spicy, nutty, toasty nose. Lemon, bright on tongue, baked pear, focused to middle, integrated, more my speed at this point. Like.
Day Two: Fluid, spicy, peach, hazelnut shell, focused to middle, touch of melon and lime skin, crisp and dry mid-palate, quite tasty into the medium finish. Like. Sauteed lobster, bowl of steamed mussels, crusty bread and melted butter for dipping would be good companions with this wine. Like.
Thoughts: Took an hour for this wine to hit my button. I should have decanted a little. Day two this wine hit my sweet spot. Expect this wine to evolve in bottle and will only get better with a little time. The cool post card inspired label would make a wonderful memento/gift from Washington wine country.
Recommended.
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
AVA: Columbia Valley
Vineyard: White Bluffs
Closure: Natural Cork
ABV: 13.9%
Sample provided by winery
Production 60 Cases
SRP: $19
www.DrinkWashington.wine
3. Welcome to Yakima Valley Semi-Sweet Sparkling Riesling
Color: Pale straw to yellow.
Nose: Toasted nose with minerality and pear skin.
Palate: Slightly sweet, honeyed, crisp on the tongue, focused to mid-palate, pear juice and yeast with lemon and a savory note on the finish. Wants spicy food.
Thoughts: Too sweet for me to enjoy by itself. Best with spicy food, I had a bottle of hot sauce on hand and it matched well with savory foods. A tentative recommendation for those who like their sparkling wine sweeter than I do. I can't do sweet bubbles.
Blend: 100% Riesling
Vineyard: Selenium Vineyard, Yakima Valley
ABV: 12%
Residual Sugar 9 g/l
Sample provided by winery
Production 88 Cases
SRP: $19
4. Eternal Beauty 2015 Rose'
Color: Pretty pale pink, orange highlights, clear and clean.
Nose: Light fruit, cherry, perfumed, minerality.
Palate: Crisp, medium weight, pow with the cherry, ripe strawberry, nice grip on gums and cheeks, almost savory, satisfying, my style of dry rose'. Not a wimpy pink wine. Big Like.
At 15 minutes: Round, less fruit, cherry to strawberry-rhubarb, spiciness, cinnamon, textured, apple cinnamon on finish with a tingle on the lips. Sexy.
At 30 minutes: Big hit of minerality, strawberry, rhubarb, spiciness, textured, acid zip, focused down the palate, apple into the zesty finish. This wine danced on the palate. Big like.
At One Hour: Minerality on the nose, toasted, strawberry, watermelon, spicy, dry, tannic, crisp.
Day Two: Strawberry, brioche, light creaminess, dusting of grated orange, vanilla custard, fresh, satisfying medium finish. Big like, my speed.
Thoughts: Serve cold and watch the bottle disappear. Not a wimpy pink wine. Sexy. Good luck tracking down this first vintage. Sold out at the winery. Some bottles still available at the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser, Washington at time of posting.
Strongly Recommended.
Blend: 75% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Roussanne
AVA: Walla Walla
Vineyards: Morrison Lane(WW), Gamache(CV), Blue Mountain(WW)
Winemaker, Brad Binko
Closure, natural cork
ABV: 12%
Sample provided by winery
Production 30 Cases
SRP: $19
5. Eternal Wine Rocket Man Red 2014 Columbia Valley
"Warning: drinking this will not make you fly!"Color: Red plum with dark plum core.
Nose: Smoky cherry, mineral, mint.
Palate: Broad, soft cherry, spike of acid mid-palate, cherry, mint and chocolate, light tannin, bright note on medium-light finish. Enjoyable at open.
15 Minutes: Dark cherry, apple skin, soft spice, white pepper, milk chocolate, mint on nose. Fine tannin, friendly greeting, cherry, chocolate, mint, integrated and tasty on palate, almost restrained, focused to middle of palate, pleasant chocolate and mint on the medium-light finish. Balanced and tasty, medium body right in the sweet spot. Ready for food or just to drink.
30 Minutes: Cherry cola, light spice, mint to rose petal, almost candied vanilla on the nose. Cherry, cola, chocolate, focused to front, fine tannin, medium body, grip on lower gums, medium-light finish.
1 Hour: Cherry cola, candy, light spice with perfume on nose. Yum on palate, nice texture, fine tannin, dark cherry, chocolate, medium-light body, chocolate mint with apple tannin and that texture followed through into the medium finish. Big like.
Decanted 1 Hour: Nice dark color. Earthiness with cherry/plum, slate and cola on the nose. Touch creamy, candied cherry cola, smooth medium body, freshness, light grip on the gums and tongue, focus to mid palate, medium finish with mint. Like.
Day Two: Juicy dark fruit, smooth, edged with violets, tar and cola, light tannin and blueberry into the medium finish.
Day Three: Juicy cherry, blueberry, with coffee, bright and round mid-palate, modest tannin on the medium cherry finish. Like.
Thoughts: I like that this is not a "huge" wine. It is approachable, medium-light bodied, tasty and delivered satisfaction at open and until the bottle was empty. Well done. Ready to drink alone or with food. Should continue to evolve in bottle over the next few years. Pretty darn good, plus that cool label closes the deal.
Recommended.
Aged 1 year in barrel, then 1 year in bottle before release.
Blend: 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc.
Closure: Natural Cork.
ABV: 14.5%
Sample provided by winery
Production 42 Cases
SRP: $25
* 11/18/16 Update - Eternal wines has moved out of the Incubators and is now located in downtown Walla Walla. That was fast. All the best Brad.
Eternal Wines
Open for tastings Thurs-Sun 12-8pm and by appointment Mon-Weds
9 S. 1st Ave (New location downtown)
Walla Walla, Washington 99362
www.eternalwine.com
509-240-6258
Well done Mr. Brad Binko. Excellent showing for a first release. I look forward to your future releases and continued success. Write that name down. Now go look for his wines.
Cheers!