Maryhill Winery - Discover Washington Wine

A list of some of the wonderful Maryhill wines I tasted last week.

Kelsey and Darin.

Last week I visited Maryhill Winery with Kelsey Ivey of Oregon Winette and Darin Burt, Editor of Washington Magazine. We toured, tasted and had a marvelous visit.

We were accompanied by amiable winery owners Craig and Vicki Leuthold. This was my first visit to the winery. Actually, it was the first time I had stopped in the Gorge in 18 years. So, there's a lot I want to share with you about the winery and the beauty that is the Columbia River Gorge. Consider today's post "Part 1" of my Maryhill Winery experience.

With the holidays almost here, family and entertaining are on my mind. I wanted to post this list to help you with your holiday wine purchasing decisions. If you cannot find these wines at your local wine shop, contact the winery directly. If you have wine shipped, remember that for best enjoyment, wine needs about a week to recover from *bottle shock (see below). Wines marked with "*" were my favorites of my favorites.

Some of my favorite Maryhill wines:

*2010 Pinot Gris: Good nose, flavorful, very good. Retail: $16

2011 Riesling: Crisp and sweet, vanilla, apple RS 3.1. Retail: $14

2011 Rose of Sangiovese.

2011 Rose of Sangiovese: Round, fruity, strawberry-rhubarb pie. Think Thanksgiving. Retail: $14

2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

*2010 Sauvignon Blanc: Reminded me of New Zealand, crisp, pear, minerality, good finish. Retail: $15

2011 Viognier.

2011 Viognier: Aromatic wine, fruit with floral. Feminine. Retail: $16

2011 Winemakers White: An easy drinker, fruit/tart. Retail: $12

2010 Chardonnay Proprietors Reserve.

*2010 Chardonnay RSV: Barrel fermented, classic style, moderated oak, great nose, lovely. Retail: $19

2008 Syrah: A touch of funk, spicy, dry. Retail: $22

*2008 Sangiovese: Very good, one of my favorites. Retail: $22

*2009 Tavola Rosso (Wine Club Only): Mostly Sangiovese, tobacco, coffee, vanilla, balanced, medium body, great nose. Reminded me of the holidays. Another favorite. Retail: $32

2007 Serendipity RSV: Smooth, good fruit, medium body, dry. Retail: $40

*2010 Marvel (Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre): Only available in the Reserve Room, spicy, round, good mouth feel, bright, dry, really liked this wine.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Collines Vineyards.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Les Collines: Earthy, dark, full in the mouth, chewy, cherry, just released. This has a lot of potential. Drinking young now, cellar at least 2 years if not 5. Retail: $38

2008 Proprietors Reserve Primitivo

*2008 Primitivo: Very intriguing, interesting nose, easy to drink, smooth, fruity, dry, very good.

2010 Winemaker's Red.

*2010 Winemakers Red: I reviewed the 2010 Maryhill Winemakers Red in August. This wine is also listed on my Top Ten for Under $20 page, it's that good a value.

Lunch at the winery.

I also enjoyed several other excellent Maryhill wines with lunch and dinner. These were social occasions which did not lend to taking tasting notes. The wines were also excellent. A trip to the winery will help you fill in the blanks. My future posts on Maryhill Winery and the Columbia River Gorge will help you with your trip planning. Cheers!

Maryhill Winery
9774 Highway 14,
Goldendale, WA, 98620
Phone: 877.MARYHILL (627-9445)
Local: 509-773-1976
Fax: 509-773-0586
www.maryhillwinery.com

*What is Bottle Shock?

“When a wine is bottled or subjected to other forms of handling and transport it goes through a temporary phase called bottle shock, also known as wine sickness.”

Bottle Shock is not an indicator of quality, it is a temporary condition.

“The aromatics may be muted; the flavor components disjointed and the alcohol and tannins can taste sharper and overwhelming. This is thought to be due to the agitation of the wine and or its exposure to excess levels of oxygen during the bottling process. If the wine is filtered, it needs even more time to come back together. “
- Source: http://www.winemakersdepot.com/Bottle-Shock-W98.aspx

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