A pleasure to review these three current releases from Lauren Ashton Cellars.
Two years ago I enjoyed visiting with Lauren Ashton Cellars winemaker Kit Singh at his Woodinville, Washington tasting room. We discussed his wines and philosophy of winemaking while he poured. He's smart, focused, passionate, and earnest about his goals. He makes truly great wines and is still a Dentist first and foremost.
Kit Singh and his wife named their Woodinville winery after their children, Ashley Lauren and Ashton Troy. The sophisticated labels on these wines have images reflecting his wife's European and Estonian heritage and culture. With a background in Chemistry, and a DDS, Kit studied viticulture and enology in Seattle and at UC Davis. He interned at DeLille Cellars in Woodinville and even taught wine science at the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle Community College. Lauren Ashton Cellars was established in 2009. Yes, impressed by this guy.
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| Lauren Ashton Cellars Woodinville Tasting Room. |
If you can't make it to the Woodinville tasting room, I hope you have the opportunity to purchase these wines to enjoy at home. They are marvelous. I have written the following wine reviews to assist in your wine purchasing decisions. Enjoy.
Wine Reviews
1. Lauren Ashton Cellars 2014 Roussanne a Wine of the Week!
*Note: Roussanne is a richly complex and unique white grape varietal, indigenous to the Rhône Valley of France.
Winemaking: The fruit was whole cluster pressed, clarified and fermented. One third of the blend was fermented in new French oak, one third in neutral oak and one third in stainless steel. The fermentation was done at cool temperatures to preserve the aromas. The barrel portion was stirred on the lees.Tasting Notes:
Color: Pale gold.
Nose: Minerality, brioche, pear skin, nutmeg.
Palate: Good weight, fluid, honeyed, orange essence, bright on the tongue, light creaminess, white grapefruit on the fresh finish. Like.
15 Minutes: Soy, jasmine tea, smooth wet rock added to the nose. Contemplative. Focused palate, honeyed, rich ripe pear, ripe Fuji apple, hint of lychee, full in the mouth, balanced acidity, enjoyable fluid quality, fresh medium finish. Big like.
30 Minutes: Toasty, yeasty, with jasmine tea, wet rock on nose. Good weight, fresh, balanced, pear/apple/essence of orange skin with touch of spice on the finish. Big like.
1 Hour: Smelled of rising bread, pear torte, delicate spices and minerality. Lovely on the palate, focused to middle, fresh and baked pear, peach skin, brioche, touch dry on the gums and sides of tongue, freshness with a bit of savoriness into the fluid medium finish. Well done.
Day Two: Textured, elegant, light nuttiness with sliced Asian pear and apple, balanced, pleasantly dry, restraint made for a delicious drinking wine. Food not required. Lovely, lovely. If you want food, perfect for fresh Oysters and steamed Penn Cove Mussels. Bravo.
Thoughts: A premium white wine which hit my buttons. Serve for best friends and with rich, savory seafood. Lobster, King Crab, fried Oysters and Butter Clams come to mind.
Drink now.
Strongly Recommended.
+ Wine of the Week.
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| 2014 Rousanne paired with garlic shrimp fettuccine. |
Blend: Roussanne
AVA Columbia Valley
Vineyards: Dineen Family Vineyard
Closure: Natural Cork
ABV: 13.5%
Winemaker Kit Singh
Sample provided by winery
115 Cases
SRP: $25
2. Lauren Ashton Cellars 2012 Cuvée Mirabelle GSM
Winemaking: The grapes were handpicked and co -fermented. The wine continued its alcoholic fermentation in French oak until it was dry and then proceeded through Malolactic conversion prior to being racked and returned to barrel where it was aged for 28 months.Tasting Notes:
Color: Garnet.
Nose: Soft red berry, raspberry, focused to cherry, orange rind.
Palate: Acid tickled ears, focused to front with bright cherry, milk chocolate, vanilla, currant, medium weight, tingle top of palate.
15 Minutes: Dark earthy notes, perfume, cherry and orange rind on the nose. Tingle on tongue, rich cherry, textured, blueberry juice, touch of sage on the bright medium finish.
30 Minutes: Smoky nose, dark and red fruits. Silky, dry, focused to mid-palate, dark, tarry blueberry, tarragon, orange essence, ripe cherry, medium-long finish. Showed well with light heat.
1 Hour: Integrated, mint on nose and palate added to enjoyment, gentle tannin, supple, cherry, blueberry, coffee. Like.
1 Hour Decanted: Dry on the gums, tannin more obvious, wants fatty food, cherry, vanilla, tar in background, integrated, blueberry with coffee into the medium-long finish.
1.5 Hours decanted: Dark fruit with bitter coffee on the nose. Rich palate, savory, black cherry, ripe blueberry, fine tannin, tarragon, tar, good mouth feel, medium-long finish, my speed. Big like.
2 Hours decanted: Polished. Balanced. Most enjoyable. Well integrated, tasty sipper ready for food and friends. Dried cherries and blueberries, good grip and medium-long finish. Big like.
3 Hours decanted: Delectable with steak dinner. Lovely fluid quality. Flavors spot on. Rich fruit, medley of red and dark flavors with savory notes danced down the middle of the palate. Pleasantly dry and complimentary to grilled rib-eye. Yum!
Thoughts: Intriguing new release from winemaker Kit Singh. Huge potential with this GSM blend. Fabulous with steak dinner after the wine was decanted for three hours. It did not make it to day two!
Strongly Recommended.
Decant 3 hours if you drink now.
Cellar for 3 - 6 years if you can resist.
Blend: Grenache 34%, Syrah 33%, Mourvèdre 33%
AVA: Columbia Valley
Vineyards: Den Hoed Vineyard, Ambassador Vineyard
Closure: Natural Cork
ABV: 14.5%
Winemaker Kit Singh
Sample provided by winery
250 Cases
SRP: $50
3. Lauren Ashton Cellars 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon
Winemaking: The grapes were harvested separately, bunch sorted, de-stemmed and transferred to 1 ton fermenters. Approximately 50% of the berries were left whole and uncrushed. After fermentation, the must was drained of free run juice and the skins were lightly pressed. The wine continued its alcoholic fermentation in French oak until it was dry and then proceeded through Malolactic conversion prior to being racked and returned to barrel. It was left to mature undisturbed for 28 months before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Color: Dark garnet.
Nose: Oak wine barrel, cherry, floral, orange skin.
Palate: Mouth filling dark cherry, nice bite of acid and tannin at top of palate, chocolate, sage, some yogurt in background, medium-short finish.
15 Minutes: Spice, cherry, blackberry and mushroom on the nose, focused but tight. Cherry, blackberry, blueberry, focus to middle-back of palate, bitter dark chocolate, a lovely medium finish. Appealing and full of promise. Like.
30 Minutes: Nose little changed. Silky mouth feel, fine tannin, focused middle to front of palate, dark cherry, sage, bitter chocolate on dry, medium finish.
1 Hour: Dark, earthy nose with herbal notes. Yum, mouth filling dark cherry, blackberry, earthy, orange pith, dark chocolate, fine tannin, with creamy yogurt and hint of bell pepper on the dry, medium finish. Like.
1 Hour Decanted: Similar to the 1 Hour not decanted, seemed softer, but much drier on the tongue, cheeks and gums. Craved a juicy steak. Lovely medium-long finish.
2 Hours Decanted: There we go. Integrated, polished, savory dark fruit, earthy core with bright notes, ummami character of soy, mushroom, and meat, medium-long finish.
Day two: Subdued, inviting nose, cherry, slate, pepper mill, boysenberry. Yum, focused, rich fruit, pleasantly dry, nice brightness on the tongue, cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate, tar/mushroom, medium-long finish. Wants food. Will pair with a steak.
Thoughts: Please decant if you open now. I've noticed that many Washington red wines from 2012 are in need of more cellar time. Some are beginning to show well, but others still need more time in bottle. This wine was wound tight.
Strongly Recommended.
Decant 2 hours if you drink now.
Cellar for 2 to 6.
AVA: Red Mountain
Vineyards: Quintessence Vineyard, Amabassador Vineyard
Closure: Natural Cork
ABV: 14.5%
Winemaker Kit Singh
125 Cases
SRP: $50
Sample for review
Lauren Ashton Cellars
Tasting Room
14545 148th Ave NE
Suite 211
Woodiville, Wa 98072
Phone: 206-504-8546
www.laurenashtoncellars.com
@LaurenAshton_WA
Feels great to share my sentiments on these Washington wines today.
Cheers!