The top red wines from Washington state seem to sit on the fence these days, straddling the border of Bordeaux and Rhone. On one side, there are benchmark cabernet sauvignons showing real structure, subtlety and class. Supple and fruity merlot, fresh and racy cabernet francs and layered, complex Bordeaux blends are also more common propositions. On the other side, you can see Rhone’s clout, with a significant cut in the vineyards.
The quality of syrah and southern Rhone varieties and blends in the state has been rising rapidly over the last decade. The spicy, vividly tangy characters from the best of these wines also tick the box on transparent purity, flavor essentials and texture rather than extraction and heftiness, providing consumers with opportunities to pursue authenticity and drinkability from the glass.
This year, we have rated close to 500 wines from Washington, and the report will be published very soon. Cabernet sauvignon and syrah once again top our ratings list, with some grenache and Rhone varietals following closely. Cabernet franc and malbec are showing very well, too. For the white, riesling, chardonnay, and sauvignon blanc are the most significant varietals in terms of the plantation, although it’s still difficult to pick an absolute favorite varietal in a region where the dry growing season is flooded with sunlight. The cool nights also give it a wide diurnal temperature fluctuation, helping retain freshness and acidity in the final wine. With around 23,000 hectares of vines covering at least 70 varietals statewide, Washington’s diversity is the real deal.
All this means Washington is not putting all its eggs in one basket or copying its neighbor to the south, where the stellar success of Willamette Valley pinot noirs attracts a good share of the attention the wine world gives to the Pacific northwest. Such diversity, however, gives Washington incredible momentum and energy for exploring a wide range of wine possibilities, and consumers never need to worry about what to try next from the state. This year, we found some very exciting tempranillos and malbecs, as well as some Italian varieties. And the state’s white wines – chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc, semillon and viognier – are also impressive.
What is even more exciting is that you don’t need to pay a high price to uncover some gems. Because the quality of Washington wines is already quite high – our average rating was 92 for the bottles we tried – the risk for consumers in trial-and-error tasting missions is low. With a bit of help from vintages like 2018, the value edge for Washington’s red wines is becoming even more conspicuous.
Most Washington winemakers James interviewed last year agreed that despite starting with a dry but mild winter, 2018 was a fantastic year, and possibly the best ever, with a bumper harvest. It started off cool, but then came a warm spring and some hot weather during the summer. A cool and mild September to October followed, which created near-perfect conditions that helped extend the growing season before the harvest and resulted in consistently high-quality wines, making possible a great diversity of styles in the final product.
We have selected the following eight 2018 Washington reds, all of which rated 93 points or higher but can be had for less than $35 a bottle. They come in many grape varieties and styles, including cabernet, syrah, pinot noir and barbera, and also include several red blends. Together, they show off how Washington excels in quality, diversity, value and drinkability. At a sterling 98 points, the K Vintners Syrah Yakima Valley Motor City Kitty 2018 in particular shows a compelling price-performance ratio, underpinned by great focus, heartening purity and impressive structure. Check out their availability on the market and pull the corks out now or wait a year or two before they round off with more intriguing complexity.
– Zekun Shuai, Associate Editor
K Vintners Syrah Yakima Valley Motor City Kitty 2018 – JS98
JJBuckley.com: $34.94
Boomtown by Dusted Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2018 – JS93
Wine.com: $15.99
Vivino: $15.99
Casasmith Barbera Wahluke Slope Northridge Vineyard Cervo 2018 – JS93
Vivino: $19.94 (Price applicable to sale by 12 bottles)
Golden West Pinot Noir Washington State Golden West Vineyard 2018 – JS93
Wine.com: $16.99
Vivino: $16.99
Hedges Red Mountain 2018 – JS93
Vivino: $28.99
Wine.com: $33.99
Owen Roe Yakima Valley Red Wine 2018 – JS93
Wine.com: $29.99
Vivino: $29.99
Substance Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2018 – JS93
JJBuckley.com: $14.94
KL Wines.com: $14.95
Wine.com : $14.99
Vivino : $14.99
Tenet Syrah Red Mountain The Pundit 2018 – JS93
Wine.com: $20.99
Vivino: $20.99
