Sir Willy of Walla Walla invited many Walla Walla area wineries to pour their wines at a massive tasting and dinner at the PacNW Soiree 11 on July 3, 2004. At the same time the Queen of Hearts started a thread on the WS forums way back in November of 2003 to start people along the trail to go to Walla Walla. A great effort by both which paid off when the following forumites rallied to go out to Walla Walla: Singles and couples attending the PacNW Soiree II - King and Queen of Hearts, Sir Willy, Pinot Envy, Seaquam, Seaquam’s wine geek friends, Eric White, Enoselsa, Tyee, Blobby, Winetex, Pyang, RedRedvine, Lafon Rochet, Sparky2, Red4life.

The following wineries poured their wines at the party: Buty, Basel Cellars, Vierra, Russell Creek, Forgeron, Beresan, Five Star, Canoe Ridge, Northstar, James Leigh Cellars, Patrick M. Paul, Bergevin Lane, Dunham Cellars, Whitman Cellars, Pepper Bridge, Amavi, Spring Valley, Saviah Cellars, Cougar Crest, Latitude 46 N, Harlequin, Isenhower Cellars, Bunchgrass Winery, Fort Walla Walla Cellars, Dusted Valley Vintner's, Glen Fiona, Stephenson Cellars, Three Rivers, Patit Creek Winery, Walla Walla Village Winery, Zefina, Hightower, SYZYGY

Sir Willy was expecting more than 90 people to attend the Soiree and from the looks of it that was probably about right. The site of the Soiree, Basel Cellars, may never be the same. I did not come close to tasting but about half the wines as there were so many. Apologies to the wineries that were missed.

Some of the wines I did taste and were stand-outs:

2002 James Leigh Cellars Palette Red Table Wine - $20 retail
a blend of 43% cab sauv, 43% merlot and 15% cab franc that was really drinking well

2002 Saviah Cellars Big Sky Cuvee - ~$35 retail
another nice blend of 56% merlot, 22% cab france and 22% cab sauv

2002 Dunham Cellars Syrah

2001 Spring Valley Walla Walla Valley Derby Cab Sauv

2001 Buty Cab Sauv Rediviva (sp)
cab & syrah blend

2002 SYZYGY Cab Sauv
this is the first cab from SYZYGY bottled only two weeks ago; needs time but very, very nice

I’m sure there were so many other good wines there that were tasted so please chime in with some notes.

Thanks to Sir Willy for all of her hard work. Events of this magnitude take an enormous amount of planning time and energy. Well-done!

Winetex

Thanks for listing all the wineries that participated.

I did get through most, if not all the wines (helps to spit)...

I agree with your highlights, but allow me to add a few of my own (from memory)...
*Walla Walla Village made a good Gewurz (and had a funky label drawn by the guy who did all the Grateful Dead album covers)
*Latitude 46 N, though not as good as the WWV, also made a decent Gewurz.
*I tried something (red) from Russell Creek (can't remember what is was though...) that was good, and the owner/winemaker was a hoot (funny), used to be the area mortician...

I too would like to thank Sir Willy for all her efforts...and a Thank You to all the participating wineries.

I offer sound advice.
That's 99% sound and 1% advice

Maybe QoH or Willy can pipe in. A Sauvignon Blanc with about 20% Viognier was poured, does anyone recall the winemaker?

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ancora imparo

tyee,
Russell Creek poured their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
While i thought the Cabernet was ok, i loved the Merlot...Yummy!

red4life

Thanks red4life...it probably was the (Russell Creek) Merlot.


Something else that popped into the 'ol melon...I also recall a pretty good chardonnay poured there, I'm thinking it was Buty...can anybody else comment/recall?

Hindsight being 20/20...it would have been helpful to have had a list provided at the start...I would have been more inclined to make notes...but then again, the informal nature of the tasting was enjoyable...

I offer sound advice.
That's 99% sound and 1% advice

I didn't have a single wine that I didn't like, which means I must drunk a lot of wine!

The Walla Walla highlights for me-- after all the people there-- were Buty Chardonnay, Syzygy Syrah (Shiraz?), Rescience (?) Red (blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, Grenache), and Spring Valley Uriah, but every wine I tasted, including the barrel samples, was pretty good or better.

On an unrelated note, I've been to Kamloops, Revelstoke, Banff, Lake Louise, Calgary, Drumheller, and currently in Saskatoon, and the quality isn't getting any better. Hopefully, I'll find something good in Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Regina, Brandon, or Winnipeg in the next few days. I'm anticipating running into either Pyang or Lafon Rochet in one of the wine shops I enter.

No Doritos anywhere!!

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Cheers.

You will find something good on Wednesday in Ottawa....

Pistons rule!