First, the worst ... all around fairly uninspiring.
2001 Maryhill Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley Light citrus and tropical fruit notes with .5% residual sugar added to balance the acidity in the Sauvignon Blanc. 82
2001 Maryhill Winery Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Unimpressive and buttery. 80
2000 Maryhill Winery Merlot, Columbia Valley Sweet cherry fruit, but with a distinctive green pepper streak and dry finish. 78
The Pepper Bridge portfolio is pretty strong. Too many other distractions around for me that night ... should have spend more time on their wines.
1999 Pepper Bridge Merlot, Walla Walla Valley Super sweet cassis and creamy rasberry fruit fill the palate. 88/89
1999 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley 89/90
Lastly, the entire Whitman Cellars portfolio was strong and dominated by soft creamy blackberry fruit.
Have enjoyed the Pepperbridge. Only problem was its entry level price of $45 per. Modest by California standards, but high end for Washington. Hope they hold the line there until the wines improve a little.
Cheers! And remember: Life's too short to drink bad wine.
Posts: 4425 | Location: New Orleans | Registered: Oct 25, 2001
Switzerland native Jean-François Pellet, Pepper Bridge's winemaker, did indeed work at Heitz.
The new Pepper Bridge winery is quite advanced for Walla Walla. The 2000 Cab is the first to emerge from this state-of-the-art facility. The grapes are hand sorted, fermented then flow by gravity to caves thirty-eight feet below. A must-see on the Walla Walla tour.
