Fall Cleaning Alert! – Now’s The Time To Attack That Pile of Boxes You Call A Wine Cellar

Plus – a bounty of important new releases from Avennia, Liminal, Lydian, Redolent & Troon

Like many Boomers, my interest in wine really took off when I started purchasing more than a bottle or two at a time and actually had to find a place to store the surplus. I wouldn’t call my first attempt a wine cellar. It was a mixed cardboard case stuffed into a closet. But the match was lit. Not long after that I made my first serious wine purchase – a half case of the ’82 Mouton bought as a future. Back then it cost me about $250 for the six wines. The last of them sold for about $1200. Would that such success had followed me in the stock market.

When the closet was no longer sufficient storage I turned to the old tried-and-true college bookshelf design – concrete blocks and cheap planks from the hardware store. That worked for the first ten or twelve cases. Then my basement flooded. The wine survived, but it was a close call. I moved to a better home the following year and put in a dedicated wine cellar, with real shelves and bins and lighting. By then I was writing about wine and there was no stopping the growing collection. Ever since, having a well-designed, easily navigated, temperature-controlled wine cellar has been an essential part of my life.

There are many ways to overspend on a custom wine cellar, and that’s before you start throwing money at overpriced cult wines. If you have the money and the interest, well, go big. As I see it it’s no different than flying first class or buying front row seats to Taylor Swift. But what I see among the slackers I hang with is the opposite. Uncounted, unknown, unreachable stacks and jumbles of boxes of wine, purchased who knows where or when, and piled in a dusty corner of an unfinished basement. Or all but abandoned in an overstuffed wine locker located far from home. Are you someone who enjoys drinking wine, doesn’t really have any interest in wine as an investment, and can’t stop buying wine no matter how much is already stashed away?

Take a pause. It's November. Fall clean-up time! The days of “I shall drink no wine before its time” are long gone. Now the goal is (or should be) “I will drink no wine long after its time has come and gone”. Wait for the next wet and windy weekend when you’re off work, it’s not yet a holiday, the weather sucks and you really don’t want to rake leaves in the rain. Head for that wine locker or basement and dig in. It’s fun! Pull out all those boxes and look at what’s in them. Sort them out – by producer, by vintage or by country – put them in some sort of order. And while you’re at it grab a month’s worth of your best treasures that you can enjoy over the next few weeks. Thanksgiving wine, Christmas wine, New Year’s wine, any other holiday you celebrate at year’s end wine. All of these occasions merit your best bottles. No time like the present to do a little cellar management.

Avennia/Lydian

Many of the featured wines this week are made by Chris Peterson; they include new releases from Avennia; Liminal and a new value brand called Lydian. Quick aside – musicians will recognize that the name references the Lydian mode, a seven-tone musical scale that's similar to the major scale but with a raised fourth. On the Lydian back label it notes that the wines come at “a price that doesn’t call for special occasions. We hope that’s music to your ears.”

I had a great deal of fun tasting all of these wines, which included some of the finest bottles I’ve had all year. One particularly interesting comparison was putting the three GSMs side-by-side after tasting and scoring them individually. They are differentiated in many ways – by price, by vineyard sources, and by the actual percentages of the three grapes in the different blends. All three adhere to the basic blending scheme of Grenache as the lead grape, with Syrah and Mourvèdre filling out the rhythm section. Chris uses more Mourvèdre than many winemakers, and keeps the Syrah at 20% or less in all three wines. I asked him and his business partner Marty Taucher to comment on the three brands.

PG:  Lydian is a new label. What brought it about?

MT:  “A second label has always been in the plan for us. Initially it allowed us to blend and declassify barrels to make the Avennia wine better. We launched it originally as Les Trouvés, but couldn’t get a trademark approved for that. So we rebranded it as Lydian, which is a musical mode. The name plays into our somewhat obsessive interest in music around the winery.”

PG:  The Lydian scale is a favorite of Jerry Garcia, and a much better name than that unpronounceable French phrase. So tell me more about the brand.

MT:  “As we have grown, we have found a home for wines at this price point ($25 Red and $18 white) with screw cap enclosures. The sources for Lydian have varied over the years as we have added to the lineup. Last two vintages we are sourcing more fruit just for the Lydian so declassified juice is not a significant percentage of the blends anymore. The theme for this fruit is often younger vines, some machine picked and we age the lots in mostly neutral French oak. We bottled over 3000 cases of two 23 vintage Lydian Reds and one White wine.

Lydian 2023 Sb|S – This new budget line from Avennia leads off with this 80/20 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon. Fragrant, fruity, forward and palate-coating, it’s a lush, tangy wine bursting with lemon, lime and grapefruit. OK, toss in a touch of fresh cut pineapple too. It’s a no pretense bottle of pure deliciousness that surprises with its concentration and extended finish and overdelivers in every possible way. 901 cases; 13%; $18 (Columbia Valley) 94/100

Lydian 2022 G|S|M – Every cloud has a silver lining they say; well here’s one aimed right at consumers. The surplus of inventory and diminishing demand for grapes means that many of our best wineries have added a second label, and consumers are the beneficiaries. This lively, fresh and fruity GSM is beyond charming. It’s 63% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 17% Mourvèdre, loaded with cranberry/cherry fruit, accented with baking spices and chocolate, and firmed up with ripe, polished tannins. Good to go and also cellar worthy through the rest of the decade. This would be a fine table topper for Thanksgiving. Bring on the cranberry sauce! By any measure it’s a stunning value. 1036 cases; 14.7%; $25 (Columbia Valley) 93/100

Lydian 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon – Pure varietal, and the vineyard sources include some used in the Avennia wines. Well made and fruit-forward, this brings palate-pleasing blueberry, blackberry and black cherry fruit together, nicely framed with moderately ripe tannins showing a bit of the grape’s savory side. Medium length, fine balance and immaculately fresh and clean through a lingering finish. 1444 cases; 14.8%; $25 (Columbia Valley) 92/100

PG:  The Lydian, the Justine and the Barbarous Heart WeatherEye Vineyard GSM are all takes on a GSM (southern Rhône-style) red blend. What ties them together, and what distinguishes them one from another?

MT:  “The Justine Rhone blend is built around the Upland Vineyard Grenache. We have been sourcing this Grenache since 2011 and Chris loves the minerality these old vines bring to this blend. We have also been using Kiona’s Heart of the Hill Mourvèdre and Oldfield Vineyard Syrah to build out the rest of the blend. The Barbarous Heart is all WeatherEye and we have access to some amazing fruit from the younger vines of Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah. The common thread – terrific vineyard sources, artisan hands-on craftwork in the cellar, and a combination of concrete, steel and oak tank fermentation and aging vessels. And Chris Peterson at the helm!”

PG:  To dig further into the specifics, I asked Chris to comment more specifically on the winemaking for each of the three.

CP:  “I would say the three GSMs differ quite a bit stylistically. Justine came first, with the Upland old block (1999) coming online for us in 2013. This block has some great minerality, almost a salty aspect, that skews old world in style. It's a little lighter on its own so benefits from the addition of Heart of the Hill Mourvèdre and the Oldfield Syrah (an Efeste vineyard farmed by Dick Boushey). Here I'm looking for the Grenache to be the star, with the other varieties adding depth and nuance.

“The Barbarous Heart is all about WeatherEye. Basically we fine tune down to the specific vessels that make the best blend. This includes barrique, 500L puncheon, and 700L concrete egg. It's not so much a conscious decision but rather the nature of the fruit and following the blending trials  that this blend is less dominated by Grenache. It’s more of a trinity of the three varieties that showcases the vineyard as a whole, as opposed to being led by any one variety. Starting with the 2023 The Barbarous Heart will be all from the Red Mountain side of the vineyard.

“Which leaves Lydian, literally. Since we ferment most of these blocks in concrete and stainless vessels, then age them in wood and concrete of different sizes, every vessel is its own block in a way. So Lydian can get the barrels that don't quite make it in their respective blends. This includes WeatherEye, though we've been working to get that fruit tailored to the Liminal wines, so there's not too much going in here. Even a little can make a big difference though.”

PG:  How do you keep the pricing down on Lydian?

CP:  “We've started finding high quality fruit that's a little less expensive, or cropped just a little higher to make the numbers work, and make the wine a little more easy going. These include Grenache from Boushey, Grenache and Mourvèdre from Andrews family, and Syrah from Red Willow. We've even experimented with aging some of this wine in large concrete tanks. These are the types of blends I enjoy more than almost any other at home, so it's been a fascinating challenge to make these all work in their own way.”

PG:  And boy do they ever work. Absolute home runs all of them. Here are my notes:

Avennia 2022 Justine Red Wine – This is 61% Grenache (Upland old block), 22% Mourvèdre (Kiona Heart of the Hill) and 17% Syrah (Oldfield). Aged in both neutral oak and concrete, it’s am immaculate wine, sculpted, precise, focused and beautifully defined. It all but shimmers in the glass, with blueberry, pomegranate, cherry and raspberry fruits competing for your attention. It’s fragrant and polished and seductive, without being overpowering. It rolls into an extended finish with hints of black tea and dark chocolate. One of a trio of such blends from winemaker Chris Peterson, this powerful wine puts the Grenache in a leading role. 469 cases; 14.6%; $45 (Yakima Valley) 95/100

Avennia 2021 Estate Vineyard Red Wine – This Right Bank-style Bordeaux blend is 59% Cab Franc, 37% Merlot and a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m tempted to call it textbook perfect – proportionate, balanced, firm, detailed and compact. Cassis, cherry, clean earth and hints of spice are in play both aromatically and on the palate. There’s a light streak of vanilla from aging in 40%  new French oak. This exemplary wine should provide pleasure over the next 15 – 20 years. 119 cases; 14.8%; $75 (Red Mountain) 95/100

Avennia 2022 Boushey Vineyard Arnaut Syrah – Here is old vine Syrah from a classically great vineyard. Tight, expressive and packed with berries, espresso, chocolate, spice and more, this jumps from the glass and grabs you by the throat. The center palate holds firm and resonates, clinging to those opening flavors of compact berries and black cherries. There’s a light chocolatey frame around the tannins. Give it extra breathing time and it will open up nicely. 354 cases; 15%; $60 (Yakima Valley) 94/100

Liminal (the WeatherEye vineyard wines)

Liminal 2022 High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Viognier – As is virtually guaranteed with any and all wines from this unique vineyard, the Viognier has multiple dimensions, densely packed fruits, exceptional detail and extraordinary length. Pollen and candied citrus, orange creamsicle and key lime pie flavors veer into banana and papaya as it takes the palate on a roller coaster ride. As with previous vintages, this 2022 captures the fruit (both flesh and rind), botanical highlights and precision focus of the best Viogniers I've ever had. And goes the extra mile, extending the finish while adding further details of mineral, matchstick and metal. Absolutely extraordinary in every way. 47 cases; 13.8%; $50 (Red Mountain) 98/100

Liminal 2022 Vineyard Series The Barbarous Heart WeatherEye Vineyard GSM – The ’22 blend is almost half Grenache, a third Mourvèdre and finished with Syrah, quite different from the 2021. All WeatherEye fruit sourced from a variety of mini-locations, each unique and separate from all the rest. Some parts of the vineyard cross the top of Red Mountain and leave the AVA; hence the generic Columbia Valley (this will change next vintage with all the fruit coming from the south-facing slope). This is a blend of the highest order, with deep flavors of mountain berries, a dense and defining minerality, hard tannins and a solid, compact core that suggests it will blow your mind if given another decade of bottle age. Already a thoroughly delicious and exciting wine, it’s the type of GSM that I don’t believe another vineyard in the country can produce, and few if any can equal. 202 cases; 15.2%; $60 (Columbia Valley) 97/100

Liminal 2022 High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Grenache – Fermented in concrete, one quarter whole cluster, then aged 18 months in large barrels, this is sophisticated, cutting edge winemaking in service to fruit from this one-of-a-kind, uniquely sited vineyard. As you might expect, it’s a stunningly great bottle of wine. My favorite Grenache over many years has been the Cayuse GOK bottling; this is its equal with less funk, more rock, and even more compact power. If you love Grenache, this is essential. Dense cranberry, raspberry and other red berry fruits, sappy acids, powerful concentration and impressive length. It’s all here for a long-lived and beautifully built bottle of wine. I finished drinking this bottle after it had been open a full three days, and it remained delicious up to the very last sip. 79 cases; 15.2%; $85 (Red Mountain) 98/100

Liminal 2022 High Canyon Series WeatherEye Vineyard Syrah – A classic, pure varietal replete with classic Syrah flavors. It’s compact and loaded with cassis, blueberry and cherry fruit framed with subtle baking spices. The flavors broaden out across the palate, adding details of incense and peppermint. Complex and seamless, this comes to a fine focus through the finish, with highlights of chocolate, candied orange peel and that lingering hint of mint. 92 cases; 15%; $85 (Red Mountain) 96/100

Redolent Wine Company

Redolent 2022 ‘This Must Be The Place’ Chardonnay – This is a sturdy, ripe, fruity style, with apples, peaches and pears in abundance. One quarter of the barrels were new. The grapes come from the Vivid Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills (though it’s labeled simply Willamette Valley). 98 cases; 12.7%; $38 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Redolent 2023 Brother From Another Mother Red – Half Oregon Pinot Noir and half Washington Nebbiolo, co-fermented! There’s a new (or re-named) source for the 2023 Pinot Noir – DeZordo – and once again Waving Tree for the Nebbiolo. The blend works quite well, with an appealing mix of lightness, balance and depth. Autumnal fruit flavors combine tart cherry/berry with hints of sage and bramble. 500 cases; 13.3%; $28 (Oregon/Washington) 91/100

Redolent 2023 Sister From Another Mister Red – Half Washington Sangiovese and half Oregon Syrah from the same two vineyards – Waving Tree and Three Mile – as the 2022. Purple berries, tangy acids, savory highlights and punchy tannins comprise this interesting blend. It finishes with palate-scraping astringency. 175 cases; 13.9%; $28 (Oregon/Washington) 90/100

Troon

The re-concepted 2022 Druid’s wines were the first to fully represent the new biodynamic era at Troon following years of work replanting and more importantly re-imagining the property. From that vintage forward all Druid wines are estate-grown, biodynamic blends produced from a range of some 20 Southern French varieties on the property, following the tradition of the country wines from southern France.

The 2024 harvest, just finished up this month, included the estate’s first vintage of Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Grenache gris, and Clairette blanche, also destined for future editions of Druid’s blends. New among the 2023  releases is Druid’s Pink. Back labels now list ingredient labeling and QR codes that link to a webpage listing ingredients, nutritional, and technical information, including the actual level of sulfites.

Troon wines are cutting edge, biodynamic, often varietal wines or blends using grapes rarely grown in this country, always interesting and often very good values. The Druids have long been a particular favorite of mine.

Troon 2023 Druid's White – All estate-grown, biodynamic fruit here – a blend of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Vermentino and Roussanne. There’s an intentional wildness to this wine, a feral quality that adds depth and dimension to the wine. The apple, white peach and melon fruits are annotated with threads of citrus rind and Asian spice. 12%; $25 (Applegate Valley) 92/100

Troon 2023 Druid’s Pink – This is the first vintage for this wine, based largely upon Mourvèdre with four other Rhône grapes comprising the rest. It’s showing some light CO2, which adds a pleasing tickle to the mouthfeel. Light apple, strawberry, lemon custard and melon fruit is on display. The low alcohol, palate-refreshing mouthfeel and sublime minerality makes this a delightful wine to open for a taste of autumn. 12.5%; $25 (Applegate Valley) 92/100

Troon 2023 Druid's Red – A five grape southern Rhône-style blend, this full-flavored wine stacks red and blue plums, elderberries, sour cherries and blood orange highlights in a broad, balanced, lightly savory palate. I am certain that as this vineyard matures, the flavors will deepen and add more aromatic detail. The all-estate Druid wines, excellent values, are off to a very good start. 12.5%; $25 (Applegate Valley) 91/100

Winery note on these next two:  “Vermentino and Syrah have been a major focus of our replanting project as we are convinced both varieties are ideal for our site, and each represents our most extensive plantings of red and white varieties. As our young vines come into production, the total production of Troon Vineyard Syrah and Vermentino should each reach about 800 cases.”

Troon 2023 Troon Vineyard Vermentino – This tart Sardinian variety seems to have found a home at Troon, where it is the most-planted white grape in the newly-renovated vineyard. Biodynamically farmed and vinified with no additives, acid or sugar adjustments, enzymes, or sulfur additions, it makes a fresh and lightly citric wine with good texture, moderate alcohol and proportionate acids. 460 cases; 12.5%; $35 (Applegate Valley) 90/100

Troon 2022 Troon Vineyard Syrah – Syrah is getting a good look at a number of southern Oregon vineyards, and the indication is that with more age some of these vineyards may prove exceptional. This is solidly varietal in character, nicely balanced and showing decent complexity. Brambly berries, cured meat, black tea, a touch of compost and dark chocolate all add to the mix of flavors. The finish is medium-bodied and lingers gracefully. 200 cases; 12.6%; $45 (Applegate Valley) 90/100

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