wine is a dead ringer for a younger Côte-Rôtie , with its Syrah-centric notes of wild blackberry , pepper , and mountain herbs ; there ’ s a cool charcoal / creosote thing happening with some pork fat , cracked pepper and fennel . This is a big boy that will only get better and better with each passing year . Travis has been a friend for years and I am constantly in awe of his pursuit of inspiration , for himself and his wines .
2019 Kobayashi “ Sans Soufre ” Syrah
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this new direction is adding to the beautiful tapestry of the wine world . Everyone is welcome to my table even if I have to build a bigger one !
Thank you for letting me share just a peek into where the wine scene is going in the Pacific Northwest . There are so many more producers to discover , that this is just a tip of the proverbial iceberg and the only way to discover more is to fill your glass with wine and enjoy it with your favorite people ! Cin , Cin — until next time !
I believe the PNW winemakers that are agents of change in pushing us forward are using one , two or three of the tenets of natural wine making and championing them . This is where the excitement in winemaking in for the Northwest is happening . Some follow biodynamics and organics , some follow small vineyard sourcing of grapes , some use native yeast fermentation , and some use little to no sulfites ( aka San Soufre ), etc . But what I think they are doing most importantly , is bringing new , vibrant , exotic but playful wines to the market . They have been very successful in attracting and garnering a much younger demographic of wine lovers in a market with very minimal amounts of style differentiation .
I know some of the “ old guard ” ( which I personally straddle , between the “ new guard ”) have tacitly dismissed some of these new techniques and / or wineries as the next new thing that will go by the wayside . I ’ m here to say they will not wither away , as I have seen what they are doing and it ’ s important . But what I ’ ll say even more is that there is a place at the table for all wine and wine drinkers , and I love that
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