WTN: 2006 Novelty Hill Roussanne

[Jenise]

2006 Novelty Hill Roussanne, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington
If the name Novelty Hill isn't familiar, possibly Januik is: same winemaker, different owners. 'Round here, the Stillwater Creek vineyard (owned by the same family who owns Novelty Hill) is considered extra special as it's a warm site with steep slopes flecked with fractured basalt, an anomaly in the Columbia Valley but a soil type that's very Rhone-like. That might well be a factor in why this wine's such a head-turner. I actually didn't expect to like it based on two other Washington roussannes I've had: last year's Mt. Baker was an over-the-top, extracted monster with almost 16% alcohol, and several vintages of Isenhower's Snapdragon have been super-ripe golden yellow with big butterscotch flavors and sharp old lady perfume fragrances. The Novelty Hill's in a whole 'nother league right at first pour. Very pale yellow color. Exceptionally complex floral nose with white nectarine, and on the palate, green gauge plums, green grapes (imagine that!) and pineapple are balanced by sweet cream. We opened a bottle on Sunday night when it showed well, and finished the last three inches last night when it showed even better. It's a quietly powerful, well-made wine that speaks to exactly what it is--it is most definitely not chardonnay or viognier or any other white grape, and you can taste every penny of it's $22 (winery price). As such, it's unique within the pantheon of Washington white wines, and I just put in an order for six more bottles to tide us over the winter.

A note about the alcohol: it's about 14% and not obtrusive, but it's there. Per the winery literature, "the overall heat accumulation of 2006 was on par with 2003" which they describe as "a warm vintage producing wines of outstanding ripeness" where most of us would say it was a searingly hot vintage that produced boatloads of overripe, flabby wines. Anyway, no matter, this wine is still a winner, and I look forward to tasting it again in cooler vintages like 2007 and 2008 should be.

I've not had any Roussanne from Washington, but you make this one sound tempting!

We're thinking we may be popping over to Spokane on wine runs, if the state of wine selection in Butte plays out as it is starting. I'll look for this one. Do you think it's available from a retailer and not just the winery?

[Jenise]

Sure re retailers, I'm getting mine through a retailer in Seattle. What you need to understand from the getgo about buying in Washington (Spokane will be as Bellingham is, I'm sure), is that any wine that's available in Washington's distribution system is available to any retailer. Whether or not he normally stocks the wine is more or less immaterial--he can get it, and he doesn't have to buy cases. He can buy three bottles of this, or one of that--all retail is stocked out of Seattle warehouses.

You might be doing a lot of your medical in Spokane too. I understand that the next major medical center is like Minnesapolis, so Spokane's the hub for high end medical care for a fairly large area, and the hospitals are excellent.

any wine that's available in Washington's distribution system is available to any retailer.

This is excellent news. Thank you for that encouragement, Jenise!

The little hospital in Butte is supposed to be good (it's owned by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, the major superior of which happens to be a friend of mine... small world!), and it's literally 2 blocks from the house, but it's also good to know where else to look. We figure we'll fly in and out of Spokane in the good weather too, since Southwest is there and Southwest goes everywhere we need to get to in the States.

I'd never thought of Novelty Hill as anything but red wine producers until I recently tried a very good Semillion from them. Unfortunately, the Roussanne is not available in Minnesapolis.

Cheers,
Bill