Opened a 1999 Andrew Will Sorella last night that I purchased recently after sampling my first Sorella at a trade tasting. 'Sorella' is winemaker Chris Camarda's proprietary name for a Bordeaux blend that seems to range anywhere from the 65% cabernet/25% merlot plus the other usual suspects that were in this bottle to the 80% cabernet/10% cab franc plus that make up the current 2009 release.
And this is how it works up here in the Pacific Northest Westest: a fantastic Bordeaux-like wine is being made right under my nose but I have to stumble over it all by myself because most of the people I share wine with don't share my preference for European style wines. Or if they do, they don't buy Washington wines.
This one's a gem. Deep garnet-hued red color hints at some age. On the nose, which is delightfully effusive and attractive, red fruit, spice, leather and just a touch of barnyard tricks the DH (darling hubby) into believing I've served him Bordeaux. There's also cedar, graphite, tobacco and cherry pie going on. The balance is good but better with the first glass than the last, where the finish gets a bit clipped and suggests the wine has peaked. We were nonetheless impressed, and I'll be buying more vintages for our cellar.