September 2010 Archives
Alexandria Nicole Cellars Is A Rock Star
By Phil Anderson
To open up I want to welcome all of the new subscribers to this little wine blog! It’s been at an average of 1-2 a day for the past 2-3 months that people are signing up! I’m blown away how many people have signed up and I am very grateful that you want to read more of my scribes enough to sign up. (I guess I should start writing more!) So, a BIG thank you to ALL of you!
Also we have so many more people that seem to like “Drinking Wine” on Facebook. I’m very much enjoying the interaction with those folks as well. And, as always, if you want to write to me about anything, including wine, drop me a line at drinkingwine@generalwinethoughts.com.
Recently I was in Seattle for my cousin’s wedding (sounds like a title of a movie, huh?). The wedding was held at Salty’s on Alki in West Seattle (beautiful view of Elliott Bay and the city of Seattle) on Friday and there was a barbeque near (the hot new wine town of) Woodinville on Saturday.
I had an hour or two to kill before the barbeque on Saturday so I ventured out to find a bottle of Madeleine Angevine which I cannot, for the life of me, find in North Idaho. On this particular trip it wasn’t any easier to find in Seattle (I ended up just ordering a couple of bottles directly from the winery!) but I DID happen to find a new little wine shop in the heart of the West Seattle Junction called Bin 41.
I was impressed right as I walked in as one of the owners, Jon, greeted me with a friendly smile. I walked away with a few bottles (of course) and two of them were from Alexandrea Nicole Cellars which was the last stop on the way back from the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla a few months ago (can you believe it’s already been three months since the conference?!?)
Jarrod Boyle (R), CEO and winemaker at Alexandria Nicole Cellars and I during a recent visit to their tasting room. I'm holding a bottle of their 2007 Jet Black Syrah.
What I’ve noticed in the wine industry is that most everyone is so very friendly. Jarrod Boyle, the founder, CEO and winemaker at Alexandria Nicole, is no exception. He welcomed in our group with open arms. We tasted almost everything that was available in their tasting room and then he slid back a bookshelf, which was really a secret door, to reveal a special room for their wine club members. After a few more tastes we were ushered into yet another room for an exquisite lunch with even more wine.
Alexandria Nicole Cellars is named after Jarrods wife, Ali, who also joined us for lunch that day. A true family affair wrapped in grace and quality! Before we left, Jarrod offered each of us a bottle of our choice to bring back home. I chose the 2007 Rock Star Red which is a very exclusive wine comprised of 50% Grenache, 44% Syrah and 6% Counoise.
The name comes from three people who contribute in putting this blend together, who happen to all be rock stars in their industry:
Jeffrey Dorgan has been the Sommelier at the Space Needle in Seattle for 19 years;
Dan McCarthy has been a partner at Seattle’s McCarthy and Schiering Wine Merchants for 25 years;
Eric Degerman is the managing editor, wine judge and restaurant writer for Wine Press Northwest.
Although young and tight, this wine already packs a punch with pepper on the nose along with some raspberries. It has a long finish with just a little bite on the end. The tannins suggest you could lay this wine down and not be heartbroken when it is finally opened, which is exactly what we’re doing!
So back to the two wines I bought from Bin 41 in West Seattle. We didn’t waste any time in tasting these two wines from Alexandria Nicole. We started out with their 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. If you’re expecting a grapefruit and grassy Sauvignon Blanc like you’d find from New Zealand or Australia you’d be disappointed. This is a Washington Sauvignon Blanc all the way around. Very minerally and terrior driven with no oak to be found and tastes of melon. Outstanding mouth feel.
We finished that bottle just in time to open their 2007 Jet Black Syrah to go with our steaks. WOW! Unbelievably wonderful nose with tar and pepper and a huge dark fruit presence. The color is so dark, almost inky. The finish fell off prematurely but, other than that, it paired perfectly with our steaks. I would recommend both of these wines!
If you ever have a chance, stop by Alexandria Nicole Cellars and taste their juice. You won’t be disappointed and maybe they’ll even let you in behind the hidden door! Or not….it never hurts to ask!
Thank you again for reading and, as always, bottoms up!
