Last wine promoted for Quarter 2 and at $14.99 a steal from WTSO. Type in the search bar this wine and it is $14.99. Of course hold on shipping and they do sixth months free.
- 2021 Neely Chardonnay Spring Ridge Vineyard Home Block – USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains (6/29/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Universal. A bit cloudy on this wine but doesn’t interfere with the quality. Chablis like in many ways with shells, lemon, dust, stone, minerals, pear and apple. Very nice and balanced. 92 points
Day 2: Consistent with day one and previous bottles. This is a steal. 92 points (92 points)
Matthews Cellars out of Washington is producing world-class wines at very competitive prices. Their Mathews Claret is a highly recommend wine by 3 Day. On a recent trip to grape varietals really impressed me from Washington. Malbec and then Cabernet Franc! This Cabernet Franc is one of the best I have tasted in my career from the West Coast.
- 2022 Matthews Cabernet Franc Reserve – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (6/12/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. The Cabernet Francs from Washington have been outstanding lately!!! Red currants, spices, floral, minerals, dust, rose petals, mild funk, cinnamon and violets. Concentrated wine and long finish. Love this wine. 94 points
Day 2: Powerful wine with rose petals, roasted chestnuts, red currants, blueberries, smoke, violets and minerals. Medium plus finish. Delicious. 94 points
Day 3: Ok is this rocking on day 3. Those who don’t try this are missing out on these younger wines. Just do what I do and open multiple bottles. The slight harshness from day 1 has disappeared. Cherry, rose blossoms, blueberries, violets, minerals, dust, earth and wood. Super complex wine and long finish. A masterpiece of a wine. 95 points
Recommendation: Back up the truck for a six pack. These will age for 20 years. (95 points)
Well as the one in the world with the most notes recorded on Reynvaan and Result of a Crush I applaud this wine from a lesser quality vintage as it over delivered.
Well if you ask me right now the hottest place on the planet for world-class wines for under $100.00 then look no further than the Willamette Valley in the Chardonnay department. Abbott Claim, Morgen Long and Walter Scott are killing it!
- 2017 Walter Scott Chardonnay Justice Vineyard – USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola – Amity Hills (6/6/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Diam closure. Well love this wine and reductive style for sure. Matchstick, sour apple, lemon, spices, dust, wood, stone and lemon. Medium plus finish. Love it. 93 points
Day 2: Almost at a decade this is going to drink well through 2030. Wow! Electric wine with matchstick, lemon, Carmel, wood, spices, dust, stone and tropical fruit. Oregon for the quality is the best Chardonnay in the world. Can’t get much from California or Burgundy for this price point at this level. 94 points
Recommendation: For $60 not many better Chardonnay’s on the market. Outstanding quality. (94 points)
2011 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah The Unnamed – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley (5/30/2026) Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Natural cork. The best showing of the 3 bottles so far. Green olives, smoke meats, minerals, stone, celery, dust, earth, exotic spices and perfume. Just pop and pour as made the mistake on last bottle of decanting. 94 points Day 2: Funny how wine changes with air and time. The 2nd glass of this last night was not nearly as good now this day 2 offering is rocking like from day 1. Perfume, green olives, white pepper, spices, stone, soil, blueberries and sour cherry. Wow is this good!!! 94 points Day 3: Held up all 3 days and a testament to the great wine making team at Reynvaan. I put them in the top 3 or 4 of the region in regards to Syrah. Green olives, white pepper, perfume, dried flowers, stone, blueberries and sour cherry. Medium plus. 94 points Recommendation: Well that 2011 vintage didn’t’ turn out so bad. Critics missed this one on initial opinion. (94 points) |
Well normally keep wines promoted under a $100 but making an exception on this one.
- 2007 Dominus Estate – USA, California, Napa Valley (5/20/2026)
Dominus Tasting at Haskell’s (Haskell’s, Minnetonka): Glasvin Kane. Wine of the year candidate. This is close to the epic 98 from 3 Day but not quite there. Tons of life left here. Super complex wine and a Bordeaux clone. Cigar, funk, spices, blue currants, cassis, menthol, earth and dried flowers. Fun to see about half like this better than the 16. Both rockstars and bought one each. 97.75. (97 points)
Well one of my favorite Syrah producers in the world delivers with the 23! For sure a top 10 of the year contender.
2023 Pášxa Syrah Rockgarden Vineyard – USA, Oregon, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater (5/13/2026) Day 1: Glasvin Universal. Natural cork. This wine will really rock on day 3 in my opinion. First of all a cool bottle shape. Stone, mild funk, tar, white pepper, dust, spices, red currants, floral and black licorice. Medium to long finish. This is very elegant but packs a ton of wonderful flavors. Love it! 95+ Day 2: Beautiful with iodine, blue currants, smoke, tar, stone, graphite, spices, floral, dried meat and white pepper. Elegant wine and very lengthy finish. Delicious. 95.5 points Day 3: Wow and just wow!!! 3 Day Transformation works again! This is better which is hard to believe as I don’t like giving out many scores over 95. More savory and showing off some black olives, exotics spices, white pepper and stone. Fruits feature blue currants and raspberries along with minerals, dust, underbrush and violets. Long finish. Balanced wine for sure. 97 points Recommendation: This wine needs some time and trust me you will be rewarded for sure. (97 points) |
Tried this one at Taste Washington from 2001. Well got a killer deal on WineBid. Both bottles a testament to great age ability of Washington State Wines. Cadence Winery is legit!
- 2001 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (5/3/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Durand working hard on this one. WineBid $30 with shipping. Love all 3 friends. This is outstanding. Had this at Taste Washington. While the fruit is not popping on 25 years of age it offers quite a bit. Floral, dust, earth, minerals, dried cherries and exotic spices. What a fun wine. 93 points (93 points) - 2001 Cadence Tapteil Vineyard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (3/21/2026)
Taste Washington Grand Tasting Day 1 (Lumen Field, Seattle): Glasvin Universal. Wow and wow! 25 year old wine and this rocked. Top 10 of the Taste Washington Event. Earth, spices, floral, red currants, cherry, minerals and coffee beans. This is a testament to well made Washington State wines and their ability to age!!! (94 points)
Well I have been digging the Walls Vineyards for several years but really have never taken a deep dive into their wines. Tasted a few at Taste Washington. Well the Gaspard is off the charts (Cheers to my golfing buddy in the late 80s Craig Gaspard, not related). Wine Promoted and back up the truck. First day 2 wine to be promoted.
2022 The Walls Vineyards Syrah Gaspard – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain (4/27/2026) Day 1: Glasvin Universal. Diam 5. This is right there with the 19 and maybe even better. Big and bold and I like it. Black pepper, spices, dark currants, floral, iodine, earth, tar, roasted meats and stone. Wow is this good on a pop and pour and just arrived on Saturday. More please. 94 points Day 2: Wow! This is intense and flavorful. A top wine of the year candidate for the price. Crushed rocks, black pepper, spices, roasted meats, iodine, menthol, floral, tar, stone and exotic spices. Long finish and concentrated. Back up the truck on a six pack. 96 points (96 points) |
Well when you get a $40.00 wine out of a winery that tastes closer to $100 you are making my Wine Promoted. Sagemoor Cellars is killing it with Bordeaux Style Reds and Whites. This is an easy six pack.
- 2022 Wines of Sagemoor Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Vineyards – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (4/20/2026)
Day 1: Glasvin Kane. Composite cork. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Beautiful fruit on this one featuring plum, sour cherry and black currants. Wood, dark chocolate, pencil lead, floral and earth. Nice perfume element on the medium plus finish. 93+
Day 2: Loving this on day 2. Very balanced and offering cherry, plum, pencil lead, earth, dust, spices, dried flowers, wood and baking chocolate. Medium plus finish. For a younger Cab drinking really well right now on day 2 or about 3 hour decant. 94 points
Day 3: This is outstanding quality for the price. Top caliber stuff. Pencil lead, earth, dust, cherry, raspberries, plum, chocolate, wood and dried flowers. Nice spiciness on the medium plus finish. Loving this one. 94 poitns
Recommendation: What a great price point in regards to quality.
Varietals: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot (94 points)
Well when you tasted 500 plus wines in five days you think the palate might be a bit dull but for some reason I don’t have a limit. At Taste Washington this wine stood out as by far the best value and served this in a blind tasting last night and was wine of the night against $50 plus wines. Get some before it is sold out. Gravel Bar.
- 2021 Gravel Bar Winery Alluvial Columbia Valley – USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Glasvin Kane. So this just won a blind event with wines $50 and above. Clear cut winner tonight and my top wine along with 3 others out of seven. Cherry, plum, spice, floral, minerals and earth. Very solid wine and for the price none better in Washington. (94 pts.)
