A double-blind look at Yakima Valley wines

Last spring, the Yakima Valley vintners put on a tasting for the trade here in Seattle, and I was pleased to discover an interesting assortment of new wines and wineries.

With another round of new releases now appearing, I began looking at syrah and the Bordeaux varietals. Some of the oldest cabernet in the country is grown in Yakima Valley vineyards, along with the first syrah vines grown in Washington. The number of wineries in the Yakima Valley appellation also continues to grow. (Did you realize there are now 406 bonded wineries in Washington?)

I elected to do this tasting double-blind, which means that all the wines were concealed in plain brown bags (single blind), and the list of participating wines and wineries was not revealed until after all my notes and scores had been finalized (that's the double-blind part). So I had no idea of grape, vintage, price, vineyard or producer throughout the tasting, other than the fact that the wines were some combination of syrah, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and perhaps some lesser-known Bordeaux grapes.

Many wine writers and publications believe that reviewing wines blind is more fair and objective. Wine competitions almost always are conducted blind (though not double-blind). In a blind tasting, the argument goes, prejudices are put aside. Labels and vintages and names don't matter. The only criterion is the absolute quality of the wine based on what you see, smell and taste.

I am not opposed to blind tastings, but I absolutely do not believe they are any more fair (or objective) than tastings with labels revealed. In many ways, blind tastings are less fair. Evaluating wine is always subjective. Therefore, the more information you bring to the table, the better the context you have for assessing a wine's strengths and faults. Knowing the grape or grapes gives insights into the varietal character that should be expressed. Knowing the region allows you to compare the wine to others from the same place, and to look for particular expressions of regional "terroir."

Knowing the vintage and age of the wine also is a plus: Did the vintner make a good wine in a bad vintage or a mediocre wine in a very good vintage? Is the brick-colored edge you see to be expected because the wine is of a certain age, or is it a fault because it is a very young wine? Finally, how does the wine fit into the history, tradition and track record of the winery? You can't ask, much less answer, this question without knowing the winery's name.

So why do I choose to taste blind on occasion? For one thing, to test myself to see whether I come up with radically different opinions about wines from producers I know well. For another, to take away the price factor. When you are tasting unknown wines and you find one that you really like, you hope against all odds it will turn out to be a bargain.

Here are my picks for the best wines of the tasting (in order of preference). Please note that some of these are limited-edition bottlings sold only from the winery (or their Web sites).

K estrel Vintners 2003 Co-fermented Syrah; $37.50. Dark, plummy and very spicy; the compact fruits are loaded with interesting citrus/floral highlights and hints of exotic perfumes and powders. Long, seductive and exotic.

Chandler Reach 2003 "Monte Regalo"; $22. Bright, clear and very toasty, this has plenty of stuffing and just a hint of leather and leaf. Very good aging potential.

Chandler Reach 2002 "Parris" Reserve Cabernet Franc; $38. Ripe, plentiful black cherry fruit to begin; cracker, toast, butterscotch and a hint of leather to finish. Muscular and laced with mint; elegant tannins.

Apex 2001 Syrah; $28. Meaty and dark, with dense fruit flavors mixing blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and black cherry. A nice lingering smokiness marks the finish.

Sagela nds 2003 Four Corners Merlot; $13. A fleshy, fruity mix of berry and cherry fruits, with a liberal amount of oak, which adds accents of bacon, smoke and ham. This Yakima Valley winery sources grapes from four different appellations for this wine, which will be released officially in a few weeks.

Kestrel Vintners 2002 Old Vine Merlot; $50. A dark, authoritative wine with concentrated layers of red and black fruits. It's thick through the mid-palate, then swings into an interesting, minty, lifted, almost citrusy finish.

Windy Point Vineyards 2003 Cabernet Franc; $18. Sweet, dark and dusty, this seductive wine shows a nice balance of tangy red fruits, crisp citrus and finishing notes of mocha and toast.

Tapteil Vineyard 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon; $29. Grassy and herbal, the flavors resembling old-vine zinfandel. Tart, lightly peppery red fruit.

I also enjoyed the Goose Ridge 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and 2003 Reserve Syrah, though these were labeled Columbia Valley.

There is an excellent Web site (www.wineyakimavalley.org) listing wineries, growers, touring information and upcoming events. Next up is the annual Red Wine and Chocolate weekend (Feb. 18-20). Participating wineries will pair chocolate desserts with their red wines. Most of the valley's 52 wineries will be participating. Some offerings — I'm thinking of Hinzerling's "Port Sodden Chocolate Cherries" (maraschino cherries soaked in the winery's Port and then dipped in a chocolate) and Oakwood Cellars' "Chocolate Plutonium Containment Cake" (served with Lemberger) — would be hard to duplicate anywhere else in the world.

Reserve tickets cost $20 and include a wine glass and admission to special tasting events. They may be ordered by phone (800-258-7270) or e-mail (info@wineyakimavalley.org).

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines." His column appears weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.