Warm up to winter reds

When you think about it, winter is a much better time than summer to be sampling red wines. Many new releases are coming out, and it's red-wine weather. There is general agreement among wine professionals (me included) that the 2005 vintage here in Washington is going to rank in the Top 5 of all time. Quite possibly the best ever. This may be a good time to take a midwinter break and visit a winery. It's always worth a call ahead to see if they can accommodate a visit, even if they are not officially open.

Here are some of the latest releases from around the state that having me licking my lips in anticipation.

Seattle area

Members of the South Seattle Artisan Wineries (www.ssaw.info/) are open on the second Saturday of each month. The SSAW winery members are Cadence, Fall Line, :Nota Bene and O• S. All are pouring first-rate wines. New to me were the wines of Fall Line; three excellent reds, all priced at $30. Winemaker Tim Sorenson has a deft touch and a natural sense of grace and proportion. Fall Line's 2004 Red Mountain Red, from the under-rated Artz vineyard, and the 2004 Horse Heaven Hills Red, from the Destiny Ridge vineyard, reveal the strengths and nuances of vineyard and appellation. The 2004 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a sophisticated blend of both, with a splash of Boushey vineyard fruit for added muscle.

Down in Burien, E.B. Foote Winery (206-242-3852) has rolled out a diverse and interesting lineup, including a 2005 Milbrandt Vineyards Zinfandel ($18) with the racy authority of Dry Creek zins. Also recommended: their 2003 Merlot, nonvintage Rainy Day Red Syrah (both $18) and 2004 Perfect a Trois ($25), a Bordeaux blend.

Soos Creek (253-631-8775) does not have regular tasting-room hours, but this Kent winery, which specializes in Bordeaux blends from top-tier vineyards, should be on every Washington wine-lover's radar. Current releases — all highly recommended — include the 2004 Artist's Series #4 ($30), the 2004 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($35), the 2004 Soleil Red Wine ($37) and the 2004 Sundance Red Wine ($23), a drink-now, well-priced, generous blend of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

Up in Woodinville, Woodhouse Family Cellars (425-527-0608) keeps the tasting room open Friday through Sunday. My favorites among their current releases are the Hudson Shah 2005 Viognier ($37), done in a super ripe, super-saturated style with rich, thick flavors of pear, peach and papaya; and the Kennedy Shah 2002 Syrah ($35), done in a bold, toasty, solid, sturdy, smoky style.

Chatter Creek winery (206-985-2816) is a recent transplant to Woodinville, but winemaker Gordy Rawson is a veteran hand. The winery is open for visitors on the first and third Saturdays of the month, by appointment only. Rawson's white and red wines are carefully rendered, no-frills examples of classic Washington varietals. Among the new releases is a lovely mutt red called 'Blend 105' ($20) that tastes like a bowl full of berries, cherries and plums.

Yakima Valley

Prosser's Alexandria Nicole Cellars (509-786-3497) has released some of its best wines yet. The grapes come from the estate vineyard — Destiny Ridge — located in the Horse Heaven Hills. Seek out the 2004 Block 17 Syrah ($35), an inky, vivid, fascinating wine that was co-fermented with roussanne. Another gem is the 2004 Destiny Ridge Vineyard Red Table Wine ($45), a Bordeaux blend with racy fruit flavors of blueberry, plum and pie cherries.

Nearby is the just-built Tuscan-villa tasting room of Chandler Reach Vineyards (509-588-8800). The winery, perched along the Yakima River overlooking Red Mountain, is well worth a visit — not only for the view and the architecture but also for the well-made, well-priced wines. Start with the 2005 "36" Red ($12), a bright, full-bodied, mostly cabernet blend. This is what Washington needs more of: substantial everyday reds at everyday prices.

The 2004 Chandler Reach Merlot ($16) is not to be missed, a luscious, velvety, thoroughly delicious varietal wine. I don't know how you can do any better with merlot at this price. Ditto the 2004 Corella ($16), the winery's proprietary blend of sangiovese, cabernet and syrah. The higher-priced wines, especially the 2003 Parris Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($42) and 2003 Parris Reserve Cabernet Franc ($38) are both lush with sweet, ripe black-cherry fruit, muscular without overdoing it. All in all, this is a winery at the top of its game.

The new releases from McCrea Cellars are also out, and as usual the Boushey Grande Côte Vineyard Syrah ($42) is the one that rings every bell for me. This 2004 version is pure syrah from a vineyard that is rapidly becoming the best syrah vineyard in the state, if not the country. Jam-packed with flavors and scents of smoked meat, cured ham, black truffle, charcoal, pencil lead, toasted nuts. It's a perfect mix of fruit and barrel, and not to be missed. Also highly recommended is the 2005 McCrea Grenache ($28). Prosser's Elerding vineyard and Red Mountain's iconic Ciel du Cheval vineyard provided the fruit here, and the wine is loaded with concentrated berry preserves, spiced up with pepper and chocolate.

Where Prosser's Kestrel Vintners (509-786-2675) most often hits the bull's-eye with their rich, bold, tannic red wines made from estate-grown, old-vine grapes. But this time I'm singling out their 2004 Viognier ($20) for special recognition. Barrel fermented and left "sur lie" (on the yeast) for nine months, this rich and buttery wine skates along the edge of volatility, yet offers intense, irresistible flavors of lemon, lime, pineapple and tropical fruits.

Lake Chelan

Kestrel was the winemaking home for Ray Sandidge before his recent move to Lake Chelan. These days, besides making the wines for Lake Chelan winery, he produces about 2,500 cases of his own C.R. Sandidge wines (509-682-3704). He still sources some Kestrel grapes, along with fruit from other top Yakima valley vineyards such as Boushey, Klingele, Minick and Lewis. Grab a bottle of C.R. Sandidge 2005 Viognier ($21) for its clean, fresh flavors of crisp apples, nectarines and Meyer lemon. The winery's Chelan and Prosser tasting rooms will both be open for special red wine and chocolate events this month. Call for information.

Finding the wines

Unless noted, all Wine Adviser recommendations are currently available, though vintages may sometimes differ. All wine shops and most groceries have a wine specialist on staff. Show them this column, and if they do not have the wine in stock, they can order it for you from the local distributor.

Paul Gregutt's column appears weekly in the Wine section. He can be reached by e-mail at wine@seattletimes.com.