2004 TL Cellars Release No. ONE, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($50)
Recently, I retasted Troy Ledwick’s first release, from the Lewis Vineyard near Prosser. It has evolved beautifully. Back in December of ’08, it was a bit awkward. Now, it emits intriguing aromas of blackberry, mint, rose petals, orange peel and oriental incense. The flavors are exotic – not those of your usual muscular higher-end Cabernet – but exquisitely wrought, with interweaving of cassis, kirsch liqueur, minerals, black tea, licorice and vanilla bean extracts. There is a stylized sweet/dry backdrop that adds interest and complexity, which extends into the lingering, darkly fruited, satiny tannin finish. The impeccable fruit-acid balance suggests the wine can go several more years. 19/20 points.
2005 TL Cellars Release No. TWO, Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, Les Collines Vineyard (Futures: $50 – Spring Release)
Dark purplish color. Bold aromas and scents of black cherry, black currant, cigar box and oriental incense. The dark fruits charge on in the entry, with layers of minerals, licorice and juicy fruits all spreading out on the palate into a long, ripe tannin finish. Those delicious black fruits just keep on going. (Retasted in late January, and showing even better.) 19.5/20 points.
2005 TL Cellars Release No. THREE, Syrah, Columbia Valley, Lewis Vineyard ($50 – Release Fall)
Here, Troy Ledwick has followed up his first two releases, both Cabernets, with a Syrah. It emits an intense nose of black cherry, cassis and blueberry with scents of violets, incense and whiffs of tobacco smoke. The flavors are dense and tight-knit, yet vivid and palate encompassing, underlain with minerally terroir in the black fruits and admixtures of mocha, licorice, espresso, dried berries, finishing with fine-grained tannins. 19/20 points. By the way, TL’s Release No. 2, the 2005 Les Collines Cabernet Sauvignon reviewed in my February issue (19.5 points) is still available.
2008 TL Cellars “Release No. FIVE”, Grenache, Walla Walla Valley ($65)
Here, Troy Ledwick has turned out the best rendition of this up and coming variety that I’ve seen so far. Sourced from the Minnick Vineyard, it displays a deep brick red color and an intriguing nose of raspberry, Marion berry, wild cherry, crushed roses, orange peel, sandalwood and incense. The entry shows richly berried, medium bodied textures, followed by a tapestry of lavish fruits that are intermixed with loamy, silty earth, milk chocolate, gently macerated fruits, toasted nuts, licorice and mocha. The deep, finely wrought back palate shows impeccable fruit-acid balance (.62 total acidity) and is deftly dusted with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon bark laid on a sultry (15.2% alcohol) lingering smooth tannin finish. 19+/20 points.
2006 TL Cellars “Release No. SIX”, Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley ($65)
Deep ruby-crimson colored, this wine, produced from the Boushey Vineyard, emits terrific aromatics: wild blackberries, mulberries, cassis, crushed blueberry, oriental perfumes, violets and incense. On the entry, the palate shows dark, macerated berry and cherry fruits, followed by sensations of kirsch liqueur, a distinctive basaltic minerality, dried berries, and touches of licorice, bittersweet chocolate and vanilla bean. All this is followed by fine, penetrating fruit acids that are composed of slightly tart squeezed berry juices, recurring kirsch, and a twist of orange peel. The finish culminates in a deft touch of French oak (one year old Vicard) and satiny sweet-dry tannins. In sum, this is the most alluring expression of Petit Verdot (seldom bottled as a varietal) that I’ve ever seen. 19.5/20 points.
reviewofwashingtonwines.com
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Robert Parker`s Wine Advocate
The 2004 Release No. ONE, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Lewis Vineyard, spent 39 months in barrel, 50% new. The nose delivers notes of mocha, coffee, scorched earth, black currants and blackberry. On the palate, the oak is well-integrated but the wine could use a bit more mid-palate concentration. The wine has enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years and will drink well from 2010 to 2017.
89pts.
The 2005 Release No. TWO, was sourced from the excellent Les Collines Vineyard. It offers brighter fruit with layers of flavor, potential complexity, and excellent length. It should be at its best from 2012 to 2020. While TL Cellars is a work in progress, Troy Ledwick appears to be aiming high so it is a winery worth watching.
91pts.
TL Cellars’ 2006 Petit Verdot Release No. SIX, Boushey Vineyards (one of Washington’s finest sites) is purple/black in color with an alluring nose of smoke, mineral, black pepper, incense, and compote of black fruits that jumps from the glass. Sweet, ripe, and dense with layers of spicy black fruit, it has the structure to develop for another 4-5 years. Drink this large-scaled offering from 2015 to 2026.
92pts.
