Remember back in March when we had our first Washington wine month and I posted a map that showed Washington and France are on the same parallel. One day I'll make it to France and see where the grapes grow in the Rhône valley, until then I will be more than happy to keep exploring Washingtons evolving "Rhône Valley." For a few years now I've kept my eye on specifically Marsannes and Roussannes coming out of WA and even more recently I've been really digging on Granache wines. I didn't realize with the two wines I picked for the Indigo level this month are pretty similar in the winemaking styles.
"At Esja Wines we strive to make minimally intervened Washington wine, that is funky, fresh, and fun." esjawines.com
"minimal intervention, honest winemaking from Washington state." sonderwines.com
The first time I looked at the Esja website I thought I went to the wrong website. The home page has a beautiful picture of Mount Esja. There is a caption that reads
"Esja (pronounced Es-Ya) is a mountain range situated ten kilometers north of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. Nestled across the bay, Mount Esja overlooks the city providing peaceful and stunning views. Although she looks inviting, Esja is a force to be reckoned with. Her steep sloped and dramatic shifts in weather have proven to be severely treacherous. She is delicate, and powerful. Much like we intend our wines to be.
Roussanne are unique because they have the floral and rich aromatics like a Viognier, even on the pallet it has a rich mouthfeel and hints of stone fruits, but what sets this varietal apart is the acidity on the finish. The 2021 Esja Roussanne Stillwater Creek is just that, on the pallet it was layers of opal apples and honey. Thinking about the finish on this wine makes my mouth water.
This wine can stand up to some pretty hardy meals; you really couldn't go wrong with the Bluebird's Fried Chicken, but then again the panko/hazelnut crusted pork chop would be delicious.
The indigo red selection, I think is a Great summer red. For August we have the Sonder 50% Grenache 50% Picpoul Co-Ferment. Again our unintended theme for the Indigo selections in minimal intervention. Right away this isn't your "normal" red wine. The color is almost "barbie-pink day dream." This lighter red even drinks great with a little bit of chill on it. Riley Miller, the winemaker only made 150 cases of this little gem colored delight, he drinks his over ice with a little umbrella. The aromatics reminded me of thanksgiving cranberries. The cranberry tartness is there on the pallet too, the acids are grippy but deliver a clean finish. It been pretty hot lately and with this being a chill-able red, I recommend this wine with the Raddichio or Spinach Salad.
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