Spring 2022 Cellar Circle Wines
As we emerge from our homes and head outside to enjoy longer days and casual get-togethers with family and friends, we think you will find this quarter’s Cellar Circle wines made to order. Say goodbye to winter’s cold, dark days, and welcome spring with these fresh, flavorful new releases.
Classic members will take home the 2021 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Vineyard Roussanne, a full-bodied white wine with aromas and flavors of fresh Bosc pear, apricot, and lemon peel. The wine carries the Royal Slope appellation on the label, designated Washington State’s 15thAmerican Viticultural Area (AVA) in September 2020. Appellation status confirms the distinct characteristics of grapes grown here. Stillwater Creek is particularly well-known for its Rhone varieties, and you can taste the specificity of the site in this bottling.
Both Classic and Red-only members will enjoy the new release of the 2019 Januik Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. First planted in 2010, Quintessence has quickly emerged as a top Red Mountain vineyard. Mike harvests nine blocks of Quintessence Cabernet planted with six clones, each an expression of the terroir. Block 8, clone 4 is Mike’s favorite and plays a starring role in this big, bold wine, loaded with dense layers of dark fruit, mineral and spice, and full-bodied tannins.
Red-only members will round out their spring wines with the 2019 Novelty Hill Il Corvo. Last year’s debut release of this Super Tuscan-style red sold out quickly; the new release is a delicious follow-up that promises to be equally popular. A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Sangiovese, and 4% Merlot, this is a medium to full-bodied wine with just the right amount of mouth-watering acidity. It’s bursting with bright aromas and flavors of Bing cherry, plum, baking spices, and a hint of fennel pollen. If you are a fan of Novelty Hill’s estate-grown Sangiovese, you will recognize the defining character of this grape in Il Corvo.
Platinum members will enjoy three limited-release reds, all fine examples of the 2019 vintage, an outstanding growing season that produced wines notable for their excellent natural acidity, concentration, and flavor. The spring shipment includes three of our favorite wines of the vintage:
2019 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Merlot Wine Enthusiast magazine dubbed Mike one of the world’s Top 10 “Master’s of Merlot,” and this rich, lush bottling from one of his favorite Stillwater Creek block shows why. Ripe and aromatic, with freshly roasted coffee beans, cocoa, and red raspberries aromas and flavors. Silky tannins add dimension and texture.
2019 Januik Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon One of Washington’s first grape growers, Jim Holmes pioneered Red Mountain vineyard planting at Kiona Vineyard in partnership with John Williams and later on his site, Ciel du Cheval. Originally planted in 1972, Ciel du Cheval established Red Mountain’s reputation for powerhouse reds. One of Washington’s warmest growing regions, the small but mighty AVA is ideally suited to ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, and Ciel du Cheval Vineyard gets it right every year. You can taste it in this concentrated wine’s dark, brooding fruit flavors, notable for its refined structure and mouth-filling finish.
2019 Januik Reserve Red Wine Winemaker Mike Januik selects his favorite lots of the vintage to craft a Reserve Red each year that reflects the best of the growing season. The 2019 Januik Red is a blend of grapes from a diverse selection of vineyards that include aromas of mocha, currants, black raspberries, and layers of black and red fruit on the palate. Styled for texture and mouthfeel, this elegant wine is drinking beautifully now but also has enough power to go the distance in the cellar.
