Post Tasting Notes: Kiona Winery
I have to hand it to JJ of Kiona Winery; he knows his stuff, was a superb host at our tasting, and the wines were spectacular! It was definitely one of the most successful tastings we’ve had, and we always get a lot of people, but this time it was more upbeat all around. If you’d like to see and hear JJ’s style for yourself, Blogger Erin Thomas posted about how engaging JJ can be when talking about his wines. Customers were thrilled—there were all sorts of new people in the shop, and it was just one of those friendly and fun evenings that Dave and I love to see happen in our space, and which make us thankful that we opened the shop on Capitol Hill.
JJ Williams, aka “the one-eyed wine guy”, of Kiona Vineyards, is the son of winery founders Scott Williams and grandson of John Williams. JJ hosts a blog which focuses on what he knows best: the wines his family makes. He brought a wide range for the lineup, from Chardonnay to Cabernet Sauvignon to Lemberger to a dessert wine. The dessert wine, a late harvest Riesling, just made big headlines as a winner for best sweet wine in Seattle Magazine’s most recent issue featuring the best 35 Washington wines. Generally we don’t care much about ratings and critics’ comments, but this wine well deserves the attention and so do all the others in the lineup. In fact, it is nice to see Kiona getting some attention again.
Kiona has been making wine in Washington since 1975, and is considered one of the pioneers of Washington wine. Early, on, Kiona became the sweetheart of national critics who were both skeptical of and tough on Washington wines, and the wines made the grade time and time again. Production increased, and at some point, the critics stopped reviewing them as consistently. Why? Who can say. Perhaps Kiona winery, unlike so many others, was unwilling to swerve towards the popular trend of sweetening and oaking the wines, which produces the fat, not-at-all-nuanced versions of classic varietals which still have a great audience but fail to impress us in the shop, that’s for sure. Kiona has stayed true to its roots, and while it is largely out of the limelight in mainstream wine media, everyone else still recognizes how excellent these wines are.
Here’s what we tasted:
2006 Kiona Chardonnay
This unique version of Chardonnay blends a slight amount of other white varietals, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, and Roussane to produce a very bright, zesty wine with apple, pear, and hints of stone fruit on the nose, which follow through to the main body of the wine. Generous flavor, crisp acidity, and a clean minerality round this out to make for an impressive wine all around, especially at its more than reasonable price point. Reaction to this was very favorable, as people were impressed by the “size” of the fruit without it being too rich or oaked.
2006 Kiona Estate Lemberger
As JJ noted during the tasting, his father and grandfather were the first people to plant Lemberger vines in the United States. A traditional German grape, Lemberger produces great results here in Washington, where the climate is, well . . . a lot like Germany’s cooler river-valley climates. Kiona has done a fantastic job with this, producing a full bodied red with plum and blackberry as the main flavors, with a great measure of earthy and spicy qualities too. Different, classy, and rich without being overbearing. Fun to serve at a dinner party, especially for the conversation it will produce. This was probably one of the biggest surprises at the tasting, since most people had not tried a Lemberger before, and really enjoyed its unique nature.
2003 Kiona Estate Sangiovese
I feel Sangiovese is bound to be the runaway favorite grape in Washington over the next few years. Not only is it the main grape used in Italy’s Chianti region, but it takes on familiar and unique qualities here in Washington. First of all, the Kiona Sangiovese has been aging in the bottle and so the flavors have matured and smoothed out to a remarkable elegance; second of all, many Washington versions of Sangiovese tend to be light bodied, but this one has more power than most. As the winery notes, “Bright cherry aromas with just a hint of leather and earth marries with rich red fruit flavors and zingy acid in the finish. Quite complex, this Sangiovese has layers of flavors and is exceptional when served with red sauces, strong hard cheeses or rotisserie chicken.” Heavy without being overbearing, this was a hit with everyone and sold out quickly.
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Kiona Cab was a huge hit outright. We described it as “old school,” since it has a lot of flavor and complexity without having a lot of weight to the wine. This lovely Cabernet features dark, brooding cherry and current flavors with vibrant hues of floral, earth, and oak notes, all the while echoing with hints of herbs in the background. A great example of what aging Washington Cabernet Sauvignon can bring forth. JJ kept saying it could compete with some of the Washington Cab’s that fetch fifty to a hundred dollars, and I agree. I wonder what would happen if someone did a blind tasting with the Kiona, Quilceda Creek, Woodward Canyon, Leonetti, and others.
2008 Kiona Late Harvest Riesling
This wine is getting a ton of press and praise, and everyone tasted the reason. It sold out at the tasting as well. In similar style to the ultra-famous (and very expensive) French Sauternes dessert wines, Kiona has pulled off the semmingly impossible: sweet , complex wine with a low residual sugar and good acidity so the experience is like none other. Seattle Magazine’s April 2010 issue featuring the 35 Best Washington Wines gave this wine the “best late harvest under $25” position. With a nose of apricot blossom and honey tones, you know the rest will be delicious: sweet apple and citrus flavors mingle with beautiful floral notes, before wafting off to a zesty finish of light spice and palate-cleansing acidity. Superb with any “formidable” dessert (anything with cream, or heavier in nature), or as Seattle Magazine noted, “this wine would also pair well with spicy Thai curry.” Agreed!
Finally, there was some fun talk with JJ about his blog and videos on One Eyed Wine Guy, specifically referring to the photographs of his wife’s amazing culinary creations. The Ahi Tuna grabbed my attention most of all for its sheer beauty in the photograph—it literally looked delicious just in the picture itself. The recipe sounds great too, and I have yet to try it. Gosh, I figure having Molly as the chef and JJ as the sommelier at a restaurant would be one powerful combination!
