Washington Wines: A Real Value

A few years ago, I tasted a red blend from Washington State called Ursa. It was produced by a small winery named Baer Winery in Woodinville, WA.  Interestingly, Ursa is Latin for the animal bear. The wine itself was a blend and a pure pleasure to drink. In fact, that year this wine was Wine Spectator’s #6 wine of the year. The price, at that time, was a mere $35 a bottle for an outstanding wine.

More recently, I purchased their 2010 Ursa for about the same price, and it scored 91 points. When Wine Spectator released their top 100 list again this year, Baer’s 2012 Ursa ranked at the #28 spot. I suspect there is a trend here. This is a consistently well-crafted wine that delivers year after year. Here is the best part – it is still available from the winery for shipment to most states. (Sorry, to my friends in PA!) I just searched their website to confirm, and they still have wine to sell and ship. Now is a great time as the weather is cool, and there is no concern regarding temperature.

Here is what I just took from the Baer Winery website:

2012 Ursa
40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec
1219 Cases Produced
To Be Released November 2015
Harvest: Hand-picked, 10/4-10/20/2012
Vineyards: 100% Stillwater Creek Vineyard
Yield: 2.02 to 4.16 Tons per Acre
Fermentation/Maceration Length: 7 to 14 days
Oak Aging: 100% French oak (Demptos, Saury, Sylvain)
Time in Barrel: 22 Months
Date Bottled: 8/6-8/7/2014
Ranked #28 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100
Wine Spectator: 94 point
Wine Enthusiast: 92 points
Stephen Tanzer: 90+ points

The price per bottle is $39, and it is worth it. I am amazed that this wine is still available. I recommend it highly.

The bigger trend here is the value wines coming from Washington. The most recent finds that are a real bargain have come from there. The state is growing in quality and increasing production year to year with new wineries cropping up. It is time to get to know Washington State wines!

Enjoy!