Valerie and I were out tasting wine in Woodinville on a recent Saturday. She hasn’t spent much time at many Artisan Hill tasting rooms, so we drove over to see who might still be open late in the day. I was delighted to see Pomum Cellars was still open. I was fairly certain Valerie would be very impressed with their wines and glad she had the opportunity to try them right here in the winery.
The tasting room associate, Ines, was so kind to us and very patient when our tasting ran a bit past closing time. (I feel so bad we kept her late!)
I immediately noticed the new amphora – Pomum now owns three. Ines said it will likely end up being used for white wine. The two amphorae in the back room are currently full of Cabernet Sauvignon.
I also hadn’t seen their wood wine press on my last visit back in November. So cool! We marveled over it while Ines introduced Valerie to the winery’s history.
She mentioned that the winemaker, Javier Alfonso, sources primarily from older vineyards. At most, he makes 150 to 250 cases of each wine. His philosophy is to do as little as possible and let the wine speak for itself. He doesn’t intervene – for example, he won’t stir Chardonnay to make it creamy.
Our first pour was the 2015 Riesling, sourced from Upland Estates. This dry wine was produced without oak (Yay) and only 163 cases were made. We enjoyed the citrus aroma and apricot/nectarine flavors.
Next, we tried the 2016 Chardonnay, from French Creek Vineyard. It’s fruit forward, not buttery, and tasted crisp. I liked it, and I’m not usually a fan of Chardonnay. Ines mentioned this would pair really nicely with grilled chicken.
We next tasted the 2014 Shya Red. It’s a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and also 8% Petit Verdot. I loved it and brought a bottle home for my collection.
Valerie’s favorite was the 2015 Syrah, which was released back in April. The grapes for this are grown at Upland Vineyard and at Konnowac Vineyards.
I’ve been really enjoying tasting various Woodinville winery Tempranillos lately, so I was extra eager to try Pomum Cellars’ 2015 Tempranillo.
The Tempranillo grapes for this wine were grown at Upland Vineyard and at Dineen Vineyards.
This was an outstanding wine, and I had to purchase this for my upcoming Tempranillo vertical tasting dinner party. I wonder if I can resist opening and drinking it before then!
I always ask about the dog friendly status of tasting rooms, and yes, the Pomum Cellars tasting room is dog friendly.
On Fridays this summer, they’re open until 8pm, offering glass pours. Sometimes they’ll open the club-only Idilico wine or serve Elentone’s sparkling wine.
If you’re interested in tasting incredible Spanish-style wines grown and lovingly made in Washington State, be sure to stop by Pomum Cellars some weekend. I especially recommend their Tempranillo!
Thanks again to Ines for your time and being so patient and gracious with us!
-Carrie
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