Spring 2007 Newsletter
Join the Party: Spring Release & Coin Club BBQ
On Saturday, May 5, we will host our third annual Coin Club Barbeque... back by relentless, popular demand! This casual event is exclusively for Coin Club members and their guests and will be held from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Amavi Cellars.
This year’s menu once again features our melt-in-your-mouth brisket. We’ll also have an exciting selection of other temptations, including deep-fried turkey, to complement our wines.
(Pictured, above right) Last May, Deb Hamling visited Walla Walla for Spring Release. She traveled all the way from Columbus, Nebraska with a group of friends. At our Coin Club Barbeque, she held the lucky raffle ticket and won a three-liter bottle of Amavi Syrah. Here, she shows off her her prize with Managing Partner Ray Goff.
Admission to the BBQ is $15 per person. RSVP at (509) 525-3541 or Patty@amavicellars.com by April 20th if you plan to attend.
Not yet a member of the Coin Club? Membership is free and entitles you to a 20% discount on purchases of current and future vintages and wine-related items sold in our tasting room. To join, contact Patty Wondra at (509) 525-3541 or Patty@amavicellars.com.
If you can't make it to the barbeque, please come see us during the day. We'd love to see you and share our wines with you. I'm sure you are wondering what wines we will be pouring. Well, to be honest, it is a bit of a mystery to us as well.
Winemaker Jean-François Pellet is very serious about his mantra of "no wine before its time." So, we won't even know the exact lineup for a couple of more weeks. It looks like we will have our 2005 Ice Wine, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon and our 2004 Seven Hills Syrah (all are tasting fantastic!), plus there is a distinct possibility we will be releasing our 2006 Sémillon and/or our 2005 Syrah. Jean-François also made some Rosé again this year, so maybe it will make an appearance as well. If you're just dying to know what we'll be featuring, contact us during the last week of April at 509-525-3541 or info@amavicellars.com.
Love Letters
We are thrilled by the calls and e-mails we receive from you, telling us how a bottle (bottles?) of Amavi fit into your special night. Recently, one of our friends in New York sent us this note:
The wine took more of a beating getting there than any wine should (under the plane, and a 9-hour bumpy truck drive to the resort, then to drink the next day) and the wine drank great. Most of the European wines suffered from the trip. My goal other than to drink great Cab was to have one at a lower alcohol level to drink in the warm rain forest weather. Just a great experience. — Chandler Webber
Calendar of Events
For a listing of upcoming events, click here.
In the News: Acclaim and Awards
In addition, Paul Gregutt reviewed five of our wines (just about everything we make!) and gave them all great marks. He wrote about the wines on his website, paulgregutt.com, and in Wine Enthusiast magazine. Here's what he said:
Amavi Cellars 2004 Syrah
89 Points This is drinking quite young…. this is really good stuff, spicy and streaked with white pepper and green herb. [Limited quantity of magnums available. Order here or call winery 509-525-3541].
Amavi Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
89 Points A substantial wine, well-balanced and showing a good mix of dark, acid-driven fruits, smoke and graphite. Some light hints of mushroom and leaf... I could drink this wine all night long… It’s not a big wine but quite approachable. [Order here or call winery 509-525-3541]
91 Points Exceptionally rich…. The fruit is firm and tart, showing a mix of pineapple and green citrus and berry. An underlying minerality… loaded with lovely acid and fruit, and a hint of toastiness in the finish. About one third comes from 25-year-old vines, some of the state’s oldest sémillon. [SOLD OUT]
Amavi Cellars 2004 Les Collines Vineyard Syrah
91 Points Intensely aromatic, dark, herbal and meaty. Shows some earthy, funky character, but a marvelous texture, and flavors and scents of mixed mineral, compost, soy and funk. Though the style is not for everyone, it’s got real depth and complexity. It’s a very European take on syrah. [Very limited... call Patty 509-525-3541]
Amavi Cellars 2004 Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah
90 Points Dark and ripe, with a strong smoky component. Plenty of muscle… along with firm acids and blackberry fruit…The smoke and licorice notes add interesting streaks of darkness to the wine as it extends into a finish of dark, smoky tannins. [Order here or call winery 509-525-3541]