Visiting Lake Chelan wine country is turning into an annual tradition of our Wineswinging team! While the lake is a worthy attraction on its own, it’s always fun to observe the progress of this “under the radar” wine region of Washington.
We visited some wineries mentioned in the Best Lake Chelan Wines 2022 article and some new to us or in the region.
Navarre Coulee Vineyards
Our favorite discovery on the 2023 wine swinging trip was Navarre Coulee Vineyards.
Paul Taylor, the winemaker, and co-owner, spent over an hour pouring his wines and talking wine-nerdy topics with us while we were tasting one good wine after another!
We started by comparing the same exact Viognier wines aged differently:
- 2022 Viogniers: one in stainless steel vs. another aged in oak barrels
- 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé
- 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon – Columbia Valley AVA
- 2017 Cabernet Franc – Columbia Valley AVA
- Pounder NV (non-vintage) – a blend of 2016/2017 Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot, and Petite Verdot
- Another comparison of the same exact wine with ageing variations:
- 2016 Cabernet Sauvignons: one aged for 3 years and another 4.5 years.
We enjoyed all wines and professionally have no reservations recommending any of them. Still, if we have to pick some, we prefer the 2022 Viognier stainless still – the contest winner. Among reds 2017 Cabernet Franc was our favorite because of its perfumed raspberry, tayberry, ripe black currant, and cedar aromas and flavors.
Tipsy Canyon
While Tipsy Canyon is a new winery that opened a couple of years ago, Mark Gavin is been making wine for almost a decade.
We loved the tasting room and the view, but the most appreciated were the tips about the region we got from Mark. Tipsy Canyon turned out to be actually TIP-sy! :-)))
First, we tried bone-dry whites and Rosé from the Lake Chelan appellation and neighboring vineyards.
- 2022 Estate Pinot Blanc
- 2022 Viognier from Antoine Creek Vineyard
- 2022 Rosé of Pinot Noir from Clos Chevall Vineyard
- Then we tasted full-bodied reds from various appellations of Washington.
- 2020 Melange Rouge – Left bank Bordeaux-like blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (53%), Merlot (26%), Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot
- 2020 Black Label Melange – Right bank Bordeaux-like blend of 50% Merlot, 17% Malbec, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot
- 2020 Black Label Merlot with 9% Cabernet Sauvignon
We couldn’t resist the plumy, vanilla chocolate, and cherry jam profile of the 2020 Black Label Merlot and took it home with us.
Nefarious Cellars
It was a follow-up visit to the Nefarious winemaking duo. We wanted to taste the new releases to add to last year’s recommendations.
Our 2023 wine tasting flight included:
- 2022 Consequence – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling blend
- 2022 Viognier
- 2021 RN 1 – Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre blend
- 2021 Syrah
- 2019 Syrah Barrell Select
After the tasting, we sipped the Viognier and 2021 Syrah with our friends while enjoying the incredible views of Lake Chelan from the terrace. Unanimously, the 2022 Viognier was a favorite. We got to chat with Heather, creator of Viognier and one of the winemakers, about this wine, a dynamic winemaking Nefarious duo, and ongoing internal rivalry.
Rocky Pond Winery
Rocky Pond (one of the largest Lake Chelan producers) was another winery we wanted to revisit from last year.
We tasted seven wines, including some wine club exclusives.
- 2021 Glacial Treasure – a blend of Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Marsanne, Semillon, and Viognier that changes every year
- 2022 Gewürztraminer (with 6% Riesling addition)
- 2021 Tumbled Granite – Viognier (71%) and Roussane ( 29% ) blend
- 2022 Stratastone Rosé – Provence-inspired blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, Marsanne, Viognier, and Semillon
- 2022 Stratastone GSM – Rhone-inspired blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre
- 2020 Malbec
- 2020 11 Dams – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec blend
Our favorite flight was the 2021 Tumbled Granite white blend because of its full-bodied and well-structured profile with rainier cherries, mango, spiciness, and pleasant almond bitter touch.
Tsillan Cellars
We were excited to taste Tsillan Cellars wines again because we liked their progress last year. The flight included:
- 2021 Riesling
- 2022 Estate Pinot Grigio
- 2022 Sauvignon Blanc from Red Mountain Vineyards
- 2021 Bocciolo di Rosa – Syrah Rosé
- 2021 Estate Viognier
- 2020 Estate Dolcetto
- 2020 Estate Malbec
We had mixed feelings because we expected more, especially compared with the previous vintage we tasted here.
For our dinner with friends at Sorrento’s Ristorante which serves only Tsillan wines we picked Rosé and Malbec, but we wish we could pick wines from our 2022 visit. Nevertheless, enjoying friend’s company while watching sunset at Sorrento was such a pleasure! The view is fantastic!
Alta Cellars
Impressed by Alta Cellars wines on our last year, we planned a follow-up visit. We had high expectations and tasted ten wines from the regular and premium flights with the hope of expanding our 2022 recommendations:
- 2021 Sauvignon Blanc
- 2021 Chardonnay
- 2022 Albariño
- 2022 Syrah Rosé
- 2020 Tempranillo
- 2020 Navigator – Bordeaux-like blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec
- 2020 Merlot
- 2020 District No. 5 – Tempranillo (50%), 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, and Petite Verdot blend
- 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
- 2020 Reserve Carménère
Tasting the premium flight was fun, and a $30 tasting fee is a good value for $60-75 wines. Still, they were short on the “wow” factor we expected from similarly priced wines. We would love to hear your thoughts when you taste them.
Our 2023 recommendations remain the same as the last year’s picks – Albariño and Navigator.
Silver Bell
Have you ever been greeted by a marshal at the winery? We were! The minute we rolled into a parking lot, he was out the door, the dog door, waiting for us to park and get in.
As you have guessed, Marshal is the winery dog doing his greeting duty.
Silver Bell opened its doors two years ago! Despite being a newbie, they make pretty good Bordeaux-style red and white wines from the fruit of various Columbia Valley AVA vineyards and plan to grow their vineyard around Lake Chelan. We tasted:
- 2021 Semillon
- 2021 Essense – Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend
- Moxie NV – Bordeaux-like blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot and Malbec
- 2020 Aubaine – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec blend
- 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
The bottle we took home with us was the 2022 Semillon.
Siren Song
Last year after tasting Siren Song wines, we picked one favorite – sparkling 2021 The Muse.
This year when visiting Siren Song again, we went straight ordering the newly released 2022 The Muse Brut. It paired so well with the view and two thin-crust pizzas!
2021 The Muse appears pale lemon green; lots of mousse with large bubbles. On the nose, it is mineral, leafy, sweet apple chips. On a palate, it has creamy mousse and tastes like green apple, lemon zest, and ascorbic acid. Very refreshing on a hot summer day!
C R Sandidge
It was our first visit to C R Sandidge Winery. Despite being established in 1999 and releasing the first vintage in 2000, it still remains a boutique winery with 1,500 cases of annual production.
Ray Sandidge, the owner, and winemaker, has been making wines for almost four decades and has earned multiple rewards for its wines. He also consults other winemakers in the area and around Washington state.
Our tasting flight:
- Tyee – Méthode Champenoise Sparkling from Pinot Noir (51%) and Chardonnay
- 2020 Grenache Rosé
- 2021 Dolcetto – Lake Chelan AVA
- 2020 Merlot – Stone Tree Vineyard on Wahluke Slope AVA
- 2020 Triumph – Left Bank Bordeaux-like Cabernet Sauvignon (67%) and Merlot blend
- 2021 Estate Malbec
- 2020 Petite Syrah – from Native Vineyard (15 miles from Lake Chelan AVA)
Our favorite was the 2020 Triumph for its Maraschino cherry, earthy cigar box aromas, cherry jam, black tea, and dark chocolate flavors.
Ancestry Cellars
At the Ancestry Cellars, we had a chance to chat with Jason Morin, owner and winemaker. 2011 was Ancestry’s first vintage, and they opened a tasting room in the Lake Chelan area in 2016.
We tasted:
- 2022 Grandma Lila’s Rosé
- 2022 La Cortége
- 2020 Reserve Merlot – Dry Lake Vineyard of Lake Chelan appellation
- 2017 La Soeur Merlot dominant blend
- 2017 La Frère Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend
- 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
Our favorite wine of the flight was the 2017 La Frère because of its balanced yet more masculine tannic profile.
Mellisoni Vineyards
Our friends, who vacation at Lake Chelan every summer, recommended Mellisoni Vineyards for some time. Finally, we made it to their tasting room on our last day at the lake.
We were helped by Hal, who has a wealth of knowledge about the winery and the Lake Chelan farming community. We even learn about the turning point for this region when it turned from fruit growing to vine growing and winemaking over 20 years ago.
We tasted nine wines, including some club members’ exclusives.
- 2022 Pinot Grigio – Lake Chelan AVA
- 2022 Chardonnay – Roayl Slope AVA
- 2022 Gewurztraminer – Lake Chelan
- 2022 180 Rosé – 100% Estate Pinot Noir
- 2020 Syrah Estate
- 2020 PMS – as chucklesome as it sounds, this red blend name was inspired by the grapes it’s made of: Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Sangiovese
- 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon – Stillwater Creek Vineyard on Royal Slope
- 2020 Malbec – same vineyard as Cab
- 2020 Mellicaia – the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Cabernet Franc (15%) blend is Donna and Rob’s (owners) version of Sassicaia, the legendary Super-Tuscan wine.
On the white side, our favorite was the 2022 Gewurztraminer because of its true-to-varietal character filled with lichee, honeydew, peach, and marjoram notes.
We picked the unusual 2020 PMS blend first among reds because of its balance of red cherry and dark chocolate flavors. Still, our favorite red wine was 2020 Mellicaia.
Besides price, it’s also borrowed some characteristics we would expect in Sassicaia. It’s floral, rich, balanced, chewy, and reminiscent of Italian wines from Tuscany. Yet it is unmistakably Washingtonian thanks to its dark chocolate note consistent both on the nose and the palate.
Mellisoni was our last tasting at the tail end of the trip to Lake Chelan. We tend to take our friend’s wineries’ suggestions cautiously because we taste differently and try to keep emotions out of it. We were glad we followed the advice of our friends this time because Mellisoni offers excellent lake views pairing with its wines.
Lake Chelan keeps growing and now has over 40 wineries. In this and last year’s article, we reviewed half of them. If you’ve tasted wines at Lake Chelan, we would love to hear your thoughts. It’s better to visit before this under-the-radar region becomes a Martha-vineyard-like celebrity paradise, and you’ll need a second mortgage to afford the trip.
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