April Showers bring new wine releases along with the blossoms.  This Saturday we’ll be pouring some new wines from Sleight of Hand Cellars’ Renegade Wines from Walla Walla and Roots Winery out of the Willamette.  It is a fresh and spring-like lineup that will make you bloom.

2013 Sleight of Hand, Renegade Rose $11
79% Syrah, 14% Cinsault, 7% Counoise
The grapes were pressed directly after harvesting, and the juice was drained to stainless steel tanks, where the wine was fermented at a cool temperature to retain the fresh fruit characters of the final product. It has wonderful aromas of fresh pomegranates and citrus, some sweet red berries, and even rhubarb. This wine will be the perfect pairing with a fresh beet salad and crumbled goat cheese, or grilled salmon on your deck. 

2011 Roots, Melon de Bourgogne
Roots is a 7 acre estate in the Yamhill-Carlton district of the Willamette. Run by Chris Berg, Roots is an under the radar star of Oregon Pinot.  Their Mellon de Bourgogne (otherwise known as Muscadet) sourced from Deux Vert vineyard picks up a bit more body than its European cousin, but retains the that crisp freshness that goes great with shellfish.

2012 Roots, Klee Pinot Noir $20
In homage to one of Chris’ favorite artists Klee (named after Paul Klee), is a fresh and imaginative Pinot Noir. The grapes are sourced from various vineyards, and at $20 is an amazing value for the Willamette. 

2012 Sleight of Hand, Renegade Red $11
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
The Red drinks like a Washington State Cabernet-based blend, with lots of red and black fruits, scents of loamy minerality, and fine grained tannins that are matched with balanced acidity.

2012 Sleight of Hand, Renegade Mourvedre $16
Only 4 barrels, or 98 cases of this wine, were made. Mourvedre is normally a minor blending grape in the Rhone Valley, but here in Washington (especially off The Rocks area in Walla Walla), it is worthy of being bottled on its own.