Scores for some of our 2016 red wines have been published by Rand Sealey’s Review of Washington Wines in the February edition. Burning Desire Cabernet Franc 19/20 points, Cabernet Sauvignon 19+/20 points, S&M 19/20 Points and Bordello Blanc 18.5+/20 points. Subscription required to read online Review of Washington Wine

We are so excited and honored to be named on Margo Savell’s wine blog “Write for Wine” as one of her Top Favorite Washington Wineries, for the fourth year in a row! Read the whole list.

Margot Savell writes about Washington State wine in her blog ‘Write for Wine: It’s Wine O’Clock Somwhere’. She has been writing about wine since 1997 and really knows her stuff. She only writes about wines she loves and here she weights in on our 2016 Burning Desire Cabernet Franc as ‘one of her favorite Washington State Cab Franc”. Read the review here.

Recently our winemaker Judy Phelps talked to Lake Chelan Now about harvest-time at Lake Chelan . Listen here

We were named one of the 11 best crush experiences in the West by Sunset. Come and visit in October, when we harvest the grapes and make the wine. Always a fun experience. Read about it here.

We have to brag about the great scores received for our 2016 red wines from Jeb Dunnuck who says of Hard Row to Hoe : "This estate makes a bevy of beautiful wines from the Lake Chelan AVA".  93-95 pts for Estate Burning Desire Cabernet Franc, 91-94 pts Lake Chelan Syrah, 91 pts Barbera, 91 pts Lake Chelan Pinot Noir, 90 pts  Estate Tempranillo and 88 pts Primitivo.  Our winemaking team is crushing it! Read reviews at jebdunnuck.com ( subscription required). Of the Cab Franc, Mr. Dunnunck says "It's possibly the finest wine I've tasted from this appellation" and of the Pinot Noir "You don't find many noteworthy Pinot Noirs from Washington, but this is one of them" 

Over Red Wine and Chocolate weekends (Feb. 10, 11 and 17, 18) we will be previewing the new vintage of Primitivo.  Come out and taste this delicious wine, which is always quick to sell out. It is a wine very similar to California zinfandel, big, rich, spicy and full of flavor. We love this wine and think you will too! This wine is a perennial gold medal winner and always a tasting room favorite. You may  order online here

We want to let you know of an exciting new wine that we just released, 2015 Petite Sirah from the Heart of the Hill vineyard on Red Mountain, managed by Kiona Vineyards. This is one of the most exciting wines we have ever produced. Only 225 cases, so head over to the wine store to order. 

Wine Press Northwest devotes itself to wines made in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and British Columbia. There is no one that knows this wine region better than Andy Purdue and Eric Degerman, so we are honored but have our wines do so well in their recent Platinum awards.  In this 18th Platinum Awards, they judge 'the best of the best', only including wines that have received gold medals in the past. Our 2014 Primitivo wins Platinum, and Gold and Double Gold for Cabernet Franc, Barbera, S&M and Rumours 

We have received a permit from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board that allows us to ship wine directly to their residents. If you live there you may now receive up to 36 cases of wine per year (so get yourself over to our Wine Store and discover the best way to enjoy great wine!) Pennsylvania was one of the last last northeast states to allow this and we have had lots of people on the wait list for the wine club waiting for this to happen. So now it has!

Our wines were reviewed in the October issue of Review of Washington Wines by Rand Sealey! Here are some of the reviews he gave our wines, subscribe to Rand Sealey's Review of Washington Wine here. 

2014 Hard Row to Hoe Pinot Noir, Lake Chelan ($40)
From the Clos Chevalle Vineyard on the South Shore, this shows a brick red color and an enticing nose of strawberries, cherries and currants with scents of rose petals, orange peel, tobacco leaf and white incense. The medium bodied flavors are pleasingly supple, with notes of red licorice, cocoa powder, black tea and glacial minerals. On the back, the wine turns simultaneously grainy and satiny, with sensations of crème de cassis, recurring dried orange peel and light oak (30% new French), followed by a lingering lightly spiced moderate tannin finish. 19/20 points.

2014 Hard Row to Hoe Tempranillo, Lake Chelan ($45)
Blended with 20% Syrah, this is a tasty, terroir driven Tempranillo. Deep ruby colored, it possesses a a sultry, smoky nose of raspberry, cherry, mulberry, tobacco, cedar, lavender, herbs and spiced incense. The red fruit flavors are medium full bodied and well packed, with notes of licorice, chocolate, chicory coffee and glacial minerals. The chewy textured back picks up dried cherries and orange peel, grilled nuts and mocha, followed by a lingering, Rioja like dryish tannin finish. 19/20 points.

2016 Hard Row to Hoe Chardonnay, Lake Chelan ($25)
From the Dry Lake Vineyard, this offers a brilliant gold color and attractive aromas of apple, peach, citrus, apple blossoms, vanilla and spiced white incense. The flavors, as well, are appealing, with notes of peach stone, apple skin and minerals. The back is creamy textured (from full malolactic and sur lie aging), yet well delineated with fine acidity on the lemon zest accented persistently minerally finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Hard Row to Hoe “Bordello Blanc” White Wine, Lake Chelan ($28) 
The name is a pun on Bordeaux, for this blend of 66% Sauvignon Blanc, 21% Semillon and 13% Muscadelle. It shows a brilliant gold color and intriguing aromas of peach, tangerine, melon and guava, with scents of honeysuckle, clover, lemongrass and spiced white incense. The flavors are vivid and resonant on the palate, with notes of peach stone, melon rind and glacial minerals. The vibrancy continues on the back with sensations of pëche liqueur and tangerine rind on the bright fruit acid (.65 g/100 ml.) finish. 18.5/20 points.

2016 Hard Row to Hoe Gewurztraminer, Lake Chelan ($28) 
From the Glacial Gravels estate vineyard, and made in a dry Alsace style, this shows a brilliant gold color and fragrant aromas of peach, apricot, honeydew melon and grapefruit, with scents of pink rose petals, clover, litchi nuts and spiced white incense. The flavors are rich and viscous, yet fresh and crisp, with notes of grape skin, fruit stones and glacial earth and minerals. The back picks up pêche liqueur, toasted hazelnuts and melon rind on the way to a dry, yet finely fruited and spiced finish. 18.5/20 points.

We always said you could get the best S & M here at Hard Row to Hoe, and now it is official with a Gold Medal won in the North Central Washington Wine Competition. More than a gratuitous name, it is a beautiful wine made from blend of estate Lake Chelan Syrah and Malbec.  So good it hurts!