What's new
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!
We are ecstatic about our Gold Medal winners at the Seattle Wine Awards this summer, all are stunners ones you should have in your cellar : 2015 Chardonnay, 2014 Cabernet Franc, 2015 "Rumours" Estate Roussanne/Marsanne. And every one made from our estate grapes grown in the Lake Chelan Valley! Grab a few bottles while they last.
Local wine reviewer, Pete Mathews, scores our 2015 Gewurztraminer 100 points on his weekly radio show called 'The Tasting Room' and says it is the 'new crown jewel of white wine' in the valley! Listen to it on KOZI.
We are thrilled to have received medals for all three wines that were entered in the Savor NW wine awards. Gold for Primitivo and Silvers for Good in Bed and Cabernet Franc.
We are excited to let you know that we received our permits to ship to Arizona and Massachusetts. That makes a total of 28 states we are licensed to ship to. See the whole list in our online store. If you live in these states, you can now order wine online and join our wine club.
Margot reviews fine wines of Washington state and has been a wine enthusiast since moving to Seattle from Canada in 1999. She visiting the winery last month and wrote about our recent new releases. Read the reviews
Don and Judy Phelps were on Northwest Wine Night Radio to talk about the Lake Chelan AVA and share the story behind Hard Row to Hoe. Listen here.
Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman at Great Northwest Wine gave our 2013 Lake Chelan Pinot Noir their highest rating of "Outstanding". Read the review
Hard Row to Hoe slayed it at the Savor Northwest wine awards that took place in March at Cannon Beach. Every submission won a medal in double-blind competition against the best wineries in the Pacific Northwest! The winning wines are: White Meritage (Gold), Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Tempranillo (Silver), Syrah and Viognier (Bronze).
With over 800 wineries in Washington, we are honored to have made the 'short list' of the top 60 wineries in the state for providing good wine and an exceptional experience! Read the article
Marji Morgan from Lines on Wines visited the winery and interviewed Hard Row to Hoe owners Don and Judy Phelps. Listen to them tell how the winery got its name and of their pursuit of Lake Chelan terroir. Lines on Wines
We are thrilled that "Nauti Buoy" Estate Riesling received an "Outstanding" rating from Great Northwest Wine
We are jumping up and down because of the results of the Seattle Wine Awards! Gold for Barbera, Rosè, Viognier; Silver for Syrah and Malbec. Double-gold for Chardonnay.
Delighted to be recommended as one of the best local wines by the Wenatchee World.
2012 Burning Desire Estate Cabernet Franc
If you're looking for a full-bodied red wine with some sex appeal, you'll find it in this luscious wine made from sustainably grown grapes near Manson. Buy here!
Always lovely to hear people having a great time visiting our tasting rooms.
Thanks Kristin for the shout out!
The New York Times is featuring the Lake Chelan wine region!
The 2011 The Coquette is 100% Cinsault that spent 18 months in neutral French oak barrels. Semi-transparent in color, with a Pinot Noir-like bouquet of sweet kirsch and cherry fruit, loads of exotic spice, dried flowers and dried underbrush, it flows onto the palate with a medium-bodied, supple and sweetly fruited profile that shows juicy acidity on the finish. It should drink nicely for at least 3-5 years.
The 2012 Cabernet Franc Estate comes from estate vineyards and is made from 100% Cabernet Franc and aged 15 months in 50% new American oak.
Tasted out of barrel, it offers classic mint, eucalyptus, dark fruits and hints of minerality to go with a medium-bodied, supple, straightforward, yet nicely balanced profile on the palate. It should benefit from a year or two of bottle age, and drink well for 7-8 years, if not longer. Buy 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"