Owen Bargreen - March 2021 Reviews
Sleight of Hand
I love great value Washington wines. One winery that seems to slip under the radar in terms of not only offering amazing premium bottling but also very good values is Sleight of Hand out of Walla Walla. They have recently remodeled their tasting room, located in the south end of Walla Walla, and they have a great spot in SoDo as well for those in the Seattle area.
What was originally a very limited production winery, Sleight of Hand was first founded in 2007 by Trey Busch and Jerry and Sandy Solomon. The winery focuses on both estate and non-estate fruit and has slowly been increasing production since the winery’s inception. Trey (a fellow Pearl Jam fan) is a downright awesome, down to earth guy that has attained great success in a relatively short amount of time. Keith Johnson joined the team in 2011 and has been doing an incredible job as the production winemaker. Keith oversees the winery on a daily basis, and during harvest, while Trey and Jerry are in the vineyards making picking decisions, he is managing our harvest team, making sure everything is being taken care of in the cellar. Keith also makes some great wines under his Devium label.
The winemaking team has assembled an awesome value at around 20 bucks, their 2018 Sleight of hand ‘The Spellbinder’ Red Wine (OB, 90) which has a very soft mouthfeel, great acidity and delicious dark fruit flavors. This is one to buy by the case. Even better is the sinfully good 2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Achimage’ Red Wine (OB, 94) which is a donwnright awesome Right Bank style wine that has great viscosity and verve. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://www.sofhcellars.com Here are the awesome new release wines from Sleight of Hand.
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Spellbinder’ Red Wine- The 2018 ‘The Spellbinder’ combines Cabernet Sauvignon (56%) with Cabernet Franc (27%), with smaller parts Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine shows plenty of cassis aromatically with chocolate covered blackberry and sagebrush undertones. The palate is fresh and beautifully balanced with great acidity and a soft mouthfeel. Downright tasty now with its good core of dark fruits, enjoy this over the next five to seven years. Drink 2021-2026- 90
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Conjurer’ Red Wine- The 2018 ‘The Conjurer’ is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with just a dusting of Petit Verdot. Fresh and vibrant, this shows off rich dark cherry and tobacco tones alongside good acidity and a light salinity. This is a solid effort for the price. Drink 2021-2026- 90
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Achimage Reserve’ Red Wine- The 2018 ‘Achimage Reserve’ is an outstanding blend of 52% Cabernet Franc with 48% Merlot, done in a very Right Bank style. The aromatics are heady and show serious range from red bell pepper and red rose petals to ripe red currants, black tea and exotic spices that all dazzle in the glass. The palate is dense, chewy and downright delicious, reminiscent of a great warm vintage Right Bank bottling. Cassis, anise and dusty soil flavors combine with shades of red bell pepper and sagebrush with a cocoa powder undercurrent and light salinity. This is very esteemed, rich and terroir-driven stuff that will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2021-2036- 94
2018 Sleight of Hand ‘The Illusionist’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2018 ‘The Illusionist’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a seriously good wine that has some massive aging potential. They have elected to blend a somewhat large portion of Petit Verdot (12%) into this Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend. Right away the green bell pepper tones scream PV, with dark chocolate shavings, anise and creme de cassis aromatics all singing in unison. The palate is dense, plush and beautifully textured. This shows a very old-world feel, with its level of restraint despite the large curtain of dark fruit, chocolate and tobacco flavors that are immediately gratifying. Great to savor even now in its youth, this will provide drinking enjoyment over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2021-2036- 94