Leafy and herbal, cola and “tomato-skin” notes join red fruit in a distinctly cool-climate Pinot, but fruit and balance on the palate show promise.

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As the Pinot Noir craze goes worldwide, some wine regions not traditionally known for Pinot are getting into the act, mates.

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Time marches on inexorably, and before I know it, the opportunity to drink wine with bloggers around the world slips by. I completely missed Wine Blogging Wednesday last month. The 33rd incarnation of the Web’s original virtual wine tasting event was focused on value priced wines from the Languedoc, and looks to have been well “attended” by all, and a nice learning experience about a significantly underrated wine region.

This month’s event, which will take place on June 13th, is also focused on a somewhat underrated wine region, albeit closer to home: Washington State. Hosted appropriately by Catie, who is the Wild Wine Woman at Through The Walla Walla Grape Vine, WBW#34 will have us all drinking Cabernet from Washington, a prospect to which I look forward with relish.

I’ve been corresponding with one of my readers recently about Merlot and whether Napa was a good site for Merlot. I happen to think it is, and might arguably be the best producer of single varietal Merlot in the world. The only place that I can think of that actually gives it a run for its money is Washington state, and I can easily foresee a time when Washington might actually assume pre-eminence for this varietal. Of course, in addition to Merlot, Washington is home to some absolutely stellar Cabernet which I have enjoyed immensely over the years. For my participation in the event I think I’ll be seeking out a good producer from the Red Mountain area, which is producing some stellar Bordeaux-style wines.

So join us wine bloggers on June 13th by drinking Washington Cabernet and writing about it somewhere online.

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