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Reynvaan Family Vineyards - Owners Mike and Gale Reynvaan in Walla Walla, Washington


Joe H

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Reynvaan, today, started accepting orders for their 2012 cabernet.  Note that Reynvaan's 2010 Stonessence is the HIGHEST RATED WASHINGTON STATE WINE EVER BY THE WINE SPECTATOR at 98 points.  This is only the second year they have ever released a cabernet and their 2011, sold a year ago, is only now being shipped.  Unrated, not tasted by anyone.  Now, their 2012 was released today for orders which will be shipped in the spring of 2015.

$75 a bottle.  An incredible bargain?  The 98 point syrah was a similar bargain.

Literally, no bs, this is the Screaming Eagle of Washington state and this is the ground floor for anyone reading this who wants to speculate.

Here is their website.  I am not sure if it is only available to those on their mailing list but it is worth a try.  Their syrah is other worldly.  The cabernet may be too.

First come first served.  Good luck to all. 200 cases made.

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How do you think it stacks up against Rasa and Charles Smith?  I went deep on Rasa a few vintages ago and splurged on some Royal City last year.

2010 Royal City is an unbelievable wine of which only two barrels were made, a total of about 50 cases.  Sold out in two or three hours. I have six bottles of the '10 and literally, opened a bottle of the '09 last night.  Left it alone for two hours in a decanter and then shared with a friend over the next two hours.  Tight, closed-pick a few words but essentially it was five or more years away.  Having said this, I loved it.  LOVED IT.  I hope I live five years longer to taste it at its best!!!  Big, deep, complex, layered wine that changed every 15 or so minutes as we tasted it.  Whatever you have, cherish!  I just can't rave enough about Royal City.

I have a lot of Rasa.  PB syrah, Kiona Red Mountain, Occam's Razor and Creative Impulse (all from Northwest Wines in OR).  I probably have a total of two or more cases and love them.  Both the PB and Red Mountain are real bargains-I think I paid in the low 20's or so and they drink like twice as much.  I haven't opened either the Occam's Razor or Creative Impulse.  I think I have three bottles of each.

Reynvaan is entirely different from the Royal City.  Night and day.  I've opened bottles of both Reynvaan Stonessence '09 and Royal City '09 with JIm and Betsy Dolphin who own Delaplane Cellars.  Even after a couple of hours the Royal City was still closed.  Stonessence (my favorite of their syrahs) opened up dramatically after an hour or so.  Sumptuously delicious and balanced (I'm searching for adjectives...) it was a Great wine that I should also have left alone for a few more years.  I only have two more bottles and I am guarding them.  Worth the 98 points that the Wine Spectator gave them which is the single highest rating that any WA state wine has ever received from them.

Bottom line:  I would and do buy both.   I am a huge fan of Wa state wine.

I would also find a way to visit King Family Vineyards in Charlottesville and talk your way into a couple of bottles of their '10 Meritage which is $100 a bottle and worth every penny.  They released it last spring and will re-release it in 2016.  I would suggest this has the potential that both Reynvaan and Royal City do.  Opened an '09 Octagon tonight (I've been sitting home and drinking good wine on the weekends lately!) and gave it two hours.  Won the Governnor's Cup last year and the '10 King Meritage was reviewed as a  level below in the "Governor's Case."  FWIW I believe the King Family Meritage is a more complex, layered wine that is a couple of steps ABOVE the Octagon. '08 RDV is drinking fantastic right now. '09 is at least a year or more away for both wines. I made a serious investment in '09 and '10 VA wine last year.  Probably half of everything I spent went into VA.  Much of the rest in WA!

One more thought:  '10 Linden Boisseau.  @$40 a bottle ($36 with a case discount) this is the "sleeper" of all VA wines.  I also have a lot of Glen Manor, Linden, Veritas petit verdot believing this is a rising star in VA.  '09 Glen Manor petit verdot is otherworldly.  He has a tasting in a few weeks of his petit verdot that I am really looking forward to.

Last:  we had a really good cab from Pollak last weekend:  2009 Pollak Cabernet Reserve.  $32 a bottle with a case discount.  For all the world it drank like a CA cab that cost twice as much.  Their winemaker left in 2010 or 11 and went to Grace Estates.  I have not had any of Grace Estates wines...yet.

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