Champoux Vineyard Wines!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE LOCATION FOR THIS DINNER HAS CHANGED TO AKDENIZ TURKISH RESTAURANT

I really do love WA state wines and my gateway to these wines was the Champoux vineyard. One of, WA State's Premier vineyards, it holds a place in WA similar to Napa Valley's To-Kalon vineyard. Producing consistently excellent wines, with the grapes being sold to multiple winemakers. Currently the vineyard is wholly owned by Quilceda Creek, who previously owned half of the vineyard, they purchased the remaining parcel from the vineyard's namesake, Paul Champoux, when he retired a few years ago.

So join me for a Champoux wine night at Akdeniz Turkish Restaurant. For this dinner we will have one white wine from WA state, followed by 4 red wines, all from the Champoux vineyard!

This will be an 8 person 7pm reservation.

Here is a link to Akdeniz' menu

Just a reminder of our usual rules:

** The cost of this event is $47 and is for the cost of the wines only.

NOTE: Meetup has started charging a "Partner Fee" that is above and in addition to the listed price of the event. It comes to approximately $4 more for each RSVP. You will see this charge when you complete your rsvp and pay for the event. Sorry! Meetup+ members are exempt from this charge.

You will also have to pay the cost of your food (plus 33% for tax and tip). Please order at least two courses (i.e. a main dish and either appetizer or dessert) for your dinner. There are very few restaurants that allow us to bring our own wine for a Zero corkage fee. We must be good guests to encourage the restaurant to continue to be generous to us.

Please read and understand the group's cancellation policy. If you take spot, then cancel, and no one else takes the spot, you will not receive a refund or credit. No refunds or credits will be given for no-shows or late cancellations (unless someone else takes your spot). All cancellations are subject to a $6 service fee.

Please use public transportation - NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!

The Wines :

2023 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc ($30) - Vinous 93, JD 94, WA 90 points, "A blend of 69% Sauvignon Blanc and 31% Sémillon, the 2023 Chaleur Blanc was matured in 42% new French oak. It has gregarious aromas of lemongrass, white peach, tarragon and musky floral perfume. The medium-bodied palate is ripe and gently grippy, its layered flavors balanced by bright acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish."

2018 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard ($55) - CT 92.3, WA and JD 95 points, Owen Bargreen 94 points, "The 2018 Red Wine Champoux shows off a dense core once in the glass. In the mouth, it dazzles with a combination of weight and tension, generating a gorgeous combination of red and dark fruits that mingle with coffee grounds, sagebrush and milk chocolate accents. Enjoy this outstanding blend of 39% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Franc and 22% Cabernet Sauvignon over the next 15 years. (Drink between 2021-2035)"
NOTE: I need to double check the label for the actual wine blend..Both JD and WA give different proportions than OB. Here is what WA and JD say is the blend, "58% Merlot. 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc that spent 22 months in 35% new French oak"

2012 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard ($50) - WA 94 points, "Maybe the finest wine from here (that I’ve tasted anyway), the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard is a thrilling blend of almost all Cabernet (there’s 2% Malbec) that exhibits, fresh, lively and pure notes of cassis, black raspberry, violets, toasted bread and spring flowers. Coming from one of the top terroirs in Washington, this full-bodied, elegant and layered Cabernet has no hard edges, impeccable balance and a great finish. Probably the most complete wine in the lineup, it will be better with a few years of cellaring, and have two decades of evolution."

2014 Soos Creek Champoux Vineyard ($40) - 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Cabernet Franc, WA 90, Vinous 91+. Here is Full Pull's sales pitch which includes some history of the winery and the vineyard, "Hello friends. For almost as long as Full Pull has been writing about wine, we’ve considered Soos Creek to be responsible for some of the best values coming out of Washington. Soos Creek is a holistic representation of our state’s burgeoning wine scene. The man in charge, Dave Larsen, is one of the great success stories of the Boeing Winemaking Club. He began making wine in 1987 and quickly moved from amateur to commercial winemaking in 1989. He kept both gigs (Boeing and Soos Creek) until 2004, when he retired from Boeing to pursue winemaking full time. Despite 30 years in the business, Soos Creek is still very much a boutique winery, with thoughtful, limited production (still under 2,000 cases) that always leads to high demand. Much of Soos Creek’s success comes from its honest and passionate approach to fruit. From the sourcing to winemaking, presenting and showcasing beautiful fruit has always been Dave’s focus. However, the 2014 vintage marks a surprising shift in Soos’ fruit. Due to Paul Champoux’s retirement, 2014 marks the final vintage that the winery will source grapes from Champoux Vineyard. David Larsen and Champoux have a long, rich history together. Dave’s first commercial wine in 1989 was made from Mercer Ranch fruit. Mercer Ranch was eventually sold and renamed Champoux Vineyard (located here), and is considered by many the greatest site for Cabernet Sauvignon in the state. 2014 marks Dave’s 26th vintage working with this site, making these final bottlings homages to decades’ worth of work." NOTE: Turns out this WASN'T the final vintage for SC from this vineyard!

2012 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon ($175) - And now, from the co-owner of the Champoux vineyard, QC doesn't feel the need to ID their own vineyard, but it is from Champoux! Vinous 95+, JD 98, WA 4 reviews, all either 97 or 98 points, here is the most recent one from 8/2021) 98 points, "Dark, robust and juicy in the glass, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon is still firm with generous oak essence on the nose with elements of Chambord, plum reduction and blackberry jus. Full-bodied, the palate offers a juicy, fruit-forward expression with an intense weight and volume for Cabernet, which evolves to show elevated alcohol across the mid-palate. The wine continues to offer a hedonistic and pleasurable expression and shows the first signs of the wine going from young, vibrant and juicy to matured, tertiary and elegant."