Brian Hearty

9.2

2014. Great tropical and stone fruit aromas, full mouthfeel without feeling thick, and a long oak-influenced finish. — 3 years ago

Michael Chelus

9.1

Blackberry, raspberry, cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla, plum and oak. Full-bodied and soft tannins. — 4 years ago

John B

9.3

More blue fruit. Traditional spice and graphite. Somewhere between the Pellet Vineyard and LPV. — 6 years ago

Mike Davila

9.3

The pellet was such a hit, followed it up with the kenefick. No notes as this was late in the night and well, you know it was late and a lot of wine had been consumed. 3 Mike Smith wines and they were all hits with a lot of “where can I get this” questions. — 6 years ago

Nic Anderson

9.3

Had this with a tri-tip roast on the pellet grill. Excellent pairing — 7 years ago

David Kline

8.9

Lemon-lime, ruby grapefruit, hop pellet, hamster food. Actually was fairly easy to lift, even to the dizzying height of my head holes. Go figure. Key lime, lemongrass, plump and session-able IPA here. Soft and fruity midsection leads to a round, if somewhat pointier climax, showing us its melon and citrus hops and even a spicy, comforting note, reminding us to gently lift, using our legs, not our backs! Indian elephants are lighter than their African counterparts by at least 1000kg. (2205lbs less) You can almost curl them! — 9 years ago

Jeremy.Buss

9.1

First ever attempt at smoking salmon on my pellet grill and decided to pair with this Pinot. For the marinade I chose for the meat the wine was a tad bit weak but that doesn’t diminish the overall quality. Seemed to have a bit more blueberry on the nose and palate with some earth tones. Bit lighter than other Sonoma Pinots and might have you think of an Oregon Pinot. — 3 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of bubbly clear dark ruby with orange and brown note on the rim. Nose of good fresh berries, even dark fruits notes, plum, but fades away quite quickly. Taste follows the nose with addition of violet, cherry jam, good tannins, spicy and zesty, not a light Pinot for sure. Aftertaste of some more pellet spice note, and more zesty note. A bit too much bittersweet but definitely a unique Pinot. — 5 years ago

Trent Fletcher

9.3

Superb as always and one of my favorite NV Cabs; dark red, blue and black fruits, cocoa, cedar, little bit of earthiness; sweet tannins; 50/50 Panek/Pellet Vineyards; definitely some of the deeper, darker fruitiness from the Pellet here; more than what I recall from previous vintages. — 6 years ago

.

9.3

A terrific showing for this wine, which is still youthful at age 7. It’s delicious on opening but 4 hours of air and the bouquet is gorgeous. Lots of floral notes and a touch of wood smoke. In the mouth, the dark-toned fruit is freshened by good acidity. There’s also a minerally streak on the back end that reminds me of Mike’s Pellet Vineyard cabs. Really excellent, and with years to go. — 6 years ago

.

9.1

Keeping the Mike Smith vibe going with another '09 cab. There's a nice streak of minerality running through this that reminds me of Mike's Pellet cabs. That would be a fun side-by-side comparison if I had more Spring Mtn cab. Unfortunately, this was my only bottle. — 7 years ago

Frank Lin

9.0

Very easy on the pellet. Very lovely wine — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Pale lemon in color with a golden hue.

Nose of lemons, citrus, melons, red apples, white pepper, alcohol, light pineapples and herbs.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with lemons, citrus, apples, pears, herbs, light vegetables, spices and black pepper.

Long finish with limes and grapefruits.

This is a very tasty Chardonnay. Spicy finish with nice complexity and mouthfeel. Nice and elegant.

Good by itself or with food. Not bitter nor tart, and great to sip on by the lake.

Easy drinking, but has a lot of alcohol and it's not noticeable at all, so watch out. Tasty and enjoyable.

This is a great sipper on the boat.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$42. — 4 years ago

Nic Anderson

9.0

Enjoyed this red blend with hamburgers on a pellet grill. Great pairing. Tasted raspberry and full of fruit. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Produces Bordeaux-style wines, family owned by Norm McKibben, Ray Goff and Jean-François Pellet. A blend of 78% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc & 7% Malbec, aged for 17 months in French oak (38% new), aromas of sweet berry fruit with rustic spice character. On the palate cherry and raspberry with smoky leather and cacao notes. Fine tannins nicely balanced on lingering finish ending with oaky tones. Very nice drinking well but has room to age a bit. A classic Walla Walla. — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The 14 Cabernet is a blend is 82% Cabernet, 9% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. On the nose; ruby, elegant, black berries, black plum, dark cherries, poached strawberries, soft spice, anise, soft baking spices, dark rich soils and red & dark florals. The entry is rich, thick, full bodied elegance. The tannins are M+. Fruits are; blackberries, plum, black plum, dark cherries and black raspberries. Nice spices follow, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, violets & red fresh florals, rich dark soils, leather, tobacco, graphite, crushed dry rocks, underbrush with nice round acidity and a round, lush, elegant finish. Photos of; a wide shot of Pepper Bridge, Artifex custom crush facility, Winemaker, Jean-François Pellet and the view from their terrace. Producer notes...born and raised in Switzerland, Winemaker Jean-François Pellet is a third-generation wine grower. He earned degrees in both enology and viticulture. As part of his studies, he interned in Switzerland, Germany and the Napa Valley. After graduating, he managed vineyards and made wine in Switzerland and Spain. After his time in Europe, his experience and reputation brought him to Heitz Cellars in the Napa Valley, where he worked for four years. Pepper Bridge recruited him out of Heitz and he moved to Walla Walla to become that winery's creative force. His success at Pepper Bridge afforded him the opportunity to join the Amavi partnership. Jean-François Pellet is also a partner in Artifex, the areas very successful custom crush facility. Additionally, he is also a founding member and current vice-president of the Walla Walla Valley's sustainable agriculture organization, VINEA. Quite a resume! It was a pleasure meeting him. He is a very kind person and an extremely knowledgeable Winemaker. Thank you for all of your time & knowledge during our visit.
— 7 years ago