Falling Rain Wines

I got an email from Falling Rain winery that they moved their tasting room from South Seattle to the lower Queen Anne/​Lake Union area on Dexter Ave N and we checked it out last Sunday afternoon. It’s in a great location, right off of Dexter, with a view of the lake. The room itself isn’t that big, but they have a fairly spacious barrel room in the back. We were greeted right away by the winemaker who is bubbly, enthusiastic and talkative. The wine itself was all delicious. The one white called the Irise was a semillon/​sauvignon blanc blend, but it didn’t have that sour grass taste that I find of most sauvignon blancs. The semillon really rounded it out nicely, a little sweet but very subtle. She had us try both the 2007 and the 2008 Cloudburst and there was quite a difference between the years. The 07 was almost kind of smoky and spicy where the 08 had almost no smoke, with a bit of spice. Both were very good. The other red blend was the Mischief which was more bold in terms of the fruit flavor, I thought. Again, we were given tastes of the 07 and 08, and again, they were very different, but both incredibly drinkable. The last one we tasted was the Arcenciel, a bright blend of Cab Franc and Merlot. All of the wines were so tasty, though I think they saved the best for last. I’m excited about their new urban location and look forward to going back.

I tasted Falling Rain’s wines at Fine Wine & Cigars on July 23, 2010
1) 2007 Irise
Semillon /​Sauvignon Blanc Blend
Not super fragrant
Floral and aromatic in the nose
Nice limey acidity
2) 2007 Mischief
Cabernet dominant
Voluptuous
Complex cherry notes
Lovely scent of berries
Soft oak
Dry spicy finish
3) 2007 CloudBurst
Cabernet dominant
Rich, dark fruit aromas nose
Berries & Plums on the midpalate
Oak is evident
Tannins are beautifully integrated
I’m a fan of Judith’s now…