Meet the DJ at Structure Cellars

I am a DJ, I am what I play so goes the David Bowie lyric from his song “DJ.”  Watch the video here on YouTube

Brian Grasso is THE DJ at Structure Cellars.  He is also the wine maker and co-owner along with his wife Brandee.

I sat down with Brian and Brandee on a recent Friday night at their newest tasting room in SODO to learn more about Structure’s wines and Brian’s taste in music.

Washington BDX Style Blend vs. Right Bank Bordeaux

The Tour de France starts on Saturday.  This year's route covers 3,540 km over 21 stages with plenty of terrain that offers the opportunity for a variety of riders to achieve victory.  In the end, there is only one true winner - the rider that arrives in Paris wearing the Maillot Jaune, aka The Yellow Jersey.  This is the rider that completes all 21 stages in the fastest cumulative time.

There are other jerseys are on the line too, including:

• The Green Jersey for the best all around rider.  This jersey has come to be known as the Sprinter's Jersey in recent history.
• The Polka Dot Jersey for the best mountain climber.  This rider is also known as the King of the Mountains.
• The White Jersey for the best young rider.  This is the highest placed racer under the age of 23.

All these opportunities add up to multiple races within the bigger race.  There are more than a handful of racers eyeing victory in this year's tour.  All the top riders finished off their preparation with the Criterium du Dauphine or the Tour de Suise.

Just like the pro racers, I've topped off my Tour preparation with a recent Bordeaux Right Bank Ruckus featuring St. Emilion vs. Washington.

2014 Auclair Right Blend vs. 2008 Chateau Barde-Haut Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Gold Medal Part II: Washington Cab Franc

Week 2 of the Olympics and another Gold Medal matchup is on tap.  Just how do these Olympians feel about not winning Gold?  Here is what Gregory Bauge, the World Champion Track Cyclist from France, said about winning Silver in the Men's Sprint finals

"I don't like losing. This is a defeat in a big event, it angers me. This is a failure for me personally," Baugé said. "It is four years that I've dominated in my discipline. I wanted gold, it's a disappointment. I do not train twice a day for this disappointment." (courtesy of cyclingnews).

Now you know how it feels to be the "first loser."

Track cyclists can be a fiesty lot.  In their honor this week's matchup features Cabernet Franc - a grape with a spicy personality of its own.

2007 Vin du Lac Barrel Select Cabernet Franc v. 2009 cloudlift Ascent

Washington Cabernet Franc v. Bordeaux

This Saturday was the Grand Depart for the Tour de France.  This year starts with the traditional prologue, a short intense individual time trial.  Many people call the time trial the "race of truth."  It is the rider versus the clock with nowhere to hide.  Your result is all on you, no help from your teammates, no hiding in the peleton out of the wind waiting to pounce at the last moment.  It is you, and only you, against the sands of time.

The racing begins in Belgium this year and does not land on French roads until Stage 3 on Tuesday.  The Lucha Vino challenge will feature a Cab Franc battle while we wait for the riders to hit France.  Cabernet Franc is a great compliment to the short, intense, all out effort that will be required to win the prologue in Liege.

2008 Hard Row to Hoe Burning Desire Cabernet Franc v. 2010 Ch. Le Pre de La Lande Grand Vin

Washington Cab Franc v. Loire Valley

Paris-Nice is an early season stage races that tests Tour de France contenders.  This race is also known as the Race to the Sun since it starts in Paris and traces a route South East to Nice, finishing on the Mediterranean Sea.  At this time of year the weather is usually cold during the early stages of the race and the riders are eager to finish in Nice where they can anticipate nicer conditions. 

The second and third stages of the race passed through the Eastern reaches of the Loire Valley.  That is enough of a reason for Lucha Vino to feature a clash of Cabernet Francs.  This week features a Bartholomew Cabernet Franc v. a Cab Franc from The Loire.

2008 Bartholomew Cabernet Franc v. 2010 La Grange aux Belles Anjou 

Tale of the Tape

2008 Bartholomew Cabernet Franc

100% Cabernet Franc sourced from the Coyote Canyon vineyard located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.

Production was two barrels - one second use and one neutral.

Purchased from the winery for $28.

2010 La Grange aux Belles Anjou Rouge 53

This French challenger is a bit of a mystery.  Garagiste says it is 100% Cab Franc.  Some other clues suggest it is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  Regardless, this fresh upstart Luchador isn't giving away very many secrets.

One thing we know for sure, this Luchador is from the Loire Valley.

Purchased from Garagiste for $16.84.







Round 1.  First Opening

Bartholomew is stomping on would be contenders and stomping into the ring with a nose of dark fruit, coffee, herbs and dusty underbrush.  The palate is dark fruit, spicy clove and hints of cocoa that linger on to the finish.

La Grange aux Belles is reminiscent of a classic ZZ Top tune singing the praises of border town girls.  This Luchador is interesting, but not in the way that Bill Gibbons made those Texas girls sound.  The nose has character of creamy currants, mineral and woodsy dry underbrush.  The palate shows medium red notes of cranberry and woody brambles with a dry finish.

These Luchadors are showing very different styles facing off in the Lucha Vino ring of doom.  In the ring of doom you need to be big and burly and in this round the Bartholomew is living up to the billing.  Round one goes to Bartholomew, our Washington State Cab Franc luchador.

Round 2.  One hour after Opening

Bartholomew is gaining power boasting a nose of dark currant, black cherry, menthol and cocoa.  The palate is also up to the challenge with notes of black cherry, clove spices and cola with a cedar spiced finish that ends with semisweet chocolate.

La Grange is getting more eccentric with a nose of creamy vinegar, cranberry and brambles with a palate that is also showing cranberry along with notes of tobacco and a tart cedar finish.

Eccentricity can be enticing when you are visiting the border town ladies, but not when you are trying to deal pain in the wrestling ring.  Round two goes to Bartholomew.

Round 3. One day after Opening

About the only shot that La Grange has is to angle for a knock out.

Bartholomew has already shown some significant strength through the first two rounds.  Round three leaves no doubt.  The nose is showing currant, floral earthy notes along with some chalkiness.  The palate is also showing currant, black cherry and clove with cocoa that finishes with semi sweet chocolate.

La Grange has a nose of cranberry and earthy brambles.  The palate is also showing cranberry tartness and tobacco with a tart cedar dry finish that has the tobacco coming back again at the end.

Bartholomew continued building muscle mass through all three rounds while La Grange slid from interesting to eccentric to flat out crazy perhaps the result of too many head blows delivered by Bartholomew the Bruiser.

Bartholomew takes round three and the match 3 - 0.

Wrap up and over all observations

These were two very different styles of Cab Franc.  The Loire Valley Cat Franc was full of earthiness, herbal notes and underbrush.  These characteristics held on over the course of the entire bout.  I'm going to leave my other bottle in the cellar for a couple years to see if this crazy Luchador will stop bounding off the walls of its padded cell.

The Washington Cab Franc was big and bruising the herbal notes along with some brambly notes were present but subdued.  The dominant characteristic of dark fruit, clove spices and semi-sweet chocolate carried this luchador over the top inflicting serious damage like a flying body slam off the top rope.

I give the Bartholomew a solid 88 and La Grange an 85.

Washington BDX Blend v. Tuscany

Why should French Bordeaux get to have a stranglehold on this particular style of blended red wines?

Giorgia Bronzini, the UCI Women's Road Racing World Champion, is making a similar statement this week.  Why isn't her World Champion Jersey considered the equal of Mark Cavendish's World Champion Jersey.  She has a legit claim and points out a fundamental inequity in professional sports.  Men get paid more than Women in the same sport.  Why?  Advertising and sponsor dollars seem to be at the root of most answers.

That brings me back to my original question.  Why do the French get to lay claim to a particular style of wine making?  Much like Bronzini, the Italians have been showing their disdain for the French by making the very same style of wine in Tuscany.  The Super Tuscan wines are double rebels, striking out against the restrictive Italian DOC wine making requirements AND flaunting their style at the French.  And just like a professional wrestler, the Super Tuscans have proven their ability to take the authorities to task applying wine making skill that equals the power of a Suplex.

This week's Lucha Vino matchup features Bordeaux style blends with Cabernet Franc supplying the bulk of the muscle.

Fall Line 2007 Exhibition v. Tenuta di Trinoro 2007 le Cupole

Tale of the Tape

2007 Tenuta di Trinoro 2007 le Cupole

40 % Cabernet Franc
22% Cabernet Sauvignon
30% Merlot
8% Petit Verdot

Aged for 8 months in 2nd, 3rd and 4th use French oak barrels and an additional 10 months in cement.

Purchased from Garagiste for $19.99

2007 Fall Line Exhibition


46% Cabernet Franc
22% Merlot
18% Cabernet Sauvignon
14% Petit Verdot

The grapes were sourced from the Aldercreek (Horse Heaven Hills), Artz (Red Mountain) and Boushey (Yakima Valley) vineyards.

Aged for 18 months in 42% new French oak barrels.

Purchased at the winery for $20.00




Round 1.  First Opening

Le Cupole seems to be lacking interest in this confrontation.  Like a jaded actor, this Luchador seems to be asking "What's my motivation?"  The nose shows notes of medium red berries, clove and dusty brambles.  The palate is unusually dry, showing dry red berries and a tart cherry bark finish.

The Exhibition is well named putting on an exhibition of strength with a nose of currants, logan berry, clove and hints of buttery cocoa.  The palate also shows juicy currant and logan berry with a finish that features some coffee bean and light notes of semisweet chocolate.  The longer you hang around you start to notice some buttered popcorn character.  (Is the Exhibition kicking back and enjoying some popcorn while waiting for the Tuscan to remember its lines?)

The Le Cupole definitely did not live up to expectations for a blend with Cab Franc as the dominant grape.  The Exhibition rose to the occasion and took the first round with relative ease.

Round 2.  One hour after Opening

What's this?  Le Cupole has awakened!  Rising from the mat le Cupole is showing some interest with a nose of herbal spices, dusty brambles and dark berries.  The palate is brooding with dark logan berries and a brambly dark tart spiced finish.

The Exhibition is going toe to toe with the revitalized Tuscan.  The nose has dark smokey fruit and cracked pepper character with a palate of dark fruit and a tart finish that features coffee bean and light notes of cocoa.

The judges had to go to the review booth on this round as the action in the ring was nearly dead even.  Le Cupole takes the round as a result of new found motivation and points awarded by the judges for coming back from the land of the lost.

Two rounds into the match this fight is even up with both Luchadors having earned one point.  On to the third and decisive round.  The winner will take all!

Round 3. One day later

Le Cupole is showing remarkable stamina with a nose that features dusty raspberries, logan berries and a slight brambly funkiness.  The palate is similar with juicy red berries, brambles and light cedar spices that trail off into a tart sweet cherry bark finish.

The Exhibition is leaving nothing to chance muscling up for the final round with a nose that has evolved to feature earthy notes of dark fruit and buttery leather.  The palate is also showing earthy dark fruit and cracked pepper that continues on to the finish rounding out with some buttery savoriness.

This round was close with the Exhibition showing greater muscle and strength, thus taking the final round and the match.

Wrap up and over all observations

The le Cupole from Tuscany didn't deliver on my expectations for a Bordeaux style blend dominated by Cabernet Franc out of the gate.  As the match heated up the le Cupole began to rise to the challenge.

On the flip side.  The Fall Line Exhibition hit the ring ready to rumble.  It left no doubt as to the strength and character of the Cabernet Franc in the mix.  In the end this strength and stamina carried the Exhibition to the top step of the podium and victory.

The le Cupole shows promise and I will check back with my other bottle in about a year to see how it has evolved in the cellar.

I give the le Cupole an 87 based on potential for the future and the Exhibition an 88 for the here and now.

Washington Cab Franc. v. France

This is it.  The start of leTour, the Grand Boucle, the Tour "Day" France...  The route starts in North West France and then goes South through the Loire Valley in the first week.  Here are a couple of introductions to the Tour - one from an insider and one from a self professed Bike Snob.

The Lucha Vino tour challenge begins with a Cabernet Franc matchup featuring one of my recent Luchador discoveries from Lake Chelan battling the French Luchador from the Loire Valley.

2008 Tildio Cab Franc v. 2008 Domaine de l'Aumonier "Les Arpents" sous bois (Touraine)

Tale of the tape

2008 Tildio Cab Franc

100% Cabernet Franc sourced from the Columbia Valley.  I believe this is estate grown fruit from the Tildio vineyard in the Lake Chelan AVA and was aged in French Oak barrels.  The details are not available on the Tildio website so I am going from memory (which is a bit impaired after my Luchador Training Camp a couple of weeks ago).
Purchased at the winery.

2008 Domaine de l'Aumonier "Les Arpents" sous bois (Touraine)Most of the winery's website is translated to english, the page with the details on this Luchador is only available in French.  100% Cabernet Franc barrel aged for 10 - 12 months.
Purchased for $14.82 from Garagiste.

The details are light for both combatants.  That means neither one of these Luchadors was able to do any pre-match preparation.  Kind of like riding a stage of the Tour de France without a route profile, or a Directeur Sportif yelling in your ear via radio.  Time to stick your nose in the wind and go for it.  The winner will truly be determined in the ring.  Game on!

Round 1.  First Opening:

On first opening the Tildio has a nose of dark red fruit, cocoa, coffee, spice and some barnyard funk.  The palate has loads of spice on dark fruit, black cherry and pepper at the backend of the palate and moving on to the finish.

The Les Arpents has a nose of peat bog, red fruit, light spice with strange hints of grapefruit and herbal green pepper at the end.  The palate is dominated by the sour grapefruit citrus character on top of some cedar tannins, red berries and a very tart finish.

The Tildio stepped into the ring and promptly flattened the French opponent.  Round 1 clearly goes to Tildio and the training staff is vigorously working on reviving Les Arpents.

Round 2.  One hour after Opening

The Tildio is gaining momentum, full of confidence after dominating round 1.  The nose is showing dark stone fruit, toffee and spice all wrapped in smoke. The palate is dark cherry, leather, semi sweet chocolate trailing into a spicy cedar finish.

Les Arpents was able to get up off the canvas and return for round 2...  barely.  The nose has evolved to show notes of sour currants, leather and a bit of spice.  The palate is also showing notes of sour red huckleberries with a tart cedar finish.  At least the green pepper and grapefruit appear to have been pounded out in the first round. 

Round 2 goes to Tildio, which does not seem to mind kicking sand in the face of the diminished French Luchador. 

Round 3. One day later

The Tildio is going strong.  The nose is big and full of black cherry, toffee and cinnamon.  The palate is even more in your face with dark currants, spicy white pepper and a mammoth finish of coffee bean, semi sweet chocolate and cinnamon.

After a good night's rest Les Arpents is back with a nose reminiscent of underbrush, dried leaves light red berries and a bit of pepper.  The palate is more of the same with the grapefruit notes making a return visit.  The finish is tart tannic cedar. 

I give credit to Les Arpents for returning to the ring, but this match was not even close.  The Tildio was a bruising, swaggering bully from the opening bell with a relentless attack leaving Les Arpents little opportunity to fight back.

Tildio takes this one 3 - nil.

Wrap up and over all observations

The Washington Cabernet Franc was much bigger and bolder than the Loire Valley counterpart.  It was really interesting to taste the difference between these two wines.  The style was dramatically different (like comparing B. A. Baracus to Urkel). I would not have recognized these as being the same varietal if I was tasting them blind.

I give the Tildio a solid 89 and the Les Arpents an 84.

Lake Chelan Luchador Training Camp

The pros are fine tuning their form for the Tour de France over the next two weeks.  To prepare for combat with the French in July I headed to Lake Chelan for some Luchador try outs. 

Here are some of my notes from the wineries I visited.  All of these wineries offered a Cabernet Franc.  What an unexpected, and welcome, surprise!  Each had their unique style and one place, The Blending Room offered up a Cab Franc Tag Team.

Hard Row to Hoe
This winery is run by Don and Judy Phelps.  They are great people and if you get the chance to stop in make sure you get the back story on the winery name from Don.  And check out the wall paper!  It is just as naughty as the rest of the story. 

Don't let the name fool you, there is some serious wine making going on here.  My favorite of the day was the Burning Desire 2008 Estate Cabernet Franc.  The nose shows character of dark berries, clove, menthol and spice with a similar bold palate and a nice tart cedar spicebox finish.

The Luchadors training at Hard Row to Hoe are bold, hot and sassy.

Tildio
Just down the road is Tildio, another husband and wife operation with Milum and Katy Perry.  Milum is a bike enthusiast so he scores points with Lucha Vino before ever even tasting the wines.  There is more great wine being turned out at Tildio and my top Luchador on this day was their 2008 Estate Grown Cabernet Franc.  This wine is big and powerful.  The nose is showing earth, oak, spice and white pepper with an equally smashing palate that includes notes of caramel and a dry spicy and pepper finish.

Katy called this Cab Franc "gnarly."  I would have to agree, this Luchador is going to do some damage.

Next stop was The Blending Room in the heart of Downtown Manson.
They have some great wines and take some inspiration from The Rat City Roller Girls.  Now, there is a team that is after Lucha Vino's heart.  The next best thing to Lucha Libre is Roller Derby!

The Blending Room offers up two Cab Francs.  The first is on their My Derby Wife label and the second is on their Kamari Black Label.  Both are great examples of Cab Franc, big and bold and ready to put the sleeper hold on any unsuspecting protaganists. 

The 2008 Kamari Black Label was the main event in this tag team pairing, it showed character of dark fruits, earth, mushroom, forrest floor and cocoa on the nose and palate with a dry semi sweet chocolate finish.

The final stop of the day was at Vin du Lac and the place was hopping.  It could have been the live music or the sunshine or well, the wine!  Here is another Chelan winery offering a Cab Franc and it certainly delivered the goods. 


The 2007 Barrel Select Cabernet Franc had lots of show and packed plenty of punch to backup the flash.  This wine shouts out "Boom!  Here I am.  Now who's next?"  Showing lots of rich currant, raspberry and hints of espresso on the nose with a similar palate and a finish that includes cedar spice box, cocoa and some hints of clove.

Look out France.  These Chelan AVA wineries are gunning for you.  I have a feeling that these Cab Franc Luchadors are going to stomp all over the French challengers next month.  Be sure to check back in July to see how the main events go down.