The "Bramble Bump" is JM Cellars' picturesque tasting room in the Woodinville Hollywood district. The tasting room is situated in a wooded, countryside setting.
Tall trees emphasize the pacific northwest, and provide ample shade in their large outdoor tasting space. Glass-topped wine barrel tables add a nice industrial modern feel to the seating.
We visited on an early August day, and had most of the winery to ourselves. I would recommend showing up earlier in the day, and with a reservation to avoid the crowds and have a quaint tasting experience. As you can imagine, Bramble Bump gets booked up on a nice weekend.
We were seated comfortably outside under a patio umbrella, and chose the 5 wine red flight for $20.
2019 Cabernet Sauvignon III - Very good! floral vanilla nose. Bold dark cherries. Nice mouthfeel. Dry, structured tannins, with solid finish. Classic cab. Blended from 3 vineyards (including walla walla and red mountain), hence "III". ($50) A rating.
2020 Mourvedre - Pepper, smoke, bacon, ripe cherries on the nose. Medium body, with very bright, ripe fruits. Smooth, soft tannins. 15% Syrah is apparent. ($49) A rating.
2019 Syrah (Columbia Valley) - Gentle soft Syrah, vanilla notes throughout. ($49) A- rating.
2019 Bramble Bump Red - interesting 5 varietal blend (merlot, cab, syrah, carmenere, petit verdot). Immediate pepper and bright red fruit on the nose. Dark cherry, peppers, vanilla. Bright acidity, nice structure, smooth finish. ($28) A rating.
2018 The Royal - almost equal blend of merlot and cab. interesting butter on the nose? easy drink, quite light. lowest rating of the bunch, ($35) B+ to A- rating.
JM Cellars wines were solid all the way through. We interestingly enjoyed the Bramble Bump, even though the lower price point might suggest a lesser product. We found it very approachable and great quality for the value; it is a great weeknight wine to enjoy.
Great wine, and an amazing tasting space makes JM Cellars worth revisiting. It would be a great place to bring out of town guests. Had we not joined a few other clubs recently, we would have strongly considered joining JM as well.
