I had my first Januik cabernet at a steakhouse. It left a lasting impression, and like Pavlov's bell, I shamefully crave a ribeye every time I spot a bottle of Januik at the store.
The Novelty Hill - Januik tasting room in Woodinville is in the West Valley District. The facility is massive, and offers both indoor and outdoor seating in a modern industrial style decor.
On a nice day, you could take advantage of their large outdoor seating areas. They even have bocce ball (reservation required I believe).
They offer a generous cheese platter, amongst other snacks available for purchase. The cheeses were surprisingly good!
In sept 2022 they had a few flight options; We opted for one classic, and one reserve flight, and shared between ourselves to experience a broader gamut of their wine.
Novelty Hill - Januik have 3 labels. "Novelty Hill" focuses on single vineyard wines from Stillwater Creek (Royal Slope AVA). "Januik" uses prestigious Columbia Valley vineyards including Champoux, Weinbau, Cold Creek and Ciel du Cheval. "Andrew Januik" is from the second generation winemaker with a different style, sourcing from Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills vineyards.
Classic Flight
Novelty Hill 2021 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc - 78% sauvignon blanc, 22% semillon. "Nose: gooseberry, meyer lemon, lemongrass. Palate: lime, white peach, orange blossom". Very crisp pear, lemon, peach. Surprisingly nice medium-long finish, drinking clean and smooth. Rating 4.5
Januik 2019 Weinbau Vineyard Cabernet Franc - 95% cabernet franc, 3% merlot, 2% cabernet sauvignon. "Nose: blueberry, licorice. Palate: plum and warm vanilla." Rating 4.5
Januik 2018 Champoux Vineyard Malbec - 90% malbec, 10% cabernet sauvignon. "Nose: plum, cherry. Palate: blackberry and dark fruit with a hint of spice." Rating 4.0
Novelty Hill 2018 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - 98% cabernet sauvignon, 2% merlot. "Nose: charred meat, dried strawberries, jalapeno, cedar, and thyme. Palate: fresh red currants, cooked fruit, leather, peppered meat." Interesting smokiness, mildly game and meat. Rating 4.0
Reserve Flight
Novelty Hill 2019 Oxbow GSM - 41% grenache, 34% syrah, 25% mourvedre. "Nose: black licorice and currants. Palate: crushed boysenberries and spice." Rating 4.0
Andrew Januik 2019 Baba Yaga - 100% cabernet, Southwind vineyard, Walla Walla. "Nose: plum, earth, cedar. Palate: blackberries, earth, dried herbs." Interesting and unusual for me - Green pepper and earth, almost carmenere-like on the nose. Notes of herb and thyme on the palate. Rating 4.0
Novelty Hill 2019 Il Corvo - 48% cabernet sauvignon, 48% sangiovese, 4% merlot. "Nose: dark cherry, blackberry jam. Palate: baking spices, fennel, black fruit." Interesting earth and mushroom on the nose. Very smooth on the palate with black fruit, spice. Rating 4.5
Januik 2018 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - 96% cabernet sauvignon, 4% merlot. "Nose: italian plum, jam, rosemary, and hints of minerality. Palate: black cherry, black tea, raspberry pie." Massive cab with explosion of dark rich fruit, jam, pie. Rating 4.5
We had a great tasting experience at Novelty Hill - Januik winery. The tasting space is large, comfortable, and stylish. They offer a few different tasting options, and the individual tasting pours allow side by side comparison. They offer a wide range of great tasting wines with each of their labels providing a slightly different perspective and style. It's a great place to come with a group, sit outside, and get a glass pour, particularly from their reserve lineup.
I did find their overall portfolio to be massive and therefore a little intimidating and difficult to decipher and approach, but I think most would be happy with any of their wines, so you probably can't go too wrong!
Our favorites were:
Novelty Hill 2021 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Januik 2019 Weinbau Vineyard Cabernet Franc
Novelty Hill 2019 Il Corvo (K did not like this one as much as I did, however)
Januik 2018 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
The Andrew Januik label was a new discovery for me. The style was certainly cutting edge, innovative, and refreshing. I think it is a polarizing wine, and I'm not entirely sure where it sits with me, but I'm definitely curious to dig into their offerings a little deeper.
