Palouse is a Vashon Island Winery, established by George and Linda Kirkish around 2005. They offer tastings from a large barn cellar adjacent to their home. Tastings are primarily outdoor on the patio, with partial covering. Club members have a more private tasting space tucked away in the spacious, beautiful, back garden.
Their grapes are sourced from the Columbia Valley AVA, Rattlesnake Hills AVA, and Horse Heaven Hills AVA. We were allowed to modify the tasting to reds only, and enjoyed our tasting on this fine crisp fall day.
In the fall of 2022 we tasted:
2018 "Saint" Sangiovese - vibrant bright red fruits. very dry. nice acidity and grippy tannins. light and refreshing. [4.6]
2018 "Dynamique" Cabernet Franc - beautiful nose, peppery. mild fruit, and light body. mild tannins. a light cab franc, great for the summer. [4.0]
2018 "Eclipse" Blend - light bodied bordeaux style blend, with oak and vanilla. peppery finish. [4.0]
2018 "Red Satin" Cabernet Sauvignon - light cab with black fruits, licorice. nice even drink with smooth tannins. [4.5]
2017 "The Poet" Blend - dark fruits, licorice, slightly jammy, and nice mouthfeel. structured tannins, with long finish. boldest of their wines [4.5]
2018 "Black Pearl" Petite Sirah - unfortunately this fell flat for us [3.0]
Palouse Winery was a pleasant surprise on Vashon Island. The tasting space is great for the summer and fall. Staff were friendly. Wines were overall much better than I expected. Their style seemed light and fresh, with their "Poet" blend being the boldest wine they offer.
