Winemaker Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen has an amazing resume. In addition to holding a certification of an advanced Sommelier, he developed the wine programs in several notorious PNW restaurants, including Cascadia, Wild Ginger Bellevue, Cafe Juanita, and Michael Mina’s RN74.
W.T. Vintners was founded in 2007, with initial productions in Jeff's garage. They have come a long way, receiving some impressive accolades including Wine Enthusiast Magazine Top 40 under 40 Tastemakers in America, and Top 100 Winery in the World from Wine and Spirits Magazine in 2019 and 2020.
Their lighter styled wine is likely a product of their winemaking philosophy to pick from their vineyards earlier than most. This results in a more apparent expression of the vines and terroir without being blurred by excessive alcohol or fruit. They also utilize the whole cluster fermentation process and purposefully age in neutral French oak barrels (inspired by wines from Northern Rhone and Burgundy).
2019 Chardonnay
Rainmaker Vineyard
Nice grassy notes, and lemon, mild oak.
$35
Rating 4.0
2017 Grenache
Boushey Vineyard
Hint of mint on the nose, light red fruits, raspberry. Smooth and light weight. Refreshing. Nice hot summer day sipping.
$49
Rating 4.1
2017 Mourvedre
Boushey Vineyard
Pepper nose. Strawberries, quite dry. Heavy tannins.
$49
Rating 4.1
2016 Syrah
Boushey Vineyard
Heavy leather on the nose. Lighter style syrah with some nice minerality, black tea, and firm structure.
$49
Rating 4.0
I was offered a 2015 Rhone Blend (Boushey Vineyard) which was a GSM with 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 ratio. It was delicious, and held well, but definitely ready to drink now. Rating 4.5.
I enjoyed the fresh wines offered at W.T. Vintners. They maintained an honest, unadulterated production style that preserves the attributes from the soil and grape. Their Rhone and Burgundy style wines drink light, and show much more terroir and "green" than other wineries we've seen - very refreshing!
