Accolades & Press

Scores

Flagship Index

  • The Flagship Index is a devastatingly dark Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot-driven blend, with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, fennel and a trace of brisket. The wine's black-cherry compote, orange-peel and Assam tea flavors are supported by sturdy tannins and frisky acidity. Serve with lamb chops and any Nick Cave album. — Michael Alberty

  • The ‘Flagship Index’ is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with smaller portions Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc that was stored in 65% new French oak for 21 months before bottle. The nose is incredibly complex with anise and black currant notes alongside milk chocolate notes. The palate is soft and ripe with silky tannins that combine with the gorgeous core of black forest cake, coffee grounds, graphite and sandalwood notes. Powerful and showing good verve, this beauty will cellar well for another twenty years to come. Drink 2024-2040.

  • The stunning Bordeaux blend that is comprised of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 12% Malbec, and 4% Petit Verdot comes from fruit spread across the Columbia Valley, including Ciel du Cheval on Red Mountain and Connor Lee Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope. Aged for sur lie for 21 months in French oak with 65% new, it sports a deep purple and bluish core with a lighter purple rim. Robust and rich on the palate, you are greeted with notes of blackberries, blue plums, cassis, tobacco leaf, toasted baking spices, and just a touch of those Red Mountain herbal tones. Complex and interesting, it’s a wine that makes you sit down and think about it while you enjoy it. Better in 2024. Only 365 cases made. Highly recommended and Editor’s Choice.

Flagship Cabernet Sauvignon

  • A powerful blueberry aroma, combined with vanilla, lilac and lavender, makes for a heady perfume. Muscular tannins and nervy acidity match this stunning wine's blackberry and blueberry flavors. Additional notes of balsa and espresso bean hover in the background. Drink it with Mingus and moonlight until 2037. — Michael Alberty

  • The 2021 Dossier ‘Flagship’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning wine that mostly comes from the Ciel du Cheval and Summit View vineyards. Stored in 60% new French oak for 22 months, this offers incredibly complex aromatics of espresso grounds, mocha, tar and Asian spices with creme de violet. The palate is tannic and massive, showing very broad shoulders, with Turkish coffee and scorched earthy notes alongside a massive core of black and blue fruit flavors. Totally stunning and delicious, this has some serious aging potential, as this will easily be a 20 year wine. Drink 2024-2040.

  • The scintillating 2021 Flagship Cabernet Sauvignon from Dossier is aged for 21 months in 60% new French oak and sports a glistening purple core with a neon purple rim in the glass. This intense, rich, and decadent effort from winemaker Billo Naravane captures your attention as soon as you pour it into the glass. Stunning notes of blackberries, crushed purple flower petals, eucalyptus, toasted baking spice, mountain sage, and hints of wet earth all combine perfectly in the glass. It sweeps across the palate with crunchy tannins and acidity that keeps everything moving. A stellar wine that will be better in 2024 and is highly recommended. Editor’s Choice. 315 cases made.

Flagship Syrah

  • The blueberry-like aroma of crushed huckleberries is joined by notes of mushroom and dried oak leaves, with a touch of pickled ginger. Blackberries rule the palate, flanked by saline, black coffee and bacon fat. Silky tannins coexist with elevated acidity and a slick and slippery texture. — Michael Alberty

  • The 2021 Dossier Syrah is a brilliant new bottling. The nose shows beautiful range from smoked meats and bacon fat as well as creme de violette and shades of lavender. The heady aromatics bring you back to the glass for more enjoyment. The palate is lithe and polished but also shows bright acidity and a marvelous sensation of weight. This beauty will surely live on for another decade. Drink 2023-2035.

  • This is aromatic, with red plums, black raspberries, spicy herbs, anisette and black cardamom. Dried flowers, too. Firm and structured with full body and compact, finely polished tannins. Solid and focused and already delicious, with some delicate, ethereal fragrance. Better from 2025.

  • A unique Syrah made from a blend of the Ciel du Cheval vineyard on Red Mountain and the Naravane estate in Walla Walla Valley, the 2021 Flagship Syrah is big, beefy and black-fruited with generous notions of hung meat that sways with dusty florals and notions of hot rocks. Full-bodied, the palate is complex and layered as flavors of spiced plums, blackberry jus and savory herbs sway with a firm mineral notion of baked earth. The Syrah continues to unfold and reveal its secrets with lasting flavors of pink and black peppercorns over the focused and broad, food-friendly finish. Enjoy with fire-grilled chops. The wine aged on the lees for 15 months in 70% new French oak. Give it another year or two, and drink for the next 15 years. Just under 6,000 bottles were made.

Flagship Viognier

  • This aromatic tour de force pits lemon and toasted filberts against honey, clarified butter and the peach-jasmine-orange peel combination of plumeria flowers. Lemon curd dominates the palate, with traces of guava and coconut macaroons. The wine's texture is creamy without being overly viscous. — Michael Alberty

  • Made in the Condrieu style by winemaker Billo Naravane, the 2021 Dossier Viognier shows outstanding flavor and aromatic range from this warm vintage. Seamless on the mouth and very buttery — yet showing outstanding structure — flavors range from buttered popcorn, salted Macadamia nut, white peach and juicy kiwi notes, with stony undertones. This is really well-done and refined Viognier that will stand up with some of the best renditions in the state. Drink 2023-2031.

  • Ripe, expressive and clean, the 2021 Flagship Viognier offers aromas of sweet florals, peach skin and cereal grains with subtle elements of quince and apples, sautéed pears and lemon pannacotta. Full-bodied, firm and complex, the palate reveals a classic phenolic bitterness that sways with elegance and finesse and possesses impeccable weight. The wine unfolds across the mid-palate with focus and precision, offering notes of spiced white tea, hints of brown baking spices and sweet citrus flavors. It's a delightful wine that shows varietal purity and ends with a softly oaked finish. Give it a try.

  • Pie crust, apple crumble, orange zest, brioche and manuka honey on the nose. Rich and oily, with delicious buttery and toasty layers and a full body. Lengthy, too. Drink now.

Red Blend

  • A downright killer value, the 2021 Red Blend combines 36% Cabernet Sauvignon with 25% Merlot with the remainder Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Stored in 40% new French oak barrels, this offers tobacco leaf, red bell pepper, anise and black currant flavors that combine with hints of espresso grounds. Very approachable and soft on the mouth, with a generous mouthfeel, this is gorgeous stuff that is already drinking beautifully now. Drink 2023-2035.

Rosé

  • This rosé will inspires love letters and whispered promises. Bright raspberry, olive oil and lemon zest aromas are enveloped in a bouquet of English roses. Brisk acidity offers crispness of texture while blood orange, lavender, rosemary and ginger flavors dance about. Prepare to write that letter. — Michael Alberty

  • Made from Columbia Valley Syrah grapes, the 2022 Dossier Rose is a magnificent follow-up to the outstanding 2021 bottling. On the nose this takes on green papaya and red raspberry notes alongside Yakima cherry and nutty accents. The palate is incredibly fresh and fragrant with a seamless texture and wonderful sense of weight. Brilliant to enjoy now, savor this beautiful 2022 Rose over the next seven years. Drink 2023-2030.

  • This is a stunning, debut rosé from Dossier, a winery poised to make some noise. The nose is packed with ripe nectarines, orange zest, freshly cut hay and chilled cucumber slices sprinkled with sea salt. The wine’s crunchy texture and brilliant acidity complements flavors of spicy Forelle pears, dried cranberries, ginger and a small amount of bitter almonds. Each sip takes you closer to a Saint Tropez beach club.

  • The 2021 Dossier Rose is Syrah-based that sourced from the Weinbau Vineyard. This is a Bandol-inspired bottling that was stored in a combination of neutral oak and stainless steel. This underwent partial malolactic fermentation, as this leads on the nose with bright cranberry, red florals and Yakima cherry alongside wild mushroom and damp earthy undertones. This is highly complex and nuanced Rose that not only gratifies in terms of finesse but also shows generous texture. Quite simply this one of the finest Rose wines from Washington that I have tasted in the past year — so don’t pass this one up and serve at a warmer temperature to take in the beautiful range of flavors. Drink 2022-2028.

Sauvignon Blanc

  • Initial nectarine and flint aromas are soon joined by lemon, spruce needles and capers. The wine's flavors of lemon drops, white peaches with their skins and Thai basil unite with frenetic acidity and a rich texture. This wine was aged in a combination of French oak, stainless steel and concrete egg. Enjoy with jalapeño poppers and a football game. — Michael Alberty

  • Sourced from the Lonesome Spring Racn and Connor Lee Vineyards, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc from Dossier saw almost three days of skin contact during maceration, giving it that lovely rounded texture and lofty aromas. It was then aged in concrete egg and neutral French oak. Gifting bountiful notes of tropical fruit, dried pineapple, dried citrus zest, and gooseberry, it brings incredible tension to the finish. With elevated lemony acidity, it finishes strong with a lovely white grapefruit zest aspect on the back palate. I believe this will be drinkable for ten years or more with proper cellaring. 516 cases were crafted.

  • The 2022 Dossier Sauvignon Blanc was stored in a combination of new and used French oak, stainless steel and concrete eggs. This saw monthly battonage which heavily contributed to the outstanding mouthfeel. Mostly coming from the Connor Lee Vineyard, this offers nutmeg dusted brioche tones alongside banana, and lime zest. The palate is round and generous with a silky mouthfeel and loads of mouth-watering acidity. Drink 2023-2039.

  • Notes of lemon pith, stone fruit, custard, pie crust and caramel. Some chamomile and beeswax, too. Medium- to full-bodied, creamy and long, with a round texture and attractive chalkiness. Polished and restrained with a delicate finish. Drink or hold.

  • The aromatics of peach, saline, pine resin and the grassy qualities of a cup of sencha green tea are compelling. However, the wine’s lush texture and mineral notes really sold me on this wine, which reminded me of the late Didier Dagueneau’s oak- and stainless steel-aged beauties. Flavors like grilled peaches sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, chilled Crispin apple slices, honey and brisk acidity sealed the deal.

  • Coming from the Lonesome Spring Ranch in the Yakima Valley AVA, the 2021 Dossier Sauvignon Blanc was partially fermented in neutral oak barrels. Winemaker Billo Naravane fermented most of the wine in stainless, as this was given weekly battonage to add texture. Passion fruit and lime blossom combine with shades of salted Marcona almond on the nose. This comes off very texturally gratifying with good weight and finesse. This beautiful wine will continue to build for another five to seven years — and potentially more. Enjoy at a slightly warmer temperature. Drink 2022-2028.

Press

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