Five wines from Pomeroy Cellars in Yacolt have qualified for the Great Northwest Wine Platinum Judging, which will take place on Oct. 24.
The wines that qualified for the competition include Pomeroy Cellars’ Cabernet Sauvignon, Farm Hand’s Red, Lucia No. 47, Farm Hand’s White and PPR.
“(We’re) very excited to be included again,” said Pomeroy Cellars owner and wine club manager Tommy Miller. “Last year, we were awarded our first ever double platinum for the previous vintage, our Lucia No. 47. That was the 2018 that was awarded a double platinum, and we’re hopeful to bring home at least one double platinum again this year.”
Miller said the Platinum Wine event is invite-only. It includes about 2,500 of the best wines in the Northwest together in a head-to-head competition. He said multiple wineries can receive a double platinum, and of those, one will be named best in class.
In order to qualify, the wine has to receive a gold or double gold medal at an earlier competition, Miller said.
Pomeroy competed in the Savor Northwest and the Seattle Wine Awards, which allowed them to compete in the platinum competition.
“The Cabernet Sauvignon and the Lucia No. 47, both of those wines are made with grapes that come from DuBrul Vineyard,” he said. “DeBrul Vineyard is one of the premier vineyards in Washington state. It’s in Yakima Valley.”
He said the Lucia No. 47 is a blend of 58% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, and 20% syrah.
“(They’re) just exceptional vintages, especially the ‘18 cab, exceptional vintage for that vineyard and for cabernet in general in Washington state. The growing conditions and the profile of that wine are exceptional for cabernets,” he said.
Miller added the wines taste “fantastic,” as both the cabernet and Lucia feature dusty cherry and black fruit prominently in its palette.
“Dusty cherry is one of the flavors that’s indicative of DeBrul Vineyard. Everything is drinkable right now and age-worthy as well, so you’ll find that in our tasting room,” Miller said. “We have them all available for tasting right now.”
With the Farm Hand’s White, he said it has a fruity palette that features a blend of 50% chardonnay and 50% semillon. Miller noted “the semillon is what blends the fruit to it.” As for the Farm Hand’s Red, he considers it more of “a bold, red table wine,” which consists of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc, and 25% merlot. Both wines are sourced from the Yakima Valley.
The PPR will also be in the platinum competition, but is not available for retail sale, Miller said.
“That wine is available at a handful of local restaurants and breweries, and those include the Cove in Vancouver, the Hammond (Kitchen & Craft Bar) in Camas, and then Brothers Cascadia Brewing and FortSide Brewing, both in Vancouver. They all sell our distribution wines on their wine menus,” he said.
Miller said the wine is made of Cabernet sauvignon and merlot and made of dark fruit.
Pomeroy Cellars operates on 677 acres at 20902 NE Lucia Falls Road in Yacolt. It is open for tastings from noon to 6 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays.
