Got on the list and this is one I’m excited to finally try. I know feelings are mixed as some people say the wines are too ‘funky’ whatever that may mean.
Anyway, took my allocation of 3x of each and these ship in March so I’ll pop and report back as soon as they come in:
2017 No Girls Syrah
98 Points “…Classic Rocks Syrah with its meaty, bloody blue fruits, ground black pepper, cured meats, violets, and spring flower aromas and flavors. Beautifully textured, concentrated, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced, it’s another incredible wine from this label that can be drunk any time over the coming 20 years or more.”
—Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
2017 No Girls Tempranillo
97 Points “Rose petals, forest floor, spring flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, and loads of spice all emerge from the 2017 Tempranillo. It almost reminds me of a Cote Rôtie with its feminine, floral, complex bouquet. Nicely textured on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, it has great tannins, perfect balance, and just has everything in the right places…”
–Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
2017 No Girls Grenache
96 Points “…Red cherry starburst candy with orange zest and bulls blood tones alongside charcuterie on this complex bouquet. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a silky texture. Bright guava puree and cranberry tones combine with wet stone, salted meats, seaweed and Spanish green olive accents on this complex palate… This beautiful new Grenache will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another decade — but is absolutely irresistible to enjoy right now.”
–Owen Bargreen, owenbargreen.com
There is no such thing as too funky. The people who claim to have experienced things that are “too funky” are either narcs or liars, which are two groups not to be trusted.
He used to review for “International Wine Report” mostly Washington and Oregon. He seems to have maybe gone out on his own recently. Really friendly guy who hosted his “Washington Wine Blog Awards” the last couple years in Seattle, this is where I got my first tastes of Cayuse, Reynvaan, Quilceda Creek and the other major WA state players.
Ryan, thanks for your thoughts. I am formerly senior editor at International Wine Report. I started Washington Wine Blog back in 2011 and this year I rebranded to my name, Owen Bargreen and OwenBargreen.com. I run very active Instagram and Facebook pages, and in addition to managing my website I freelance for Decanter Magazine.
For the past several years I have been fortunate enough to host what I consider to be the premier Washington wine event. Unfortunately, considering the current pandemic it is unlikely I’ll be able to host this event this year. I review roughly two thousand wines each year and maintain a practice in clinical psychology as well, so I am a pretty busy guy.