Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Passing Time Winery with Special Guest Damon Huard

"I love waking up in the morning not knowing what I'm gonna do or who I'm gonna meet. Just yesterday I was sleeping under a bridge, and today I'm on the grandest liner in the world drinking champagne with you fine people. I'll have some more please."

Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997)

We have a lot of good customers here at the Wine Watch and at one time the #1 customer was #13 for the Miami Dolphins.  We were happy to be one of his first customers when he and fellow quarterback Damon Huard partnered up to make wines in Washington State under the Passing Time label.

We just visited with Damon Huard and winemaker Chris Peterson on our trip to Washington state in September and the 2021 vintage wines are the best wines they have made to date!  We just hosted an event with Damon in 2022 featuring every vintage of the Passing Time Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon back to the initial 2012 release.  This was the first event of its kind outside of the winery and I still have a few bottles of every vintage in my personal stash so we can hit the repeat button on that one in a year or so.

We host a Washington state’s finest vintage wine tasting every year and the Passing Time Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon has been voted WOTN on two separate occasions, once as a ringer!

They have added several different new wines to the line-up including an excellent chardonnay which we will be the first people in South Florida to taste as Damon is coming to visit us on Wednesday February 21st at the Wine Bar for a Washington State happy hour wine tasting with all the releases from Passing Time.

Join us as we welcome Damon to South Florida for a fun night and I will be breaking out a few older vintages from my stash to share with the crowd this evening.  Toni will be making some tasty treats to accompany the wines and the fee for this event is $125 + tax.  For Reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-ail andy@winewatch.com. 

Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Passing Time Winery
With Special Guest Damon Huard
Wednesday, February 21st
6pm

2022 PASSING TIME CHARDONNAY COLUMBIA VALLEY
2021 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
2021 PASSING TIME CABERNET SAUVIGNON WALLA WALLA WASHINGTON
2021 PASSING TIME CABERNET SAUVIGNON RED MOUNTAIN WASHINGTON
2020 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
2019 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON

Menu
Lobster and Shrimp Meatballs with Fra Diavolo Sauce
Pork Belly Bites with  Blackberry Catsup
All American Beef Sliders
Charcuterie Pizza
Avocado Fries

The fee for this tasting is $125 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. 

All the Passing Time wines we have in the store on SALE!!

2021 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
Price: $125.00                 Your Price: $110.00              Quantity in Stock: 45

(98-100 Points) beautifully pure notes of crème de cassis, semi-sweet chocolate, candied violets, fresh-tilled loam, cigar humidor, and river minerals. The palate is rich and utterly seamless, coating the palate with black currant, concentrated blueberry, Madagascar vanilla, Turkish coffee, and dry-aged beef. A great example of the wonders of Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet in a great vintage. Will last 30 years with ease. - Jeb Dunnuck

2021 PASSING TIME CABERNET SAUVIGNON WALLA WALLA WASHINGTON
Price: $125.00                 Your Price: $110.00              Quantity in Stock: 24

(95-97 Points) "Coming from a mix of sites in the Walla Walla Valley, the 175-case 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley reveals a deep purple hue as well as beautifully pure aromatics of darker currants, raspberries, leafy herbs, and tobacco, with some earthy, gravelly mineral notes developing with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, focused, again, with incredible purity, it's a stunning Cabernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla Valley that's going to shine with just 3-4 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades or more." - Jeb Dunnuck

2021 PASSING TIME CABERNET SAUVIGNON RED MOUNTAIN WASHINGTON
Price: $125.00                 Your Price: $110.00              Quantity in Stock: 21

(96-98 Points) Aromas of dark red currants, muddled black cherry, toasted cacao nibs, crushed stone, dried meadow flowers, and earthy vanilla hints. Beautifully layered tannins carry the black currant, black cherry, Italian plum, coffee dry rub, a long finish. With its deep core, and Red Mountain tannin structure, this wine is certainly built for the long haul. Drink 2028-2045.   Jeb Dunnuck
 

2020 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
Price: $110.00                 Your Price: $96.80              Quantity in Stock: 21

(100 Points) "The 2021 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon from Passing Time is the best wine I’ve ever had from the winery and maybe the best Cabernet I’ve ever tasted from Washington State. Kudos goes out to winemaker Chris Peterson, who produces better wine every vintage. Masterfully blended with a combination of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, it was aged in 80% new French oak and is a total stunner. Decadent, lavish, and enveloping, it’s a powerful wine that maintains lightness on its feet. Complex components meld together perfectly - think notes of fresh blackberries, black currants, blue plum skin, crushed flower petals, tobacco leaves, dried mountain sage, and powdered graphite. A full-bodied wine that leaves a finish that goes on for minutes, this is a serious wine that will be even better in a few years and then will last 20 years with proper cellaring. Run out and find this wine before it sells out - I wish I had a case! 475 cases made. Highly recommended and editor’s choice." - International Wine Report

(98-100 Points) "Coming 56% from the Discovery Vineyard and the rest from the Wallula and Champoux, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills reveals a deep purple hue as well as awesome aromatics of ripe blackcurrants, spring flowers, fresh tobacco, and lead pencil shavings. These carry to a round, full-bodied, incredibly layered, expansive 2021 with perfect tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish."  - Jeb Dunnuck

Winemaker Chris Peterson Tasting notes: Beautifully pure notes of crème de cassis, semi-sweet chocolate, candied violets, fresh-tilled loam, cigar humidor, and river minerals. The palate is rich and utterly seamless, coating the palate with black currant, concentrated blueberry, Madagascar vanilla, Turkish coffee, and dry-aged beef. A great example of the wonders of Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet in a great vintage. Will last 30 years with ease.

Blend: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc
Vineyards: 56% Discovery Cabernet, 32% Wallula (Benches) Cabernet, 8% Champoux Merlot, 4% Champoux Cabernet Franc
Aging: 80% New French Oak

2019 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
Price: $110.00                 Your Price: $96.80              Quantity in Stock: 19

(97-99 Points) "Leading off the barrel samples, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills offers ample structure and tannins as well as a great mid-palate, flawless balance, and already complex notes of dark fruits, lavender, tobacco, and subtle oak. It’s a blockbuster in the making..." - Jeb Dunnuck

Winemaker Chris Peterson Tasting notes: Deep black currant reduction, black cherry, star anise, menthol, cigar box, and rich earth on the nose. On the palate, this wine oozes power and class, with deep black fruits, sweet herbs, Valrhona chocolate, licorice, and crushed rock. With its powerful mid-palate and long, seamless finish, this wine will be hard to resist young, but it will keep 25-30 years in a cool cellar.

Blend: 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot 5% Cabernet Franc,
Vineyards: 55% Discovery, 25% Champoux, 20% Wallula

2018 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
3 LITER
Price: $525.00                 Your Price: $462.00                                  Quantity in Stock: 1

2018 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON MAGNUM
Price: $270.00                Your Price: $237.60              Quantity in Stock: 2

2018 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
Price: $90.00                   Your Price: $79.20              Quantity in Stock: 8

(94-96 Points) Lots of black plum, smoked earth, chocolate, and tobacco notes emerge from the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills.  It's another 2018 that has terrific purity and freshness as well as plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

Winemaker Chris Peterson Tasting notes: This wine has come to embody the style and purpose of Passing Time, featuring classic Cabernet notes of crème de cassis, blackberry, bittersweet chocolate, crushed herbs and graphite. Texture has always been a hallmark of the Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet, and the 2018 vintage shows this beautifully. While approachable in its youth, this wine will reward some patience in the cellar, and age for many years to come.

Blend: 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot 5% Cabernet Franc,
Vineyards: 50% Discovery Cabernet, 27% Champoux Cabernet, 9% Wallula Cabernet, 9% Champoux Merlot, 5% Champoux Cabernet Franc
Aging: 80% New French Oak

2017 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON MAGNUM
Price: $270.00                 Your Price: $237.60              Quantity in Stock: 5

2017 PASSING TIME HORSE HEAVEN HILLS CABERNET SAUVIGNON WASHINGTON
Price: $90.00                   Your Price: $79.20              Quantity in Stock: 10

Chris Peterson Tasting note - notes of blackberry, blueberry cobbler, cassis, woodsmoke, licorice pastille, and meadow flowers are very inviting. The palate is taut and structured, featuring dark red and black fruits, great minerality, and lively acidity. The finish on this wine is very long and focused, with lingering floral and light oak elements. This wine will reward short term cellaring, and last for a decade plus in the cellar.

BLEND: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot 5% Cabernet Franc
46% Discovery Cabernet, 42% Champoux Cabernet, 7% Klipsun Merlot, 5% Champoux Cabernet Franc

(95 Points) Deep purple/plum-colored, with notes of tobacco leaf, damp earth, chocolate, and assorted darker fruits, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a rounded, supple texture, polished tannins, and a great finish. It’s beautifully done and shows the more classic, elegant style of the vintage nicely. Jeb Dunnuck (04.15.20)

(94 Points) Polished and finely detailed, this red is impressive, featuring rich black cherry, cofee bean and stony mineral flavors that build tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029. Wine Spectator (Tim Fish | Spring 2020)

2014 PASSING TIME CABERNET SAUVIGNON WALLA WALLA MAGNUM
Price: $350.00                 Your Price: $308.00              Quantity in Stock: 4

(95 Points) "The 2014 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot that was brought up in 60% new French oak. Its deep purple is followed by a ripe, expansive Cabernet that has loads of plum and currant fruit, notes of leafy herbs and earth, a broad, expansive mouthfeel and a great finish. It has the texture and purity to shine today, yet is going to evolve gracefully for 15+ years."  The Wine Advocate

Winemaker Chris Peterson Tasting Notes:  Black cherry, black raspberry, cassis, floral notes, and mocha on the nose. This wine is intensely structured and full bodied, with lively acidity. Red and blue fruits lead on the palate, with notes of cocoa, dried herbs, a hint of lavender, and fine-grained tannins on the long finish. A complex and pure expression of Walla Walla Cabernet, with just a hint of Old World savory complexity.

Walla Walla Valley Appellation wine that is a blend of 67% Seven Hills Cabernet, 26% Pepper Bridge Cabernet, 7% Figgins Estate Merlot aged 20 months in 60% new French oak

2022 Columbia Valley Chardonnay 
Price: $60.00                Sale $52.80

Tasting notes: The 2022 Chardonnay has a bright golden hue in the glass.  On the nose, aromas of ripe peach and nectarines are complimented by subtle notes of toasted oak and crème brulee.  On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and well-balanced, with flavors of ripe Granny Smith apple, honey, and lemon curd.  The finish is long and lingering, with a hint of minerality.

Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Vineyards: 29% Celilo, 28% Conner Lee, 28% Andrews, 15% Boushey
Aging: 100% Barrel Aged (60% New French oak and 40% neutral French oak)

(95 Points) "The 2022 ‘Columbia Valley’ by Passing Time comes from some pretty esteemed sites including Connor Lee and Celilo Vineyards. The wine is seamless and soft on the mouth with incredible elegance and great underlying verve. Brioche and creme brûlée notes combine with marzipan and shades of Meyer lemon curd. Showing a fabulous combination of finesse and texture, with outstanding length, this full-bodied beauty is one of the great Chardonnays made in Washington State. Enjoy now and at least for another eight to ten years. Drink 2023-2031"  Owen Bargreen

                                                                                            
The Passing Time story:

There seems to be a connection to the Washington State wine industry and NFL Quarterbacks as there are now at least three that are in the wine business in one of the best regions in the United States of American for Bordeaux varietals.

Over the last few years I have discovered a number of incredible wines from Washington State by traveling to Washington’s wine country to see what is going on first hand at the events surrounding the Auction of Washington State Wines in mid August. 

One of the main events is the Picnic and Barrel auction at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery.  After seeing Damon Huard here the first two years that I attended this event I knew that he was serious about wine.  Most great new producers start out as consumers and that is what it takes to make great wines, you have to know what great wines taste like.  Operating a winery is another level and this requires a passion for the wine business and Damon seems to have both of these.

The third year at the auction our stop before the Washington Wine Auction Picnic was with Chris Peterson Winemaker/owner of Avenna Winery and Damon Huard the next celebrity winery owner in Washington State along with fellow NFL quarterback Dan Marino.  They have a new project called Passing Time. Which has a dual meaning and although there is an element that refers to their carrier in football, it is not overdone and this wine is by no means marketed as a celebrity sports star wine.  There is no mention of either of their names on the label just a decorative lace that appears to look like that of a football under the Passing Time name.

Damon and Dan became good friends while playing in Miami and Dan brought Damon along not only on the football field but also in regards to fine wine.  Dan is a big wine collector and was at one time Wine Watch's #1 customer!!  According to Damon, Dan was first to show the potential of his home states wines like; Quilceda Creek, Woodward Canyon and Leonetti Cellars.  Although he grew up in Washington State Damon did not realize that this was also home to some of this country’s greatest vineyard sites.

When Damon went back home to visit he made it a point to visit some of these top producers and to learn more about Washington's great vineyards.  Damon found out that it was the quality of the grapes that determines the quality of the wine.  He now has become an authority on Washington State’s top vineyard sites and after making friends with a few of these growers he has managed to secure some great fruit sources.  The next piece in the puzzle was finding a top level winemaker like Chris Peterson and after 21 years in the making this 2021 vintage is the tenth release of Passing Time Cabernet Sauvignon It seems to have been worth the wait because the 2021 vintage of Horse Heaven Hills has received a potentially perfect score in two major wine publications.

Chich went out to Woodinville to celebrate the release of the first vintage of Passing time with Dan and Damon.