The aromas show notes of blue fruit, green pepper and cigar box, along with dried and fresh herbs. The fruit and herb flavors are saturated but still fresh.
Whether it's their highly acclaimed ‘Firehouse Red’ or one of their limited-production single vineyard reserve blends, Tamarack's wines offer a delicious expression of Washington vineyards' style and elegance.
Founded in 1998 by Ron and Jamie Coleman, Tamarack Cellars' first vintage consisted of 300 cases of Merlot. The goal was to make elegant, balanced, delicious wines and offer them at a fair price. Years later, and now up to 20,000 cases each year, the focus remains the same. Tamarack buys grapes from select vineyards in Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain and Columbia Valley. The wines are made barrel by barrel. The winery is located in a restored WW II fire station and barracks at the Walla Walla Airport Complex.
Ron Coleman began his career in the wine business in Seattle as a wine wholesaler. Upon Jamie’s medical school graduation and a subsequent move for residency to Milwaukee, WI, Ron shifted gears and worked as a sommelier at the Pfister Hotel and as a retail wine store manager. In 1993, they moved to Walla Walla so Jamie could be a small town doctor, and Ron could learn to make wine. After some stints as a cellar rat at Waterbrook and then Canoe Ridge, the next step was their own winery.
Danny Gordon is the Assistant Winemaker at Tamarack Cellars. He started at Tamarack Cellars in 1999. His duties include the hands-on daily winemaking decisions, special events participation and outside sales. Martin Ibarra is the Cellar Manager of Tamarack Cellars. Martin Ibarra helps Dan Gordon with the daily hands-on wine work and maintaining the winery grounds. Martin has been with Tamarack since May of 2002.
Jen Dunnuck, Wine Advocate 6/2013
"Located in Walla Walla and founded in 1998 by Ron and Jamie Colman, with the wines now made by Danny Gordan, this first-rate estate fashions classic, age-worthy wines that over deliver for the price. While I tasted the majority of the bottled wines in Colorado, all of the reserve efforts were tasted from barrel during my visit to the winery. This is an estate to watch, and I came away more than a little impressed."