Nobody advocates Washington wine with more religious fervor than I do. From my days as a lowly consumer through my sentence as a retailer, I spread the gospel that Washington wine is on a par with the best. Now I’m not so sure. Recently I went to a tasting of four Mondavi Cabernets (one of which is reviewed below), and these wines simply blew my mind. I felt sad at the event, because I know that you can count the number of Washington wineries who will ever make wine like this on one hand.

What Washington wines should aspire to

Of the four 1997 wines I tasted, none was more brilliant than Mondavi’s Oakville District Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes, $50 is a lot to spend on a bottle of wine. But when it can make you dizzy with its intense flavors of lavender, sage, leather, blackberry, and portobello—as opposed to its alcohol—you know you’ve got a brilliant wine. You can drink it now, but those with patience will be generously rewarded.

Hey, Dennis,

I was traipsing through Larry’s Market on Queen Anne, and I noticed a bottle of something called Shiraz. What is it?

KENNY, U DISTRICT

Kenny,

It’s probably wine, but I could be wrong. Actually, Shiraz is what Australians call Syrah. It’s the identical grape, except the Aussies chose to give it its more historically accurate name. Shiraz was an ancient city in Persia where, it’s said, the grape originated. While at Larry’s, check out the delicious Rosemount Shiraz. Pay for it first.

DENNIS

E-mail : wine@seattleweekly.com