2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington
Tasting Notes
Sight: Dense ruby
Aromatics: Dark cherry, fig, clove, cinnamon, granite
Taste/Finish/Texture: Bold & concentrated fruit, velvety structured mid-palate, refined tannins. Dark cherry, cocoa nibs & baking spices on the palate
Vintage Notes
The 2021 vintage began with a mild, dry winter and only a few snow events in Jan. & Feb. Bud break occurred in mid-April, unabated by some snap freezes that caused initial alarm. Steady warm temps through spring gave way to a good, balanced fruit set. Summer brought record heat, topping 115°F at the end of June. Vineyard managers did an excellent job combating the above-average temps, which continued into Sept. & Oct., creating an early harvest. The crop was smaller than average but packed with concentration and high quality — another gorgeous Washington vintage!
Winemaking Notes
Our Conner Lee & Dionysus Merlots were harvested in late Sept. Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cab Franc were picked whole berry at peak sugar/acid balance in early Oct. Fermentation was on skins with a mixture of pump overs, pulsair, and punch downs 2-3 times daily for 12-14 days at 75-85°F for optimal extraction. Once the desired balance was reached, the wine was drained off skins into 100% (50% new) French oak barrels for secondary malolactic fermentation. Once through, the wine was sulfured and aged on lees till blended, and the wine was sterile filtered prior to bottling.
Specs
Final Blend: 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc
Appellations: 99% Columbia Valley AVA, 1% Wahluke Slope AVA
Vineyards:
56% Conner Lee Vineyard
43% Dionysus Vineyard
1% Weinbau Vineyard
Aging: 18 months barrel aging in 100% French oak barrels (50% new oak)
Alcohol: 15.0%
pH: 4.1
TA: 5.1 g/L
RS: 0.22 g/L
Production: 1587 cases
Bottling Date: June 22, 2023
What’s Included
2-bottles:
2x 2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington Case:
12x 2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington
The story of J. Bookwalter Winery is a story of family heritage, deep roots, and a centuries-old commitment to the land.
Ten generations of the Bookwalter family have been involved in American agriculture. But it was Jerry Bookwalter, generation nine and father of current company president John Bookwalter, who led the family into viticulture. After graduating from UC-Davis in 1963, Jerry spent 13 years farming in California’s San Joaquin Valley before moving his family in 1976 to the Tri-Cities in Washington State. Once there, he firmly stamped the Bookwalter name on the state’s nascent wine industry. From 1976 through 1982, Jerry helped manage the plantings of three iconic vineyards – Sagemoor, Bacchus, and Dionysus. He eventually became the vineyard manager of the famed Conner Lee Vineyard, which remains the largest source of grapes for J. Bookwalter wines. And in 1982, he leveraged his vineyard connections and industry knowledge to start J. Bookwalter Winery.
J. Bookwalter specializes in producing some of Washington’s finest wines through meticulous winemaking and exceptional vineyard sources. The winery’s tasting room in Richland includes a full-service restaurant, Fiction, and was named one of the best tasting rooms in the United States by Sunset magazine. J. Bookwalter also has a modern tasting studio in Woodinville and opened Fable, a casual dining restaurant located on the Columbia River in Richland, in 2023.
Today, J. Bookwalter is one of Washington’s most recognized wine brands with multiple awards and honors from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and the Wine Advocate, as well as distribution and sales in 35 states and Canada.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Thanks for thinking of me here in the summertime 130 miles east of Death Valley. The bottle came in around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, by the time I thought about it, I got out my handy laser thermometer and clocked it at 86/87 degrees on the bottles surface. This is where I began to feel Conflicted about the contents of the bottle. I’ve had a lot of mixed experiences in the past with wine arriving in the summer, so we shall see.
Optimistically I went out to hunt for some meat at our local Costco. The ribeyes had that thick gristle in it telling me those summertime cattle were sweating out all that good fat and toughened up in the heat; I took a pass on them and grabbed me a couple tri tips instead. We planned for a delicious sous vide and flamed tri tips with smashed potatoes, mushrooms, and garlic green beans. This seemed like a good pairing for the Red blend.
I whipped up a meal for the family, the kids are like, “what’s the occasion?”… lab rat duties of course! About a couple hours before everything was finished I opened the bottle, the cork looked fine, that’s a relief…poured a quick sample before resting the bottle, had an inky garnet hue going on, sniffed it with vanilla, dark fruits, alcohol… tasted it… and that’s where my face curled with eyes shifting side to side… it wasn’t completely bad (that’s me trying to be nice), but I suspect that the travel shock and excess warm temperatures put off a stewed profile with a more than bitter finish. I did not really detect much, it was more like trying to grab from a whirlwind of profiles from a Washington wine. Later in the night I mentioned it was kind of like that 2018 ruah blend that Desert Wind produced, but off… we got about 1/3 through the bottle over a span of 5 hours and it never got better.
I hope someone else got a good bottle to accurately describe tonight’s offer. The meal was great though. Thank goodness Casemates is offering that summer hold option as that might help avoid the Conflict I came across. Cheers, I would love to be back in maybe a cooler month and cook up a fine meal, with perhaps a more stable bottle.
@TechnoViking Thanks, detailed review. Yeah I hate the hot times (and so does most wine!). And life in a FedEx truck isn’t easier either.
Desert Wind Ruah was one of my early discoveries. In SW Washington things like that were available at retail stores often at good price and with “buy 6 get 10% off” deals. Being a red blend it would change every year, so YMMV. I haven’t had any in a while.
Your rat bottle seems like it had a tough journey.
@rjquillin unfortunately, no back up bottle. I’ve been limiting alcohol consumption to 1 bottle of wine per month. This one doesn’t count, but instead waiting for my daughter’s birthday dinner in a few weeks.
That’s the problem with being a lab rat: even if temperature wasn’t the issue, it’s hard to accurately review a wine that you just received after being shipped. Bottle shock is a real thing. Sometimes it’s minor and sometimes it’s a lot more tangible.
So it’s hard to know from your review whether the wine essentially got damaged in shipment, or whether it’s just not a great wine. It’s hard for even YOU to know.
@daviator exactly. I forgot to mention, it rested for 4 days in the cellar, but not long enough for a lot of bottles to pull out of a shock. Then again, wine starts to cook after 80 degrees. I highly suspected I got hit with just the right amount of both as it reminded me slighty of another bottle that I got sent 5 years back, but the cork on that one was leaking out.
@daviator@TechnoViking
I was under the impression ‘bottle shock’ occurs post bottling. Wouldn’t this more properly be ‘travel shock’, unless this also just bottled, which seems unlikely for a '21.
@rjquillin@TechnoViking I never realized that bottle shock was different than travel shock. I’ve never heard of anyone use the term “travel shock”, even though post-travel issues are the only problems most are likely to encounter or discuss (most wineries don’t release a wine immediately after it goes into the bottle.)
But if you’re differentiating, then sure, travel shock. I think they’re different manifestations of the same phenomena.
@rjquillin@TechnoViking
The second link doesn’t work. But the first piece is interesting, I now better understand that bottle shock and travel shock are different things, though I’d still content that few wine consumers will encounter bottle shock, as a newly-bottled wine is unlikely to find its way into a consumer’s hands during the period when bottle shock could be an issue.
I, too, was skeptical about travel shock, but I’ve learned to give shipped wines eight or more weeks on arrival if I want them to be at their best. I do believe it’s a real thing. But it’s impossible to know when it’s going to impact your just-delivered wine and when it won’t. Waiting is the only safe choice.
@rjquillin@TechnoViking Interesting discussion. My brief summary: some people take the attitude “I don’t understand travel shock, therefore it can’t exist” while others are more “I don’t have to understand it, I’ve experienced it enough to know it exists.” I’m more in the latter camp.
Does it happen every time, with every wine? No. But there’s really no way to know. So for me at least, I don’t open newly acquired wines for at least a few weeks, usually much longer. I make an exception on the rare occasion I buy wine in a store, because it’s probably been sitting there for a while.
Even wines purchased at wineries, I don’t come home and open them right away. And the wines I drink are often not yet at their best at the time of purchase, they need to age at least a year or two. So it’s no problem.
@daviator@TechnoViking
About the only exception I’ll make is if it’s likely a purchase may become unavailable for a repurchase; then I’ll pull a cork early.
This will be short one before bed, and I’ll try and add more later.
I definitely wanted to provide a counter review to TV’s report - as our experience was much better. Work has been crazy, so this bottle went alongside a much less exciting Indian Curry from a Jar meal tonight! It arrived just in time for the weather to cool in Chicago (and then sat in the cellar for a week until tonight).
I’ve been on a bit of a red blend kick lately, so I was excited to try this one. After a nice rest while cooking dinner, we tried it and both got strong notes of red fruit, cinnamon, and chocolate. All things I like, so off to a good start!
It packed the punch of a fairly robust wine with both fruity and spicy notes, that would hold up well to an intense meal (wish I would have had it with our steak dinner last weekend), but the tannins and acidity were well balanced and would hold up to a range of food options.
It reminded my wife and I both of our favorite Bordeaux blend that we flew a few cases back from our St Emilion trip in 2023! Definitely hats off to the winemaker with this one! I would probably pay list for a couple bottles of this if I was doing a tasting at the winery! I also suspect it would hold up well to the early '30s if you were to cellar it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend - $135 = 32.14%
I had this maybe 3 months ago from a local wine store. My memory is a perfectly pleasant wine at the shelf price, about $40 if memory serves, that had a tinge of old world to it. That surprised me from Washington. Again, perfectly pleasant at retail price. If you like some old world style, this should be a good buy.
…the wine from WE:
92 points. Eat ripe blackberries and let the juice drop down your chin. Dig in your garden and pick violets. That’s how Conflict smells. The wine’s dark plum, almond and bacon fat flavors coat the palate, while plush tannins and gentle acidity hold down the fort. This Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blend is quite pleasing. — Michael Alberty 12/1/24
Owen Bargreen:
93 points. 2021 J. Bookwalter ‘Conflict’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Conflict’ Red Wine combines 60% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The nose shows very classic Merlot tones with chocolate covered coffee bean, black currants and shades of black florals. The palate is really well-made with a soft mouthfeel and good sense of tension. Rich and viscous, this is a gorgeous bottling that has a long way to go. Drink 2024-2040
Wine Spectacle:
93 points. Precise and polished, with well-structured flavors of black cherry and red currant accented by toasty spices and mocha espresso as this finishes with fine-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 1,587 cases made. Tim Fish 12/24
JamesSuckling.com
92 points.This gorgeous, indulgent, full-bodied, almost sweet-tasting wine is drenched in baked blueberries, dark plums and light oak spices of cinnamon and vanilla. It’s something soft and friendly to pair with spicy meat dishes. Drink now. Jim Gordon 2/24
Jeb Dunnuck:
91 points. Juicy black cherries, red plums, sappy flowers, and hints of wild sage all emerge from the 2021 Conflict, a more Merlot-dominated blend that includes smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. It’s medium-bodied and supple, with a balanced, elegant mouthfeel and ripe tannins. It will continue to drink nicely over the coming decade. Drink 2024 - 2034 JD 7/24
Wine Advocate:
87 points. The 2021 Conflict is a blend of 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc. Matured for 18 months in 50% new oak, it has a deep garnet color and scents of blackberry, aniseed and lavender somewhat obscured by new-oak aromas. The full-bodied palate is very ripe and compressed. Its flavors are cloaked in glossy oak, and it has a warm finish. 1,587 cases produced. Drink 2025 - 2028. Erin Brooks May 01, 2025
We are wine club members at Bookwalter. Conflict is one of our favorites. The price for a case is very good. If I didn’t already have a number of bottles of this, I’d be buying.
2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington
Tasting Notes
Vintage Notes
Winemaking Notes
Specs
What’s Included
2-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$840.00/Case for 12x 2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend, Columbia Valley, Washington at J. Bookwalter Wines
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Tuesday, Sep 2
2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend
2 bottles for $69.99 $35/bottle + $4/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $284.99 $23.75/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Conflict
A RED BLEND by J. Bookwalter~2021
Thanks for thinking of me here in the summertime 130 miles east of Death Valley. The bottle came in around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, by the time I thought about it, I got out my handy laser thermometer and clocked it at 86/87 degrees on the bottles surface. This is where I began to feel Conflicted about the contents of the bottle. I’ve had a lot of mixed experiences in the past with wine arriving in the summer, so we shall see.
Optimistically I went out to hunt for some meat at our local Costco. The ribeyes had that thick gristle in it telling me those summertime cattle were sweating out all that good fat and toughened up in the heat; I took a pass on them and grabbed me a couple tri tips instead. We planned for a delicious sous vide and flamed tri tips with smashed potatoes, mushrooms, and garlic green beans. This seemed like a good pairing for the Red blend.
I whipped up a meal for the family, the kids are like, “what’s the occasion?”… lab rat duties of course! About a couple hours before everything was finished I opened the bottle, the cork looked fine, that’s a relief…poured a quick sample before resting the bottle, had an inky garnet hue going on, sniffed it with vanilla, dark fruits, alcohol… tasted it… and that’s where my face curled with eyes shifting side to side… it wasn’t completely bad (that’s me trying to be nice), but I suspect that the travel shock and excess warm temperatures put off a stewed profile with a more than bitter finish. I did not really detect much, it was more like trying to grab from a whirlwind of profiles from a Washington wine. Later in the night I mentioned it was kind of like that 2018 ruah blend that Desert Wind produced, but off… we got about 1/3 through the bottle over a span of 5 hours and it never got better.
I hope someone else got a good bottle to accurately describe tonight’s offer. The meal was great though. Thank goodness Casemates is offering that summer hold option as that might help avoid the Conflict I came across. Cheers, I would love to be back in maybe a cooler month and cook up a fine meal, with perhaps a more stable bottle.
@TechnoViking Well, your dinner looks delicious.
@jmdavidson1 @TechnoViking
Hoping you had a back-up bottle you just didn’t disclose here…
@TechnoViking Thanks, detailed review. Yeah I hate the hot times (and so does most wine!). And life in a FedEx truck isn’t easier either.
Desert Wind Ruah was one of my early discoveries. In SW Washington things like that were available at retail stores often at good price and with “buy 6 get 10% off” deals. Being a red blend it would change every year, so YMMV. I haven’t had any in a while.
Your rat bottle seems like it had a tough journey.
@rjquillin unfortunately, no back up bottle. I’ve been limiting alcohol consumption to 1 bottle of wine per month. This one doesn’t count, but instead waiting for my daughter’s birthday dinner in a few weeks.
That’s the problem with being a lab rat: even if temperature wasn’t the issue, it’s hard to accurately review a wine that you just received after being shipped. Bottle shock is a real thing. Sometimes it’s minor and sometimes it’s a lot more tangible.
So it’s hard to know from your review whether the wine essentially got damaged in shipment, or whether it’s just not a great wine. It’s hard for even YOU to know.
CellarTracker reviews say it’s a 91 FWIW.
@daviator exactly. I forgot to mention, it rested for 4 days in the cellar, but not long enough for a lot of bottles to pull out of a shock. Then again, wine starts to cook after 80 degrees. I highly suspected I got hit with just the right amount of both as it reminded me slighty of another bottle that I got sent 5 years back, but the cork on that one was leaking out.
@daviator @TechnoViking
I was under the impression ‘bottle shock’ occurs post bottling. Wouldn’t this more properly be ‘travel shock’, unless this also just bottled, which seems unlikely for a '21.
@rjquillin @TechnoViking I never realized that bottle shock was different than travel shock. I’ve never heard of anyone use the term “travel shock”, even though post-travel issues are the only problems most are likely to encounter or discuss (most wineries don’t release a wine immediately after it goes into the bottle.)
But if you’re differentiating, then sure, travel shock. I think they’re different manifestations of the same phenomena.
@daviator @TechnoViking
A couple of articles I found with a quick, non AI, search
A Shock to the System
and from a WineBerserkers forum post
Travel Shock Debunked?
This would be a great topic for The CyberPub
@rjquillin @TechnoViking
The second link doesn’t work. But the first piece is interesting, I now better understand that bottle shock and travel shock are different things, though I’d still content that few wine consumers will encounter bottle shock, as a newly-bottled wine is unlikely to find its way into a consumer’s hands during the period when bottle shock could be an issue.
I, too, was skeptical about travel shock, but I’ve learned to give shipped wines eight or more weeks on arrival if I want them to be at their best. I do believe it’s a real thing. But it’s impossible to know when it’s going to impact your just-delivered wine and when it won’t. Waiting is the only safe choice.
@daviator @TechnoViking
Try that second link again, should be working now.
Travel Shock Debunked?
@rjquillin @TechnoViking Interesting discussion. My brief summary: some people take the attitude “I don’t understand travel shock, therefore it can’t exist” while others are more “I don’t have to understand it, I’ve experienced it enough to know it exists.” I’m more in the latter camp.
Does it happen every time, with every wine? No. But there’s really no way to know. So for me at least, I don’t open newly acquired wines for at least a few weeks, usually much longer. I make an exception on the rare occasion I buy wine in a store, because it’s probably been sitting there for a while.
Even wines purchased at wineries, I don’t come home and open them right away. And the wines I drink are often not yet at their best at the time of purchase, they need to age at least a year or two. So it’s no problem.
@daviator @TechnoViking
About the only exception I’ll make is if it’s likely a purchase may become unavailable for a repurchase; then I’ll pull a cork early.
I used to love this wine (Conner Lee is a delicious cool site vineyard), but Bookwalter has moved to a hotter style in recent years.
I still have a 2010, 4 2011s, 2012, but they are all Conner Lee.
This will be short one before bed, and I’ll try and add more later.
I definitely wanted to provide a counter review to TV’s report - as our experience was much better. Work has been crazy, so this bottle went alongside a much less exciting Indian Curry from a Jar meal tonight! It arrived just in time for the weather to cool in Chicago (and then sat in the cellar for a week until tonight).
I’ve been on a bit of a red blend kick lately, so I was excited to try this one. After a nice rest while cooking dinner, we tried it and both got strong notes of red fruit, cinnamon, and chocolate. All things I like, so off to a good start!
It packed the punch of a fairly robust wine with both fruity and spicy notes, that would hold up well to an intense meal (wish I would have had it with our steak dinner last weekend), but the tannins and acidity were well balanced and would hold up to a range of food options.
It reminded my wife and I both of our favorite Bordeaux blend that we flew a few cases back from our St Emilion trip in 2023! Definitely hats off to the winemaker with this one! I would probably pay list for a couple bottles of this if I was doing a tasting at the winery! I also suspect it would hold up well to the early '30s if you were to cellar it.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2021 J. Bookwalter Conflict Red Blend - $135 = 32.14%
I had this maybe 3 months ago from a local wine store. My memory is a perfectly pleasant wine at the shelf price, about $40 if memory serves, that had a tinge of old world to it. That surprised me from Washington. Again, perfectly pleasant at retail price. If you like some old world style, this should be a good buy.
Well that was annoying…
…the wine from WE:
92 points. Eat ripe blackberries and let the juice drop down your chin. Dig in your garden and pick violets. That’s how Conflict smells. The wine’s dark plum, almond and bacon fat flavors coat the palate, while plush tannins and gentle acidity hold down the fort. This Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blend is quite pleasing. — Michael Alberty 12/1/24
Owen Bargreen:
93 points. 2021 J. Bookwalter ‘Conflict’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Conflict’ Red Wine combines 60% Merlot and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon with the remainder Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The nose shows very classic Merlot tones with chocolate covered coffee bean, black currants and shades of black florals. The palate is really well-made with a soft mouthfeel and good sense of tension. Rich and viscous, this is a gorgeous bottling that has a long way to go. Drink 2024-2040
Wine Spectacle:
93 points. Precise and polished, with well-structured flavors of black cherry and red currant accented by toasty spices and mocha espresso as this finishes with fine-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 1,587 cases made. Tim Fish 12/24
JamesSuckling.com
92 points.This gorgeous, indulgent, full-bodied, almost sweet-tasting wine is drenched in baked blueberries, dark plums and light oak spices of cinnamon and vanilla. It’s something soft and friendly to pair with spicy meat dishes. Drink now. Jim Gordon 2/24
Jeb Dunnuck:
91 points. Juicy black cherries, red plums, sappy flowers, and hints of wild sage all emerge from the 2021 Conflict, a more Merlot-dominated blend that includes smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. It’s medium-bodied and supple, with a balanced, elegant mouthfeel and ripe tannins. It will continue to drink nicely over the coming decade. Drink 2024 - 2034 JD 7/24
Wine Advocate:
87 points. The 2021 Conflict is a blend of 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec and 3% Cabernet Franc. Matured for 18 months in 50% new oak, it has a deep garnet color and scents of blackberry, aniseed and lavender somewhat obscured by new-oak aromas. The full-bodied palate is very ripe and compressed. Its flavors are cloaked in glossy oak, and it has a warm finish. 1,587 cases produced. Drink 2025 - 2028. Erin Brooks May 01, 2025
fwiw
@kaolis Thanks for providing this. With so much positivity, it makes it more tempting to buy.
@kaolis
/giphy partying-partying-yeah!
@chipgreen That’s got Friday written all over it!
@kaolis
Lyrical giphy for a song that’s so bad, it’s good.
We are wine club members at Bookwalter. Conflict is one of our favorites. The price for a case is very good. If I didn’t already have a number of bottles of this, I’d be buying.
Anyone in the Boston area in for a split? I’m good for 3-6 depending on interest!
Anyone in Chicago want to split (6 each)?
Anyone in WNY want to split a case?
/giphy noisy-outrageous-scent
@catcoland
That looks like Catcoland, alright!