This is part of a report on the South Seattle Artisan Wineries. Additional sections of the report will be posted to the blog. Download a complete .pdf copy of the report here.

OS Winery – formerly Owen and Sullivan Winery – was founded by Bill Owen and Rob Sullivan in 1997. OS creates big, rich, slap you in your face style wines with opulent amounts of fruit. Like many big wines, it is a style that makes some people swoon and others cringe at their audacity. The fruit comes from exceptional sources including Champoux, Sheridan, and Dineen vineyards. The wines have colorful names –such as BSH for Brick Sh*t House – and austere black and red labels. Like many wineries, OS has been feeling the effects of the economy and has reduced their wine prices across the board. This provides an excellent opportunity for people seeking high quality wine at reasonable values.

Note: All wines sampled at 62 degrees.

OS Winery Riesling Champoux Vineyard HHH 2008 $15
Rating: * (Excellent) Pale in color with a slight greenish tinge. A complex nose with acidic aromas along with mineral, spiced green apples, and light floral notes. Off-dry in style, the palate is exceptionally smooth and well balanced. 2% Residual Sugar. 9% alcohol. 325 cases produced.

OS Winery Ulysses Red Wine Sheridan Vineyard YV 2005 $32
Rating: + (Good) An extremely funky, peppery nose with lots of black fruit. A big wine with a lot of cherry flavors and other fruit. A bit green at times. Very even but wants a bit more scaffolding to hang the fruit on. 45% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc.

OS Winery R3 Columbia Valley 2005 $30
Rating: + (Good) A very funky nose with peppercorn, rich cherry, and spices. Smooth on the palate but falls a bit short on the last third and on the finish. Still, a lot of wine for the money. 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.6% alcohol. 654 cases produced.

OS Winery BSH 2005 $30
Rating: * (Excellent) A cloudy wine that is throwing a lot of sediment. A fascinating nose with mint, cherry cordial, red vines, and dry chocolate. Packs a punch on the palate with a BSH of red fruit, high-toned coffee notes, and an under- layer of tannins.

OS Winery Syrah Dineen Vineyard Yakima Valley 2006 $25
Rating: * (Excellent) Dark and intense. An explosive nose with blueberries, smoked meat, chocolate, and flowers. Gorgeously textured with fruit and smoked meat. 92 cases produced. 14.8% alcohol.

OS Winery Petit Verdot Meek Vineyard Barrel Sample 2008 $NA
Rating: + (Good) A lot of chocolate along with green aromas. Nicely put together on the palate although doesn’t seem to come off completely at the moment. Needs time but it has it.