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8 2018 Award Winners 2018 American AgCredit Sweepstake Award Winners: SPARKLING SWEEPSTAKE WINNER Rack & Riddle (CA) NV Sonoma County Blanc de Noirs $22.00
WHITE SWEEPSTAKE WINNER Brick Barn Wine Estate (CA) 2016 Santa Ynez Valley Vermentino $40.00
PINK SWEEPSTAKE WINNER Barnard Griffin (WA) 2017 Columbia Valley Rose of Sangiovese $14.00
RED SWEEPSTAKE WINNER O’Shaughnessy Estate Winery (CA) 2014 Napa Valley Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $100.00
DESSERT SWEEPSTAKE WINNER Merritt Estate Winery (NY) 2015 Lake Erie Vidal Ice Wine $39.99
CIDER SWEEPSTAKE WINNER Goose Watch Winery (NY) NV Finger Lakes Flying High Semi-Sweet Cider $14.99
LABEL SWEEPSTAKE WINNER Rodney Strong Vineyards (CA) 2015 Sonoma County Upshot $28.00 Full results online at winejudging.com 14 Hands 2014 The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills $30 14 Hands NV Brut Sparkling Wine, Columbia Valley $15 2Hawk Vineyard & Winery 2015 Malbec, Rogue Valley $32 2Hawk Vineyard & Winery 2016 Darow Series Pinot Noir, Rogue Valley $42 Abacela 2013 Estate Port, Umpqua Valley $25 Abacela 2014 South East Block Estate Reserve Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley $49 Agate Ridge Vineyard 2015 Estate Petite Sirah, Rogue Valley $32 Agate Ridge Vineyard 2015 Estate Ridge Rock Red, Rogue Valley $28 Airlie Winery 2016 Estate Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley $20 Airlie Winery 2016 Dry Riesling, Willamette Valley $20 Alloro Vineyard 2015 Estate Justina Pinot Noir Chehalem, Mountains $85 Amelia Wynn Winery 2014 Kiona Vineyards Sangiovese, Red Mountain $32 Amelia Wynn Winery 2014 The Dwelley Vineyard Duo Vin Merlot, Walla Walla Valley $24 Amelia Wynn Winery 2015 Kiona Vineyards Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain $34 AniChe Cellars 2013 Goat Boy Red Wine, Horse Heaven Hills $49 Antolin Cellars 2012 Estate Carménère, Yakima Valley $27.5 Argyle Winery 2013 Brut Rosé, Willamette Valley $50 Argyle Winery 2014 Brut, Willamette Valley $28
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WINNERS BEST OF CLASS A to Z Wineworks 2015 Pinot Noir, Oregon $20 A to Z Wineworks 2016 Chardonnay, Oregon $15 Acrobat 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir Oregon, $14 Augustino Estate 2014 Reserve Syrah, Southern Oregon $32 Bunnell Family Cellar 2014 Painted Hills Vineyard Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley $48
Chateau Ste Michelle 2014 Ethos Reserve, Columbia Valley $48 College Cellars of Walla Walla 2016 GSM, Walla Walla Valley $35 Common Cider NV Blood Orange Tangerine Hard Cider, Oregon $7.99 Common Cider NV Pineapple Guava Hard Cider, Oregon $7.99
Deer Creek Vineyards 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Rogue Valley $25 Fences Winery 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Rogue Valley $25 Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2016 Hefeabzug Estate Grüner Veltliner, Umpqua Valley $24 Rock Point Wines 2016 Estate Pinot Gris, Oregon $14.99 Spangler Vineyards 2015 Carménère, Southern Oregon $29 Spindrift Cellars 2016 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $16
DOUBLE GOLD Henry Estate 2015 Estate Pinot Noir, Umpqua Valley, $40 A to Z Wineworks 2016 Pinot Gris, Oregon $15 Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2015 Merlot, Lewis-Clark Valley, $25 Adrice Wines 2015 Etouffant Merlot, Red Mountain $38 Intrinsic 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $22 College Cellars 2015 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $28 Alloro Vineyard Estate 2015 Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains $38 Johnson Ridge 2014 Estate Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $32 College Cellars 2016 Chardonnay, Walla Walla Valley, $20 Amelia Wynn Winery 2016 Barrel Select Tempranillo, King Estate 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $28 Yakima Valley $30 College Cellars 2017 Rosé of Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $18 Kitzke Cellars 2013 Candy Ridge Vineyard Estate Cabernet Anam Cara Cellars 2014 Estate Dry Riesling, Franc, Columbia Valley, $35 Columbia Crest 2015 H3 Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills, $15 Chehalem Mountains $22 Laissez Faire 2016 Red Table Wine, Snake River Valley, $16 Cougar Crest Estate Winery 2014 Estate Merlot, Walla Argyle Winery 2015 Spirithouse Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills $75 Walla Valley, $38 Laissez Faire 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Snake River Valley, $16 Barnard Griffin Winery 2016 Albariño, Columbia Valley $20 Cristom Vineyards 2016 Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $20 Marchesi Vineyards 2016 Emma Sangiovese Barrage Cellars 2013 Cease and Desist Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley $30 DANCIN Vineyards 2015 Tribute Barbera, Yakima Valley $35 Martin-Scott Winery 2015 Founder’s Blend, Southern Oregon, $39 Basalt Cellars 2015 Grenache, Columbia Valley $24 Columbia Valley, $35 Del Rio Vineyards 2015 Estate Pinot Noir, Rogue Valley, $28 Belle Fiore Estate Vineyard and Winery 2015 Pinot Desert Wind Winery 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, $15 Mercer Estates 2015 Reserve Cavalie Red Blend, Noir, Rogue Valley $49 Horse Heaven Hills, $42 Domaine Serene 2014 Yamhill Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $48 BKB Wines 2016 Makena Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills $35 Mercer Estates 2015 Reserve Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $42 Duck Pond Cellars 2016 Pinot Noir Blanc, Umpqua Valley, $20 Pheasantbrook Vineyards 2015 Brook Horse Estate Milbrandt Vineyards 2014 Clifton Hill Vineyard Single Vineyard Elizabeth Chambers Cellar 2016 Unoaked Pinot Gris, Single Vineyard Barbera, Rogue Valley $32 Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $42 Willamette Valley, $22 Two Mountain Winery 2013 Copeland Vineyard Estate Milbrandt Vineyards 2014 Northridge Vineyard Single Eye of the Needle 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Bros Brothers Blend #6, Yakima Valley $62 Vineyard Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $42 Columbia Valley, $40 Two Mountain Winery 2013 Copeland Vineyard Estate Otis Kenyon Wine 2014 Phinny Hill Vineyard Malbec, Bros Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley $66 Gamache Vintners 2014 Heritage Barrel Reserve Cabernet Horse Heaven Hills, $45 $50 Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Bunnell Family Cellar 2013 Grenache, Columbia Valley $36 Pebblestone Cellars 2014 Estate Tempranillo, Gamache Vintners 2015 Gamache Vineyard Single Vineyard Rogue Valley, $30 Bunnell Family Cellar 2013 Malbec, Red Mountain $38 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $30 Pike Road Wines 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $20 Camaraderie Cellars 2015 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Gordon Estate 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $23.99 Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2014 Estate Rojo Dulce Columbia Valley, $40 Cinder Wines 2016 Chardonnay, Snake River Valley, $18 Gougér Cellars 2014 Syrah, Suisun Valley, $45 Dessert Wine, Umpqua Valley, $24
Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2016 Estate Riesling, Umpqua Valley, $21 Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2016 Estate Viognier, Umpqua Valley, $27 Ruby Vineyard & Winery 2015 Laurelwood Blend Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains, $35.99 Schmidt Family Vineyards 2014 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Applegate Valley, $40 Schmidt Family Vineyards 2014 Estate Touriga Naçional, Applegate Valley $30 Schmidt Family Vineyards 2015 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Applegate Valley, $35 Scott Kelley 2015 Tempranillo, Oregon, $26.99 Seven Hills Winery 2014 Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $35 Tsillan Cellars 2015 Estate Winemaker Select Malbec, Lake Chelan, $42 Upsidedown Wine 2016 Coyote Canyon Vineyard Rescue Rosé, Columbia Valley, $20 Warr-King Wines 2014 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $34 Weisinger Family Winery 2014 Estate Tempranillo, Rogue Valley, $32 Zerba Cellars 2015 Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, $36 Zerba Cellars 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, $55 Zerba Cellars 2015 Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $45
GOLDS Authentique Wine Cellars 2015 Keeler Estate Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills $45 Barnard Griffin Winery 2015 Cabernet Sauvingnon, Columbia Valley $17 Barnard Griffin Winery 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley $23 Barnard Griffin Winery 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley $14 Barrister Winery 2014 Bacchus Vineyard Syrah, Columbia Valley $35 Barrister Winery 2014 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley $31 Basalt Cellars 2014 Rim Rock Red, Columbia Valley $22 Belle Fiore Winery 2014 Siderio Red Wine, Rogue Valley $34 Blakeslee Vineyard 2014 Estate Reserve Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains $45 Blakeslee Vineyard 2016 Rosè of Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountains $32 Bluebird Hill Cellars 2016 Chardonnay Willamette Valley $28 Brigadoon Wine Co., 2016 The Other Side Single Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $30 Browne Family Vineyards 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley $35.99 Côtes de Ciel 2012 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Estate Nebbiolo, Red Mountain $50 Côtes de Ciel 2013 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Estate Cabernet Franc, Red Mountain $45 Castle Rock Winery 2016 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $14 Cathedral Ridge Winery 2015 The Daughter’s Rhône Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley $58 Cedar River Cellars 2014 Ava’s Crush Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon, Rattlesnake Hills $38 Chehalem Wines 2015 Three Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $30 Cinder Wines 2016 Viognier Straw Dried on the Vine Dessert Wine, Snake River Valley $25 Cliff Creek Cellars 2016 Red Red Wine, Rogue Valley $16
College Cellars of Walla Walla 2015 Seven Hills Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley $35 College Cellars of Walla Walla 2016 Grenache, Walla Walla Valley $30 Columbia Crest 2015 H3 Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills $15 Columbia Winery NV Red Blend, Columbia Valley $14 Cougar Crest Estate Winery 2016 Estate Viognier, Walla Walla Valley $24 Coyote Canyon Vineyard 2013 Estate Sangiovese, Horse Heaven Hills $25 Coyote Canyon Vineyard 2013 H/H Estates G W Smith Malbec, Horse Heaven Hills $38 Cristom Vineyards 2015 Mt. Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $32 DaMa Wines 2014 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley $55 DaMa Wines 2015 Single Vineyard Tempranillo, Columbia Valley $45 DANCIN Vineyards 2015 Coda Pinot Noir, Southern Oregon $37 DANCIN Vineyards 2015 Ecarte Pinot Noir, Oregon $45 DANCIN Vineyards 2016 Chaine Chardonnay, Southern Oregon $32 Deer Creek Vineyards 2016 Estate Pinot Noir, Oregon $35 Del Rio Vineyards 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Rogue Valley $28 Del Rio Vineyards 2016 Estate Pinot Gris, Rogue Valley $16 DeLille Cellars 2014 Grand Ciel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain $160 DeLille Cellars 2015 D2 Red Wine, Columbia Valley $49 Domaine Serene NV Estate Rosé IX Oregon $38 Domaine Ste Michelle NV Brut Columbia Valley, $13 Duck Pond Cellars 2016 Estate Pinot Noir Oregon $19 Duck Pond Cellars 2016 Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley $19 Dusted Valley Vintners 2016 Single Vineyard Chardonnay Yakima Valley $36
Eleven 2015 Elephant Mountain Vineyard Syrah Yakima Valley $26 Eliana Wines 2010 Reserve Reserve Rogue Valley $28 Elk Cove Vineyards 2016 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $19 Eternal Wines 2015 Rocket Man Red Columbia Valley $35 Eternal Wines 2016 Sunshine Single Vineyard Viognier Walla Walla Valley $35 Eye of the Needle 2013 Reserve Merlot Columbia Valley $30 Eye of the Needle 2014 Reserve Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley $35 Eye of the Needle 2014 Reserve Dolcetto Columbia Valley $28 Gård Vintners 2016 Estate Grown Freyja White Columbia Valley $14 Gougér Cellars 2013 Zinfandel Suisun Valley $34 Gravel Bar Winery 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley $17.99 Indian Creek Winery 2014 Star Garnet Red Blend, Snake River Valley $15 Iris Vineyards 2015 Chalice Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley $28 Iris Vineyards 2016 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $18 J. Bookwalter Winery 2015 Protagonist Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley $60 Johnson Ridge 2017 Estate Rosé, Walla Walla Valley $20 Knudsen Vineyards 2016 Estate Chardonnay Dundee Hills $45 Ledger David Cellars 2015 Estate Cabernet Franc Rogue Valley $29 Locus Wines 2015 Nord Red Wine, Yakima Valley $28 Locus Wines 2015 Sud Red Wine, Yakima Valley $20 Love That Red Winery 2015 Fillies & Mares Grenache, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater $50 Love That Red Winery 2015 Stakes Race Syrah, Columbia Valley $36 Marchesi Vineyards 2015 Buja Nen Nebbiolo, Columbia Valley $40 Mercer Estates 2015 Ode to Brothers Reserve Red Wine, Horse Heaven Hills $42
Milbrandt Vineyards 2014 Brother’s Blend Red Wine, Columbia Valley $16.99 Milbrandt Vineyards 2014 The Estates Malbec, Wahluke Slope $25.99 Moulton Family Wines 2013 Providence Red Wine, Rogue Valley $30 Moulton Family Wines 2015 Chardonnay, Applegate Valley $25 Mullan Road 2015 Red Wine, Columbia Valley $44.99 NHV (Naches Heights Vineyard) 2013 Malbec, Columbia Valley $25 Nodland Cellars 2014 Malbec, Walla Walla Valley $35 Oak Knoll Winery 2016 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $20 Olympic Cellars 2014 Syrah, Columbia Valley $32 Otis Kenyon Wine 2014 Stellar Vineyard Estate Syrah Walla Walla $39 Pacific Rim Winemakers 2016 Vin de Glacière Riesling, Columbia Valley $14 Patricia Green Cellars 2016 Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $37 Pebblestone Cellars 2016 Estate Block 1 Pinot Gris, Rogue Valley $17 Pike Road Wines 2016 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $16 Platt Anderson Cellars 2015 Dolcetto, Rogue Valley $25 Portland Cider Co. NV Sangria Hard Cider, Oregon $6 Portland Cider Co. NV Sorta Sweet Hard Cider, Oregon $6 Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2015 Estate Pinot Noir, Umpqua Valley $34 Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2016 Estate Matrix White Wine, Umpqua Valley $24 Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards 2016 Smaragd Estate Grüner Veltliner, Umpqua Valley $32 Rock Point Wines NV Estate River Rock White, Rogue Valley $11.99 Ryan Patrick Wines 2014 Red Heaven Vineyard Reserve Sryah, Red Mountain $35 Ryan Patrick Wines 2015 Rock Island Red, Columbia Valley $20
Sawtooth Winery 2015 Trout Trilogy Syrah, Snake River Valley $35 Schmidt Family Vineyards 2016 Estate Albariño Applegate Valley $24 Schooler Nolan 2014 Petit Verdot, Horse Heaven Hills $24 Serra Vineyards 2014 Barrel Reserve Cabernet Franc, Applegate Valley $45 Seven Falls Cellars 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope $20 Seven Falls Cellars 2015 Rapids Red Blend, Wahluke Slope $18 Silvara Vineyard 2015 Woodland Goddess Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills $42 Spangler Vineyards 2014 Sangiovese, Oregon $28 Spangler Vineyards 2015 Khayam’s Block Estate Dolcetto, Umpqua Valley $29 Stave & Stone Winery 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge $28 Stemilt Creek 2015 Estate Ascent Syrah, Columbia Valley $45 Tertulia Cellars 2014 Carménère, Horse Heaven Hills $48 Tertulia Cellars 2015 Elevation Vineyard Estate Tierra Labrada Reserve Merlot, Walla Walla Valley $85 Tsillan Cellars 2016 Estate Dry Riesling, Lake Chelan $20 Upsidedown Wine 2015 Candy Ridge Vineyard Estate The Gold Drop BDX, Columbia Valley $50 Van Duzer Vineyards 2016 Norris McKinley Vineyard Estate Riesling, Ribbon Ridge $20 Warr-King Wines 2015 Descendant Red Wine, Washington $34 Waterbrook Winery 2016 Malbec, Columbia Valley $12.99 Wine o’ Clock 2015 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley $24 Youngberg Hill Vineyards 2015 Aspen Estate Chardonnay, McMinnville $40 Z’IVO Wines 2016 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills $25
VO L . 20, N O. 1
Spring 2018
WINE PRESS NORTHWEST I N TH I S I SSUE 6 River Wine Cruise p32
The Wine Knows What are you waiting for?
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Swirl, Sniff & Sip Chardonnay, a grape for all seasons
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A Distant Perspective Divergent Chardonnays
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Long Shadows Vintners 2018 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year
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Fujishin Family Cellars 2018 Idaho Winery of the Year
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3100 Cellars 2018 Idaho Winery to Watch
Garage Wine p36
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Spangler Vineyards 2018 Oregon Winery of the Year
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Huett Cellars 2018 Oregon Winery to Watch
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Kiona Vineyards and Winery 2018 Washington Winery of the Year
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Succession Wines 2018 Washington Winery to Watch
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Columbia River Wine Cruise An intimate, scenic sail up through wine country
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Winery clings to its “garage wine” roots Coach House Cellars of Bellingham, Wash.
Chardonnay Reviews p39 39
Chardonnay reviews Results and tasting notes from our competition
Match Maker p50 49 50
Northwest Wine Events Calendar Match Maker Bon Vino’s in Sunnyside restaurant share recipes, wine pairings
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Grapes of Roth Long-time columnist pens his final missive
O N TH E C OV ER LO N G SH ADOWS VI NTN E R ’ S PRES I D ENT DANE N AR BAI T Z , FO U ND I N G PAR TN ER AL L E N S H O U P AN D D I R ECTO R O F WI NE M AK I N G G I LL ES N I CAULT. LO N G SH AD OWS I S OU R 2 018 PAC I FI C N O R THW EST WI NE R Y O F TH E YE AR . PH OTO C O U R T ESY O F LO N G SH AD OWS V I NT NE R S
Over 50 Year s of Constr uction Excellence
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Wine Press Northwest is for those with an interest in wine – from the novice to the veteran. We focus on Washington, Oregon and Idaho’s talented winemakers and the wineries, vintners and restaurants that showcase Northwest wines. We are dedicated to all who savor the fruits of their labor. Editor Gregg McConnell gmcconnell@winepressnw.com Contributors Eric Degerman, Viki Eierdam, Andy Perdue, Dan Radil Tasting Panel Judges for this tasting were Kristine Bono, certified sommelier and direct-to-consumer manager, Tertulia Cellars, Walla Walla, Wash.; Mitzi Hadley, tasting room lead, Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center, Prosser, Wash.; Jessica Munnell, winemaker/co-owner, Wautoma Wines, Richland, Wash.; Richard Larsen, research winemaker, Washington State University, Richland; Andy Perdue, wine columnist, The Seattle Times; and Mike Rader, a Great Northwest Wine panelist from Kennewick. Wine Press Northwest columnist Ken Robertson and Eric Degerman of Great Northwest Wine served as moderators.
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Columnists Dan Berger, Ken Robertson, Coke Roth, Andy Perdue Contributing photographers: Bob Bawdy, Richard Duval, Zacchoreli Frescobaldi-Grimaldi Graphic Designer: Jonathan Hooley In memoriam: Bob Woehler Advertising sales: Carol Perkins, 509-582-1438 cperkins@winepressnw.com To subscribe: Subscriptions cost $20 U.S. for four issues per year. Mail check or money order to the address below, subscribe securely online at winepressnw.com or call customer service at 800-538-5619. Free weekly newsletter: Sign up for our free Pacific Northwest Wine of the Week email newsletter at winepressnw.com Address: 333 W. Canal Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 © 2017 Wine Press Northwest A Tri-City Herald publication
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the wine knows BY ANDY PERDUE
What are you waiting for?
I
’ve long been a big fan of aged wines. I think a wine that has an opportunity to age a decade or more has the opportunity to gain complexity and subsequently becomes more enjoyable and interesting to drink. Holding a wine for 10 or more years takes a good deal of patience, and the results aren’t always spectacular. In the past year, my thoughts on cellaring wines have changed, if only because my health hasn’t left me with the confidence that I’ll get around to enjoying the bottles I’ve patiently tucked into my cellar. In November 2016, I suffered a fairly major stroke, one bad enough that I was in the hospital for a few months, and I’ve been mostly confined to a wheelchair since. It’s left me without much use of my left side, which makes walking and typing more than a bit difficult. Thanks to a rigorous daily therapy routine, I’m making good progress in recovering. When I turned 40, I hatched this idea of collecting 50 bottles of wine — one from each year of my life — to open on my 50th birthday. Four years later, I had roughly twothirds of the wines gathered when I was diagnosed with Stage-4 lymphoma. I seriously wondered if I was going to make it to 50 and maybe I should open those wines earlier. Of course, thanks to good doctors and modern medicine, I got through that crisis, and my 50th birthday was quite the memorable bacchanalia. Having this stroke gives me some perspective. With the cancer, I went from diagnosis to No Evidence of Disease in about six months. It took about the same period of time after stroke to regain any movement in my arm. In other words, this is a different kind of battle. The cancer took all my hair, the stroke robbed me of my dignity and my ability to walk vineyards, go where I please and even 6
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Holding a wine for 10 or more years takes a good deal of patience, and the results don’t always turn out spectacular. took away my car keys. I think of 2017 as my “missing vintage” because I was on the sidelines in a wheelchair and working one-handed. Fortunately, I figured out how to write fairly effectively with one hand, and I was fortunate to have a great business partner in Eric Degerman, who could help me weather the storm. I’m still far from recovered. I’m mostly out of the wheelchair, and I can walk some with a cane. I spend two hours a day in rehab, and I see progress on a weekly basis, thanks to a team of doctors, therapists and family members that help my brain and left side of my body begin to reconnect and work again. Stroke recovery is not an easy thing. It’s a difficult slog that requires hard work and dedication every single day. There have been
Wine, just like us, doesn’t always age as gracefully as we would hope. A wine can have all the numbers to age and be stored correctly and still not be what be you might hope for 20 years later.
good things come out of this, no doubt, too many to list here. Suffice it to say I’ll be a better person with greater empathy from this experience when I finally am able to shake off the shackles of the stroke and re-emerge from the darkness of this odyssey. Which gets us back to aging wines. The first lesson, I suppose, is that wine, just like us, doesn’t always age as gracefully as we would hope. A wine can have all the numbers to age and be stored correctly and still not be what be you might hope for 20 years later. Of course, the primary lesson I’ve learned from this is that it might not always be prudent to hold onto that bottle, hoping for the day that it has peaked, and has reached that level of magical elixir we wish for. The wine just simply might not last that long. The lesson I take away from my travails is don’t put off a wine for tomorrow that should be enjoyed while you are able. You just don’t know when you won’t be in position to enjoy it. I was fortunate that while the stroke took my ability to swallow (which I regained), I didn’t lose my ability to taste and enjoy wine. Others who suffer major strokes aren’t as fortunate as I. So go through your cellar (something I can’t do yet because of bad balance), find those bottles that hold some meaning (as well as good wine) and find the right occasion to build a great meal around them, pull the cork (something I can’t do yet without that left hand), and lift a glass to your good fortune — and good health. That special bottle makes the occasion special, and you just never know what is lurking around the corner. ANDY PERDUE is the wine columnist for The Seattle Times and the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest.
W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
Doug Toone
Brian Toone
Denver Toone
COLUMN
swirl, sniff & sip BY KEN ROBERTSON
Chardonnay truly a grape for all seasons
T
his Spring issue of Wine Press Northwest marks the 20th anniversary of one of the Northwest’s longest-lived wine publications. That first issue featured a tasting of 45 examples of Washington’s most popular red wine in 1998, Merlot. Fittingly, the start of our 21st year features one of the Northwest’s (and the nation’s) perennial favorites of the white wines, Chardonnay. In Washington, most folks rightly think Riesling is the top white wine, because it leads in number of cases produced, owing to higher yields. But of Washington’s roughly 60,000 acres of wine grapes, more than 7,400 are planted in Chardonnay, just ahead of 6,100 acres of Riesling. Of Oregon’s 30,000 acres of vines, Pinot Gris is the top white at about 2,200 acres, but more than 1,300 are planted in Chardonnay. In Idaho, with 1,600 acres of grapes, those same three whites also are most popular. Consequently, it was no surprise that 145 wines were submitted for evaluation by two tasting panels in what likely was the largest judging of Northwest Chardonnay ever conducted. As moderator of one of the two panels, I tasted about 70 of the entries. Among my observations: 1. The Northwest makes sensational Chardonnay in a wide variety of styles that start with stainless steel-aged wines that are bonedry and almost achingly crisp. At the other end of the Chardonnay spectrum are lush, elegant, creamy, buttery and smooth whites that reveal new layers of complexity with every sip. 2. Northwest Chardonnay, which some wine lovers feel they know almost boringly well, can still pull out delightful surprises. Age Columbia Valley fruit in stainless steel, don’t put it through malolactic fermentation, and you may get a crisp but showy white with aromas of orange blossom and tropical fruit, then essences of passionfruit and orange. Put Willamette Valley fruit into oak barrels for 11 months, and you may get aromas like a lemon milkshake with a hint of peach, plus 8
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flavors of pineapple, orange and ripe apple, then a finish of orange marmalade. 3. Chardonnay thrives in a wide array of climates and soils from north-central Washington’s Lake Chelan and Ancient Lakes AVAs to the Umpqua and Rogue valleys of Oregon, from Idaho’s Snake River Valley to Oregon’s Applegate Valley. 4. Don’t think of Oregon as only the land of the twin Pinots — Noir and Gris — because its Chardonnays often are exceptional and show both innovation and versatility. 5. Great Chardonnay need not be expensive. Of the 35 wines that were rated doublegold or gold medal worthy, seven cost $20 or less, with some priced at $15. Since those are full retail prices, you often can find them for about $12 to $17. The judging once again reminded me of the old observation that Chardonnay is a red wine masquerading as a white. Unoaked and aged in stainless, it certainly can stand out in any parade of whites. And it’s the only white commonly aged in oak, generally in heavy toast barrels. It’s also worth noting that even with the versatility of the entries, the judging did not consider a couple of other areas where Chardonnay shines. It’s one of the three wines commonly used to make the world’s finest sparkling wines in Champagne and elsewhere in the world. And it even makes pretty darn good ice wine. I’ve tasted a couple of ice wines from the Okanagan region of British Columbia made with Chardonnay. Though I prefer Riesling, Gewürztraminer or Chenin Blanc for ice wine, the Chardonnay was pretty darn good. Wine words: Phylloxera One of the best parts of writing about wine terms is delving into their languages of origin. With Phylloxera, I rummaged back into my collegiate past to dredge up some long-neglected Greek and learned the term in Greek means dried-out leaf, which is what happens when this pest infects grape vines. According to Larousse Wine, this pest devastated France’s grape vines between 1860 and 1880. It originated in the Western Hemisphere and was brought to Europe in the
1850s by avid botanists bringing home interesting New World plants. It’s a tiny, nearly microscopic form of aphid that attacks not only the leaves and stems of grape vines, but also, most devastatingly, the roots during its larval stage. During the decades of a losing battle with Phylloxera, the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, which the French lost, killed nearly 140,000 men in six months. Four decades later, World War I, killed another 1.3 million French soldiers and wounded 4.2 million more between 1914-18, devastating French agriculture and many vineyards by the time peace arrived on Nov. 11, 1918. Through all the shelling and gassing, the nasty root louse persisted and gradually spread throughout Europe, with just a few isolated areas in France, Spain and Italy still remaining free of the devastation. Gradually, resistant rootstock from North American vines was developed, grafted onto canes from European vines and became a staple of replanted vineyards. In addition, French hybrids — crosses of New and Old World vines — were developed after World War I, with perhaps the best known being Marechal Foch, named after the great French general of that war. Alas, when American grape growers subsequently brought plants back from Europe in less regulated times after Prohibition, the nasty insect arrived on the West Coast. It has been a problem in California and also in some Oregon vineyards in the decades since. Washington largely has escaped the pest so far because our dry weather and sandy soils east of the Cascades appear to be a deterrent. Still, the tiny bug has inspired scores of laws, rules and regulations to keep rootstock free of it, and the industry remains wary. Interestingly, for about 100 years, phylloxera was blamed for killing off one of Bordeaux’s six traditional varieties, Carménère, which was rediscovered in Chile in the 1990s, roughly 100 years after its European demise. KEN ROBERTSON, the retired editor of the Tri-City Herald, has been sipping Northwest wines and writing about them since 1976. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
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W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
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a distant perspective BY DAN BERGER
Divergent styles for West Coast Chardonnay
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hen Chardonnay is treated to make a simple white quaffing wine, perhaps with a small amount of sugar and no oak influence, it can be a nice drink. Served chilled, it can offer nuances of citrus, hints of tropical fruit, and occasionally even a trace of dried herbs. But that’s not the Chardonnay we think of when we recall the greatness of French white Burgundies that are best at age 10 or 20; wines that come from extremely limitedproduction vineyards, where grapes are handharvested, the fermentation is carried out in barrels, and where the wine is left to age in oak for several more months. The editor and I completely agree that the first kind of Chardonnay (not aged in oak, not treated with oak substitutes, and made pretty much as a simple quaffing wine) has a completely different purpose than does the second. Indeed, you could make a pretty strong case that there is nothing at all that links the two styles of wine. To make the simpler style of Chardonnay isn’t difficult. You harvest grapes, press them, put the juice in a tank, add yeast to ferment, filter after the last bubbles disappear, bottle it, and it’s ready for market – in a mere two to three months. I realize it is risky of me to suggest that price determines quality, but in some way it does. That $6 sipping Chardonnay I just wrote about has almost none of the financial liabilities of the second. You may well get a fine sipping wine that is called Chardonnay for $6 or $18. But any relation to great White Burgundy or a great barrel-aged, limited production, vineyarddesignated expression of the soil simply will not happen until you pay about $30 or more. To begin with, look at the cost of raw materials. Machine-harvested Chardonnay grapes that go into the first kind of wine typically grow in warmer climates, on inexpensive land, produce 10 tons per acre, or more, and are almost never afforded the luxury of closely attended fermentations and 10
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aging regimes. The cost for such grapes is a few hundred dollars per ton. The latter kind of wine, aged in oak, entails a not only thousands of dollars per ton, but a mind-boggling array of different procedures that have nothing to do with the first kind of wine. Hand harvesting of tiny amounts of fruit (1-2 tons per acre); sorting to remove imperfect berries (reducing an already small harvest); a slow and methodical fermentation that takes a lot longer than the first style of wine; a second fermentation (malolactic) to expand aromatics and reduce acidity and aging in expensive French oak barrels for more than a year all costs time and money. Then aging the wine further in the bottle, and trying to get consumers to understand that the wine needs more time in the bottle to develop adds to the price. I tasted a Chardonnay from Anderson Valley in Mendocino County recently that was carefully handcrafted by French-trained winemaker Stephan Vivier, from very small tonnage. It underwent all the same techniques mentioned above. It was the 2015 Long Meadow Ranch Chardonnay ($40) and it displays all of the characteristics that are necessary for this wine to grow into something stupendous. It calls for additional cellar aging, and eventually it will display its fruit better than it does now. It might be best, in a few years, to decant the wine and serve it not cold but at cellar temperature (cool), perhaps with some seared scallops. The complexity in this wine is partially a result of the fact that it underwent such a careful aging regime that the wine has utterly sublime complexities. The first style of wine, by contrast, has no oak so it needs no additional time in the bottle, and in fact would be harmed by such a treatment. The first kind of wine is not necessarily complex as much as it is soft, approachable, and has very little benefit for any foods with which it is served. And chances are it doesn’t smell or taste
like Chardonnay. It has the benefit of being inexpensive, doesn’t call for any additional cellar aging, and carries all of its flavors on its sleeve, so to speak. The problem with such wines is that it’s easy to mimic the second of type of Chardonnay, and this is where so much of the confusion lies. Using alternatives to oak, such as imparting oak characteristics by aging the liquid in contact with oak chips, may give the wine a passing resemblance to classic Chardonnay. But one sip reveals the impersonation. And thus to compare one of these wines to the other it is like comparing Bruno Magli boots to flipflops. Both are worn on the feet. The comparison ends there. The vast majority of Americans would probably not see any particular reason to purchase the Long Meadow Ranch Chardonnay (and might see it as a huge waste of money) because it is dramatic mainly in its subtlety. And those who love this style of wine might see the unoaked versions of Chardonnay the way Maserati owners view a Yugo. So clearly it is in the best interest of both styles of wine never to be compared with one another. They share nothing in common. And they each have their own proponents because they see the benefits of the style they prefer, and the detriments of the other style. Chardonnay has long been parodied. I have seen oak-aged Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhône blends and even Chenin Blanc sell to those who love Chardonnay as an alternative to Chardonnay. For me, they are not. Chardonnay at the highest levels is expressive in ways no $6 Chardonnay can ever be. As much as I like the uncomplicatedness of unoaked Chardonnays, true greatness in that variety is achieved only after creating a path to the depth that only oak-aged Chardonnay can achieve. is a nationally renowned wine writer who lives in Santa Rosa, Calif. He publishes a weekly column Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences (VintageExperiences.com). DAN BERGER
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winer y of the year
Long Shadows winemaker Gilles Nicault picks Cabernet Sauvignon samples from Candy Mountain Vineyard.
Richard Duval
LONG SHADOWS VINTNERS BY ERIC DEGERMAN
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ALLA WALLA, Wash. — At the center of this constellation featuring some of the wine world’s brightest stars stands Gilles Nicault alongside founding owner Allen Shoup at storied Long Shadows Vintners. Some may not realize Nicault already was a 12
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standout winemaker in 2003 when he helped launch Long Shadows, transferring his talents
from famed Woodward Canyon, just seven miles to the west. “I didn’t deserve that luck,” Shoup said. “My life has been made up of a lot of fortunate situations, and Gilles is right there at the top.” Their remarkable teamwork, stunning wines and seemingly endless string of successes prompted Wine Press Northwest to select W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y of the year Long Shadows Vintners as its 2018 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year. Fifteen years ago, Nicault’s choice to leave Woodward Canyon for this cutting-edge project was bittersweet for founding winemaker/co-owner Rick Small. “This was Gilles’ second time back with me because he had worked for me before, but I told Allen that it was such a great opportunity for Gilles and I was happy for him,” Small said. “Gosh, the times we spent with Gilles and (wife) Marie-Eve (Gilla) learning about French culture, their values and their appreciation for wine and food were such wonderful times. It changed our lives, and Gilles and I are still very, very good friends.” Shoup, who resigned as CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in 2000, already had signed up famed Bordeaux winemaker Michel Rolland, John Duval of Penfolds Grange fame in Australia and Agustin Huneeus Sr. of storied Quintessa in Napa, who then brought aboard Philippe Melka. Also signed on were Napa Valley’s Randy Dunn, Armin Diel from Germany and the Italian father/son team of Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari. Diel recently has stepped away, as have the Chianti Classico producers, but their inspiration remains in the Riesling program branded as Poet’s Leap and the Super Tuscanstyled Saggi. “It was an all-star team for real, and they were coming to Eastern Washington,” Nicault said. “This was Allen’s vision to bring all these winemakers, and it’s not just benefited Long Shadows. It’s benefited everyone in Washington state by bringing in their winemaking techniques, improving the quality in the grapes and the awareness of all these wines. All of these international winemakers have followings, so they are looking at our wines.” Dunn produces the Cabernet Sauvignon brand known as Feather. Duval’s Syrah is called Sequel. For Melka, it is the Left Bank Bordeaux blend Pirouette. Rolland develops Merlot-heavy Pedestal. Nicault and his team continue the traditions for Poet’s Leap and Saggi. And then there’s Chester-Kidder, the blend of Syrah with Cab that Shoup and Nicault collaborate on by themselves. It is named for Shoup’s mother and paternal grandmother, and the 2014 Chester-Kidder ($60) earned a Platinum last year from Wine Press Northwest. The 2009 vintage was poured at the W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
Richard Duval
Long Shadows founder Allen Shoup speaks at the Auction of Washington Wines Gala in Woodinville, Wash.
“This is Allen’s vision, and he has earned so much respect that I’ve always wanted to make the best wine in the world.” Gilles Nicault, Long Shadows Vintners
Long Shadows Vintners 1604 Frenchtown Road Walla Walla, WA 99362 Winery tasting room open by appointment https://longshadows.com
Long Shadows Vintners Tasting Room - Woodinville 14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road, #105 Woodinville, WA 98072
FEATURE
White House. Shoup describes Nicault, who oversees 18,000 cases, as a “phenomenon.” “It comes across in everything he does,” Shoup said. “He does get upset if he finds bad glass in the bottling line, but otherwise he’s remarkably positive and that extends to the public.” Nicault, the son of a wine merchant in Avignon, France, was 33 when he landed the job with Long Shadows, and while he hasn’t looked back, he continues to feel the pressure of the job. “This is Allen’s vision, and he has earned so much respect that I’ve always wanted to make the best wine in the world,” Nicault said. “Allen has given me all the tools for success, and I can’t screw up. I get to work with the best grapes, the best equipment, the best barrels. I have a great team here - and a great friendship with Allen and all of the winemakers.” In the early days, there were more visits with Nicault’s mentors and wine samples being shipped across the globe to these international stars. In some instances, he’d fly to California to meet with Melka and Rolland. And now that Shoup and Nicault have focused on the core vineyards for their program, winemakers such as Dunn and Duval time their visits to the harvest for their wines. “I love the communication and the direction that I get from the other winemakers,” Nicault said. “It is my job to make unique wine that’s going to reflect each winemaker’s style.” Shoup is a man of intellect and understated elegance. His résumé in the world of luxury goods includes E & J Gallo, the world’s largest wine producer, and cosmetics giant Max Factor. He arrived in Washington in 1980 to work at what is now Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, where he spent 20 years. His resignation was by no means a retirement. His storied career at Ste. Michelle included creating the Auction of Washington Wines in 1988 to raise money for Seattle Children’s Hospital. “There’s probably not a person in Washington who has been here a while who doesn’t know someone who’s benefited from the services of Children’s Hospital,” Shoup points out. It has since included Washington State University’s winemaking program and grown into the fourth-largest charity wine auction in S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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“Anyone who has gone to Provence has come back and wondered, ‘Why aren’t we drinking something like this back home?’ ” Allen Shoup, founding owner of Long Shadows Vintners
the U.S., a benefit that has raised more than $41 million. Shoup’s accomplishments at Ste. Michelle included the collaboration with the Antinori family of Italy that in 1995 became Col Solare, now a grand property and winery on Red Mountain. Its inspiration was Opus One, the joint venture between Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Mondavi became a cherished figure for Shoup. “He had so much influence over me in so many ways,” Shoup said. “He was like a second father.” Mondavi was an early supporter of Long Shadows and there were plans for him to be a partner, but he became ill and died in 2008 at the age of 94. Shoup delivered one of Mondavi’s eulogies. Like Col Solare and the Eroica Riesling project, which Shoup also developed for Ste. Michelle, Long Shadows was designed with sommeliers in mind. “Anyone who makes fine wines sees themselves for white tablecloth restaurants and sees that as a significant part of their business, but now with so many wine collectors and serious wine drinkers, that allows us to sell more than 50 percent direct to the consumer,” Shoup said. That magnificence has trickled down into the predictable success for Nine Hats, a reference to the nine principals involved at Long Shadows. “We would have these barrels of very expensive and very good wine that didn’t make the blends of these folks,” Shoup said. “The fastest-growing category is the $30 and under, so we decided to take it further. We don’t serve it any longer in Woodinville, and never served it in Walla Walla because we wanted to protect the Long Shadows Vintners name.” The second label, which Shoup first sketched out on a restaurant napkin, has 14
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Richard Duval
Long Shadows winemakers Randy Dunn, John Duval and Gilles Nicault in Pepper Bridge Vineyard.
Sunset on the patio at Long Shadows winery in the Walla Walla Valley.
Richard Duval
An exquisite Chihuly glass chandelier shines over visitors to Long Shadows in Walla Walla.
become so successful that it now has its own tasting room in Seattle’s SODO Urbanworks. “It just doesn’t stop,” Nicault said. “The name, the packaging, everything has been incredible.” This winter, Shoup became a restaurateur by opening Nine Pies, a pizza bar and fullservice restaurant led by executive chef Cary Kemp that’s adjacent to the Nine Hats tasting room. Shoup often gets asked about a 10th “hat”
Richard Duval
to Long Shadows. Sparkling wine is a glaring absence, but it isn’t a fit for a winery devoted to the Columbia Valley. “You would be competing against such an established and powerful image in Champagne,” Shoup said. “No one has made $100 sparkling wine in the United States, and in Washington we don’t even grow the most important grape (Pinot Noir) for it.” Nicault quips, “The only thing I want to do with bubbles is drink them.” W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y of the year
FEATURE
Richard Duval
Hand sorting helps make sure only the best grapes are used at Long Shadows.
Long Shadows winemakers John Duval (left) and Gilles Nicault inspect the 2017 harvest at Sagemoor Vineyards with Sagemoor general manager Kent Waliser (right).
HOW THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WINERY OF THE YEAR IS CHOSEN
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Richard Duval
Over time, however, they’ve created a Chardonnay called Dance as well as brands with tiny production called Shoup (a red Bordeaux blend) and Côte Nicault, a tip of the cap to the Rhône Valley’s GSM blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Nicault works closely on it with Tedd Wildman’s remarkable StoneTree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope. The second generation at Long Shadows seems firmly in place with young Ryan W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
Shoup, who manages the tasting rooms, and stepson Dane Narbaitz entrenched as president. His background includes sales positions with Kendall-Jackson and Mondavi, where Opus One was part of his portfolio. And the remarkable rosé of Pinot Gris — Julia’s Dazzle — is named after Narbaitz’s daughter and was inspired by Domaines Ott, a storied rosé producer in Provence. “I wanted to do something like that while I was at Ste. Michelle, and I probably should
he Winery of the Year is selected based on longevity, quality, reputation, industry involvement, facilities and other considerations. A winery may win the award once. 2017: Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards, Roseburg, Ore. 2016: Walla Walla Vintners, Walla Walla, Wash. 2015: Maryhill Winery, Goldendale, Wash. 2014: Stoller Family Estate, Dayton, Ore. 2013: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, Wash. 2012: Thurston Wolfe, Prosser, Wash. 2011: Zerba Cellars, Milton-Freewater, Ore. 2010: Vin du Lac, Chelan, Wash. 2009: Wild Goose Vineyards, Okanagan Falls, B.C. 2008: Dunham Cellars, Walla Walla, Wash. 2007: Elk Cove Vineyards, Gaston, Ore. 2006: Barnard Griffin, Richland, Wash. 2005: Ken Wright Cellars, Carlton, Ore. 2004: L’Ecole No. 41, Lowden, Wash. 2003: Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, Summerland, B.C. 2002: Columbia Crest, Paterson, Wash.
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have done it sooner for Long Shadows because I bought so many cases of Ott for my wife,” Shoup chuckled. “Anyone who has gone to Provence has come back and wondered, ‘Why aren’t we drinking something like this back home?’ It’s perfect for a sunny afternoon on the patio with a ham sandwich or eating cheese.” A voracious reader, Shoup, 74, spends a minimum of four hours a day with three daily newspapers and magazines such as The Economist. “I’ve always got six or seven books going, too,” he said. An inductee into Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame in 2014, Shoup has begun to slow down, devote more time to family and reach out more often to close friends such as artist Dale Chihuly and longtime LSV partner Agustin Huneeus Sr., whom Shoup likens to “a brother.” “My wife and I are traveling a lot more than we’ve ever been able to,” Shoup said, enjoying times in Montenegro and London while looking forward to Sun Valley, the Caribbean and Lake Como in Italy for a
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friend’s wedding. Seemingly the only topic that strains his bond with Nicault is the Frenchman’s passion for motorcycles. Shoup would rather Nicault, who became a U.S. citizen in 2012, shift more to hiking and spending time with his two teen-aged children and Marie-Eve Gilla, founding winemaker for Forgeron Cellars in Walla Walla. “One is a dirt bike; it’s a Yamaha 450 WR. The other one is a KTM 1290cc Super Adventure,” Nicault said. “I followed Allen’s advice in 2017 and got rid of my Triumph 1050 Speed Triple in 2017. It was too much of a beast.” Shoup admits, “I’m very upset with that. He thinks he’s on the Autobahn, and it would personally destroy me if he ever got injured, but we hug every time we see each other. I literally love him. He’s become a part of my family.” is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. ERIC DEGERMAN
Richard Duval
Gilles Nicault in the barrel room.
W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
A BENEFIT FOR HEARTLINKS HOSPICE Saturday, April 21, 2018 | 11AM-6PM Open to ages 21+ Winemakers Loft 357 Port Avenue, Prosser, WA 99350 $15 pre-sale at HeartlinksHospice.org $20 at the door All ticket sales donated to Heartlinks Hospice Featuring the wines of Coyote Canyon Winery, Martinez & Martinez Wines, McKinley Springs Winery, and Ginkgo Forest Winery
APRIL 25 7 PM TICKETMASTER.com 800-745-3000 W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
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winer y of the year
FUJISHIN F A M I LY C E L L A R S Fujishin Family Cellars winemaker and co-owner Martin Fujishin, with the help of his wife, Teresa, has made his mark as an innovator in the Idaho wine industry, earning our 2018 Idaho Winery of the Year honors.
Photo courtesy of Fujishin Family Cellars 18
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W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y of the year F E A T U R E
BY ERIC DEGERMAN
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ALDWELL, Idaho — A year ago, Fujishin Family Cellars was basking in the warm glow that came with being one of the U.S. wine industry’s top 10 Hot Brands. “It was beneficial to us and got our name out to a lot more people on a national level,” said winemaker/co-owner Martin Fujishin. “It really does open doors for you as a winery.” And 2018 will see Fujishin Family Cellars remain in the headlines as Wine Press Northwest magazine’s Idaho Winery of the Year. Fujishin continues to be a key player and innovator not only in the Sunnyslope Wine District but also the Idaho wine industry, and that influence goes beyond the acclaim his brand earned from Wine Business Monthly magazine for its Amatino, the proprietary name for its Rhône-inspired blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah and Viognier. He and his wife, Teresa, were featured as part of WBM’s Bottle Bash at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, the gargantuan trade show in Sacramento, Calif. “It was really interesting to be pouring for folks from all over the industry — media, winemakers, finance,” he said. “They were asking great questions about what’s going on in our industry. People would come up and say, ‘We keep hearing about Idaho’.” Few know the Idaho wine industry as a winemaker as well as Fujishin, 38, who was raised on his family’s 250-acre farm in Adrian, Ore., a tiny town in the Snake River Valley. And it seems as though some of the most important parts of his life were just meant to be, including attending the College of Idaho, where his father, Barry, is the major gifts officer. In fact, Martin’s parents met at the Caldwell school. Soon after graduating, Fujishin took a job working in the tasting room at Koenig Vineyards. In many ways, that part-time job in W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
2003 for Greg Koenig marked a watershed in Fujishin’s life. “I’m his regular wife, and Greg is his winery wife,” Teresa said with a chuckle. The approachable and well-spoken Fujishin was a natural and grew into the role of tasting room manager at Koenig Vineyards. He stepped away for a year to serve as a counselor at Idaho Youth Ranch and work as a barista while overseeing the sale of the family farm. “Neither were that great of a fit, and around that time I met Teresa. That’s when pieces fell into place,” he said. “I really missed the wine industry, and I missed the people.” Kismet proved to be a remarkable headhunter, finding him two jobs — vineyard manager for Ron Bitner and cellarmaster for Koenig Vineyards. “This will be my 15th year of working with Greg, and he’s shaped my entire career path,” Fujishin said. “My working with Greg has given us credibility in the eyes of some people who might not have taken our program seriously, and if I did not work with Greg, we would have struggled a lot. “I’ve had awesome mentors between him and Ron, and they are in many ways the root of our success,” Martin added. Together, Koenig and Fujishin work on 20,000 cases of wine per year, operating the largest custom-crush facility in the state. “Gosh, I guess that’s about 10 percent of the entire industry,” Fujishin said. “Wine from seven of the 52 wineries in the state comes through Greg’s winery.” This year marks the 10th anniversary of Fujishin working in that cellar, and Martin makes 15 wines for Teresa to sell at their fun Highway 55 tasting room in the historic The Old Shed, an erstwhile packing shed for the Robison Fruit Ranch. Under their Fujishin Family Cellars brand, they offer standalone bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Viognier. There’s also Lost West, which was only
Fujishin Family Cellars 15593 Sunnyslope Road Caldwell, ID 83607 (208) 649-5389 ffcwine.com
the state’s second sister label at the time it launched. Weather-permitting, production of FFC’s popular Amatino blend will be going up to 600 cases, a delicious slice of the projected 4,600 cases they hope to produce from the upcoming 2018 vintage. “We need to try to make up a little bit of ground,” he said. The biggest obstacles facing Idaho wineries are available vineyards and productive vintages. In 2016, the Fujishins produced 3,000 cases and were poised for growth, but the killing winter freeze of January and a freak hailstorm in May have left them with just 1,200 cases of wine to sell from the 2017 vintage. It was particularly disheartening to see what happened at Emerald Slope Vineyard near Adrian, a key spot for his Tempranillo and Petite Sirah projects. “I went by that vineyard site every day on the school bus, so for me to get grapes from it is pretty exciting, but that hailstorm was utterly devastating,” Fujishin said. Selling wine does not seem to have been an obstacle for the Fujishins, and their offer of seated tastings is an effective approach that resonates with new customers and those on escorted wine tours. “This is anecdotal, but I would say our sales are 35 percent higher with a seating tasting,” he said. Another innovation at Fujishin Family Cellars is their Flagon program of refillable growlers, which makes up about 10 percent of sales. Indeed, they’ve come quite a way from their 75-case release of 2007 Merlot. And they recently purchased 13 acres and a home not far from the Sunnyslope. “Basically, it’s just been us,” Fujishin said. “We went to the bank when we first started with a business credit card with a credit line of $3,000. That was our launching capital, and we’ve never even taken out a bank loan. “We probably could have grown it bigger and faster, but I like the growth curve we’re on,” he said. And one of the little-known details about Fujishin is that he’s an ordained minister. “So far I’ve only officiated one wedding, so if you know anyone who wants to get married by a winemaker …,” he said with a chuckle. is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. ERIC DEGERMAN
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winer y to watch
Hailey and Marshall Minder’s inaugural bottling of sparkling wine received high marks from wine critics, prompting us to name their winery Idaho’s Winery to Watch.
Photo courtesy of 3100 Cellars
3100 CELLARS BY ERIC DEGERMAN
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ARDEN CITY, Idaho — Eight years ago, wine lover Hailey Parsons began her journey to become winemaker Hailey Minder during a trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. As a result, she and her husband Marshall named their young sparkling wine house - the first in Idaho - 3100 Cellars. “We wanted to look at this as the joining of two loves we have — Idaho wine and Idaho rivers,” she said. There are 3,100 miles of frothy whitewater found throughout the Gem State, and the logo of 3100 Cellars features the underlay of a topographical map. “There are lots of ways to build a brand, but I really like sparkling wine and no one was dedicated to it in Idaho, so we thought we could make that our brand,” Minder said. Last year, the Minders — rhymes with cinders — made a splash as the 2014 White20
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water méthode Champenoise won silver medals at the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition and the Idaho Wine Competition. The showing for the inaugural commercial bottlings has prompted Wine Press Northwest to name 3100 Cellars as its 2018 Idaho Winery to Watch. “We spend a lot of time working on this during the evenings and weekends,” she said. “Our friendships have definitely suffered, but it has helped us shaped our priorities. And these days, we don’t make as many plans to go on river trips.”
It was love at first sight when Hailey met Marshall on the Middle Fork during a special summer 2010 trip for her grandmother. “She wanted to float the Middle Fork one last time, Marshall was the guide, and my parents and grandparents were chaperones that week,” she said. “The next week in the mail he sent me a package that had a bouquet of wildflowers that he had picked.” Their path to wine took a number of twists and turns. “On the river, he likes gin and tonics, and so do I, but he was a beer guy when I met him,” she said. Hailey, a third-generation Idahoan, grew up in Caldwell and graduated from The American School in Switzerland before matriculating to Lewis & Clark College in Portland. Her true introduction to wine came in 2010 after early graduation when a trip to Europe led her to a life-altering visit to Spumante Peruzzi in the Italian community of W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y to watch F E A T U R E Monte Roberto. She rewrote her itinerary to spend time in the cellar and organic vineyards of sparkling winemaker Liana Peruzzi. “I knew I was really fascinated with the wine industry after I left her place,” she said. “Her approach was less about the science and more about the farm-to-table aspect.” She tucked away that experience but began to think about it more often after a series of frustrations as a grade-school teacher. “Here I had these great liberal arts degrees and my parents couldn’t understand why I couldn’t find a job,” Minder chuckled. “I said, ‘I applied for 10 jobs today’.” Her mother, while attending a winemaker’s dinner in Boise for Sean Boyd of Rôtie Cellars, approached the Walla Walla vintner about helping her daughter land a winery job. While he didn’t have a position open at his winery, Boyd arranged for Minder to meet Mike Moyer, then an assistant winemaker for famed Figgins Family Wine Estates. “I didn’t do my research very well,” Hailey admits. “I was wearing high heels, but I should have been wearing Carhartts because it was a harvest position.” She got the job, and that 2011 crush experience at Figgins included Leonetti Cellar, Doubleback and the family’s Lostine Cattle Co. The time with perhaps the Northwest’s most famous winery family got her a job back home with Earl and Carrie Sullivan of Telaya Wine Co., in the Boise bedroom community of Garden City. “I don’t know how many applicants Earl and Carrie had, but I got the sense that set me apart from the other applicants,” Minder said. Her studies within Washington State University’s viticulture and enology program have allowed Minder to grow into the role of Telaya’s assistant winemaker. The Sullivans allow her to work on the 3100 Cellars wines at Telaya. Marshall works in the tech industry for Ross Lamm, who is married to Coiled winemaker Leslie Preston, producer of the dry sparkling Riesling called Rizza. “Marshall and I have learned a lot the last couple of years,” she said. “We keep coming back to make sure the acid levels are high enough to handle more sugar and handle it beautifully. I don’t want to have a sweet sparkling wine.” In 2016, they spent six weeks at British sparkling wine house Langham Wine Estate, W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
3100 Cellars 240 E. 32nd St. Garden City, ID 83714 (208) 996-3291 3100cellars.com
learning more about their craft. “I really felt like my time at Liana’s (in Italy) pushed me down a path that I normally wouldn’t have gone down,” she said. The Minders rely on local fruit for 3100 Cellars drawing on Bitner Vineyard in the Sunnyslope Wine District for both the blanc de blanc Whitewater (Chardonnay) aged 30 months on the lees, and Runoff Rosé (Syrah, 26 months). Both are finished bone-dry, and everything is done by hand. “Marshall is the disgorger,” she said. “My thumbs aren’t big enough to be as fast and effective as he is.” In the near future, 3100 Cellars will include an estate program. Her parents bought 10 acres of land in the Eagle Foothills American Viticultural Area, where they’ve established Finca Besada Vineyard with 4 acres of
Chardonnay, 1 acre of Syrah and an acre of Malvasia Bianca. The Weitz farming family behind Scoria Vineyard has shared some expertise with Dr. Lee Parsons, an OBGYN with designs on retirement soon. “My dad has been falling in love with working the land and flushing badgers,” Minder said. If all goes well, those first estate bubbles will hit the market in 2022, but there will be a more important celebration this spring with the Minders expecting their first child. That new addition may well slow their plans to grow from 400 cases to 2,000 cases and offer tastings beyond by-appointment. “We borrow equipment from Leslie Preston, and the time we spent at Cinder (Wines) with Melanie Krause and Kat House was really a good learning experience for me,” Minder said. “We definitely feel like there’s been a lot of support for us in the Idaho wine community.” is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. ERIC DEGERMAN
Hood River’s best place to
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FEATURE
winer y of the year
Pat Spangler, owner and winemaker, in the barrel room at Spangler Vineyards, the 2018 Oregon Winery of the Year.
Photo by Steve Bender Courtesy of Spangler Vineyards 22
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W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y of the year
FEATURE
S PA N G L E R V I N E YA R D S BY ANDY PERDUE
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OSEBURG, Ore. — Pat Spangler, a former floor trader on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, turned a dilapidated Oregon winery into one of the best around, thanks to delicious winemaking and attention to detail. Spangler Vineyards is this year’s Oregon Winery of the Year. Spangler grew up on an Ohio sheep farm, far from anything resembling a winery. Right after graduating from high school in 1985, he ran into a friend in Columbus who was getting into making beer. The drinking age in Ohio then was 18, and Pat thought making his own beer sounded like fun, so he promptly become a home brewer. Four years later, he moved to Chicago to work at the CME. He was also dating a woman who traveled a lot. One place they traveled together was California wine country, back in its formative days. It was the first time he had tried red wine. Then, by chance, they went to Seattle and visited Chateau Ste. Michelle. This was long before the explosion of wineries in the Woodinville region and was his first opportunity to taste wines from the Pacific Northwest. The experience changed him. That fall, he stopped making beer and switched to wine. “But it was just a hobby at first,” Spangler said. “I never thought I’d ever do this professionally. Frankly, it’s one of those things that picked me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever own a winery or be a professional winemaker. It’s something I just love doing.” He ended up buying a home in the Chicago suburbs that had 250 established vines growing on the property. The previous owner had been a home winemaker and even had an old cellar. Spangler’s first wines weren’t too good, he admits now, but the hook was set, and he figured he had found his future calling. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
In 2002, he cleared out his house, quit his job and moved to the Sonoma County town of Santa Rosa, looking for an opportunity to buy an existing winery. He continued home winemaking, even winning medals in the California State Fair. A few opportunities came up but always fell through, then an Oregon winery called La Garza Cellars came up for sale in the Umpqua Valley city of Roseburg. Spangler bought it in 2004, changing the name to Spangler Vineyards. La Garza started as Jonicole Winery in 1973. Its first Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted in 1968, making them among the oldest vines in the Umpqua Valley, except for those planted by Richard Sommer at HillCrest Vineyard in 1961.
I never thought I’d ever do this professionally. Frankly, it’s one of those things that picked me. Pat Spangler, Spangler Vineyards
Spangler Vineyards 491 Winery Lane Roseburg, Ore., 97471 541-679-9654 www. spanglervineyards.com
When Spangler bought La Garza, it had 3½ acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as 3 acres of Syrah and 3 acres of Merlot. While the building was a massive fixer-upper, it did come with several stainless steel tanks, 165 barrels of in-progress wine and 3,000 cases of finished wine. From this, he was able to find enough wine that met his standards of quality to release under his new Spangler label. He sold off the rest, giving him enough capital to get him started. Spangler tends to love Bordeaux and Rhône varieties, even though he’s based in a state famous for Pinot Noir ( “I’m not a Pinot guy,” he says), and he’s proved to excel in both, making delicious examples of Syrah and arguably among the best Viognier in the Northwest. He is one of the few wineries in Oregon to make wines from all six red Bordeaux varieties. Spangler shows his versatility with other interesting varieties. For example, in Wine Press Northwest’s Platinum Judging, Spangler earned Platinum awards for Petite Sirah (a Rhône variety), Zinfandel (Italian) and Dolcetto (Italian). It’s this diversity of wines that makes Spangler’s wines more interesting to consumers and has led to 10 career Platinums. In addition to his estate vineyards, Spangler also sources grapes from Southern Oregon and isn’t afraid to go as far as Milton-Freewater in the Walla Walla Valley to bring in the grapes he craves. His drive to achieve award-winning quality starts with top grapes, paying particular attention to every detail and not being afraid to blend varieties to get the most from every drop he makes. After nearly 30 years of winemaking, Spangler has a good handle on quality, which shows in every glass of Spangler Vineyards wine. ANDY PERDUE is the wine columnist for The Seattle Times and the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest. S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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FEATURE
winer y to watch
HUETT CELLARS BY ERIC DEGERMAN
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ARLTON, Ore. — Inspiration often is just around the corner. In the case of Oregon Pinot Noir producer Ryan Huett, his sprang up not far from his eco-resort in the jungles of Costa Rica. California winemaker Kerry Damskey, whose fame has included the launch of a 500,000-case winery in India, generated headlines in 2012 for planting vineyards at 6,000 feet of elevation near prized coffee plantings in Central America. “I knew he was involved in a group of investors who bought land 10 miles from my property,” he said. “They planted the first 25 acres of vinifera, and that started my interest.” Information is scant on the development of the Costa Rica tier of Damskey’s 3 Corners brand, but Huett already has scored better in the Pacific Northwest. The independent catastrophe adjuster from Comanche, Texas, received two double gold medals last summer at the Oregon Wine Competition, both for Pinot Noir. His 2015 Raylee, a $15 bottle, earned a gold medal at the 2017 Great Northwest Invitational. As a result, Huett Cellars is Wine Press Northwest’s 2018 Oregon Winery to Watch, and his rise in the industry is astounding. At age 46, he’s done well as an insurance adjuster, using that “extremely lucrative” occupation to help create small resorts in Costa Rica. But Huett and his wife Tammy, a hospice nurse, wanted their two boys to spend the second half of their childhood in the U.S., so they looked for a year-long home exchange. Her love of wine and his spark to make wine made it easy. “We knew we weren’t going back to Texas, and we pinned it to either Colorado or Oregon,” he said. 24
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Winemaker Ryan Huett’s award-winning 2015 Pinot Noirs prompted Wine Press Northwest to name Huett Cellars our 2018 Oregon Winery to Watch. Photo courtesy of Huett Cellars
Classwork at Chemeketa Community College’s Northwest Wine Studies Center helped Huett get his foot in the door at Laurel Ridge Winery. His inherent ability to stay composed and work in the midst of chaos served him well during crush at the property near Carlton with roots dating back to 1974. “I went from intern to head winemaker in 10 months at one of the oldest wineries in the state,” Huett said. “I worked for Susan Teppola, whose husband, David, was friends with Charles Coury and Dick Erath. David was an eccentric and a rebel.” Laurel Ridge went through tough times after David Teppola lost his battle with can-
cer in 2006. Huett found ways for the Teppola family to retool and get the winery back on track. “I was super-green on the winemaking side, but I had built a couple of businesses successfully, and Susan didn’t have an inventory system,” Huett said. “So I put some different things into place and that made a big impact on her.” The scale of production and custom-crush work at Laurel Ridge — 20,000 cases in 2016 — afforded him insight and introduced him to industry leaders such as Lonnie Wright, the storied Columbia Gorge grower who has become a trusted friend. There’s also Chris Berg of Roots Wine Co., John Derthick of W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y to watch Lujon Wine Cellars and Barnaby Tuttle of Teutonic Wine Co. “One thing I’ve learned is to never plant a vineyard,” Huett said. “The risk involved is so enormous.” His efforts not only lifted Laurel Ridge, but also launched Raylee and Huett Cellars. “Laurel Ridge had big contracts with good vineyards, and I would go talk to the neighboring vineyards, looking to find similar profiles in the same area for half the price,” Huett said. “That’s allowed me to put out some great wines.” Huett refers to Raylee as his “unicorn” and a “Pinot to the people,” a pursuit that requires time in the cellar. “I quickly fell away from the single-vineyard thing for that, but I spend weeks blending to create the best wine I can,” he said. The price point and deliciousness of the entry-level Raylee wines opened doors for Huett. A year ago, his rosé of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris sold out in two months. They are back at grocers such as Market of Choice, New Seasons and Roth’s. “It is uber-competitive and so difficult to come into a grocery story and say, ‘Here is my
Huett Cellars/Chris James Cellars 12000 NW Old Wagon Road Carlton, OR 97111, (541) 979-5033 huettcellars.com
$40 bottle of Pinot Noir and you want to buy them’.” Huett said. “People will laugh you out of the door.” Huett readily credits a string of warm and bountiful vintages for allowing him to enter the Oregon wine world with the 2014 vintage and find shelf space alongside giants such as A to Z Wineworks and Wine By Joe. “The goal of Raylee was to pave the way of Huett Cellars. There are always people who want to pay more for a bottle of wine, and I don’t want to disappoint them either,” he said with a chuckle. The 2016 vintage marked the turning of the page for Huett at Laurel Ridge, with the 2017 vintage being crafted along Northwest Old Wagon Road near Carlton where he is building and sharing a tasting room with Chris Barnes of Artem Wine Co./Chris James Cellars.
FEATURE
They seem so complementary that they offer a combined wine club. Huett’s social media skills and offerings of Huett Cellars Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel will help Barnes. “He’s over-the-top smart and a great white winemaker, while most of my recognition has come with reds,” Huett said. Superstitious? Apparently not. They are set to unveil their tasting room on April 13. Even though their two boys now are young men — if the youngest had been born a girl, then her name would have been Raylee — the Huetts don’t plan on growing their Oregon business beyond an annual production of 1,500 cases. The book is not closed on Costa Rican wine-themed retreat, however. “Damskey really should have been planted farther north where it is drier, but those vines are planted in volcanic soils that produce the best coffee in the world,” Huett said. “I’ll let them figure it all out down there, and I’m rooting for them!” is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. ERIC DEGERMAN
Southern Oregon! O
WWW.SPANGLERVINEYARDS.COM W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
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FEATURE
winer y of the year
Scott Willams, secondgeneration owner at Kiona, discusses viticulture practices during the annual Cabernet Summit on Red Mountain.
Richard Duval
KIONA V I N E YA R D S A N D W I N E RY BY ANDY PERDUE
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ENTON CITY, Wash. — Like much of the Tri-Cities, one of Washington’s favorite wineries has its roots in the Manhattan Project, the U.S. government’s secret program that helped usher in the Atomic Age and end World War II. John Rector, 26, was working for DuPont 26
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in Kansas City. Because he could figure out square roots in his head, he got promoted and sent to Hanford, where DuPont was a contractor. He arrived on his Harley-David-
son and set about designing control rod material for B Reactor, the world’s first fullscale nuclear reactor. He was in the control room when it went critical for the first time in 1944. Ever the pioneering entrepreneur, Rector went on to start a number of businesses. At one point, he bought 80 acres of sagebrushcovered land on a desolate hill above the W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y of the year
FEATURE
Kiona Vineyards & Winery 44612 N. Sunset Road Benton City, Wash. 99320 509-588-6716 www.kionawine.com
Yakima River. Initially, he harbored an idea of building a raceway there, but he later built the Tri-City Raceway around the corner in West Richland. His son-in-law, John Williams, eventually bought the land years later. John also was a nuclear engineer at Hanford. Then, on the advice of Walter Clore, the father of Washington wine, Williams and his buddy Jim Holmes decided to plant wine grapes in this unproven region called Red Mountain, a dusty hill with no roads, water or electricity. That changed over the next three years. To start, the pair had a well dug. They were sure there was water below, but the well digger kept finding only rocks and dirt. They got to the point where they were running out of money. As the story goes, they had enough cash left to dig a few more feet, when finally water was found. The first vines to go in the ground were Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Chardonnay in 1975, followed in 1976 by Chenin Blanc and Merlot. They called their vineyard Kiona, a local Indian word that appropriately means “brown hills.” Also in 1976, they planted Lemberger, an obscure Austrian red that was one of Clore’s favorites. It was the first commercial planting of Lemberger in the United States and arguably remains Kiona’s best-known wine. John made the first wines in 1980 at Holmes’ house in nearby West Richland. The operation was moved to the Williams’ home next to the Red Mountain vineyard, where it and the tasting room remained for several years. Williams and Holmes operated Kiona together until 1994, when Holmes took over Ciel du Cheval Vineyard across Sunset Road from Kiona. The Williams family kept its focus on the winery and the vines around it. Scott Williams, John’s son, took over winemaking that year, and has become a significant landowner on Red Mountain. He and his wife, Vicki, bought what now is called The Ranch at the End of the Road in 1984. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
Richard Duval
Kiona Vineyards and Winery tasting room in Benton City, Wash., proudly displays a few of the many awards earned by recent vintages.
There they planted vines and a few cherry trees. Through the years, Kiona has quietly built a reputation for delicious wines at fair prices. Critics obviously agree, based on the cabinet full of medals the wines have accumulated through the decades. Several of those accolades are from the annual Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging, a best-of-the best competition that includes only Northwest wines that have won gold medals throughout the year. In the inaugural judging in 2000, of the 125 wines entered, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Kiona was the only wine to earn a Platinum. Since then, Kiona has earned 18 more Platinums, making it one of the all-time leaders in the history of the judging. Today, between the estate vineyard, the Ranch at the End of the Road and the highly regarded Heart of the Hill Vineyard, the Williams family farms 236 acres of vines on Red Mountain. That isn’t the largest total on Red Mountain, but it ranks in the top five. And even though Kiona makes 15,000 cases of wine sold in 40 states, the family’s largest source of income is selling grapes to other wineries. In 1983, the federal government approved
the Yakima Valley as the Pacific Northwest’s first American Viticultural Area, primarily on the work that John Williams did to get it approved. Red Mountain became an official AVA in 2001. It could be argued that the Williams family’s work on establishing Red Mountain’s reputation for wine quality is responsible for Red Mountain’s reputation. They even helped bring Ste. Michelle to Red Mountain by selling the wine giant the land for Col Solare winery and estate vineyard. Now the third generation is taking over. Scott and Vicki’s son JJ runs the business side, from marketing to sales, and son Tyler is a budding winemaker who may join his dad in the cellar later this year. Kiona is a winery steeped in the pioneering spirit on Red Mountain. Kiona literally plowed the road for others to follow and continues to guide the way with high-quality viticulture and winemaking over nearly five decades. ANDY PERDUE is the wine columnist for The Seattle Times and was the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest.
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FEATURE
winer y to watch
Brock and Erica Lindsay, owners of Succession Wines on the north shore of Washington's Lake Chelan.
Richard Duval
SUCCESSION WINES BY ANDY PERDUE
M
ANSON, Wash. — Good ideas often rise out of the ashes. And those fearless enough to act on a new beginning usually are rewarded for their boldness. Such is the case of Brock and Erica Lindsay, owners of Succession Wines on the north shore of Washington’s Lake Chelan. As a rising star in the fast-growing Washington 28
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wine industry, Succession is this year’s Washington Winery to Watch. Succession, led by self-taught winemaker Brock Lindsay, first caught our attention last
year with two unanimous double gold medals plus four gold medals at the Wenatchee Wine Awards competition. All six wines also were awarded best of class. Succession followed this up with two Platinum awards in Wine Press Northwest’s 2017 best-of-the-best judging. All in all, a stunning showing for a winery releasing its first wines. Their first release was of red wines from the 2013 vintage, followed by white wines from 2015. The 2014 vintage was interrupted W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
winer y to watch TA S T I N G R E S U LT S by the horrendous Carlton Complex wildfire that consumed a quarter-million acres and more than 300 homes, including the Lindsay house. Adding to the strain, Erica had just given birth to the couple’s first child when the fire struck. Rather than be discouraged from pursuing their dreams, they were more determined than ever. Life is too short to shelve your dreams. Brock, a civil engineer who builds bridges (including the new Highway 520 bridge and the Manette Bridge in Bremerton). He became interested in wine culture while studying abroad in Italy during college. From there, wine became a hobby that got out of control. The couple met when Erica picked up Brock in a Seattle bar. Turns out they lived in the same neighborhood, and the rest was destiny. Erica’s family had a cabin in Chelan, so she grew up spending many happy summers along the lakeshore. When the two decided to escape the traffic and rat race of Seattle, Chelan seemed like a solid choice, especially with the burgeoning wine industry and lots of built-in tourism. After the wildfire, they decided family and dreams come first, so the next logical succession was to launch a winery. That first release was a mere 600 cases, barely enough to fill the hoses at some large wineries. But thanks to access to top vineyards in Lake Chelan, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley and the Columbia Valley, Brock produced some stellar wines. Wine lovers quickly recognized the quality and grabbed every last bottle, mostly through Succession’s wine club (still the best way to ensure access to wines from any top winery.) This caused a conundrum of sorts: The Lindsays sold every last drop. It sounds like a nice problem to have, except then you have nothing to show potential customers and fans who stop by your winery. It was a problem easily solved when they increased their second release to 1,400 cases. Their next bottling this spring will be about 2,100 cases, a ramping up of production that puts the Lindsays in position for rapid growth. As Brock handles production, Erica stays busy as the mother of two little girls, handling the business side of a growing operation. She also is executive director of the Lake Chelan Wine Alliance, applying her experience as an executive at a tech company in Seattle. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
Succession Wines 78 Swartout Road, Manson, WA 98831 509-888-7611 www.successionwines.com
That was amazing — when you put your heart and soul into something and somebody else thinks it’s pretty good, too. Brock Lindsay, Succession Wines
This young couple continues to build upon their dream. Their winery sits on 5 acres, and this spring, they’re planting their first block of estate Syrah vines. In addition, Brock manages Antoine Creek Vineyards near Pateros, an 18-acre site considered by some to be one of the true hidden gems in Washington wine country — plus it’s a consistent source
for top red and white grapes for Succession. Brock is continuing his education through Washington State University’s viticulture and enology program. His background in engineering certainly is helpful because that education included science and critical thinking — useful traits in winemaking. He doesn’t even mind the long drives from north central Washington to the heart of the Columbia Valley. “It’s better than traffic in Seattle,” he said with a grin. “It’s just a lot prettier drive over here.” He enjoys the camaraderie of the wine industry, finding that most folks want to be helpful. And he’s not taking his early success for granted, particularly his medals for his first wines. “That was amazing — when you put your heart and soul into something and somebody else thinks it’s pretty good, too,” he said. ANDY PERDUE is the wine columnist for The Seattle Times and was the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest.
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FEATURE
columbia river uncruise
Experience Columbia River wine regions on a river ‘UnCruise’ S.S. Legacy docked near Hood River, Ore.
Photo by Viki Eierdam
BY VIKI EIERDAM
W
ith its many micro climates, the Columbia River Gorge beckons travelers from all over the U.S. and beyond each year. Lush foliage around such scenic wonders as Multnomah Falls gives way to desert rock formations chiseled out of towering basalt cliffs. Its geologic diversity, coupled with unique weather conditions, translates into a cornucopia of grape growing conditions, producing a broad array of wine profiles for vintners to draw from. While many locals have driven the byways of the Gorge, from the Columbia River’s channel, the landscape takes on a whole new perspective. Even as acres of charred forest in the western Gorge begin the slow process of rebirth and renewal, a few miles away the Gorge is teeming with life and discovery. They say sipping Bordeaux wine along the 32
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Garonne River is divine, imbibing in Riesling on the Rhine is inspired, and savoring an aged Port on the Douro incredible. Can a wine cruise closer to home compete with such treasures? Absolutely, and UnCruise Adventures delivers the experience with enthusiasm, a shorter flight and one of the highest crew-to-passenger ratios in the industry. Guests board the Rivers of Wine cruise near the Glass House of the World Trade Center in Portland, Ore. For the next seven nights, the S.S. Legacy, a replica coastal steamship, becomes home, and it doesn’t take long to settle in. With a maximum 88 passengers, shipmates swiftly become dinner companions and close friends. For those who have never experienced small ship cruising, guests are typically some of the most well-traveled folks you’ll ever meet. If you think you’re proud of your backyard now, listening to people from Virginia,
Ohio, Florida, Michigan and Texas ooh and ahh at the rugged and majestic Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area will make you swell. As the ship cuts through the Columbia’s waters on its way to the Snake River, the best seat in the house is wherever you are. Every stateroom has a river view; the Lounge, Dining Room and Pesky Barnacle Saloon are set off with ample windows; and the Bow Viewing Deck is a perfect spot to photograph passage through seven locks (14 in total). Given all that, one of the two hot tubs on the Sun Deck might win the prize for top viewing spot, particularly with an attentive staff that provides Jacuzzi-side cocktail service. After all, this is a wine cruise. During the seven-night excursion, guests are treated to the distinct characteristics of five different American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) from Walla Walla to the Willamette Valley through a combination of 10 tasting room and vineyard visits. Some of the stops include a catered lunch just when the energy from the made-to-order breakfast begins to wear off. With so much world-class wine to revel in, one of the best stops of the week really is
A S A M P L IN G O F U N C RU I S E G U E ST W IN E E X P E RT S Steve Sinkler is owner of the Wine Shack in Cannon Beach, Ore. He earned his WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Level 3 in 2017, is a frequent wine judge in the area and juggles a bit of freelance writing on the side. His genuine and charismatic demeanor makes him an approachable wine expert with an inquisitive enthusiasm. Christine Havens is a sought-after wine and culinary writer as well as former vintner. Her unique, first-hand perspective with vineyard management and winemaking translates to a natural curiosity that is refreshing. She’s a contributing editor at SOMM Journal, Tasting Panel Magazine, and The Clever Root as well as Marketing Director at Cascadia Fine Wines.
W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
columbia river uncruise
FEATURE
Guests on the UnCruise Adventures’ Rivers of Wine cruise enjoy the wine cave tour at Terra Blanca Estate Winery in Benton City, Wash.
Photo by Dan Eierdam
Photo by Viki Eierdam
S.S Legacy on-board sommelier Erica VanAusdal leads nightly wine tastings and presentations on the Rivers of Wine cruise.
waking up in the middle of the picturesque and serene Lyons Ferry Marina in tiny Starbuck, Wash., and shuttling to Palouse Falls State Park. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
Predictably, photo taking ensues, but passengers also pause for their own quiet moment of reflection. The falls and its surrounding terrain are stunning and a reminder of
how rich in natural beauty the area truly is. On this tour especially, the on-board Heritage Team is in their element. In addition to wine cruises, the Legacy recounts the rich past of the Columbia and Snake Rivers via its Rivers of Adventure itinerary. Knowledgeable guides accompany wine enthusiasts on their exploration of terroir and flavor profiles to add a layer of relevant history regarding the role the Columbia River played in World War II, Lewis and Clark’s expedition and how the Ice Age Missoula floods are largely responsible for the diversity of grapes grown across the region. Life aboard the Legacy feels like a world away. Every morning provides the opportunity to attend gentle yoga on the sun deck led by one of the two Wellness Team members followed by a casual, continental breakfast in the lounge or a cooked-to-order in the dining room. The lounge is the hub of social gathering on the ship, but the Pesky Barnacle Saloon draws people for poker with the captain as well as their whiskey honor bar and beer taps. You read that right. Alcoholic beverages are offered from the moment guests awaken in the form of liqueurs to pair with morning S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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coffee, sparkling wines to toast a new day or an eye-opening bloody Mary. Premium wines, spirits and microbrews are poured throughout the day at the whim of guests and there’s a nightcap before bed. Captain Lyman is at the helm and luxury motor coaches whisk passengers off for all tours, so take advantage of the UnCruise hospitality. All adult beverages are included in cruising rates. Food and wine make excellent bedfellows, and the galley of the Legacy is brimming with gastronomic tourism at its finest. Chef Aletha and her team draw from the bounty of the entire Columbia Gorge to deliver inspired cuisine. Complementing the in-season, multicourse dinners is a pastry chef who puts out tantalizing delicacies that harmonize with Chef Aletha’s nightly menus. Whereas many European river cruises offer a couple wine tours mixed into their weekly itinerary, UnCruise delivers exceptional quantity as well as quality. Every sailing includes an on-board sommelier and guest expert that lead nightly tastings in the lounge during cocktail hour and accompany passengers into
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Dan Eierdam
Intimate winery and vineyard tours are a big part of UnCruise Adventures’ Rivers of Wine cruise, including Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center in Prosser, Wash.
the dining room for an evening of wine pairing recommendations from the entrée to dessert. With all the attention to detail, UnCruise really is a premier wine-focused cruise poised to rival the great rivers and wine-growing
regions of Europe. VIKI EIERDAM is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, Wash. She produces a wine and travel blog. Savorsipandsojourn.com
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Award-Winning Wines....And So Much More!
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coach house cellars
Coach House Cellars embraces its “garage wine” roots
adds with a laugh. “Most people start a winery and they forget about the business side,” Whitman says. “I did it backwards by taking about a year to a year-and-ahalf to learn about the business side first.” His business acumen and research led him to the conclusion that launching the winery was a viable option. The next step was earning some practical experience. He contacted Jim Moyer at Fort Walla Walla Cellars about starting a winery and immediately delved into discussions about price points, cash flows, and annual sales projections. Whitman’s background work made such an impression on Moyer that he invited him to participate in a harvest. After two years of what Whitman describes as his long-distance apprenticeship, he and Rembert tackled their first vintage in 2009. They crushed the grapes in Walla Walla and bottled them in Everson at Mount Baker Vineyards with the help of owner/winemaker Randy Finley. “People would ask about our ‘garage wine,’” recalls Whitman, so by simply embellishing that descriptor to ‘coach house’ – defined as a small building for storing vehicles – Coach House Cellars was officially underway as a commercial winery in 2010.
IT’S ALL ABOUT VINEYARD SOURCES Coach House Cellars' Paxton Rembert (left) and Scott Whitman share a glass of wine at the winery garage. Zacchorelli Frescobaldi-Grimaldi
BY DAN RADIL
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ELLINGHAM, Wash. — To well-seasoned wineophiles, the term “garage wine” might suggest an unflattering picture – perhaps a novice winemaker, tinkering with a starter kit in the family garage and rearranging the garden tools to make way for carboys that ultimately produce marginally drinkable wine. And yet, business partners Paxton Rembert and Scott Whitman of Coach House Cellars in Bellingham, Wash., have embraced their garage winemaking roots by continuing to produce wines – currently about 1,600 cases annually – in the same space where their winery originated. Granted, this isn’t your ordinary residential garage. The free-standing building sits near Rembert’s home and is large enough to comfortably serve as production facility and storage area for several dozen oak barrels stacked four-high. The oversized area doesn’t mean you’ll find lawn mowers and minivans taking up unused space in this garage. The focus here has always been on serious winemaking, resulting in a label that pays homage to the building where it all began, and taking the duo’s love of good wines to a whole new level. 36
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STARTING A WINERY … BACKWARDS Rembert and Whitman’s paths first crossed in the mid-1990s while they were Jet Ski racing in the Bellingham area. When they weren’t competing against each other on the water, Rembert, a sound technician originally from Silverdale, and Whitman, a restaurateur originally from Monroe, discovered they also shared a common interest in good wines. “We took a lot of trips, mostly to Eastern Washington,” Rembert recalls. “And we brought back a lot of wine,” Whitman is quick to add with a smile, especially from the Walla Walla area, where they began traveling to in the early 2000s. During several of their post-travel wine-drinking sessions, the pair began seriously discussing the possibility of making their own wine. Whitman says it stemmed not only from tasting their fair share of poorly made wines — “We can do better that that” — but also to Rembert recalling their experiences with a number of spectacular wines that they wanted to try to duplicate. At the time, “We were both naive enough to think that it would probably be cheaper for us to make our own wine than to go buy it,” Whitman recalls. “And that is 100-percent false,” Rembert
Rembert and Whitman initially used their connections with Fort Walla Walla Cellars to procure grapes from Walla Walla’s Les Collines Vineyards, and with time spent at Mount Baker Vineyards to land grapes from Sheridan Vineyards and Crawford Vineyards in the Yakima Valley. They’ve since expanded their sources to include Copeland, Lonesome Springs, Sugarloaf, and Elephant Mountain Vineyards. “We want you to ‘taste’ the vineyard (so) we really work to preserve the varietal,” said Whitman of their winemaking philosophy. He and Rembert single out Sheridan Vineyards as being particularly great to work with. “Vineyard management has to work with what your vision is (and) they know how to do it right.”
GREAT TASTING ROOM, AWARD-WINNING WINES Anxious to open a tasting room in the Bellingham area, Whitman took the rather novel approach of first purchasing a coffee shop in the city’s Fairhaven district in 2014 and then converting it into the aptly named, Rustic Coffee & Wine Bar shortly thereafter. The wine bar portion includes a dedicated space that exclusively features Coach House Cellars wines, and general manager Rochelle Robinson and an enthusiastic staff will pour customers a glass of wine anytime the coffee shop is open. “We may have the longest hours of any tasting room in the state,” jokes Whitman, referring to daily openings as early as 6:30 a.m. and closings between 7-9 p.m. Wine tasters might take notice that Coach House is slow to release its wines, and that’s all W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
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Coach House Cellars 1319 11th St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Hours: Vary by day; longer during the summer (call or check the web site) Phone: (360) 306-8794 www.coachhousecellars.com
Zacchorelli Frescobaldi-Grimaldi
Owner/winemaker Scott Whitman shows off an armful of award-winning wines from Coach House Cellars.
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part of Rembert and Whitman’s business plan. “We’ve never had to make the choice of releasing a wine too early to improve cash flow,” Whitman says. “It gives us the ability to let the wines lay down a bit longer before release.” That means their single white varietal, a tasty, slightly oaky 2015 Chardonnay with green apple and pear flavors, is just hitting the shelves. For red wine fanatics, all of their single varietal 2014 vintages will be available later this year. This includes three wines due for release this summer: a big, berry-filled Malbec and a 100 percent Sheridan Vineyard-sourced Syrah set for release in the spring, a gorgeous, plummy Merlot, and a stunning Cabernet Sauvignon featuring dense, black cherry fruit.
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And what Coach House release would be complete without a wine bearing the “Garage” label? Rembert and Whitman originally created this overachieving Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend in 2013. It sells for $15 a bottle. Acclaimed wine merchant/vintner Doug Charles of Compass Wines in Anacortes promptly named it his 2015 Washington Red Wine of the year. “We’re also working on a few other different things,” Whitman offers with a sly grin. That may include a White Garage blend of Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, complete with a slightly revamped label. Until then, Coach House Cellars’ fans should be more than content with this year’s remarkable, soon-to-be-released 2015 Garage Red Wine with beautiful, brambly berry fruit and hints of black pepper and baking spice. It’s a fittingly-named tribute from a pair of winemakers who recognize where they began and where they’ll continue to make great wines.
DAN RADIL is a freelance wine writer based in Bellingham, Wash. Dan teaches wine classes at Bellingham Technical College and produces a wine blog, danthewineguy.com
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Chelan
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OPEN year round • Daily11am big, bold reds • limited-edition reserves Barrel Tastings • library tastings
cathedralridgewinery.com / 541.386.2882 W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
chardonnay
Oregon leads discussion of Chardonnay in Northwest BY ERIC DEGERMAN
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his winter, wine critic Patrick Comiskey moderated the seventh annual Oregon Chardonnay Celebration and proclaimed, “We’ve entered a golden age for American Chardonnay.” Among his talking points was the concept that Chardonnay has joined Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley as a peer, in part because of their natural Burgundy connection. “After decades of approaching this variety as if it were some sort of cash cow and not seeming to care if it was borderline undrinkable, winemakers are enacting an epic sea change,” said Comiskey, a senior correspondent for Wine & Spirits magazine. “Young winemakers are turning to the variety in droves with fresh eyes and renewed interest.” Much of the discussion returned to the panel, which was served with the question of “How has Chardonnay become a flower child all of a sudden?” Comiskey, who lives in Los Angeles, pointW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
ed a few fingers, often in the direction of California. “Let’s face it. Categorically in the broadest sense, Chardonnay had become one of the dumbest wines,” he said. He does credit the American palate with moving the needle of late. “It’s become more sophisticated, more adventurous, more demanding, and the variety has had to follow suit.” At the same time, Comiskey playfully warned the audience at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg about a photo that he recently received from a retail location. “It was a floor stack of magnums of the Chardonnay known as Butter,” he said. “It turns my stomach just to think about it.” And while some Oregon producers have reached toward such a style over the years, Comiskey noted, “Attempts to replicate those florid and slutty aromas and textures were for the most part doomed to fail because of the climate and the available clone selections wouldn’t allow anything excessive.”
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There were 145 entries for this Wine Press Northwest tasting of Chardonnay, and a handful of the top-rated examples pulled grapes from the fascinating Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley growing region in Washington. “Milbrandt Vineyards tying for first place in the competition with its sister winery, Ryan Patrick Wines, is a great honor for our brands and a great win for Washington’s wine industry,” said owner Butch Milbrandt. “While our state is synonymous with incredible Riesling, this is validation that Chardonnay and many other varietals thrive in our caliche-kissed soils.” However, Oregon producers led the way by posting 22 of the top 35 wines. And 12 of those came from the North Willamette Valley, which begs the question - can Oregon Chardonnay be defined? “I think what you shouldn’t define it as is Burgundy or California,” said Byron Dooley, owner/winemaker of Seven of Hearts in Carlton, who earned an “Outstanding!” rating for two examples of his work with Chardonnay. “You can’t make a Burgundy here. You can’t make a California Chardonnay here, but you can’t make an Oregon Chardonnay anywhere else either. “There’s an elusiveness that is due to the complexity of the different characteristics S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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from the Eola-Amity Hills, Yamhill-Carlton, Dundee Hills, Ribbon Ridge and Chehalem Mountains,” continued Dooley, who learned winemaking at Napa Valley College. “There are different colors within Oregon, and Oregon is really defined by that broad palette because of the different terroir here.” Tim Gaiser, a Master Sommelier who recently moved from the Bay Area to New Mexico, said there’s a movement toward balance within the Chardonnay market in the U.S. “If anything, the pendulum is going right back into the middle,” Gaiser said. “My frame of reference is California, so I think what’s really the target now is balance as they try to find the equilibrium between ripeness and all the cosmetic surgery that goes into it. How much lees contact? How much malolactic? How much new oak? “People are trying to find the sweet spot where there is harmony,” he added. “It’s not as often where someone is going to buy a bottle of Chardonnay and it tastes like a two-byfour.” In Oregon, the appreciation society has grown to encompass the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration, a consumer-minded event where education and history are capped by a sideby-side tasting of 50 producers selected by a committee. It’s now a sister event of the 40
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famed International Pinot Noir Celebration. “In the sommelier community, especially sommeliers in California, there’s definitely an awareness of Oregon Chardonnay,” Gaiser said. Wines for this tasting for Wine Press Northwest’s Spring edition were flighted by vintage, then oak program (100 percent new wood to unoaked) and malolactic (ML) fermentation (100 percent to zero percent). Think of California toasty and buttery opulence at the beginning of a flight and fin-
WINE RATINGS All rated wines are tasted blind then placed in the following categories: Outstanding These wines have superior characteristics and should be highly sought after. Excellent Top-notch wines with particularly high qualities. Recommended Delicious, well-made wines with true varietal characteristics. Prices are suggested retail.
ishing with Chablis-inspired gracefulness that hints at seashells, minerality and brightness. “Most consumers don’t know what ML is,” Gaiser said. “They can identify diacetyl easily enough, and there are millions of people that really like the full-on Rombauer style.” And while some of these Chardonnays will age, a swath were not crafted with that in mind. “I don’t know that consumers care about aging wine anymore,” Gaiser said. “I think the person who actually has a cellar who worries about how a wine will age is the total exception to the rule. That’s just where we are.” Judges for this tasting were Kristine Bono, certified sommelier and direct-to-consumer manager, Tertulia Cellars, Walla Walla, Wash.; Mitzi Hadley, tasting room lead, Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center, Prosser, Wash.; Jessica Munnell, winemaker/co-owner, Wautoma Wines, Richland, Wash.; Richard Larsen, research winemaker, Washington State University, Richland; Andy Perdue, wine columnist, The Seattle Times; and Mike Rader, a Great Northwest Wine panelist from Kennewick. The panel met Feb. 1 at the Clover Island Inn in Kennewick, and Wine Press Northwest columnist Ken Robertson and Eric Degerman of Great Northwest Wine served as moderators.
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Unanimously Outstanding! Milbrandt Vineyards $22 2015 Evergreen Vineyard The Estates Chardonnay, Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley Emily Haines, who recently left the Milbrandts for the Sierra Foothills, crafted this remarkable reserve-style Chardonnay that was done in 100 percent oak, with 20% of it new French oak. The oak is nicely integrated, offering a theme of sweet lime, lemon bars, backed by mango and fresh pineapple. There’s crispness on the midpalate, but the spreading of almond paste creates a deliciously rounded finish. (965 cases, 14.3% alc.) Ryan Patrick Wines $20 2015 Rock Island Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Jeremy Santo is another graduate of the Milbrandt brothers employ, and the Washington State University product crafted this in a style that Butch Milbrandt’s creative team markets in an identifiable way as “R-I-Ch” - Rock Island Chardonnay. This spent six months in 18% new American oak, and the structure is spot-on. There’s opulence with butter, viscosity and tropical notes of mango and pineapple, yet balance is achieved with touches of lemon zest, Golden Delicious apple and pear. It’s a marvelous debut for this tier of Chardonnay. (1,500 cases, 14.5% alc.) Schmidt Family Vineyards
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2015 Chardonnay, Applegate Valley Cal Schmidt and his winemaking family grow Chardonnay on their estate near Jacksonville, Ore., and this stainless steel presentation is bright from start to finish. Lovely aromas include cherry blossom, peach, Ruby Red grapefruit and lime peel. Tropical notes of mango and papaya make their way into a flavor profile finished by pear skin and raspberry lemonade. (412 cases, 15.5% alc.) Seven of Hearts $32 2014 Gran Moraine Vineyard Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton Byron Dooley twice struck gold in this tasting, and judges gave this presentation of Dijon clone 76 from a Salmon-Safe site a unanimous gold. A blend of French oak and stainless steel juice, the light touch of oak and richness makes for a blend of ripe pear, banana and mango, backed by minerality and a finish of Golden Delicious apple. (73 cases, 14% alc.) Best Buy! Vino la Monarcha Winery $15 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley One of the Northwest’s wizards with white wines, Victor Palencia goes 100 percent stainless steel for this dazzling Chardonnay. Its big and gorgeous profile of passionfruit, orange and cotton candy comes with charming acidity and is capped by pink grapefruit pith to check the roundness on the midpalate. Lovers of Gewürztraminer from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley will fall hard for this. (300 cases, 13.6% alc.)
Outstanding! St. Innocent Winery $28 2016 Freedom Hill Vineyard Dijon Clone Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Mark Vlossak recently announced plans to downsize and move to the South Salem Hills, and his work with the Dusschee family’s Freedom Hill Vineyard is stellar. Cropped at 2.7 tons per acre, this lot of clones 76, 548 and 108 spent 11 months in all-neutral French oak. A bit of flintiness in the nose shows some Meursault qualities that Vlossak seeks to encourage, but the wine is otherwise dominated by peach, pineapple and lemon curd. The long and rich finish also offers a lick of orange marmalade. (1,170 cases, 14% alc.) Hyland Estates $45 2016 Single Vineyard Chardonnay, McMinnville Brian Irvine has created one of the Northwest’s premier examples of Chardonnay, a deliciously fruit-forward and nicely crisp sip of Block 40 at Hyland Vineyard in the North Willamette Valley. Clone 108 from the nearly 50-year-old vines reveals aromas of lime and honeysuckle that are joined on the palate by nuances of Bosc pear, grapefruit and slices of honeydew melon and pineapple, making for tremendous balance. (290 cases, 13.2% alc.) Saviah Cellars $18 2016 The Jack Chardonnay, Columbia Valley The secret sauce to some of Washington’s top S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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white wines — Evergreen Vineyard in the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley — plays a key role in this remarkable Chardonnay by Walla Walla wonder Richard Funk. There’s a touch of juice that spent time in new French oak, but most of this lot stayed in stainless steel, allowing for aromas of honeycomb, alyssum, gooseberry and jasmine. Pleasing flavors of peach, apricot and orange combine to make this an opulent white wine with a long finish. (1,498 cases, 14.1% alc.) Cave B Estate Winery $22 2016 Cave B Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley It’s no coincidence that many of the top Washington-made Chardonnays in the tasting hailed from the Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley. Freddy Arredondo sends family fruit through a cool fermentation and extended lees contact for bright aromas of lemon zest, mint, apple and ginger. Honeycrisp apple, white peach and pineapple make for some roundness on the entry before a burst of lime frames the long finish. (500 cases, 13.5% alc.) Lavinea Winery $45 2015 Lazy River Vineyard Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton Quebec native Isabelle Meunier’s charming work with vineyard-designate Chardonnays includes this site in the foothills of the Coast Range. Her snapshot of Lazy River amid 20% new French oak is emblematic in that it’s fruit-forward and approachable. Light toast notes and banana are joined by peach, papaya and watermelon. 42
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Roundness on the midpalate is lifted by finishing flavors of Granny Smith apple and starfruit. (231 cases, 13.1% alc.) Schmidt Family Vineyards $26 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Applegate Valley Cal Schmidt’s family continues to make sure that Southern Oregon doesn’t get overlooked in the discussion of Oregon Chardonnay. Estate fruit from south-facing slopes near Jacksonville spent zero time in oak and just four months in stainless steel. That treatment keeps this bright and fruity as notes of watermelon, peach, Cointreau and green banana swirl in a bright Key Lime finish. (344 cases, 14.1% alc.) 2Hawk Vineyard & Winery $26 2016 Chardonnay, Rogue Valley California nut growers Ross and Jennifer Allen purchased this Southern Oregon property, moved to the estate and have Kiley Evans as their winemaker. The University of CaliforniaDavis product blends barrel and tank to delicious levels as apple blossom, honeysuckle and lime aromas are joined on the palate by Bosc pear and citrus zest. (97 cases, 14.2% alc.) Barnard Griffin $23 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard’s daughter Megan heads up the white wine program now, and while it’s not labeled as estate, it could be. The family took control of Caroway Vineyard near Kennewick, Wash., years ago, and the
proud Washington State University grad proves that she’s a chip off the old block. Her investment in 34% new French oak shows grace as winsome aromas of facial powder, green mango, lime and honeysuckle are transformed into flavors of pear, mango and apple. Spot-on acidity still leaves room for a tiny hint of roundness in the suave finish. (230 cases, 13.2% alc.) DANCIN Vineyards $32 2016 Chassé Chardonnay, Oregon Dan and Cindy Marca continue to woo lovers of Burgundy to quaint Jacksonville, Ore., with this delightful Chardonnay that earned a Platinum this past fall. Dijon clones 76 and 95, combined with neutral French oak for a beautiful presentation of honeydew melon, vanilla and kiwi that’s rich-bodied and kissed by baking spices. Enjoy with shrimp or Pasta Alfredo. (95 cases, 13.3% alc.) Irvine & Roberts Vineyards $32 2015 Irvine & Roberts Chardonnay, Rogue Valley Famed Stag’s Leap producer Robert Brittan doesn’t try to hide his passion for Chardonnay, which shows in the handful of projects the Oregon State Beaver has become entwined with since his return home. Here, he collaborated with Southern Oregon talents Herb Quady and Brian Gruber of Barrel 42 to produce this estate Chardonnay. Farmed in Ashland at 2,100 feet elevation, then aged 30% in new French oak barrels it produces elegant lemon-ginger cookie and pear butter flavors, backed by pineapple, apricot yogurt and a citrusy finish. (1,112 cases, 13.5% alc.) W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
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Best Buy! Jones of Washington $15 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley The versatility of the Wahluke Slope shows yet again in the hands of the Jones family and remarkably talented Victor Palencia, who sent this lot through 100% new American oak for 30 days before moving it into stainless steel tanks. Aromas of toasty oak and vanilla leave room for ripe pear, mint and citrus. There’s lusciousness yet balance to the flavors of pear, apple, pineapple and lime. (538 cases, 14% alc.) Mt. Hood Winery $26 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge One of Oregon’s top winemakers, Rich Cushman, works with Van Horn Estate Vineyard in the Hood River Valley and a seven-month program of 25% new French oak. Spicy apple, mint, vanilla and lime transition to a delicious blend of tropical and citrusy fruit flavors as fresh pineapple, mango and papaya include zest of lime. (112 cases, 13.2% alc.) Van Duzer Vineyards $36 2016 Bieze Vineyard Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills Gold medal wines continue to flow out of Van Duzer Vineyards under the guidance of Burgundy native Florent-Pierre Merlier. Hints of hazelnuts, baked pear and honey abound in this full-bodied Chardonnay that presents a finishing flash of orange pith for delicious balance. (238 cases, 13.5% alc.)
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Viento Wines $32 2016 Pine Grove Vineyards Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge Hood River native Rich Cushman earned repeated praise for his work with locally sourced Chardonnay, including this bottling under his own brand. Fruit from these 18-year-old vines spent 10 months in mature French oak and underwent no malolactic fermentation. As a result, it’s a brisk example featuring Italian lime soda, Granny Smith apple and lemon notes. A slurp of tree-ripened nectarine and touch of sandalwood add elegance to the end of this beautifully sipping Chardonnay. (70 cases, 13.1% alc.) Best Buy! Barnard Griffin $14 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley This family-owned and operated winery in Richland, Wash., continues its reputation for affordable quality, and Megan Hughes oversaw one of this judging’s biggest and not-easily attained bargains. Her folks’ Caroway Vineyard was joined by Arete Vineyard, Lonesome Spring Ranch and Crawford Vineyard for this Chardonnay structured with a third neutral French oak and a third malolactic fermentation. That results in complex aromas of pineapple, peaches and crème brûlée that transition to flavors of apricot, peach and cantaloupe backed by a fresh, fun and snappy finish. (13,940 cases, 13.4% alc.) Girardet Wine Cellars $20 2013 Estate Chardonnay, Umpqua Valley Second-generation winegrower Marc Girardet submitted one of the tasting’s most mature
examples of Chardonnay, and this unoaked example from Southern Oregon shows no signs of slowing down. Aromas of jasmine, lemon and pear offer flavors akin to a fresh slice of Granny Smith apple, starfruit and lemongrass. Its orangy midpalate and tropical finish add up to an appealing patio wine. (100 cases, 13.4% alc.) Melrose Vineyards $18 2013 Chardonnay, Umpqua Valley Cody Parker continues the family tradition at one of Southern Oregon’s largest vineyards, offering this voluptuous and fleshy Chardonnay that’s 100% barrel fermented but pleasingly laced with acidity. Banana, apple butter and sweet peach notes lead to a finish of an Arnold Palmer, mint and orange peel. (420 cases, 13% alc.) Rain Dance Vineyards $30 2016 Nicholas Vineyard Estate Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains Bryan Weil, on behalf of Ken and Celia Austin, now works with this remarkable 40-acre vineyard founded near Newberg, Ore., by Nick and Sheila Nicholas. It’s all aged in French oak, but only one of the three barrels were new, and there was no malolactic fermentation. And yet, it’s quite fruit-forward with notes of lemon meringue pie, kiwi fruit and starfruit, backed by Granny Smith apple, pear skin and jasmine. (74 cases, 13.5% alc.) St. Innocent Winery $26 2015 Freedom Hill Vineyard Dijon Clone Chardonnay, Willamette Valley While Mark Vlossak is known largely for his work with vineyard-designated Pinot Noir, his S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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Chardonnay program from Freedom Hill should not be overlooked. The 2015 and 2016 vintages were judged separately and within their vintage, yet the descriptors are remarkably similar. He remained true to clones 76 and 548 in a barrel program of 100% neutral French oak. The lemony and flinty nose leads to delicious flavors of apple butter, peach and apricot. Its long and sassy finish includes guava and Mandarin orange oil. (1,336 cases, 13.5% alc.) Syringa Winery $25 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Mike Crowley, a product of Walla Walla’s College Cellars program, remains one of the Northwest’s overlooked talents, but that isn’t slowing down this Boise winemaker. A 10-month, twobarrel program of new French oak and new Hungarian oak offers pleasing roundness and poise with its theme of pear butter on toast, and bubble gum that is backed by a lemon and ginger finish. (60 cases, 14.4% alc.) Torii Mor Winery $35 2015 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Jacques Tardy, whose family has been making wine in Burgundy for eight generations, is in his fourth decade as an Oregon winemaker. His use of French oak adds charm, a 21-month approach with 39% new barrel, yet doesn’t show up in the aromas of gooseberry and lime with nectarine and pineapple. There’s richness on the entry with crushed pineapple flavors and lanolin with lemon oil, backed by pronounced citrus in the finish. (424 cases, 13.9% alc.) Wapato Point Cellars $29 2015 Chardonnay, Lake Chelan Chardonnay from Smith Vineyard in the Lake Chelan American Viticultural Area spent 10 months French and Hungarian barrels under the direction of Jonathon Kludt, who presents a profile of honeysuckle, Honeycrisp apple and pineapple with clarified butter and lingering toastiness. Their on-premise Winemaker’s Grill suggests serving it with Prawn Linguine or pork potstickers. (240 cases, 13.3% alc.) Argyle Winery $60 2015 Master Series Spirithouse Chardonnay, Dundee Hills Oregon’s leading producer of méthode Champenoise deepens its decades-long relationship with historic Knudsen Vineyards in this still Chardonnay. Nate Klostermann masterfully doted on this 40% new French oak barrel program for 16 months, crafting a wine redolent of peaches and pears that also offers hints of toasted filberts and mint before the injection of fresh lime juice provides just the right amount of acidity. (200 cases, 14.1% alc.) La Linea Furioso $48 2015 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Dominique Mahé and Jared Etzel have this young project in Dundee, Ore., tracking marvel44
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ously for Giorgio Furioso. The 20 months in neutral French oak lead to aromas of mint, tamarind and tropical notes. Delicious flavors of lemon curd pick up pineapple and melon for a pleasingly crisp finish from just the second vintage by this team. (125 cases, 13.5% alc.) Open Air by Ste. Chapelle $20 2016 Chardonnay, Snake River Valley Idaho’s largest winery recently created this tier for its outdoor concert series, and homegrown winemaker Meredith Smith brings a sense of Chablis to the Snake River Valley. It’s clean, citrusy, dusty and balanced with crisp apple and pear flavors backed by orange peel and violets. (200 cases, 13.5% alc.) Schmidt Family Vineyards $36 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Applegate Valley The Schmidts displayed not only consistency but also versatility in this judging, producing gold medals using consecutive vintages and in differing styles from their Southern Oregon vines. Here is their reserve program, one of 14 months in year-old French oak, and half of the juice underwent malolactic fermentation. These three barrels allow for ripeness and floral notes among stone fruit akin to peach, apricot and pear, backed by minerality. (71 cases, 13.7% alc.) Seven of Hearts $24 2014 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Byron Dooley, a Silicon Valley refugee, again emerges as a star in one of our tastings. While he pulled from acclaimed Gran Moraine Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton appellation and Stand Sure Vineyard in the cooler Eola-Amity Hills, clone 76 is the common thread to both in this discreetly oaked Chardonnay. Citrusy aromas include tropical hints of mango and pineapple. On the pour, however, it’s racy with green apple, honeyed lemon and lime flavors. (238 cases, 13.4% alc.) Browne Family Vineyards $33 2016 Bacchus Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley One of Washington state’s most storied vineyards produces the Chardonnay for Precept CEO Andrew Browne’s eponymous brand in Walla Walla. Its fruity and floral aromas of candied pear, banana and Golden Delicious apple carry on through to the palate, where peach and orange add to the beautifully long finish. (140 cases, 14.2% alc.) Dukes Family Vineyards $45 2014 Pearl Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills The Dukes of Yamhill County further their reputation with the winning husband/wife team of grower Sterling Fox and winemaker Kelly Kidneigh, and these Oregon State grads polished another gem. Neutral barrel fermentation and daily lees stirring early on produced layers and layers of complexity. Lemon cream pie, banana and butterscotch tones still allow for subtlety of
facial powder and pear skin. (250 cases, 12.3% alc.)
Excellent Canoe Ridge Vineyard $21 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills Napa product Bill Murray spent seven years for this historic Walla Walla brand before recently moving to nearby Barons Winery. He’s left behind a reserve-style Chardonnay with 50% new French oak for nine months, and the complete malolactic fermentation makes for light caramel, butterscotch and almond extract tones. Granny Smith apple, lemon oil and white pepper are pleasing components to the mouth feel. (1,800 cases, 13.9% alc.) Domaine Pouillon $34 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge Alexis Pouillon zeroes in on Jewett Creek Vineyard near White Salmon, Wash., for his tasty and complex Chardonnay that offers melon, Bosc pear and vanilla with a scrape of minerality and sweet lime in the finish. (50 cases, 13.6% alc.) Eight Bells Winery $25 2016 Boushey Vineyard Chardonnay, Yakima Valley Tim Bates began making wine in his basement in 1980 with Sagemoor fruit, and now he and his friends have grown to 2,000 cases not far from Green Lake in Seattle. Their lightly oaked expression with Dick Boushey’s fruit is lead by melon, lime, Granny Smith apple and lemon meringue. (170 cases, 13.6% alc.) Phelps Creek Vineyards $34 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge One of the Columbia Gorge’s premier wineries imports the talents of four-generation Burgundian producer Alexandrine Roy, and her blend of French and Hungarian oak creates complex notes of white peach, starfruit and tarragon backed by a bite of caramel apple. (245 cases, 13.8% alc.) Soléna Estate $50 2015 Domaine Danielle Laurent Chardonnay, Yamhill-Carlton Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu celebrated the 15th anniversary of their vineyard with this delicious Chardonnay that started with 18 months in 40% new French oak, imparting notes of navel orange, prickly pear and facial powder with peachy acidity. (336 cases, 13.1% alc.) Willamette Valley Vineyards $30 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Jim Bernau’s team gathers fruit from clones 76, 96, 352 and Draper for a Chardonnay filled with peach, apples and apricot. A sense of honey adds to the pleasing body. (1,000 cases, 13.9% alc.) W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
chardonnay TA S T I N G R E S U LT S Woodward Canyon Winery $74 2015 Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge The Small family and winemaker Kevin Mott continue their relationship with famed Celilo Vineyard on Washington’s Underwood Mountain. Wente clone remains widespread in the Columbia Valley, and this lot, harvested at 2.5 tons per acre is emblematic. The Burgundy barrel program of Sirugue cooperage (57% new) accounts for aromas and flavors of pineapple and butterscotch, back by remarkable midpalate weight and lingering balance. (118 cases, 14.1% alc.) Adelsheim Vineyard $25 2015 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley One judge described this as Chablis in style, and founding winemaker David Adelsheim might view that as an ideal descriptor — and ultimate compliment. Bright aromas of lime, gooseberry and quinine reveal green apple, white peach and tangerine flavors, making for a Chardonnay that’s poised to be the life of the party. (2,462 cases, 13.5% alc.) Ancestry Cellars $27 2016 Reunion Chardonnay, Lake Chelan Northwest Wine Academy product Jason Morin continues to operate his Woodinville tasting room, but there’s also another tasting room of his in the Lake Chelan community of Manson. His fruit source for this is nearby Dry Lake Vineyard, which builds a fun structure of Juicy Fruit gum and grape Pixy Stix amid white peach skin and apricot fuzz subtleties. (232 cases, 13.8% alc.) Browne Family Vineyards $17 2016 Heritage Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Waterbrook winemaker John Freeman pulls from Willard Farms in the Yakima Valley for this approachable and affordable Chardonnay for Precept CEO Andrew Browne, which features pear, honeysuckle and honeydew melon in front of Meyer lemon. (5,096 cases, 14.5% alc.) Del Rio Vineyards $20 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Rogue Valley Loire Valley native Jean-Michel Jussiaume earned his way to the 2018 Oregon Chardonnay Celebration and worked with an even split of Dijon clones 76 and 95 over eight months in 35% new barrels. Aromas of honeysuckle, honeydew melon and lime make their way to the palate, joined by crenshaw melon and lemon. (1,700 cases, 13.3% alc.) Milbrandt Vineyards $22 2016 Evergreen Vineyard The Estates Chardonnay, Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley In a few months, look for this wine to be showing similar its slightly older sister, the No. 1-ranked Chardonnay in this tasting. Again, 20%
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new French oak for the impeccable Evergreen Vineyard berries leads to a rich color with more in store. Peach, butterscotch and jasmine aromas funnel into a rich, rounded and buttery palate with apple and toffee. (900 cases, 14.5% alc.) Phelps Creek Vineyards $38 2015 Lynette Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge Owner/pilot Bob Corus named this reserve Chardonnay after his wife, and it’s delicious fun with notes of peach taffy, Graham cracker and lemon oil, backed by allspice and orangy acidity. (239 cases, 13.9% alc.) Ryan Patrick Wines $35 2015 French Creek Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay, Yakima Valley Jeremy Santo went with 30% new French oak for this rich and tropical Chardonnay that’s brimming with passionfruit, jasmine and lavender, joined by a lick of Chowhard’s Violet Mint Squares and pear butter. (100 cases, 14.1% alc.) Schmidt Family Vineyards $36 2015 Reserve Chardonnay, Applegate Valley The Schmidt family in Southern Oregon stays on its roll with Chardonnay, using 14 months in year-old French oak barrels to generate a mood of tropical fruit, vanilla and green apple, supported by pear and crushed hazelnuts. (90 cases, 15.5% alc.) Vale Wine Co. $20 2016 Chardonnay, Snake River Valley Retired pilot Timothy Harless worked with Sawtooth Vineyard’s Block 52, which vineyard manager Dale Jeffers pulled off Sept. 10. Whole cluster pressing and nine months in stainless steel captures notes of apple blossoms, honeydew melon and banana that are framed by Mandarin orange zest. (50 cases, 12.3% alc.) Best Buy! Waterbrook Winery $15 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley John Freeman in Walla Walla oversees one of the region’s largest productions of Chardonnay, and he maintains a suave and sophisticated approach to the hints of lemon cookie, peach and orange. It’s round and balanced by lemon oil in the finish. (3,071 cases, 14.5% alc.) Westport Winery Garden Resort $26 2016 Shorebird Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Grays Harbor winemaker Dana Roberts reaches into one of Washington’s most respected sites for Chardonnay — Conner-Lee Vineyard near Othello — for this unoaked representation. There’s ginger, lime and apple in the nose, followed by ripe pear, mango and papaya, capped by a burst of acidity. (174 cases, 14.6% alc.) Barili Cellars
$16
2016 Chardonnay, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley Spokane winemakers Russ Feist and Gary Hustad named their brand for the Italian word for barrel — pronounced bah-RIL-ee — and that moniker applies to this barrel-fermented Chardonnay. Pear, baked bread and toasted oak aromas lead to flavors of pear, starfruit and lemon zest. (70 cases, 13.8% alc.) Björnson Vineyard $35 2016 Reserve Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills These University of Minnesota grads along Bethel Heights Road nurture their Salmon-Safe vineyard to achieve a classic Oregon-style Chardonnay. They began with Dijon clone 76 harvested at 21 Brix on Sept. 12. Complete malolactic after 14 months in 50% new French oak releases notes of white pepper, ginger and starfruit, backed by a pulse of sweet lemon, cantaloupe and lime zest. (100 cases, 12.9% alc.) Browne Family Vineyards $30 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Seattle-based Precept provides a wide expression of Chardonnay in Washington, and this young release under CEO Andrew Browne’s label employs a barrel program of 62% new French oak. Dusty pear and floral notes of geranium and alyssum lead to rich and elegant flavors of white peach, lemon butter cookie and orange Creamsicle. (1,759 cases, 14.3% alc.) Best Buy! Claar Cellars $15 2016 White Bluffs Unoaked Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Joe Hudon works with the Claar-Whitelatch family’s White Bluffs Vineyard along the Columbia River north of Pasco, Wash., and their Salmon-Safe wines rank among the region’s biggest bargains. It’s unoaked and refreshing from start to finish as apple, pear, lime and honey leap out among beguiling acidity with a nip of Granny Smith peel. (240 cases, 13.5% alc.) DANCIN Vineyards $32 2016 Châiné Chardonnay, Southern Oregon Wine Press Northwest’s 2017 Oregon Winery of the Year poured at the invite-only Oregon Chardonnay Celebration for the fourth straight year, and this is a blend of Dijon clone 76 with Espiguette 352 that saw no malolactic fermentation and just 9% new French oak. It exudes aromas and flavors of Italian lime soda, kiwi and lemon cookie within a rich and juicy structure capped by green apple. (250 cases, 14% alc.) Davenport Cellars $24 2016 Dionysus Vineyards Chardonnay, Columbia Valley The winemaker/viticulture tandem of Woodinville’s Jeff and Sheila Jirka work with venerable
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Dionysus Vineyard within historic Sagemoor Farms for their lightly oaked Chardonnay. It’s redolent with jasmine blossoms and orange zest, including Ginger Gold apple and lemon curd. (50 cases, 14% alc.) Best Buy! Duck Pond Cellars $12 2016 Fries Family Cellars Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Napa-trained Trevor Chlanda seemingly has hit the Northwest running with this Chardonnay produced during his inaugural crush for the Fries family. It spent eight months on the lees in 20% new French oak, and it provides balance and brightness with notes of lemon, lime, Asian pear and Granny Smith apple, backed by fresh mint. (12,555 cases, 13.9% alc.) Best Buy! Latah Creek Wine Cellars $14 2016 Familigia Vineyard Chardonnay, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley Washington’s first father-daughter winemaking team — Mike Conway and Natalie ConwayBarnes — continue their tradition with this emerging vineyard in the fascinating Ancient Lakes region. Their approach opens in stainless steel and gets passed into French oak for three months before going into bottle. It produces a theme of mint, toast, pineapple, apple and pear with lingering sensations of mango and lime. (746 cases, 13% alc.) Northwest Cellars $16 2016 Chardonnay, Yakima Valley Woodinville vintner Robert Delf collaborates with Travis Maple at Airfield Estates in Prosser for this lightly oaked Chardonnay. Alluring aromas of pear, pineapple and honeysuckle lead into a palate presentation of pear, papaya and almond paste that’s sparked by a finish of lime zest. (448 cases, 13.9% alc.) Panther Creek Cellars $45 2015 French Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Bacchus Capital Management is using talented Tony Rynders to bring life to this historic Oregon brand, founded by iconic Ken Wright. This work reconnects Rynders with Washington state and a fascinating vineyard near Prosser that’s managed by Damon LaLonde. The wine spent 17 months in 25% new French oak, making for a smooth approach with Key lime pie, Bosc pear and fresh mint. (314 cases, 13.9% alc.) Rolling Bay Winery $39 2016 Upland Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay, Snipes Mountain Puget Sound winemaker Alphonse de Klerk furthers his relationship with the Newhouse family in the Yakima Valley, and this barrelfermented program shows a theme of Granny Smith apple, orange blossom and lime with lemongrass and mint. (117 cases, 14.2% alc.)
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Tendril Wine Cellars $40 2014 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Tony Rynders, whose work elevated Domaine Serene in the Dundee Hills, pulled from the Chehalem Mountains, Yamhill-Carlton and the Eola-Amity Hills for this Chardonnay that spent 16 months in French oak, just 18% of it new. Aromas of dusty starfruit, lemon juice and starfruit are matched on the palate with a wealth of acidity. (228 cases, 13.5% alc.) Best Buy! Waterbrook Winery $13 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley There were more than a dozen delicious wines that fit into our $15-and-under category, and the Precept portfolio is responsible for a number of them. John Freeman’s team in Walla Walla offers a cavalcade of sensations, hinting at cotton candy, papaya, white peach, spearmint and lime with a finish of lemon curd and French vanilla ice cream. (7,500 cases, 13.9% alc.) Woodward Canyon Winery $44 2015 Chardonnay, Washington Kevin Mott produces two of Washington’s most acclaimed Chardonnays, the vineyard-designate from Celilo in the Gorge, and this flagship Chardonnay that relies heavily on clone 108 berries off 40-year-old Salmon-Safe vines on the Smalls’ estate in Walla Walla County. It’s 100% done in Burgundy barrels, and 20% were new. And yet, it’s a fruit-driven, nicely weighted example that’s loaded with green apple, lemon/ lime and mint. (611 cases, 14.1% alc.) Apex Cellars $33 2016 Bacchus Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Team Precept continues to bring Chardonnay to this property in the Yakima Valley town of Prosser, and it spent 11 months on the lees in French oak. Elegant aromas of rose petal, herbal notes, green apple and lime transition to honeydew melon and Bosc pear with slate and delicious lime acidity. (125 cases, 14.6% alc.) Array Cellars $36 2014 Nina’s Reserve Chardonnay, Washington Brian Carter and Robert Takahashi of Woodinville spearhead this storied Chardonnay project launched in 2010 by Henry Smilowicz. There’s remarkable history to the Wente clone fruit from Otis Vineyard in the heart of the Yakima Valley. It spent 22 months on the lees, which leads to rich and rounded flavors with passionfruit, baking spices, mint and sweet lemon. (100 cases, 14.5% alc.) Argyle Winery $40 2015 Master Series Nuthouse Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills The Dundee bubble house devotes this still Chardonnay to its 113-acre Lone Star Vineyard in the famous neighborhood with Seven Springs
and Lingua Franca vineyards. The program of 18 months in 30% new French oak leads to tropical notes with peach, Bosc pear and vanilla, framed by lime zest. (600 cases, 13.8% alc.) Aubichon Cellars $35 2015 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Jim Sanders and grower Tom Mortimer worked together on this presentation of baked apple with cinnamon, mint and citrus, backed by vanilla cream, white peach and buttery toast. (193 cases, 14.1% alc.) Baer Winery $25 2016 SHARD Columbia Valley One of the state’s top hired guns, Erica Orr, oversees this stainless-steel project off Stillwater Creek Vineyard for the Baer family, and it’s a delicious offering of lemon cream and honeydew melon that’s sleek with its zesty finish of Granny Smith apple. (516 cases, 14.4% alc.) J. Bookwalter $45 2016 Conner-Lee Vineyard Double Plot Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Caleb Foster works with this all-French oak program using 20% new Marcel Cadet barrels, and fruit from some of the state’s oldest Chardonnay vines undergoes nine months in wood for florals of apple blossom, cantaloupe and apricot. It’s remarkably ripe on the buttery palate and finishes with a touch of sweetness. (600 cases, 13.8% alc.) Cave B Estate Winery $25 2016 Cave B Vineyards Chardonnay, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley Freddy Arredondo uses a blend of Hungarian, French and American oak to build aromas of mint, vanilla and lemon zest with flavors of pineapple, lime and a nip of apple peel bite at the end. (300 cases, 14.1% alc.) Best Buy! Clearwater Canyon Cellars
$15
2016 Lochsa Chardonnay, Lewis-Clark Valley Coco Umiker’s oak-free, charming gathering from her estate vineyard and Arnett Vineyard includes touches of Riesling, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Muscat. Hints of honeysuckle, clarified butter and Asian pear lead out with bright notes of Granny Smith and lime.(259 cases, 12.5% alc.) Côte Bonneville $50 2015 DuBrul Vineyard Estate Chardonnay, Yakima Valley Northwestern grad Kerry Shiels enjoys the vertical integration of making wine from her parents’ acclaimed fruit in the Rattlesnake Hills, and the 17 months on the lees in French oak leads into classic aromas and flavors creamy butter, poached pear and Golden Delicious apple, capped by lingering lemongrass.(220 cases, 14.2% alc.) W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
chardonnay TA S T I N G R E S U LT S David Hill Vineyards & Winery $20 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Justin Van Zanten is well into the second decade of his J. Daan label, and he recently took over the reins at this historic property in Forest Grove, Ore. This work with Dijon 76 and 96 clones is remarkably expressive as peach, orange soda and spearmint blend into clean flavors of jasmine, pineapple and lemon oil. (180 cases, 14.2% alc.)
Panther Creek Cellars $45 2014 French Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley This is the only wine in the Panther Creek portfolio that’s grown outside of the Willamette Valley, but it’s one of the Washington’s most prized sites and Tony Rynders treats it with respect. The 16 months in 28% new French oak makes for a theme of vanilla, toast and mango that’s capped by lemon/lime acidity. (175 cases, 14.1% alc.)
Dumas Station Wines $28 2016 Birch Creek Vineyard Chardonnay, Walla Walla Valley Jay DeWitt’s control over the winemaking begins in Birch Creek, where he’s also the vineyard manager, and this lightly oaked Chardonnay delivers aromas of lemon, Golden Delicious apple and lemon pepper, backed by lively flavors of starfruit, lemon zest and Asian pear. (130 cases, 13.7% alc.)
Rain Dance Vineyards $45 2016 Lee's Vineyard Estate Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains The Austin family now farms four sites, all in the Chehalem Mountains and north of their showpiece Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Ore., and here’s their clone 95 tribute to longtime friend Lee Anderson. A grandiose two-barrel program of French oak leads to aromas of butter, lemon biscuit, milk toast and lambs wood, followed by richness of apple butter and lemon juice. (40 cases, 13.1% alc.)
House Wines $12 NV Chardonnay, American Best Buy! Precept’s purchase of Charles Smith’s House project continues to grow, and we actually poured from a bag-in-box sample for this tasting. There’s nice balance to the aromas and flavors of honeydew melon and pear, backed by a pinch of sweet herbs. (25,256 cases, 12.3% alc.) Best Buy! Kiona Vineyards and Winery $15 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Scott Williams and Tristan Butterfield sent only 17% of this juice project through French oak, which shows in the structure of pear, green apple and honey with a pleasant finish of dried mango. (928 cases, 13.5% alc.) Best Buy! Jones of Washington $15 2016 Estate Vineyards Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope Victor Palencia starts this project in American oak for 30 days before passing it in stainless steel tanks. In Palenciaesque fashion, it’s a white wine remarkably unique and utterly delicious, in this case featuring hints of Fruit Stripe gum and honeyed orange, backed by a touch of spritz that adds to its fun, porch-sipping profile. (840 cases, 14.1% alc.) Best Buy! Milbrandt Vineyards $13 2016 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley A product of the Wahluke Wine Co., this Chardonnay spent all of its time in oak, with 20% of that in new French oak, making for a remarkably complex drink of quince, sweet lemon, hominy and dried apricot, backed by a sense of salinity that will play supremely with Butch Milbrandt’s recipe for Gazpacho with Shrimp Skewers. (6,000 cases, 13.5% alc.)
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Best Buy! Ryan Patrick Wines $12 2016 Naked Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Jeremy Santo’s farewell harvest for Butch Milbrandt on this oak-free expression with Ancient Lakes, Purple Sage and Newhouse vineyards makes for aromas of dried apricot, mango and gooseberry, which finishes with honeydew melon and lime zest. (2,000 cases, 13.5% alc.) Best Buy! Sawtooth Winery $13 2016 Estate Chardonnay, Snake River Valley Meredith Smith advances her case for Idaho Chardonnay with this delicious and brisk example that carries aromas and flavors of Lemonhead candy, gooseberry and Key Lime juice, finished by green tea notes. (2,166 cases, 13.5% alc.)
stirring in French barrels over 12 months builds mouth feel of this Yakima Valley blend of French Creek and Lewis vineyards, and the 30% new wood shows in the smoky nose that makes plenty of room for lemon, mint and butter, characteristics that make their way to the palate that’s topped by lime yogurt. (510 cases, 13.7% alc.) Willamette Valley Vineyards $45 2015 Bernau Block Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Winery founder Jim Bernau established this portion of his vineyard below his residence in 1993, and it’s home to Dijon clones 76 and 96. The nine months in 30% new French oak make for a nose of butter and toast with apple and citrus, which transition to nicely complex textures and flavors of marshmallow, green apple and lime zest. (400 cases, 14.1% alc.) Youngberg Hill Vineyards $40 2015 Aspen Block Chardonnay, McMinnville Wayne Bailey planted this 2 1⁄2-acre block to Pinot Gris in 2006, but this marks its first commercial vintage since it was grafted over to Chardonnay. His daughter, Aspen, should approve of the move. The six months in neutral barrel brings a lush theme of Golden Delicious apple, juicy pear and sweet apricot that includes some tastiness and stellar acidity. (190 cases, 13.4% alc.) Array Cellars $32 2014 Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge Some of Washington’s most delicious Chardonnay projects originate in storied Celilo Vineyard near White Salmon, Wash., and the old vine Wente clone fruit spent time in 25% new Burgundy barrels under the watch of Brian Carter. Complex aromas of an apple Pop Tart with a slice of asparagus lead to vivid fruitiness with white peach and Gala apple flavors, backed by citrusy acidity to make for a nicely balanced Chardonnay. (200 cases, 14.1% alc.)
Silvara Vineyards $24 2016 Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills Tom Merkle, the reigning Honorary Grower of the Auction of Washington Wines, farms young McNary Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills for the Zirkle family, and this showpiece winery in Leavenworth, Wash., is among their early customers. A single month in neutral oak leads to aromas of apple, gooseberry, toast and that magical Horse Heaven Hills minerality. On the attack comes cantaloupe, Bosc pear, jicama and starfruit with unsweetened lemonade just underneath. (224 cases, 13.7% alc.)
Barrage Cellars $30 2016 Nuclear Blonde Chardonnay, Yakima Valley Kevin Correll spared little expense in the production of his latest reserve-style Chardonnay, starting with illustrious Boushey Vineyard fruit and devoting 40% of the lot of 100% new French oak via 500-liter puncheon. Aromas of mint and baking spice pick up Granny Smith apple and Asian pear. Even though there was weekly stirring of the lees for 10 months, the focus of the palate remains on flavors of pear, mint, lemon and lime, with a whiff of smokiness in the finish. (170 cases, 14.2% alc.)
Sinclair Estate Vineyards $33 2014 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Amy Alvarez-Wampfler has since moved on to Walla Walla icon Abeja, but her delicious legacy continues, particularly with Chardonnay. Weekly
Best Buy! Canoe Ridge Vineyard $15 2016 The Expedition Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Hills One of the largest-production Chardonnays in S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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this tasting also ranks as an easily attained bargain. It offers a rich amber color and fun aromas of Pixy Stix grape candy and jasmine backed by lemon curd on toast. It’s a rather voluptuous drink reminiscent of an Orange Julius that’s finished with jasmine mint tea. (11,000 cases, 13.9% alc.) Dunham Cellars $25 2015 Lewis Estate Vineyard Shirley Mays Chardonnay, Columbia Valley The Dunham family has supported the cause of Susan G. Komen for the Cure since 2001 with its Shirley Mays Chardonnay. Despite its 50⁄50 blend stainless-steel and French oak fermentations, it’s 100 percent from Lewis Vineyard in the Yakima Valley and a fruit-forward showing of tangerine, dried mango and lime zest that’s quite gracious. That beautiful citrus bite at the end makes it ideal with halibut. (1,394 cases, 14.1% alc.) Eola Hills Wine Cellars $25 2015 Barrel Select Reserve Chardonnay, Oregon Longtime winemaker Steve Anderson pulls primarily from 20-year-old Wolf Hill Vineyard – where he was married in the Eola Hills – and devoted 17 months in barrel to produce a Chardonnay reminiscent of a lemon milkshake that’s
smooth, toasty and a bit savory with a lick of butter and drop of vanilla in the finish. Enjoy with Apricot Chicken. (1,140 cases, 14.8% alc.) Keeler Estate Vineyard $32 2015 Chardonnay, Eola-Amity Hills Gabriele and Craig Keeler farm their 200-acre property near Amity, Ore., to Demeter-certified standards of Biodynamic farming, and the cooling influence of the Van Duzer Corridor allows winemaker Kelly Kidneigh to maintain a fruitforward approach. Ginger, lemon and white peach mix with amazing texture from eight months on the lees, leaving room for a bright finish of starfruit and clementine. (115 cases, 13% alc.) Left Coast Cellars $24 2016 Truffle Hill Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Six Dijon clones from vines planted in 2005 near their European black truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees in Rickreall, Ore., make for this fruit-forward and balanced Chardonnay that spent eight months on the lees in delicate French oak. The nose of Uncola, pineapple, pear and honeysuckle lead to bright flavors of lime zest, mango and peach, capped by lovely acidity. (1,401 cases, 13.7% alc.)
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Best Buy! Lunar Harvest $9 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Seattle-based Precept Wine partners with Walmart on the young Lunar Harvest lineup, and this release offers appeal beyond its price point. Aromas of Ginger Snap cookie, honeysuckle, toast and pineapple carry into a bright delivery of Granny Smith apple and toast that’s capped with a lemony and minty finish. (2,800 cases, 13.9% alc.) Ryan Patrick Wines $35 2015 Sagemoor Vineyards Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley This growing and evolving Butch Milbrandt project pulls from vineyards beyond his home turf on the Wahluke Slope, and Jeremy Santo aged these four barrels from venerable Sagemoor Vineyards for seven months in 30% new French oak. The deft touch with barrel allows for an expression of Granny Smith apple, pears and mint, backed by lively lime acidity. Look for this wine at the new Milbrandt Vineyards/Ryan Patrick tasting room in Woodinville’s Hollywood District. (100 cases, 14.5% alc.) Ste. Chapelle $20 2016 Block 16 Panoramic Idaho Chardonnay, Snake River Valley This Chardonnay has achieved acclaim from critics across the country as part of the Idaho Wine Commission’s Best Case Scenario program, and homegrown winemaker Meredith Smith showcases aromas of lime, gooseberry and jasmine with following flavors of white peach, toast and Golden Delicious apple, backed by a sheen of lemon oil. (200 cases, 13.5% alc.) Soléna Estate $30 2015 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley Laurent Montalieu has a superb array of estate vineyards to select from, including historic Hyland and the young Domaine Danielle Laurent, for their Chardonnay program. Once again, he has kept the focus on that fruit, presenting a theme of Honeycrisp apple, juicy Bosc pear and kiwi, all backed by lemony acidity. (100 cases, 12.9% alc.) Spangler Vineyards $21 2015 Chardonnay, Southern Oregon Our Oregon Winery of the Year produces just two white wines, and Patrick Spangler’s Chardonnay is unoaked. Fascinating aromas of Italian lime soda, toffee and nougat transition to shiny flavors of lime, Golden Delicious apple and jicama. (189 cases, 14% alc.) For a complete list of results, including Recommended wines, visit winepressnw.com
is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. ERIC DEGERMAN
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NORTHWEST WINE EVENTS March 22-25 Taste Washington, Seattle. The 21st anniversary of Washington’s signature wine event includes two days of public tasting and education at the CenturyLink Field Event Center. Tickets start at $95. Go to tastewashington.org. 23-25 Spring Equinox Wine Weekend, Caldwell, Idaho. Members of the Sunnyslope Wine Trail celebrate the renewal of Snake River Valley vineyards. Go to sunnyslopewinetrail.org. 24 Capital Food and Wine Festival, Lacey, Wash. More than 30 Northwest wineries take center stage at the 29th annual fundraiser for Saint Martin’s University from noon to 9 p.m. Tickets start at $15. Contact 360-438-4366 or go to capitalfoodandwinefestival.com.
April 6-7 Celebration of Syrah, Troutdale, Ore. McMenamins Edgefield Winery brings in winemakers and distributors from the Northwest and beyond for the 17th annual Syrah showdown. Go to celebrationofsyrah.com. 7 Kif Brown Foundation Wine Auction and Gala, Garden City, Idaho. Wine lots from the Northwest and beyond are auctioned during this third annual fundraiser at Telaya Wine Co. Go to TheKifBrownFoundation.com. 7-8 North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend. Gaston, Ore. More than 20 members of the North Willamette Vintners group offer tastings, culinary samples, education and events for the 10th year. Tickets start at $40. Go to nwvintners.org. 12 Columbia Gorge Wine Experience, Portland. Wineries along both sides of the Columbia River pour at Leftbank Annex. Go to columbiagorgewine.com. 13-14 LeMay Wine, Spirits & Chocolate, Tacoma, Wash. The Marymount Event Center plays host to local wines, spirits, chocolates and more than 70 vendors. Cost is $25. Go to lemaymarymount.org. 21-22 and 28-29 Chelan Nouveau, Lake Chelan, Wash. Nearly 30 member wineries around the Lake Chelan area are ready to debut whites and rosés on successive weekends. Go to lakechelanwinevalley.com. 27-29 Spring Barrel Tasting, Yakima Valley, Wash. This longtime annual event showcases more than 40 wineries W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M
and special seminars in the Northwest’s oldest appellation. Cost is $35. Go to wineyakimavalley.org. 27-29 Astoria Warrenton Crab & Seafood Festival, Astoria, Ore. Sip wine from more than 40 Oregon wineries while enjoying seafood at the mouth of the Columbia River. This marks the event’s 36th year. Go to astoriacrabfest.com.
May 2-13 The Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. Okanagan Valley, B.C. It includes more than 100 events. Go to thewinefestivals.com. 4-6 Spring Release Weekend, Walla Walla, Wash. Also known as “Leonetti Weekend,” this is one of two weekends when nearly every winery in the valley is open. Go to wallawallawine.com. 5-6 Chehalis Valley Wine Tour, Centralia, Wash. This 10th annual tour spotlights five wineries. Call 360-623-1106 or go to chehalisvalleywinetour.com. 11-13 Spring Barrel Tasting, Spokane, Wash. Cork District wineries continue to open their doors to visitors on Mother’s Day weekend. Go to spokanewineries.net. 11-13 Mom’s Weekend on Sunnyslope Wine Trail, Caldwell, Idaho. The Sunnyslope Wine District offers concerts, free flowers, special tastings and more to mothers. Go to sunnyslopewinetrail.org.
June 1-3 Northwest Wine Encounter, Bellingham, Wash. Spend a weekend of wine, food and education at the Four Points by Sheraton with Norm McKibben of Pepper Bridge Winery, Serge Laville of Spring Valley Vineyard, Stephen Reustle of Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, Earl & Carrie Sullivan of Telaya Wine Co., and John Blair of Dunham Cellars. Cost is $399. Go to dsvintners.com. 2 Leavenworth Summer Wine Walk, Leavenworth, Wash. More than 20 regional wineries gather to pour at 20 downtown spots. Go to cascadefarmlands.com. 10 Savor Idaho, Boise. The Idaho Wine Commission stages its 10th annual event pairing Idaho’s top wines with regional cuisine at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Go to savoridaho.org. 14-16 Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine. This sixth annual event gathers more than 60 Walla Walla Valley winemakers and others from around the world to marvel at Merlot. Go to wallawallawine.com/celebrate. 23 Cycle de Vine, Chelan, Wash. The tour enters its ninth year and takes 700 riders across the lake to visit some of the region’s top wineries. Go to cyclechelan.com.
19 Northwest Corks and Crush, Puyallup, Wash. Wineries in Oregon and Washington pour to help fund services at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital. Go to multicare.org/corksandcrush. 19 Wine and Art in the Park, Marsing, Idaho. The Sunnyslope Wine Trail and Marsing Chamber of Commerce partner on this fourth annual event. Go to sunnyslopewinetrail.org. 19-20 Spring Barrel Tasting, Lake Chelan, Wash. This annual event showcases more than 30 wineries who pour samples straight from the barrel. Go to lakechelanwinevalley.com. 26-28 Memorial Weekend in Wine Country, Willamette Valley, Ore. More than 150 wineries participate in the 27th year of the event. Go to willamettewines.com. 26-28 Columbia Gorge Grape to Table Weekend. Wineries along both sides of the Columbia River participate in tourist events during Memorial Day weekend. Go to columbiagorgewine.com S p r i n g 2 018 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t
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MATCH MAKER S
In 2006 a shuttered Sunnyside, Wash. farm store was transformed into a wine-themed eatery.
HOMETOWN PRIDE IN HISTORIC SUNNYSIDE: BON VINO’S BISTRO & BAKERY // STORY BY ERIC DEGERMAN, PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD DUVAL
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UNNYSIDE, Wash. — Roger Hazzard doesn’t mind getting asked why he hasn’t taken his smile, flamboyant chef’s pants and culinary talents to restaurants in Seattle, the Tri-Cities or Yakima. “It makes you feel good when people say those kinds of things,” he said with 50
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a chuckle. “But my roots are right here, and I’m content.” And now that two of Washington state’s most respected vintners — Co Dinn Cellars and Côte Bonneville — have opened up tasting rooms in downtown Sunnyside, Hazzard seemingly has no reason ever to leave Bon Vino’s Bistro
& Bakery in the town he was born and raised in. “The only thing that I would do differently would be in a bigger place with a catering kitchen,” said Hazzard, a member of the class of ‘85 at Sunnyside High School. “The support that this community gives us has been special.” WINEPRESSNW.COM
Indeed, Sunnyside is a wine country town again, a century after W.B. Bridgman made history with the state’s first commercial wine grapes. Across Interstate 82 from Upland Vineyard there’s vaunted Harrison Hill, home to some of the state’s oldest Cab. A bit to the east is Otis Vineyard, home to the oldest Cab, circa 1957. And in 2006, a shuttered farm store was about to get transformed into a wine-themed eatery that aimed to serve both wine tourists looking for lunch and working farmers who come in to sip on espresso well before dawn. “Sometimes the farmers are waiting outside the door for you to open up at 5:45 in the morning,” Hazzard said with a chuckle. “They’ll be in here with coveralls and their trucker hats, and they’ll have these huge mugs in front of them. I had to really coax those farmers into here. I told them, ‘I don’t care if there’s mud on your boots from just coming out of a hole digging ditches or whatever it is. It’s nothing that a little soap and water can’t fix.’ ” Hazzard, his wife Kenna, and business partner Joreen Mensonides created the name - Bon Vino’s. “We’ve had some criticism with it being Italian and French,” Hazzard chuckled. “We took words from two cultures and played off the concept of ‘good wine’ being the inspiration, which is to support all these great wines and these wineries surrounding us.” There’s no doubting the success of Bon Vino’s, a bustling place for coffee, pastries by Mensonides and lunch, which extends until the restaurant’s hard close at 3 p.m. On the main floor of the dining room are 78 seats. A conference room seats 32 and gets opened up for the lunch rush. There’s also outdoor seating when weather permits. And for those who don’t have time to sit down and relax, there’s a drive-through. “Sometimes, people will come to the door, see that it’s packed, and then they go out to their car and use the drivethrough,” Hazzard said with the chuckle. “It’s crazy funny.” He rarely has the time, but Hazzard occasionally looks back and shakes his head on just how he came to be the winner of the Chefs Challenge in the Columbia Valley after spending a decade managing the parts inventory W IN EP R ES SNW .C OM
Co-Owner and acclaimed chef, Roger Hazzard is content working in the small farm town he was raised.
for Darigold’s plant in Sunnyside. His early interest in cooking began in his mother’s kitchen, and then he entered the hospitality industry without considering a career as a chef. “It all started with the hospitality and tourism program through Yakima Valley Community College after high school, and what I really wanted to do was be a director on a cruise ship,” Hazzard said. “I got a job at the Town Plaza Hotel in Yakima and then Johnny’s Lounge, and it just kept rolling. I never imagined that after watching Mom cook all of her great meals that I would have a restaurant and be in business for 11 years.” He’s come full circle. Last year, Darigold profiled Hazzard in its Fresh magazine. “I had to support my family, but I started moonlighting as a caterer when I was at Darigold,” he said. “A lot of it was for friends and relatives, and I enjoyed doing it, and then I started to get calls from people I didn’t know.” The key phone call came from Mensonides, who was opening a bistro to showcase her pastries and needed someone for the grill. “I was never a line cook, but it’s just as hard to cook for 10 people as it is 100 people,” he said. “So I take care of the back of the house, the menus, the cook-
ing and the catering events. Joreen takes care of the financial part, and she does the scheduling, her pastry case and the wedding cakes and specialty cakes.” About the only complaint Hazzard hears is that Bon Vino’s only is open for dinner on special nights such as Valentine’s Day. Hungry fans often can find him around the Yakima Valley with catered dinners for wine-themed events. The business model, however, gives him precious family time for his wife and three boys. He’s sacrificed his golf game as well as hunting and fishing trips. “It’s about a three-minute drive from my house on the other side of town to the restaurant, and I’ll get calls saying, ‘We need your help at the bistro,’ “he said with a laugh. He doesn’t seem to mind. “When we first opened this restaurant, I used to know maybe 90 percent of the room,” Hazzard said. “Now I might know 20 percent. It’s just been word-ofmouth from a lot of the companies that we work with, the Kiwanis, Rotary, our walking ladies and the fundraisers for the school district and the hospital. We really try to help out the community, and I think that comes back to us.” Support of the Yakima Valley wine industry shows at Bon Vino’s, and Hazzard got guidance early on from Spr i ng 20 18 • W i ne Pr e ss N or thw est
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Wine, on the table and in the kitchen, plays an important role for Bon Vino chef Roger Hazzard.
Angelo Tavernaro, a Master Sommelier living in nearby Prosser at the time. “He told me, ‘There are so many great wines in this valley, you don’t need to look in Oregon or California. You really need to promote the Washington wines,” “Hazzard recalls. “It was good advice, and he spent a lot of time here.” Lunch hours prompt Bon Vino’s to focus on retailing bottles for off-premise consumption and relying on an array of six wines on tap from Alexandria Nicole Cellars in Prosser. He works with Brad Smith, an instructor at Yakima Valley College’s wine program, on the sweet Sèmillon bottled under the Bon Vino’s brand. Catering clients include Co Dinn Cellars, Côte Bonneville, Mercer Estates, Thurston Wolfe and Columbia Winery. “It’s hard for me to say No,” Hazzard said with a smile. For the Match Maker assignment, Hazzard stayed home, thanks to Co Dinn and the Shiels family, which use historic buildings for their young tasting rooms. Neither is much more than a mile from Bon Vino’s. 52
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“It’s really nice to have them so close now,” Hazzard said. The Côte Bonneville 2009 DuBrul Vineyard Estate Red Wine is the flagship bottling by retired Dr. Hugh Shiels, his wife Kathy and winemaking daughter Kerry. Soon after establishing their meticulous 45-acre vineyard in Rattlesnake Hills above the Yakima Valley, they began selling fruit to some of Washington’s premier wineries. Their own meritage-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot represents their best work, and it’s a wine priced for special occasions. Hazzard chose to pair it with the Bon Vino’s Italian Marinara Pasta, a standing item on his menu that features his remarkably versatile red sauce. “With the Côte Bonneville, I get really dark berry notes out of it and the sweetness of the sausage and the marinara works really well with it,” Hazzard said. He caters events both in DuBrul Vineyard and at the Shiels’ tasting room, which includes the annual Sunnyside Lighted Farm Implement Parade. The recent opening of Co Dinn Cellars in
the town’s former water plant gives Bon Vino’s another local angle. “What a nice guy, too, and it’s a real pleasure working for him in his new winery,” Hazzard said. “His Syrah is so bright and juicy, and our Firehouse Burger is really nice and spicy, which complements the pepperiness and sweetness that surrounds the Syrah. I love doing the elegant and intimate winemaker dinners, but I also love just making a burger.” And now with two renowned wineries and tasting rooms nearby, it would seem as though Hazzard is more rooted in Sunnyside than ever before. “It’s putting the smile on peoples’ faces and being a part of that wedding, something that’s a once-in-a-lifetime special event,” Hazzard said. “We’ve had people come in and get engaged here at the restaurant. That makes you feel good to have a place that’s special people. That’s the whole passion behind to.” BON VINO’S Bistro & Bakery, 122 N. 16th St., Sunnyside, WA 98944, bonvinosbistro.com, (509) 837-3936.
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Firehouse Burgers Serves 4
Ingredients 4 eight-ounce beef patties 4 slices pepper jack cheese 8 slices maple bacon 2 avocados cut in half, peeled and pitted 4 jalapeño peppers, oiled, salted and cut in half 4 pepperoncini, cut into rings 2 ounces thinly cut capicola (Italian spicy cured ham) 4 hamburger buns (preferably onion bun) Chipotle mayo for taste
Directions Barbecue the beef patty to your preference on temperature. Right before the hamburger is done, add the pepper jack cheese to melt. While patty is cooking, add bun to grill to get toasted. Also add capicola and jalapeno to grill or place in a small pan on the barbecue. Pull patty off and place on bottom of bun. Add two slices of maple bacon, half of one avocado, half of one grilled jalapeno, one pepperoncini and two slices of cooked capicola. Add chipotle pepper to mayo and use for sauce on top.
Co Dinn Cellars $50 2013 Roskamp Vineyard Block 2 Syrah, Snipes Mountain — 66 cases, 14.2% alcohol
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t's no miracle on the scale of the Marriage at Cana, but Coman Dinn has turned a water department building into a winery in Sunnyside, Wash.
Dinn landed in the Yakima Valley in 1996 and spent 17 years making wine for Hogue Cellars. He resigned on June 27, 2013, and lined up some of his favorite vineyards to help him strike out on his own, moving production to the Grandview campus of Yakima Valley College and its Yakima Valley Vintners winemaking program. All along, he had his eye on a permanent home. By 2015, Dinn began collaborating with the Port of Sunnyside, the City of Sunnyside and Yakima County officials to transform the former Sunnyside Water Department building into Co Dinn Cellars. “It’s right across the street from Safeway," points out wine country chef Roger Hazzard. “It was our old Sunnyside waterworks building, and he’s made it very industrial and really cool with some of the historical features he's left in there."
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Firehouse burger paired with Co Dinn Cellars Roskamp Vineyard Block 2 Syrah.
Classic brick frames the old office building, and there’s a strong Art Decofeel to much of the 3,200-square-foot structure that housed two water wells, which remain capped and in the basement. A gantry crane serves as a conversation starter in the tasting bar. Harvest time offers guests the opportunity to get close to the action, but there also is a comfortable patio outdoors to enjoy on those warm summer nights in Sunnyside. Understandably, Dinn’s fruit sourcing remains focused on the Yakima Valley. Painted Hills provides his Cabernet Sauvignon program. Elephant Mountain Vineyard is responsible for his Left Bank Bordeaux-style blend. Lonesome Spring Ranch provides his Rhône-inspired GSM. Old vine Chardonnay comes from French Creek Vineyard. Roskamp Vineyard is a little-known cobblestone site established in 1998 along the southwest ridgetop of Snipes Mountain near Sunnyside, and the Phelps clone fruit spent 22 months in neutral French oak. The youthful nose brings hints of chocolate-covered blueberries, dark plum, mint, molasses and a dash of black pepper. It follows with a plush and focused delivery of sweet blue fruit amid a light to medium structure of sandy tannins, elderberry acidity and a lick of back bacon. Dinn enjoys this Syrah with medium-rare Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops, braised beef and Eggplant Parmesan. Co Dinn Cellars, 501 Grant Ave., Sunnyside, WA 98944, CoDinnCellars.com, (509) 840-2314. Spr i ng 20 18 • W i ne Pr e ss N or thw est
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Bon Vino’s Italian Marinara Pasta Serves 4
Bon Vino’s Italian Marinara Pasta - Serves 4 1 tablespoon butter 1 pound kielbasa 1/2 cup kalamata olives 4 cloves garlic 1/4 cup red wine 8 cups marinara sauce 1 cup water 12 cups cooked pasta Salt and pepper to taste
Directions In a large sauté pan, add butter and melt, then add kielbasa to brown. Then add olives and garlic. Sauté for 3045 seconds. Make sure the garlic does not burn. Add the red wine to cool pan down and deglaze. Let wine reduce by half then turn stove to low heat. Add marinara sauce and water. Put the lid on the pan and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cooked pasta to pan. Salt and pepper to taste, stir and serve hot. Bon Vino’s Italian Marinara Pasta paired with Côte Bonneville 2009 DuBrul vineyard Estate red-wine.
Côte Bonneville $120 2009 DuBrul Vineyard Estate Red Wine, Yakima Valley — 490 cases, 14.2% alcohol ome of the Northwest’s cult producers — Betz Family Winery, DeLille Cellars, Owen Roe, Pursued by Bear, Rasa Vineyards, Va Piano and Woodward Canyon — purchase fruit from the Shiels family’s DuBrul Vineyard. Côte Bonneville, the wines made by Kerry Shiels, fit right in among those. Her work with her parents’ fruit has turned Sunnyside into a town of importance in the wines of Washington state. In 1991, more than a decade after establishing their practice in Sunnyside, Kerry’s parents, orthopedic surgeon Hugh Shiels and wife Kathy purchased a rocky, 45-acre Red Delicious apple orchard and began transforming it into DuBrul Vineyard, a tribute to his mother. Their third-leaf fruit turned into the inaugural 2001 vintage of Côte Bonneville, a brand named for a mansion designed by Hugh’s great, great-grandfather in their hometown of Cincinnati. Those early wines were made first by the late Stan Clarke and then Shiels’ cycling pal Co Dinn before Kerry returned home and took over the winemaking in 2005. The Côte Bonneville program accounts for just 25 percent of DuBrul’s
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production. Their award-winning lineup spans Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc rosé, Syrah, two claret-style reds and their flagship Estate Red Wine, a Left Bank Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (40%). The Shiels farm these blocks at less than 2 tons per acre, and the vines are meticulously cared for by an all-female team. In 2009, DuBrul was named Seattle magazine’s award for Vineyard of the Year, which marked the second time in three years. So perhaps it’s more than a coincidence that the 2009 DuBrul Vineyard Estate Red Wine is drinking so superbly. The 23 months in 100% new French oak barrels and the patience to bottle-age reveal classic notes of Chukar Cherry, black currant and plum backed by cinnamon, allspice, dusty tannins and charming acidity. Last year marked the 35th anniversary of the Shiels family buying a former Union Pacific railroad depot, moving it across the Yakima Valley from Grandview to Sunnyside and renovating it into a doctor’s office. In 2015, they transitioned it to a tasting room for Côte Bonneville, making it a definite draw for Washington wine lovers.
Côte Bonneville, 1413 E. Edison Ave., Sunnyside, WA 98944, cotebonneville.com, (509) 643-4569. WI NE PRE SSN W. C OM
Good food. Good friends. Always!
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Moving forward. Giving back. Our mission is to support agriculture with reliable, consistent credit. As a cooperative, our members benefit through patronage dividends and our support of rural communities. A century of helping Northwest producers has positioned us well to embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead. And we’ll continue moving forward and giving back for another 100 years. 800.743.2125 | northwestfcs.com
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COLUMN
grapes of roth BY COKE ROTH
Final thoughts from the thewless on food pairings
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f you plan to learn anything from this ad absurdum attempt to get a paycheck, it will assuredly be wasted time. You are better off reading the sage words of other contributors to this axis mundi on Northwest wine in the stead of taking in the words of this thewless author, because this valediction of written rubbish is not about wine, it’s about foods and the liquids we wash them down with, or not. Heaven knows I have tried to pair every edible with wine, some in vain. A deluge of wine has hit the back of my throat for five decades now, between large bites, and, if you ever saw me, you would instantly know that I go for seconds on both. If quantity were the measure of imagination, I would be the food and beverage Einstein. Some industry commentators fantasticate wine, attempting to convince you that you can find a wine that harmonizes with every food. Well, not this cowboy. And boy can the opinions vary. Take, for example, spicy Mexican foods. I read that some Rasputin says that Enchiladas go with Sangiovese, and Pork Carnitas with Habanero sauce pairs with Albarino …. No, neither does. They go with a no-salt, limey, juicy double-shot Añejo Margarita laden with a copious amount of Cointreau! If you have a French-fried jalapeño on your Carne Asada, you need a Margarita for each hand. Water? Yes, for bathing, swimming, freezing into ice for my Macallan CaskStrength Scotch, and better than Grenache with a taco. One somm says that the dry, crisp taste of Sauvignon Blanc hits the mark with spicy chili with beans. The next flavor expert gave the nod to Zinfandel or Tempranillo. And a foodie magazine said the go-to wine was a gracious Alsatian white. What? What on earth did they do with their sense of taste? … They all need beer. And not some designer beer, either … I’m talking Rainier … good ol’ "Vitamin R.” I recently took a trip to Vietnam, where the street and on-premise food is heavenly, 62
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and European wines were available from the French nexus that started in the 18th century. And the wines of Germany are there because the Germans are always looking to vacation somewhere warm. Off-dry Riesling has been long held as the liquid that played a symphony with the herbal integrated flavors of phở. I tried it with some doggone nice Mosel Riesling while there … marginal. Some married this traditional dish with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc due to herbal influences of basil, anise, ginger and cilantro. Sorry, for me they didn’t work. Tiger and Hanoi-branded beer worked to the point that I, single-handedly, created a beer shortage. I was the Grand Potentate of the Roth clan BBQ until dethroned by too-good-to-be-true son, Frank, and son-in-law, Mike. Doing more than snatching a pebble from the master’s hand, the students became the teachers on how to cram flavor into meat. Their creative rubs and marinades containing standard to exotic ingredients, and the copious use of every wood imaginable, produce power-packed flavor with every bite. While internet pontificators would tell you Syrah, Pinot Noir or even Riesling enhance the enjoyability of these complex, muscular works of art, the contrarian in me says they call for IPA, not wine. After dinner with a few dozen of my finest friends, the male half retired to the Roth deck for some whisky and cigars…a gentlemanly thing to do with those of my generation. Nuts, strong cheese and Port would have been fine, but the best overall combo with this classic dessert added up to 1 glass with 2 ice cubes and 3-fingers of Four Roses Bourbon — it was a 10 (do the math). And my pal, Tim McNally from New Orleans, the "King of Cocktails," while a staunch advocate for sparkling wine with brunch, took me out for Brandy Milk and Bloody Marys. Tim renewed my interest in the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned and the Sidecar. He also introduced me to the Sazerac and
the French 75. No one likes wine more than I, but you are missing out on such varied flavors when omitting the classic cocktail from your week. With the cocktail, like those delicious woody, high-alcohol, viscous, moderately sweet (yes, they are) wines you drink, no food necessary … in fact no food suggested. Why mess up the flavors of a rich Chardonnay or over-the-top Cabernet Sauvignon with food? I would suggest to you that you have been sold a bill of goods if you take a 15% alcohol, blackberry/raspberry-jammy, French-oaked into a coma Pinot Noir and have it with steelhead. Sure, the experts would tell you it marries like the yin and yang, but I think it is a gorilla and a butterfly. I gotta tell you, it was downright comical reading the varied opinions on the web of what wine goes with turkey. It is easier to eliminate the wines not advocated than list those that were. How can the experts you rely upon for advice be so contradictory? They are all of the same species and have the same sensory equipment. They all have broad experiences tossing back the foods and wines opined upon. It is because they know what they are talking about for them, not you. Finally, it would not be right to omit attribution to my bestest Canadian pal, Harry McWatters, who lent me this finale, which I sincerely hope you continue to practice: With your friends and food, enjoy your beverages in moderation, frequently. Shalom. is an attorney who lives in Richland, Wash. He is an original member of Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel and has been a long time columnist. He’s decided to spend more time traveling with his family and is retiring from Wine Press Northwest. This is his final column. Learn more about him at cokerothlaw.com. COKE ROTH
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THURSTONWOLFE
AIRFIELD ESTATES
(509) 786-0004 www.mckinleysprings.com
Where a hub of wineries in the heart of Washington Wine Country's Yakima Valley has emerged as an exciting destination for wine enthusiasts. It's a pedestrian-friendly village where wine lovers can taste wines in 7 individual wineries plus boutique wineries in The Winemakers Loft.
Spring Events! Thurston Wolfe - Feature Artist: Penn Shelton April through December.
28 - Milbrandt Vineyards - 9am to 11am - Booming Barrel Sale. In store
Craft bracelets from Ed Maske. In April Carol VonStubbe will have new art along with Cathleen Williams’ handcrafted jewelry.
only sale, case discounts of up to 50% off.
Wine o’Clock by the Bunnell Family Cellar & Newhouse Family Vineyards - Proud recipient of 6 Platinum Awards in the 2017
May 4 - Ginkgo Forest Winery - First Friday, “The Perfect Mother’s Day
17 - Ginkgo Forest Winerry - St. Patty’s Bash w/Wine Country RV
Meal”. 5-7pm, 5 course food/wine pairing in the tasting room with recipes to take home. $25 advance tickets. 4 - Coyote Canyon - Library Vertical Tasting Reserve HH Robert Andrews Mouvedre, 1 - 4pm, $10. 12 – 13 - Coyote Canyon - Mother’s Day “Tea Party” with wine, food by Nana Kate. 25 – 28 - McKinley Springs - Honoring our Veterans. Buy a Bottle give a dollar - for every bottle of our Bombing Range Series purchased this weekend.
Center. 6-9 in the courtyard with music, snacks, and wine. Gate Fee $10. 24 – McKinley Springs - Sensory Series Aroma Experience 11am - 5pm.
June
Platinum Invitational Competition – call for our pouring schedule. Custom food and wine pairing menus by appointment, reservations recommended for for an à la carte wining and dining.
County Line Tasting Room, home of Smasne Cellars and 2dor Wines - Enjoy handcrafted lunch items daily from 11am-3pm by Executive Chef Kyle Hunter. Dinner by reservation.
March
April 6 - Ginkgo Forest Winery - First Friday, “Welcome Spring with Grilled Foods”. 5-7pm, 5 course food/wine pairing in the tasting room with recipes to take home. $25 advance tickets.
6 - Coyote Canyon - First Friday, 40% off mystery wine.
21 - Winemakers Loft - Food Truck Rally An all day event of cuisine
1 - Coyote Canyon - First Friday, 40% off mystery wine. 1 - Ginkgo Forest Winery - First Friday, “Dad’s Favorite Meals Done Right”. 5-7pm, 5 course food/wine pairings in the tasting room with recipes to take home. $25 advance tickets. 9 - Winemakers Loft - Bottles, Brews and BBQs. An All Day event of Cuisine Food Trucks, BBQ madness and Amazing Wines.
food trucks, music and wine a benefit for Heartlinks Hospice.
27 - 29 Spring Barrel Tasting at participating wineries. Music, food, wine and glorious spring weather. Bring your own glass, stemware is available for purchase. Please contact individual wineries for complete details.
Please call or check individual websites for more spring events.