Washington State

America’s Bordeaux (and now the Northern Rhone, too)

Mention Washington to most and visions of marble buildings and presidents come to mind, rather than that rainy state in the Pacific Northwest.

Washington stands out as potentially the greatest Cabernet producing area in the U.S.  It has many advantages: (1) Everything is planted on its own rootstock.  Pests like phylloxera (doesn’t like sandy soils) and the glassy winged sharpshooter(winters are too cold) appear to be nonentities.  (2) Longer growing seasons.  Much further North than California provides for longer days, but still the cool nights --- Washington is actually at the same latitude as Bordeaux. 

 

Understanding the geography:  Washington consists of technically four officially recognized viticultural appellations, with the “quality three” being located in the drier eastern portion of the state:  

(1) Columbia Valley -- the largest spanning nearly 1/3 of the state including part of North-Central Oregon (now being sub-divided into smaller, more distinct areas: Horse Heaven Hills AVA)

Horse Heaven Hills AVA): Bounded on the north by the ridge of the hills forming the southern border of the Yakima Valley, and on the south by the Columbia River, the 570,000 acre Horse Heaven Hills AVA prospers from its unique location in several ways.  Most vineyards are planted on south-sloping hills above the river, with sandy, well-drained soils. They are whipped almost daily by winds blowing steadily from the west via the Columbia Gorge. The extreme winds reduce the risks of fungal diseases, thicken grape skins and concentrate juices.

Currently, the Horse Heaven Hills AVA includes just five wineries, but one of them, Columbia Crest, is the state’s largest. There are some 6040 acres of wine grapes planted — roughly a fifth of the state’s bearing acreage, and sizeable new plantings continue to go in. This is viewed as one of the most promising, and productive grape growing regions in the entire Columbia valley. Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and especially Cabernet Sauvignon are the stars here, and some of the oldest Cabernet vines on the west coast are grown in the Horse Heaven Hills. ;  

(2) Yakima Valley --- with it’s superstar sub-appellation Red Mountain producing arguably the state’s best Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The Red Mountain AVA: is Washington’s smallest. The region is approximately 3,600 acres with approximately 600 acres currently planted. The name Red Mountain can be misleading for two reasons.  First, it does not refer to the color of the mountain's soil, but rather, some say, to a native grass with a red hue.  Secondly, Red Mountain, for those with other mountains in mind, might be a disappointment, since its elevation ranges from only 500 to 1,500 feet.  Even so, among the rolling hills of eastern Washington's desert, Red Mountain's sloping hillside is a prominent landmark, storing radiant heat for the growing vines of the valley floor. The Yakima River flows nearby, helping moderate climate extremes, as do so many major rivers in wine country regions throughout the world.  Some say Red Mountain Appellation has it all:  slope, exposure, weather conditions, good air drainage, large swings between day and night temperatures, six wineries within a few miles, plenty of undeveloped land, gravelly soil with high calcium carbonate content and high pH (high alkalinity), both contributing flavor to grapes grown here.  Sloping lands beneath the broad Red Mountain lie at the southeast end of the Yakima Valley, overlooking Benton City, where annual rainfall is only about six inches, and supplemental irrigation is usually provided a few months into the growing season.  Wines made from Red Mountain fruit express the terroir with great strength and richness, while demonstrating exceptional balance of fruit, acidity, and tannin; 

and (3) Walla Walla Valley --- another warm weather home to the oldest superstar producers of cabernet with syrah quickly coming on strong.  

 

Why then were most of the wineries located in the green suburban environs of Seattle?  History tells us that proximity to their major market took precedence over living with the grapes. Well, one trip east to these Godforsaken, sagebrush-strewn areas convinced us that alot of the wives refused to move, also!

 

Wineries:

70% of the wines from Washington are being produced by one winery: Stimson Lane.  The other 30% is made-up of boutique producers, many making the wines in their garages, with the grapes coming from some of America's greatest sites in Red Mountain, Horse Heaven & Walla Walla.  Here’s a brief overview of JMD’s Washington portfolio.  Most produce microscopic amounts of great wine --- predominantly Cabernet and Merlot with Syrah showing incredible promise.  Many will be releasing between now and October.

 

Quilceda Creek:  Considered Washington’s biggest wine.  A hedonistic wine that’s always 100% Cabernet, 100% new French oak.  Grapes come from the great Red Mountain vineyards of Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Taptiel.

DeLille Cellars:  A showpiece winery dedicated to Bordeaux blends with their flagship wine being Chaleur Estate.  A small amount of world class Syrah is being produced.  Along with Quilceda Creek, pioneering the top vineyards of Red Mountain.

Matthews Cellars: The young Matt Losso (along with DeLille and Quilceda Creek) are making some of the country’s best cabernet and cabernet blends exclusively from the top vineyards of Red Mountain AVA.

Andrew Will: Eccentric Chris Camarda located his winery on beautiful Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, hardly an area for growing grapes, but he is dedicated to producing some of the top vineyard designated merlots and cabernets in the state.

Cayuse Vineyards:  French transplant Christophe Baron is at the forefront of showing the potential for Rhone varieties in the Walla Walla appellation.  His rocky “Cailloux Vineyard” is closest thing in America to to the riverbed vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape.  People are calling his wines the most exciting thing to hit Washington since merlot!

L’Ecole No. 41:  Marty Clubb, owner/winemaker, is much too young to look like a pioneer, but he is one of the first to bring notice to the World of the potential of Washington merlot and cabernet (from Walla Walla).  Partners in historic Seven Hills (with McKibben and Figgins).  Great white wines -- and now syrah add diversity to L’Ecole’s line-up.