Sean P. Sullivan - Washington Wine Report

Walla Walla based winery The Walls has purchased French Creek Vineyard in Yakima Valley. The purchase was made in partnership with James Utz, a Tri-Cities-based wealth manager.

“I wanted The Walls to have its own estate story,” says owner and founder Mike Martin. “This helps do that.”

Located in Prosser, French Creek Vineyard is 40 acres, 33 of which are currently planted to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and white and red Rhône varieties. The vineyard is perhaps best known for its Chardonnay, with the first vines planted in 1981. This makes them among the oldest Chardonnay plantings in the state. The vineyard also has Cabernet Sauvignon plantings that date to 1991.

Since its founding in 2014, The Walls has used French Creek Vineyard for its Martin’s Gold Chardonnay. French Creek is also the source of winery’s Lip Stinger Grenache Blanc and Cruel Summer Rosé. Martin says the purchase will help the winery grow parts of its portfolio.

“It gives us a chance in the years ahead to grow some varieties that we're familiar with and hopefully supplement some wines and maybe make some new wines as well. It’s going to take time.”

Fruit from French Creek also goes to a number of other top flight Washington wineries, including Sleight of Hand, Valdemar Estates, Grosgrain Vineyards, Devium, and Forgeron Cellars, all of which have made French Creek designated bottles in the past.

“They’ve been working with the vineyard for a while, some probably longer than us, and my intention and expectation is they'll continue to in the years ahead,” Martin says.

Grower Damon Lalonde, who has managed the site since 2011, will continue to farm French Creek. Over time, Martin expects to plant additional white Rhône varieties, as well as some Portuguese varieties that would be new to the state.

“It gives us a bit of a canvas to play with,” Martin says of the purchase.

French Creek was first planted in 1981 by Shad E. Hope, whose in-laws homesteaded at the site. The vineyard was subsequently purchased by Rajan Parashar, who later sold it to Jon Meuret, the founder of Maison Bleue. Meuret’s Au Contraire Chardonnay helped bring the vineyard to greater prominence. In 2013, Meuret sold the vineyard to Tom O’Brien, the most recent owner.

The purchase of French Creek gives The Walls its third estate vineyard, with the winery purchasing Rockgarden in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater from Buty Winery in 2020. The Walls is also currently planting another 20-acre site in the Rocks District that it purchased in 2015. Both Rocks District vineyards are expected to largely be used for the Pášxa brand, which was launched in 2020.

“The brand and the model for The Walls is never really going to be 100% estate winery,” Martin says. “We enjoy making different kinds of wines, and we have some great partners. But given the lay of the land and working with [winemaker] Todd [Alexander], I certainly appreciate the value of vertical control.”

Harvest got underway this week under hazy skies in Columbia Valley. Treveri Cellars, a sparkling producer in Yakima Valley, kicked things off, picking 20 tons of Chardonnay from Hilltop Vineyard on the evening of August 11th. The fruit was picked at 19.5 Brix and 3.11pH. Winemaker Christian Grieb reported cluster size was down approximately 15% from historical averages. Treveri also picked 14 tons of estate Chardonnay on August 12th at 17.1 Brix and 3.01pH. 

White wine harvest has also begun, with Precept Wine picking Sauvignon Blanc at its Willow Crest Vineyard in Yakima Valley on August 12th. This same fruit was picked on September 3rd in 2020, 5th in 2019, 12th in 2018, 27th in 2017, 6th in 2016, and August 31st in 2015 (see table). This year is the earliest that this fruit has ever been picked.

Woodinville’s Avennia has purchased Tapteil Vineyard on Red Mountain, one of Washington’s premier appellations. The sale includes 45 acres, a small winery and tasting room, and a residential property.

“We've been working with Red Mountain fruit since we started,” says Marty Taucher, co-owner of Avennia. “This fit our profile – old vines from a unique site.”

In addition to now having its first estate vineyard, Avennia plans to open a tasting room at the former Tapteil Winery in spring of 2022.

“It creates an opportunity for us to really be part of the Red Mountain community and participate in the excitement of that,” Taucher says. Plans for the small production facility at the winery have not yet been determined.

Tapteil is among the oldest vineyards on Red Mountain. It was established by Larry Pearson, who purchased the property in 1984.

“I was looking for the perfect site for Cabernet Sauvignon,” Pearson says. Grower Scott Williams of Kiona Winery & Vineyards tipped Pearson off to a piece of land for sale down the road from Kiona.

“I called the number on the board and asked if I could camp out that night on the property,” Pearson recalls. “The next day I signed the papers.”

Pearson planted the first 3.5 acres of grape vines in 1985, staying in his tent as he did so. He subsequently bought adjacent land, expanding the property to 45 acres, approximately 21 of which are currently planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. In 1999, Pearson founded Tapteil Winery, with ‘Tapteilmin’ the Native American word for people who lived along the nearby, narrow portion of the Yakima River.

Over the decades, Tapteil fruit has gone into some of Washington’s best wines, including multiple 100-point vintages of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (all fruit for this wine now comes from Horse Heaven Hills). Cadence, Tamarack, Long Shadows, and others have also purchased Tapteil fruit, with Cadence long making a vineyard designated bottle.

With harvest fast approaching, Pearson will continue to manage the site for the time being. Taucher notes there will be no changes this year for wineries that source fruit from Tapteil.

“We are fully committed to honoring all the agreements, both oral and written, for this year's harvest.”

Going forward, Avennia will continue to sell some fruit and use the rest for its Avennia and Lydian wines. The winery currently sources Red Mountain fruit from Klipsun and Heart of the Hill Vineyards for its Gravura and Justine wines respectively. It also receives fruit from nearby WeatherEye Vineyard for Liminal Wine, a project launched in 2020 that was the Washington Wine Report Winery of the Year. Taucher says Tapteil fruit will not be used for Liminal.

“We remain fully committed to only using WeatherEye fruit in the Liminal Wine project.” Starting in 2022, grower Dick Boushey will manage Avennia’s new estate vineyard.

“There's no doubt that it's a unique terroir on that mountain,” says Avennia co-owner and winemaker Chris Peterson. “I can't wait to work with Dick and really kind of dial in the vineyard.”

More than three and a half decades since he planted his first vines, Pearson is proud of what the vineyard has accomplished. He is also “thrilled” that the site will be in good hands.

“It's been a good ride,” Pearson says. “We found the perfect people to buy it.” METIS, a merger and acquisitions advisory firm that focuses on the adult beverage and hospitality industries, was the sole transaction advisor.

Pearson and his wife Jane will continue to own the Tapteil name. They plan to continue making a small amount of wine using fruit from a separate property.

“We're not leaving wine country by any means,” Pearson says. “This is what we call home.”

Photo of Tapteil Vineyard by Richard Duval.

When Seattle and eastern Washington reached record, triple digit temperatures at the end of June, Woodinville's Barrage Cellars rolled out their own version of a soaking tub complete with poolside service. Captured here by contributing photographer (and bin bather) Richard Duval. 

Veraison – the changing of color of the grapes – has begun in Columbia Valley. Brittany Komm, vineyard manager at Precept Wine, noted veraison in Dolcetto at Skyfall Vineyard in Yakima Valley on July 14th. Veraison occurred in this same variety and vineyard on July 21st in 2020, July 12th in 2019, July 18th in 2018, and July 13 in 2017. 

Veraison always means one thing: Harvest is not far off!

Picture here courtesy of Brittany Komm (@grape_lady_ on Instagram).

NB: This post was updated after publication to include the 2018 veraison date. 

 This article appeared in Beverage Industry Enthusiast on Monday July 12, 2021.

On Friday, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE), the largest winery in the Pacific Northwest and third-largest premium winery in the country, was sold to Sycamore Partners, a New York-based private equity firm. Sycamore, which specializes in retail and consumer investments, will purchase the company in the second half of this year from the current owner, tobacco giant Altria, for a cool $1.3 billion in cash. 

Today Matthews Winery in Woodinville announced a new winemaking team, headed by Alex Stewart. Stewart was previously winemaker at Quilceda Creek, one of Washington’s oldest and most highly regarded wineries.

“I've been a big fan of the wines that's he's produced,” says Bryan Otis, proprietor of Matthews. “Alex and I have been friends for a long time, and the stars aligned right now. We’re very excited to have him on board.”

This is the third in a three-part series on newly approved appellations in Washington. Read part one on White Bluffs and part two on Goose Gap.

Washington is the wild west, with growers and vintners constantly exploring new varieties and new regions. The Burn of Columbia Valley, one of the state’s recently approved grapegrowing areas, is one such place.

While Dr. Walter Clore, the father of Washington wine, is said to have planted a test plot in The Burn decades ago, the appellation did not have its first commercial plantings until 2002, a scant few acres. Rather, almost all of its existing vineyard acreage has been planted in the last six years. This makes The Burn Washington’s youngest grapegrowing region. Despite its youth, Kevin Corliss, vice president of vineyards at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, says the area’s physical characteristics immediately differentiated it.

“Even before planting it, we knew that we were going to get different grapes from [The Burn],” he says. “As we've harvested from it for the last few years, they're very, very different.”

Four primary factors differentiate The Burn as a growing region: soils, precipitation, heat accumulation, and wind.

In terms of soils, 80% of the plantable area is comprised of nine soil series, with the dominant one Walla Walla silt loam (30%). This is a slightly heavier soil type than much of the surrounding region.

“The soils are very different from what we would expect to see in that area,” says Joan Davenport, a professor of soil sciences at Washington State University who was contracted to write the appellation petition. “They’re higher in organic matter, which means they have more nutrient capacity, but they also have more water-holding capacity than so many of the soils we typically find in the majority of the Columbia Valley.” This second aspect factors into the area’s next defining feature: its above average precipitation.

The Burn receives an average of 8.76 inches of precipitation annually (range 6.65-10.44 inches). While this still makes it desert-dry, it’s above the mammoth Columbia Valley’s average of 6 to 8 inches per year (The Burn being a sub-appellation of Columbia Valley). In fact, it’s higher than the averages for other Columbia Valley sub-appellations with three exceptions: Columbia Gorge (10.4 inches with considerably more in the western sections), Lake Chelan (10.7), and Walla Walla Valley (18.4). The combination of heavier soils and increased rainfall impacts irrigation usage during the growing season.

“In The Burn, we’re usually a couple of weeks behind the [Horse Heaven Hills] starting water,” says Rob Mercer, owner of Mercer Wine Estates. “We also probably use two or three inches less water per year.”

The heavier soils also affect irrigation kinetics. “The soil actually holds the water instead of having it just flow right through,” says Corliss. “It's a more gradual up and gradual down.”

The area’s heat accumulation is another defining factor. The Burn is warm, averaging 3306 Growing Degree Days annually over the last 10 years. This number has been exceeded only by Snipes Mountain and Wahluke Slope during that time. While one might think this would bring an opulent fruit profile, this is where the area’s final key factor – its persistent winds – play a strong role.

Horse Heaven Hills and its extension into Walla Walla Valley, Vansycle Ridge, are known for near-constant winds, so much so that the largest windfarm in the Pacific Northwest is located on the eastern section of this anticline. These winds help make Hood River, located in Columbia Gorge west of The Burn, a world-class wind surfing destination. The Burn, which lies between Horse Heaven Hills and Columbia Gorge, is no different in this respect, and a windfarm is located across the river from the appellation.

“The wind is just relentless,” Juan Muñoz-Oca, chief winemaker at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, says of The Burn.

As in other nearby appellations, the wind has an impact, slowing maturation and contributing to smaller canopy sizes and somewhat smaller berries. Taken together, all these aspects create The Burn’s unifying feature.

“It's a warm site that acts more like a cool site,” says Corliss. “It's a region that has a lot of heat units, but we pick it last.” This is particularly intriguing given the number of heat units and the fact that bud break begins early in the appellation.

“We have this long ripening period,” says Mercer. “We also have late frost, so we're able to hang [fruit] longer.”
The vast majority of plantings in The Burn are red varieties (90%), with Cabernet Sauvignon far and away the most planted. Muñoz-Oca says the Cabernet Sauvignon from The Burn is distinctive.

“What we get is this Cabernet that is not afraid to show its herbaceousness, with a fantastic textural experience because the tannins are completely resolved. The Cabernets are nice, light on their feet, Old World style with the suppleness of the New World.”

Almost all of the fruit from The Burn currently goes to Ste Michelle Wine Estates for its Borne of Fire label, which was launched in 2017. Mercer Ranches, which farms the plantings in The Burn, uses some of the fruit for its wines as well.

The Burn is 16,870 total acres in size, with approximately 1,500 currently planted to grape vines – an astonishing number in just six years’ time. The appellation is comprised of four south-southeast facing benches with an average slope of seven percent. There are four commercial vineyards within the appellation, three of which are farmed by Mercer Ranches as well as a small site owned by Aanpama/Peggy Hoag.

Trail Blazer Vineyard is located on the first bench, closest to the Columbia River. Chapman Creek Vineyard is on the third bench. Old Highway 8 Vineyard is on the fourth and highest bench. The second bench has not yet been planted.

“Being a series of benches makes it interesting,” Davenport says of The Burn. “That's very different from the other parts of the Columbia Valley.” Elevations in the appellation range from 270 to 1,780 feet above sea level.

Bounded by the Columbia River to the south, the area between Rock Creek and Chapman Creek has been referred to as The Burn since at least the early 1900s. The origins of the name are not known.

While Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety, there are also plantings of Chardonnay, Malbec, Syrah, and a small amount of Sangiovese (three acres at Aanpama/Peggy Hoag planted in 2002 and 2013). Much of the Chardonnay is planted at Old Highway 8 Vineyard, the upper bench.

“It’s not as tropical as your typical [Washington] Chardonnay, even from the Horse Heaven Hills,” Muñoz-Oca says. “It's a lot more citrusy.”

Though Ste Michelle Wine Estates currently receives almost all the fruit from The Burn, Muñoz-Oca hopes that changes.

“It's kind of that idea of ‘If you build it they will come,” he says. “Hopefully [the approval of the appellation] will bring more people to the place, and we will start having a more diverse view of what the appellation has to offer. I truly believe that there is some uniqueness to The Burn.”

 This is the second in a three-part series on newly approved appellations in Washington. Read part one on White Bluffs here.

Tomorrow the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) will officially recognize Goose Gap as a federally approved grape growing region. This comes two weeks after the approvals of White Bluffs and The Burn of Columbia Valley, giving Washington a total of 19 appellations.

“It's a good mix between the Yakima Valley and Red Mountain,” Juan Muñoz-Oca, chief winemaker at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, says of Goose Gap. “It has the freshness of the Yakima Valley. It has the ability to hold on to acidity yet has a punch of fruit from the heat that they get.”

Goose Gap’s combination of Red Mountain and Yakima Valley profiles is not by accident. Goose Hill, a 1,339-foot prominence within the appellation, lies approximately three miles almost due south of the summit of Red Mountain. That sub-appellation of Yakima Valley also defines Goose Gap's northern boundary. The Candy Mountain appellation forms part of the northeast border.

Winemakers hope new growing regions ultimately lead to greater recognition for the state

Of the four appellations Washington has gained in the last nine months^✝, White Bluffs – which was approved today by the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) along with The Burn of Columbia Valley – is the biggest slam dunk.

“It’s long been known but not named,” Kent Waliser, director of vineyard operations at Sagemoor Vineyards, said recently of the appellation.

Indeed, some of the state’s oldest producing vineyards are in the area. Nearly one in every 10 Washington wineries source fruit from White Bluffs. Additionally, the quality of the resulting wines has proven itself over decades.

Wholly contained within the larger Columbia Valley and spanning 93,738 total acres, White Bluffs has 1,127 acres planted to grape vines. The appellation has nine commercial vineyards and one winery, Claar Cellars. The most planted varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Grape vines were first planted in the region starting in 1972 at Bacchus and Dionysus vineyards. These sites are part of Sagemoor Vineyards, which also farms Sagemoor and Gamache in White Bluffs. Together these vineyards comprise the majority of plantings in the appellation. Other vineyards include High River, Mirage, Reed, Wooded Island, and White Bluffs – an estate site for Claar Cellars.

White Bluffs has two main distinguishing features. First, the appellation lies on a plateau approximately 200 feet above the surrounding area. The Columbia River flows south by the appellation’s western boundary, with White Bluffs beginning on the escarpment above the river.

“All the significant acres are on bluffs,” notes Waliser. “The area is kind of like an island.”

The analogy is apt, as this plateau did not rise up from the surrounding area but rather remained after the surrounding land was inundated with water and eroded by the Missoula Floods, a series of cataclysmic, ice age events.

This modest additional elevation, which brings the area from 800 feet above sea level up to about 1,000, allows cool air to drain and helps protect against frosts and freezes. Along with airflow from the Columbia River, this extends the growing season by an average of 45 days relative to lower lying regions. Given that frost and freeze events are the Columbia Valley’s Achilles heel, this gives White Bluffs an advantage.

“Anything that can get you up off the floor of the valley is good,” says Kevin Pogue, a geologist at Whitman College and principal at VinTerra Consulting who was hired to write the appellation application. “Anything that extends your growing season and makes you a little warmer is good.” Waliser says the effects are readily apparent. 

J. Bookwalter in Richland, Washington has named Jeremy Santo as head winemaker. The hiring comes as the winery prepares to move into a new facility.

“I'm excited about having Jeremy on board,” says John Bookwalter, president of the 50,000 case per year winery. “We continue to grow, modestly, and I needed a winemaker that could accommodate the growth. Jeremy has had a lot of success working at [our] scale.”

Santo joined the Washington wine industry in 2003, first working as a lab technician at Snoqualmie Winery. In 2006, he joined Ste Michelle Wine Estate's Canoe Estate Ridge Winery, where he eventually became assistant winemaker. In 2012, Santo joined Wahluke Wine Company, where he was responsible for the Ryan Patrick wines. Most recently, he was winemaker at Mercer Estates, overseeing production at the 60,000 case per year winery.

“Having grown up in Prosser, the interest for me [in Bookwalter], it's been there forever,” Santo says. “The winery has such a great heritage, the grape sourcing is amazing, and the Bookwalter quality is through the roof. It’s a great thing to walk into.”
Santo will also soon be walking into a brand new winery. Bookwalter is in the midst of completing a 20,000-square foot building that will include a production space, a new tasting room, and indoor and outdoor event spaces. The winery will start moving into the new building next month.

“I've always said qualitatively we can move the needle a few points just by changing the way we handle our wines,” Bookwalter says. “We've always been a bit challenged because of the diverse use of our building and storage areas. This is going to make a big difference for us.”

In addition to its winery, J. Bookwalter also has an attached restaurant, Fiction. As the winery and tasting room move to the new building, the restaurant will gain space.

“It adds about 4,000 square feet,” Bookwalter says. “Ultimately we’ll be able to move the kitchen around so we have more space for the kitchen and that area becomes a banquet area. We’ll be doing it in phases.”

J. Bookwalter was founded by Jerry Bookwalter in 1982. Bookwalter had overseen plantings at some of Washington’s oldest vineyards and also managed Connor Lee Vineyard. His son John subsequently joined the winery in 1997 and has since grown it to be one of Washington’s most successful producers.

Santo follows Caleb Foster, who left the winery earlier this spring after seven years as winemaker.

Concerns of smoke impact leads winery to discard vintage

Today Woodinville’s Betz Family Winery, one of Washington’s most highly regarded producers, announced that it will not release its 2020 vintage wines from Washington and Oregon. The decision, which was announced to customers via email, comes amid concerns about the effect of wildfire smoke on wine quality.

“It’s a brutal decision, but it’s an easy one,” says owner Steve Griessel. “We couldn’t release the wines.”

Founded in 1997, Betz Family sources fruit from throughout Washington’s Columbia Valley for its Betz wines and from areas of Oregon’s Willamette Valley for its SuNu wines. Wildfire smoke blanketed the entire west coast of the US in September of 2020, with large fires in areas of California and Oregon.

Due to the widespread nature of the smoke, many commercial laboratories were unable to test for smoke influence in grapes prior to harvest. Subsequently, many wineries, such as Betz Family, were in the difficult position of determining whether to proceed with picking fruit.

“We decided at that point in time there was no way we could say to growers, ‘Look. We’re just not picking,’” says Griessel, who purchased the winery with his wife Bridgit in 2011. “We thought that would be incredibly unfair because how do you know whether you’ve got [smoke impact] or not?”

Griessel says after the wines went through primary and secondary fermentations, the smoke influence became apparent from a sensory perspective.

“Some had let’s call it a low impact, where there was just a muting of the fruit, but still, there was an impact, then all the way up to very high,” Griessel says.

Laboratory analyses subsequently confirmed the presence of smoke marker compounds at varying levels. This, along with sensory analyses, cemented the winery’s decision not to move forward with the wines.

“We determined that there's absolutely no way we would ever produce a [2020] vintage of Betz or our new [Willamette Valley] project that we started in 2017, SuNu,” Griessel says. “Even if someone couldn't taste it, we know it's there.”

The 2020 Betz Rhône-style wines and SuNu Pinot Noirs were scheduled to be released in the fall of 2022, with the Bordeaux-style wines released the following spring. None of this will happen. The winery is now planning for the consequences.

“In simple terms, you've got to find a way to release two years’ worth of wine over three years, so you aren’t suddenly faced with the fact that you have no inventory,” Griessel says. “You’ve just got to get through that, and we can. It’s not pretty I can tell you, but it’s doable.”

For a winery that produces 6,000 to 7,000 cases annually at prices ranging from $35 to $120, the financial impact of a lost vintage is enormous. Additionally, Griessel says, to his knowledge, no insurance exists for wineries with smoke impacted wines. This stands in contrast to growers, who can purchase crop insurance. However, that insurance only applies to non-harvested fruit.

“Our growers have been very sympathetic to the smoke taint issues we faced in 2020, and many have borne the pain with us,” Griessel says. “This is a very big structural issue I think for wineries in general in terms of how we survive [as an industry] going forward.” 

Smoke influence in wine is complex, with factors such as proximity, intensity, duration, variety, and timing contributing to any potential impact on the resulting wines. Smoke in the air doesn’t mean there will be smoke taint in the wines. Similarly smoke impact at one winery doesn’t mean there will be the same impact at another, with vineyard sourcing, picking dates, winemaking decisions, and other factors all having an influence. For this reason, some wineries might emerge from 2020 unscathed; others might not.

“People are going to have to make their own choices,” Griessel says. “It's a brutal, brutal thing because this might be the end of some wineries. Then there are going to be wineries that completely escaped this, and then others that have maybe small amounts, and no one will ever notice. We had to make the best decision for ourselves and for our customers.”

Seven Hills Winery, one of Walla Walla Valley’s founding wineries, announced this week the retirement of co-founder Casey McClellan. Bobby Richards, who has worked at the winery since 2013, has been named winemaker.

“It’s been a fun run,” says McClellan, who founded Seven Hills with his wife Vicky in 1988 as the valley’s fifth winery. “It’s been constant growth, constant hard work.”

Seven Hills Winery and the McClellan family have played integral roles in establishing Walla Walla Valley as a premier wine region. In addition to the winery’s success, Casey worked with his father, James, and Herb Hendricks to establish the valley’s first commercial vineyard in 1982.

“A lot has changed,” McClellan says. “We've gone from five wineries to over 100 [wineries] and 3,000 acres of vineyards now. It does not look like the same place.”

Seven Hills Winery has made its mark over the years crafting classically styled wines known for their restraint and aging potential. Even as the wine industry more broadly moved toward riper (and riper) styles, Seven Hills did not.

“I think if we would have been willing to bend the style more dramatically, it would have been a more market-friendly approach, but we really wanted to stand for something in wine, and we did. We stayed the course,” McClellan says.

New winemaker Bobby Richards is a Northwest native who became interested in fermentation science in college. After graduating with a degree in forest management from Oregon State University, he spent two harvests at Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe, Oregon and went on to become a cellar hand at Tranche Cellars in Walla Walla. Richards subsequently worked a harvest at Seven Hills Winery in 2013. He was eventually hired on full-time and worked his way up to associate winemaker.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Richards says. “I want to stay true to what Seven Hills is, showcasing the unique terroir that we have here in Walla Walla. I want to keep crafting wines that are food friendly [and] ageable, with nice balance, without oak overshadowing the fruit.”

This week’s change was not unexpected. The McClellans sold Seven Hills Winery to Crimson Wine Group in 2016, with Vicky McClellan retiring at that time. Several other long-time valley wineries, such as 

“There’s a changing of the guard here in Walla Walla,” says Richards. “We have these pioneers that are now retiring, and that have raised a family here, created this community such that there's opportunity for people like me to continue in this family-oriented business and community that Walla Walla has.”

While stepping aside from full-time work, McClellan will continue to consult for Seven Hills.

“I’ll be there for Bobby when he has a question about how things historically worked and try to be helpful in the way of maintaining continuity stylistically,” says McClellan. “But I have every confidence in Bobby.”

Images courtesy of Crimson Wine Group. 

Sagemoor Vineyards announced today that it had partnered with a private equity firm to purchase Southwind Vineyard in Walla Walla Valley.

“We’ve been looking for properties that fit our business model and are known to raise exceptional grapes. Southwind certainly fits that and already has pedigree, which was a big attraction,” says Kent Waliser, director of wine and grape sales at Sagemoor.

Southwind is the largest property within SeVein, a 2,700 acre project located on the south side of Walla Walla Valley. The vineyard was established in 2007 and currently has approximately 70 acres planted to grape vines. Walla Walla’s Dusted Valley receives fruit from approximately 30 acres on a long-term agreement.

“For us, if we imagined 100 outcomes, Sagemoor purchasing [Southwind] is about the best we could have come up with,” says Chad Johnson, owner and winegrower at Dusted Valley. “We’ve worked with Sagemoor for years, and for custom farming, they are great.”

Southwind is notable for having sections that reach high up to SeVein’s ridgeline. The area has near constant winds, so much so that a wind farm is nearby.

“That whole hillside is pretty unique,” Johnson says. “Wind is a big part of the terroir. [Southwind] has the thickest skins of any of the sites I’ve worked with, and with that comes everything: flavor, tannin, acid, and a little bit more concentration.”

Other wineries using Southwind fruit include Devison and Oregon’s Domaine Serene. The property includes a "Glass House" used for industry events.

Sagemoor’s holdings have previously included Bacchus and Dionysus vineyards in the proposed White Bluffs appellation and Weinbau Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope. Gamache Vineyard in Columbia Valley was added in 2016. This is Sagemoor’s first investment in Walla Walla Valley.

“It broadens our reach and our diversity of what we can plant and grow,” says Waliser, who notes Sagemoor already has 30 clients in the valley sourcing fruit from its other vineyards.

Chris Banek of Banek Winegrower Management currently farms Southwind and will continue to through at least the 2021 vintage, with Sagemoor planning additional plantings in 2022.

What follows is an excerpt from an article published in Washington Tasting Room Magazine. 

Glancing back, last year was certainly one defined by challenges. First there was the pandemic, with wineries scrambling to adjust to a radically changed landscape. Almost overnight, they needed to find new ways to engage their customers and sell wine, changes that were compounded by sharp reductions in restaurant sales and the number of people traveling to wine country. Then after a near ideal growing season, wildfire smoke blanketed the state right in the middle of harvest.

Despite it all, many wineries found creative ways to not only survive 2020 but to thrive. Additionally, while the smoke no doubt added to the stress of the year, most winemakers are cautiously optimistic they dodged serious issues. Harvest numbers reportedly dipped below 200,000 tons for the first time since 2012, due in part to a combination of unrelated factors involving both Mother Nature and market changes.

Bloom has begun in the Columbia Valley. Sagemoor Vineyards reports seeing bloom in Chardonnay at its Wienbau Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope today, May 17th. Bloom took place on this same date in 2020. 

This month’s Pic of the Vine salutes Marie-Eve Gilla, director of viticulture and winemaking for Valdemar Estates. She was recently selected as the 2021 Auction of Washington Wines Honorary Vintner. Captured here by contributing photographer Richard Duval, Gilla has long been one of the brightest stars in the Washington wine sky.

Today the Lawrence and Merkle families, two prominent growers in eastern Washington, announced the purchase of Yakima Valley’s Desert Wind Winery.

“We think it’s kind of a diamond in the rough so to speak,” says Josh Lawrence, CEO of Lawrence Enterprises and managing partner of Gård Vintners and Lawrence Vineyards. “The winery has this uniqueness, with its Southwestern feel and appeal.”

Located overlooking the Yakima River, Desert Wind is distinct in that the Southwest-inspired building not only includes a winery and tasting room, it also has a large event space, restaurant, spa, and overnight guest rooms.

“That idea of coming in and staying on-site and really getting the Washington wine experience, I think has a lot of legs,” says Lawrence.

In 2020, the Lawrence and Merkle families purchased Desert Wind’s 480 acre eponymous estate property on the Wahluke Slope. Having purchased well-regarded Connor Lee Vineyard in 2019, the two families now own over 1,100 acres in the Columbia Valley.

With the purchase, Matías Kúsulas was named winemaker at Desert Wind. A Chilean native, Kúsulas brings an impressive resumé that includes master’s degrees in enology and viticulture from Montpelier and Bordeaux. Kúsulas has worked in Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, Châteauneuf-du-pape, and Côte Rôtie.

In 2016, Kúsulas moved to Washington and subsequently worked his way from enologist up to production manager and viticulturalist at A. Morrell Wines and M&L Production. He has also served as viticulturalist for Wautoma Springs Vineyard and head viticulturalist for Lawrence Vineyards on the Royal Slope.

“For me, it's just an honor,” Kúsulas says of becoming Desert Wind’s winemaker. “We'll be able to work directly with the vineyards we manage to bring fruit into this building and make a great product. I’m excited.”

In addition to his work at Desert Wind, Kúsulas also has his own brands Valo Cellars and Massalto. Both share a recently opened tasting room in Vancouver, Washington.

Founded in 2001 by the Fries family, Desert Wind Winery makes approximately 11,000 cases annually.

Photo by Lynn Howlett courtesy of Desert Wind Winery

Bud break is underway in the Columbia Valley. Ryan Driver, vineyard manager at Tertulia Cellars, saw bud break in Syrah at the winery's Elevation Vineyard in Walla Walla Valley on March 31st. Pictured here, this site is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and is notable for its fractured basalt soils.

Elevation saw bud break in Syrah on March 27th in 2020 and on April 9th in 2019. 

Meanwhile Sagemoor Vineyards vineyard manager Lacey Lybeck reported bud break beginning in Chardonnay at Dionysus Vineyard on April 1st. In 2019, bud break in Chardonnay began at Sagemoor on April 12th.

While bud break is beginning in some parts of the Columbia Valley, snow continues to fall in the mountain passes – a not-so-subtle reminder that winter is not completely done with Washington wine country.

Contributing photographer Richard Duval recently revisited a favorite spot, Rocky Pond Estate Winery's Double D Vineyard, to capture one last scene of snow on the vines. Double D lies in the proposed Rocky Reach appellation, south of Chelan. Contrast this image to July 2020’s Pic of the Vine, and you’ll see that vineyard maintenance is a year-round activity.

In a year full of challenges, winemakers are happy with the results

Winemaker Jason Gorski at DeLille Cellars gives a succinct summation of the 2020 growing season in Washington, saying “Yields were down. The quality was great.”

Indeed, at 178,500 tons, 2020 was Washington’s smallest crop since 2012. It was an 11% reduction from 2019 and a full third lower than the state’s highwater mark of 270,000 tons in 2016. While grapes were in shorter supply, winemakers loved what they got.

“Overall, the vintage is spectacular,” says Chris Figgins, president of Figgins Family Wine Estates in Walla Walla Valley. “I’m kind of in love with the vintage right now.”

The stage for the 2020 growing season was partially set in October of 2019. That month, a frost in Columbia Valley was followed by a freeze on October 30th , with the latter appearing to have caused some vine damage.

“We didn't think too much of it at the time, but I think it made a difference,” says Mike Sauer, who manages Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima Valley.

Unlike 2019 which had an unusually heavy snowpack, winter precipitation was well below average in 2020.

“Everything was dry,” says Dick Boushey, who manages vineyards in Yakima Valley and Red Mountain. “This whole year I watered more than ever.”

For Dan Nickolaus, who manages Champoux, Mach One, Palengat, and Wallula Gap vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills, this set up what he says was one of his best vintages as a grower. “If you have a dry soil profile and irrigation, you have complete control over those vines right off the bat.”

Bud break began in mid-April, well-aligned with long-term averages but later than a number of recent vintages. Bloom began in late May, consistent with recent years. During bloom some areas experienced a significant wind storm. Others saw rain.

“We were calling in Juneuary,” says Figgins. “Like maybe the first 16 days just well below normal [temperatures], constant drizzles. Terrible set.”

Along with the 2019 freeze, the poor set at bloom contributed to the lighter than expected crop. The final factor was the pandemic, with some wineries deciding not to bring in fruit or to bring in substantially less. This led growers to do heavy pruning and shoot thinning early in the season.

“I kind of said ‘Well, I'm going to grow what I can sell,’” says Boushey.

Of course, throughout the growing season, COVID-19 loomed.

“It was the most challenging year by far,” Boushey says. “So much anxiety, especially at the beginning.”

Growers divided up crews, made sure they were spaced out, and took other precautions to try and minimize risks. Winemakers, who didn’t have the benefit of working outdoors, also had to work through the challenges.

“Everyone was trying to figure out how to operate,” says Gorski. "It was extremely stressful."

Katie Nelson, previously at Columbia Crest and recently appointed as winemaker at Chateau Ste Michelle, noted that working in the cellar during the pandemic did have its advantages.

“We say cellar work is sort of the original social distancing,” she says wryly.

While June was at times cool and, in some places wet, July weather improved considerably, with warm but seldom hot temperatures. Late July and August saw several heat spikes, with temperatures reaching up into triple digits. As growers and winemakers started to get a better sense of the crop, many were surprised how light it was.

“I think there was a feeling that it was a little bit smaller, but not 25%,” says Kendall Mix, winemaker at Milbrandt Vineyards and Wahluke Wine Company on the Wahluke Slope.

As a result, minimal thinning was done as harvest approached.

“We spent a quarter of what we had budgeted on crop thinning,” says Lacey Lybeck, vineyard manager at Sagemoor Vineyards in the White Bluffs region of Columbia Valley.

Veraison began in late July and harvest in the third week of August, slightly ahead of where it looked to be at the beginning of the season. September temperatures spiked into the 90s, accelerating picking. An unusual Labor Day wind storm brought gusts up to 50-60 miles per hour in some areas.

“I'd never seen it like that before,” says Boushey. “I was like, ‘Geez, what else is going to happen?’”

What else would turn out to be wildfire smoke from California and Oregon.

The smoke came into eastern Washington briefly in early September and then blew out over the Pacific for a week. However, winds eventually shifted, moving it back in through the Columbia Gorge and then Columbia Valley from September 10th to 18th.

“That put a lot of stress on everybody,” Sauer says. “Basically we didn't see the sun for eight days.”

As has occurred in vintages like 2017 and to a lesser extent in 2018, the smoke impacted maturation in a number of ways.

“The sugar accumulation just flatlined,” said Sauer, “But the nights were just as warm, so respiration was still happening. Berry development was still happening.”

“It was a really good year to be out tasting fruit,” says Mix. “If you weren't out in the vineyard, you probably missed that.”

With concerns of potential smoke taint, winemakers did small-scale fermentations for sensory analysis. This became even more critical as the intensity of the fires in California and Oregon increased, overwhelming the ability of commercial laboratories to do analytic testing.

“The smoke was just kind of another kick in the pants,” says James Mantone, owner and winemaker at Syncline Winery in the Columbia Gorge.

In the end, however, winemakers were cautiously optimistic that Washington dodged widespread impacts from the smoke. Petit Verdot, Mourvèdre, and Cabernet Franc in some locations appeared to be the most affected.

“I'm still just nervous because it's my job to be, but I'm very guardedly optimistic as of right now,” says Figgins.

Ideal weather prevailed in the latter part of September, with October seeing above average temperatures. In the end, the big story of the vintage was the small crop.

“It was definitely one of the lighter crops I've seen,” says Mary Clubb, owner and managing winemaker at L’Ecole No. 41 in Walla Walla Valley.

Along with factors previously mentioned, other contributors were smaller cluster and berry sizes.

“What we saw was cluster counts were up, but cluster size and berry size were significantly down this year,” says Mantone.

While growers were worried at the beginning of the season about how much they should grow, in the end there was barely enough fruit to go around, with some left wanting more.

“I picked every last cluster,” says Boushey.

Overall, sugar levels were moderate in 2020 as were acidities. While the final Growing Degree Day numbers looked like a very warm season, that was a bit deceiving.

“We were right at or just above the long term average almost during the whole year,” says Clubb. “But then September and certainly for sure October was higher.”

In the end, despite the many stresses of the year, winemakers were extremely pleased with the results.

“They're just beautiful wines – aromatic and dense but with levity to them and just super dark and good acid. Some of the darkest wines of my career,” says Figgins.

He attributed the dark colors to the summer heat and the poor set giving better sun penetration into the clusters.

“I actually love when we get poor set years,” Figgins says. “They tend to be very high quality years if it's a solid vintage otherwise.”

A well-forecast frost event October 23rd led many growers who still had fruit out to pick in advance of that or shortly thereafter, bringing the growing season to a close.

While winemakers were no doubt happy with the results of the vintage, many expressed concern about whether consumers would want to drink wines labeled with what was undoubtedly for all a very difficult year. During the growing season, some even questioned whether they should be making wines at all. For Mantone, the answer is an emphatic ‘Yes.’

“People made wine and in the world wars, when the trenches literally went through their vineyards,” Mantone says. “I think [2020 vintage wines] are going to be important wines from a historical perspective and from a psychological perspective. It's almost more important than ever to be making wine in difficult times.”

The epicenter of western Washington wine is evolving

As a wine region, Woodinville is full of contradictions. While the town itself has a rich agrarian history, whatever grapevines exist are purely decorative. Almost all of the state’s grapes are grown at least 100 miles to the east.

With a population of 13,000, Woodinville has an appealing, small-town feel, yet downtown Seattle lies only 20 miles away. It’s home to more than 130 wineries and tasting rooms, by far the most of any region in the state outside eastern Washington’s Walla Walla Valley. Many of them are situated curiously in industrial parks and strip malls, while others are in French-style chateaus.

Woodinville’s juxtapositions have always been part of its charm, however. It’s a unique, ever-changing wine region. Its latest evolution is underway.

Read the rest of the article here.

Old vines are one of the wine world’s most cherished possessions. They not only can bring additional nuance and complexity, they are also living pieces of history.

Stoller Family Estate vice president of winemaking Melissa Burr first became interested in working with old vine fruit when her mother-in-law purchased a piece of property in the Columbia Gorge. The land had a 12-acre vineyard, including Pinot Noir vines planted in the late 1960s. The vineyard, which has been alternately referred to as Mont Elise, Atavus, and Dragonfly, sits 1,800 feet above sea level – quite high by Pacific Northwest standards.

“I was really intrigued by it,” Burr says.

However, it wasn’t until Great Northwest Wine writer Andy Perdue encouraged Burr to look at other old vine sites that the project took shape.

“He was one of the people talking about [Monte Elise] when I was first getting going,” Burr says. “He really inspired me.”

Instead of simply working with Mont Elise fruit, Burr decided to seek out old vine plantings throughout the Pacific Northwest. Perdue connected her with the owners of Otis Vineyard, which had Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted in 1957 – the oldest Cabernet in Washington. She soon added Muscat of Alexandria planted in 1917 at Upland Vineyard – the oldest vines in the state.

“It was about trying to work with growers who have these historic vineyards, just out of curiosity and out of preservation of these vines,” Burr says of the idea to start an old vine focused winery.

For the project, Burr partnered with Stoller Wine Group owner Bill Stoller. However, when Burr and Stoller president Gary Mortensen set about searching for a name for the brand, most they considered were already taken.

“[Mortensen] was getting so frustrated. ‘I just want something that's says ‘history,’ that says the word,’” Burr recalls. Miraculously, the word ‘history’ itself was not trademarked. 

Over time, Burr added a Zinfandel from a vineyard in The Dalles, Oregon, planted in the late 1800s that are the oldest vines in the Pacific Northwest. She’s also worked with Windrow Vineyard Cabernet planted in 1981 – the oldest Cabernet in Walla Walla Valley. There's also old vine Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Merlot from Canoe Ridge, and Cabernet Franc from Red Willow.

In 2017, the winery added a red blend, made from a combination of old vine sites and Washington vineyards Burr thinks are exciting.

“[The red blend] really satisfies a need, and the quality for value in Washington is phenomenal,” Burr says.

The History wines are sold on-line, through a wine club, and through Stoller’s tasting rooms in Dayton and Bend, Oregon.

While one of Burr’s goals with History is to work with the same sites over time, that is not always possible. As with all things, eventually these vines truly do become history. The 1957 Cabernet vines at Otis Vineyard were subsequently replanted once the vines were no longer productive. The 1917 Muscat plantings also met their demise.

“Just because of the nature of how things work, I've had sites come and go,” Burr says.

She also notes that while old vine sites are often revered, older doesn’t always mean better. Eventually, vines need to be replanted.

“Old vine doesn't always mean top quality,” Burr says. “You can't just hang onto the vines just because they’re old.”

But for those vines that still do produce high quality fruit, the results can reveal something magical, as History proves.

“I truly do think that these old vines make really special, complex wine,” Burr says.

History 2016 Mont Elise Vineyard Gewürztraminer Columbia Gorge $30 92 points