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WeatherEye Vineyards will change the way Washington makes wine

Back in 2018 I wrote in Wine Enthusiast about a new project from Cam Myhrvold and Ryan Johnson atop Red Mountain called WeatherEye Vineyards. The idea for the project is simple.

Put hand selected clones in nano-planted blocks at higher elevation on Red Mountain, often at high density and sometimes with northern aspects. Use this and a variety of trellising techniques to achieve longer hang times and wines with more intensity, freshness, and non-fruit characteristics. Farm it all with a maniacal level of attention and try and make wines that elevate the notion of what is possible in Washington.

The earliest look at wines from this property came from Liminal Wines, a project from Marty Taucher and Chris Peterson (Avennia) that I wrote about back in 2020. For their inaugural releases, Liminal was my 2020 Winery of the Year.

Now comes a series of 2019 estate red wines from WeatherEye that were just offered last week. These wines were crafted by Todd Alexander (Force MajeureThe WallsPáxša, and Holocene). They are quite simply some of the best wines I’ve ever had from Washington.

“We started with a really interesting piece of property and a belief that we could try and make something great,” says Cam Myhrvold, who began purchasing land for what is now WeatherEye Vineyards back in 2004. “The plan was always to start as a vineyard, and if the fruit was really great and unique, then we’d follow that up with an estate wine project.”

It is hard to describe the extreme level of effort and detail that has gone into this vineyard without seeing it. There are currently 33 acres planted, with about 29.5 of them in production. None of the blocks could have been easy to plant. Some of them are on quite steep terrain. The soil often has a significant amount of fractured basalt. The vines must be hand tended and harvested. Most of the blocks are minute in size, tightly matched to the terrain.

“We feel like what we're doing on the vineyard side is some pretty innovative stuff,” says vineyard manager Ryan Johnson, who designed and planted the site.

Johnson, who has more than 20 years of experience on Red Mountain, spent six months just walking the ground before planting to try and fully understand the aspects, soils, and wind patterns. In the end, he attempted to match clone and variety to trellising technique and location with an intensive level of detail.

“So much of this was kind of an experiment,” Johnson says. “It's a confirmation that terroir is important, viticulture is important, and so is the clonal material that we use.”

WeatherEye currently works with 10 hand-selected wineries, with many more clamoring to access the fruit. The choice of Alexander to craft the estate wines was both inspired and an easy one. Johnson had been working on the nearby Force Majeure project but was ending his tenure right as Alexander was starting at that winery.

“He's a top tier winemaker, making wines at the highest level,” Johnson says of Alexander. “I think there was this mutual drive to be able to work together at some point.”

Meanwhile Alexander’s interest in working with WeatherEye fruit only increased as he saw the vineyard come to fruition. “It's an incredible amount of work, and a lot of thought has gone into it,” he says of the site.

The first WeatherEye estate wines were made in 2018, with a Syrah and Grenache at a mere 140 total cases. That expanded to a still-meager 400 cases in 2019. The 2020 production will be double that, with white wines added to the program.

Below is a description of the 2019 releases from the eyes of the people who helped create them. My scores for these wines from my time at Wine Enthusiast are at the bottom of the article.

WeatherEye Estate Grenache Red Mountain 2019

“This is really a unique mesoclimate,” Johnson says of the spot these vines are planted. “It's a little, sandy basalt outcrop. The way that outcropping works is it almost acts as its own wind shelter. You have these screaming winds hit the upper slopes of Red Mountain, and it'll go right over the top of this block.”

The entire block, which is called ‘La Mesita,’ is 0.3 acres, planted at a high density of 3,200 vines per acre. The vines are planted using a goblet training system.

“The soils really thin out just to the north of [the block],” Johnson says. “That's why it's 0.3 acres. We certainly use every last little square foot.”

WeatherEye Estate Syrah Red Mountain 2019


The 2019 Syrah is a blend of two different blocks. One is composed of the highest vines planted on Red Mountain at an elevation of 1,230 feet. The other block is planted meter by meter sur echalas – on stakes.

“It's got the highest elevation vines but also the highest vine density,” Johnson says. “It’s just a match made in heaven.”

One of the blocks is on the northeast side, which is unusual for Washington. The other is southwest facing. The blocks are 0.5 and 0.4 acres in size.

“Those are picked separately and vinified separately, and then we put a blend together at the end,” Alexander says.

WeatherEye Estate Mourvèdre Red Mountain 2019

Mourvèdre is only planted in miniscule amounts on Red Mountain – eight total acres as of the 2017 state acreage survey, the most recent that was conducted. The block this wine came from won’t tip the scales, as it is only 0.9 acres.

The block is located along the ridgeline of Red Mountain at an elevation of 1,200 feet, where the soils are fractured basalt. The vines are planted as bush vines.

“The Mourvèdre has been a real eye opener,” Johnson says. “Our approach to viticulture is we want to express the savory notes, the non-fruit elements, and I think we hit it with [this wine].”

WeatherEye Estate Tempranillo Red Mountain 2019


The 2019 Tempranillo also comes from vines planted on the north side of the mountain. Johnson says he treats the Tempranillo viticulturally like he does Syrah.

“It’s sur echalas training, high density,” he says. Johnson gives a descriptive take on the inaugural vintage.

“The Tempranillo is like sucking on the Grim Reaper's cloak. It's dark, it's slightly dangerous, and it's mysterious. I opened that the other night, and it just grabbed hold of my psyche. It was really one of those intellectually stimulating wines because it's not what you think it would be.”

The final red wine from 2019 is the Hillfighter, a blend made from declassified barrels that will change from year to year. It’s one of those “If this is what the declassified stuff tastes like, I’ve got to try the other wines” bottles. Of note, all of the label images were taken by Ryan Johnson.

* * *

In addition to these just-released red wines, WeatherEye will offer a set of 2020 estate white wines later this fall. This will include a Marsanne, a Roussanne, and a white Rhône-style blend.

Red Mountain has long been dominated by red grape varieties, which make up 96% of the appellation’s acreage. Alexander, however, is bullish on the prospects for whites at WeatherEye, which includes acreage that spans beyond the appellation’s boundaries.

“I think the potential for Rhône whites is really, really high,” he says. “You get nice juicy grapes without a lot of phenolics. You get just the right amount of texture. The acid stays gorgeous. The sugars are in check. They’re just really, really beautifully balanced.”

We will see what the future holds for white wines at this vineyard. However, the 2019 WeatherEye red wines and those that come after them will surely change the calculus of Washington wine. These are wines that will capture the imagination of consumers and critics alike. (See a recent writeup on the vineyard from Alder Yarrow at Vinography for an example of the attention this site and its wines are already receiving.) They show the heights that are possible with an extreme focus on site selection and farming.

Is what Myhrvold and Johnson are doing at WeatherEye easily extendable to other areas of the state? Extendable, perhaps. Easily? Certainly not. A project like this takes an extraordinary amount of time and a truly fanatical level of dedication.

“Ryan's probably the most obsessive farmer I've known,” Alexander says. “His attention to detail is really, really high.”

That type of commitment is surely not for everyone. A project like this is also quite capital intensive. However, these WeatherEye wines will just as surely inspire others to explore the boundaries of what is possible in the state.

“It's exhausting. It’s exciting,” Johnson says of the vineyard. “It’s all I think about honestly in my spare time, searching out new information, rethinking different blocks. I mean, it might border on a sickness really, right? But I wouldn't want to do anything else.”

An additional part of what makes the initial releases from WeatherEye, Liminal, and others from this site so remarkable is that these wines are coming from young vine fruit, albeit from very strong vintages. It’s hard to imagine how high the potential is as the vines age, the site stretches its legs, and vintners fully learn how to work with the fruit.

“Right now, it’s a young vineyard where you're pulling stuff that no one's ever worked with before,” Alexander says. “There's really no track record on anything.”

To give a sense of the overall commitment, Myhrvold is now 18 years into this project. It’s only in the last few that he’s started to see the first fruits of his investment. Still, for all the time and money, he says it’s been a rewarding journey.

“Everything takes a long time,” Myhrvold says of the wine industry. “But if I stand back and look at it objectively, I have to be pretty pleased at where we are and what I think we can do in the future.”

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Grenache Red Mountain $85 96 points 
This young vineyard, in its second vintage, has already proven itself to be a special spot for Grenache. The dark raspberry, lavender and dried-herb aromas show crystalline purity. The ripe dark fruit and white-pepper flavors are completely enveloping. Firm tannins back it all up. It needs some time to tame the tannins but will be more than worth the wait. Best after 2026. Cellar Selection — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Syrah Red Mountain $85 96 points
 
WeatherEye is a new site established on the top of Red Mountain, farmed by legendary grower Ryan Johnson, with this wine made by esteemed winemaker Todd Alexander. The aromas are brooding, with notes of huckleberry, flower, crushed rock and barrel spice. Full bodied, ripe intense dark fruit flavors follow. It’s a full-on flavor and textural assault, taking no prisoners. Hedonism in a glass. Best after 2026. Cellar Selection — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Mourvèdre Red Mountain $85 95 points 
Fruit for this wine comes from a new site on the top of Red Mountain. The aromas are arresting, with notes of black peppercorn, sauvage, citrus rind, fractured basalt and herb, showing delineation and detail. The flavors are intense and layered, while still retaining deftness. There’s a whole lot of firm tannic structure behind it. It hangs on the finish. It’s tight as a drum right now. Drink after 2026. Cellar Selection — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Estate Tempranillo Red Mountain $85 92 points 
The aromas bring notes of pencil eraser, red cherry, herb and crushed rock. A full flavored, flower-filled palate follows. There’s plenty of structure backing it all up. It’s equal promise and delivery. — SS, Wine Enthusiast

WeatherEye 2019 Hillfighter Red Blend Red Mountain $55 92 points 
Hillfighter is a second label for WeatherEye, a new site located on the top of Red Mountain made from declassified lots. A blend of 53% Tempranillo, 30% Syrah and 17% Mourvèdre, the aromas are brooding, with notes of dark chocolate, wood spice and cherry. Firm tannins back it up. It’s a whole lot of wine. Give it a short decant. — SS, Wine Enthusiast

Images courtesy of WeatherEye Vineyards. 

Bledsoe Wine Estates is creating a Northwest vinous empire

Former NFL quarterback purchases new Walla Walla vineyard and winery, will open two new tasting rooms in 2023

This week Bledsoe Wine Estates, founded in 2007 by former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his wife Maura, announced the purchase of àMaurice Vineyard and its adjacent winery facility in Walla Walla Valley.

“It’s a really special piece of property,” says Josh McDaniels, general manager and director of winemaking. “We’re thrilled.”

The 2,000-square foot winery building and 20-acre vineyard are located in the Upper Mill Creek area of the valley. With plantings first established by the Figgins family (Leonetti CellarFIGGINSToil Oregon) in 1997 at their Upper Mill Creek Vineyard, the area has become renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and, to a lesser extent, Syrah.

At the site, Bledsoe Wine Estates will open a tasting room for its Bledsoe | McDaniels label, a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Walla Walla Valley Syrah project that launched in 2019. The facility has a targeted opening date of Spring Release Weekend 2023. The winery also plans to open a Bledsoe | McDaniels tasting room in Willamette Valley in 2023 at the 80-acre Eola-Amity Hills property purchased last year.

McDaniels says the purchase of the àMaurice property is the realization of a long-held goal to own land in this region of the valley. “The whole time I've been [at Bledsoe Wine Estates], I’ve been looking for a piece of property in Mill Creek. I've tried forever.”

The reason is not just the top quality Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that comes from this area. For McDaniels, who grew up in this part of the valley, it’s much more personal.

“I've always loved that area,” he says. “It’s quintessential Walla Walla to me. It's the reservoir up there, it's the Mill Creek River, it's the mountains - the Blues, it's the trees, and the wheat fields.”

Indeed, the area is outrageously scenic. It also creates some of the best wines in the valley and will likely one day get its own appellation designation if local wineries so desire.

Upper Mill Creek is currently home to Walla Walla VintnersàMaurice, and Abeja, in addition to numerous vineyards. Figgins is establishing a wine cave in the area with plans to build a winery. The area has become increasingly popular of late, with Echolands purchasing 340 acres in 2020 and Jackson Family purchasing its first Washington vineyard there earlier this year.

McDaniels says the purchase of the site played out over time. In 2019, he was approached to see if he was interested in purchasing fruit from àMaurice Vineyard.

“I jumped at the opportunity,” McDaniels says. Eventually, he was introduced to the Schafer family and inquired about the availability of the property.

“I knew I was interested, but I could tell it was very emotional for [Tom Schafer],” McDaniels says. “It was very personal to me too.”

Currently, the new Bledsoe | McDaniels property is 12.5 acres planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Additional plantings next year will raise the acreage to 15. The winery has received fruit from this property since 2020. The Cabernet and Merlot from the vineyard will be used for the winery’s Doubleback label, dedicated to Cabernet Sauvignon. The Syrah will go to Bledsoe | McDaniels.

With the purchase, Bledsoe Wine Estates now owns an astonishing 370 acres of land in Walla Walla Valley. The winery also owns 80 acres in Willamette Valley, creating a Northwest vinous empire. Approximately 115 of the combined acreage is currently planted. In addition to its Doubleback and Bledsoe | McDaniels labels, the winery also has Bledsoe Family Wines. With this sale, each winery will have tasting rooms in Walla Walla Valley. Bledsoe Wine Estates also has a tasting room in Bend, Oregon.

“The number one objective for me [when I became general manager] was estate vineyard development,” says McDaniels, who joined the winery in 2014. The goal for Doubleback has been to include different pieces of terroir from across Walla Walla Valley. “This was kind of the missing piece,” McDaniels says.

Despite the large amount of new acreage, McDaniels says production will not expand dramatically. Rather, estate fruit will be used to replace existing contracts. Production will increase slowly over time. Doubleback is well on its way to being completely estate focused.

“To be able to be really, truly an estate grown Cabernet now with Doubleback and have completely different terroirs to go into that wine has been just really rewarding and gratifying and exciting,” McDaniels says.

With its increased property, the winery also now has its own dedicated vineyard crew. The crew is employed year-round, has full health insurance, and has full retirement benefits.

“I can't talk enough about how positive that's been for all of us, that cultural shift with our crew and our employees,” McDaniels says. “Our business is to create genuine happiness for ourselves and our customers. That's it. All of our employees are part of that. Wine happens to be the medium that we get to give that experience to people.”

The Schafer family established àMaurice Cellars in 2004. Over the years, guided by winemaker Anna Schafer Cohen, the winery became known in large part for its Viognier, Malbec, and Bordeaux-style blends. The àMaurice 2010 Boushey Vineyard Grenache remains one of the finest examples of this variety I’ve ever had from Washington.

àMaurice stopped making wine in the 2019 vintage. The Schafer family will retain the name àMaurice Cellars and current inventory. The family will continue to sell the wine it has.

“We are elated to be passing all our hard work and vision, which has been intensely emotional and personal, to another true family enterprise,” the family said in an email to its customers. “We will miss our sweet vineyard, yet we are grateful that the Bledsoe and McDaniels families will carry on our legacy.”

Image by Richard Duval. 

Why Ste Michelle bought A to Z and Rex Hill, how it happened, and what it means for Northwest wine (plus what’s up with the Woodinville property)

With the acquisition, Ste Michelle is now the largest winery in both Washington and Oregon


Earlier this week Ste Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE) announced it had purchased Oregon’s A to Z Wine Works and Rex Hill Winery. The reasons why the winery did so are simple says CEO David Dearie.

“Like everyone else, we're looking for growth and saying, ‘Where is the growth likely to come from?’”

For many in the wine business lately, the answer has been from Oregon.

Oregon wine has two clear things going for it in the market at present. The first is an abundance of high quality Pinot Noir, a variety that has been on a long run of success with consumers. The second is the higher cost associated with those wines. This puts the offerings in a sweet spot.

In Silicon Valley Bank’s 2022 report, they noted that last year premium wine sales reached growth highs not seen for over a decade (though they noted some concerns as well). Northern Oregon wineries at the same time reported the second highest revenue growth in the nation last year. (Washington was first.) As a result of these trends, the mergers and acquisitions market has been more active than ever, with Willamette Valley wineries often at the center of activity.

“Looking at the numbers, Oregon is a growth category,” says A to Z and Rex Hill CEO Amy Prosenjak. “So at all price points, when you have Oregon in your portfolio, it's a profitable business for you, and it's a growing category.”

Two of a kind

On paper, the pairing of SMWE and A to Z/Rex Hill makes immediate sense. Ste Michelle has a portfolio of premium wines with a consistent focus on quality. A to Z has made its mark by offering premium, high quality whites, reds, and sparkling wines. Ste Michelle also has a number of luxury brands in its portfolio, where Rex Hill fits in nicely.

Still, for the obvious compatibilities, the acquisition was equal parts fortuitous and opportunistic for both parties. On the Ste Michelle side, the company was looking for growth.

“Our focus for the future is on premiumization, like everyone else at the moment,” Dearie explains. “[When we looked at where to get growth from], we had a list of potential acquisitions that may or may not be available that fit into the profile, and A to Z/Rex Hill were right at the top of the list.”

A to Z/Rex Hill might have topped Ste Michelle’s wish list. However, they were not necessarily available.

“We were never interested in selling,” states Prosenjak. “We were interested in finding good partners.”

While Ste Michelle was looking for growth opportunities and A to Z/Rex Hill for a partner, the acquisition was ultimately kindled by one simple spark. Both companies have a relationship with lender Bank of the West.

“Our banker brought the two parties together and said, ‘You know, maybe something could happen here,’” Prosenjak recalls. “When we sat down and had the first conversation with David and the team, we could just see the synergies.”

Ste Michelle’s expansion in Oregon

Ste Michelle made its first foray into Oregon in 2006 when it purchased Erath, one of the state’s founding wineries. The company has since grown that brand from approximately 70,000 cases to 300,000 cases annually. While Dearie says Erath continues to have growth potential, A to Z – one of the largest wineries in the Oregon – gives the company much more. Additionally, the Erath and A to Z wines taste different.

“They're both from Oregon, but they're very different in the look and feel and their flavor profile,” Dearie says. “So we see them as complimentary even though they compete on the shelf.”

At an annual production of 7.3M cases across all its brands, SMWE has long been the largest winery in Washington, headlined by Chateau Ste Michelle14 Hands, and Columbia Crest. With the acquisition of A to Z and Rex Hill, SMWE now becomes the largest winery in Oregon as well according to the company. The combined production of Erath, A to Z, and Rex Hill will be 700,000 cases. Moreover, Dearie believes that wineries in both states are positioned to grow – and Ste Michelle along with that.

“We see tremendous growth opportunities from Washington, and we're very well positioned to be able to take advantage of those growth opportunities at various price points,” he says. “We see the growth of Oregon. We think there's a long-term potential. This acquisition gives us the opportunity to grow both.”

A year of change at Ste Michelle

The acquisition comes after a year of transition for SMWE. The company itself was purchased by Sycamore Partners, a New York based private equity firm, last year for $1.3B, with the deal completed in October.
At the time, some feared that Washington’s founding winery might be sold for parts and quick profit. However, Sycamore’s investment in Ste Michelle with the purchase of A to Z and Rex Hill would seem to indicate both companies are playing the long game.

“Obviously Sycamore is coming in as a private equity group. They will be looking to get growth,” Dearie says. “They're prepared to invest behind the portfolio and the brands to achieve that.”

Sycamore’s belief in the potential of the winery is due to the long-term strategy that Ste Michelle presented when it was looking for a buyer.

“We put a very simple strategy in place, which is fix, build, buy,” Dearie says. “Fix some of the challenges we’ve had; build on the core brands that we've got; buy where we see opportunities. Our intent is to grow and grow at the premium end. [The purchase of A to Z and Rex Hill] is just an extension of that strategy.”

Prior to Sycamore purchasing the company, Ste Michelle had made a number of acquisitions over the years. Most recently, the company purchased Sonoma’s Patz & Hall in 2016.

However, this is the company’s first acquisition since the Sycamore purchase and since Dearie became CEO in October of 2020. It is also the first since the winery hit a rough patch, with a decrease in production of 1.2M cases per year between 2016 and 2020. In 2020, former owner Altria announced a $292 million inventory write-off and $100 million in losses on non-cancellable grape purchases.

Since the purchase by Sycamore, Ste Michelle has made a number of changes. Some of those have come on the corporate personnel side, such as recently appointing Andy Feuerstein as senior vice president of national accounts on/off sale. Others have come in distribution, such as announcing a strategic partnership with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. The company also made several changes to its winemaking team last year and this year.

“Sycamore bought the business less than a year ago. We've done quite a bit in that year,” says Dearie. “We managed to close down Woodinville [wine production], and then we've got a distribution contract with Southern. We've now bought A to Z. So it's been a busy 12 months. Hopefully the intent is people see that we're in this for the growth and for the good of the Pacific Northwest wine region in general.”

Plans for the Woodinville property

While Ste Michelle’s purchase by Sycamore initially caused trepidation in some corners, those concerns were heightened when Ste Michelle put its Woodinville property up for sale in whole or part earlier this year. However, Dearie says any potential changes to the property would be both pragmatic and in the best interest of growing the brand.

“We're not in any need to move anywhere,” Dearie explains. “We're just looking to see what have we got and what can it be worth, and the intent is for us to invest behind our brand building efforts.”

Ste Michelle made the decision to list all or part of the property for sale after moving its white wine production to eastern Washington starting this vintage. Red wine production has long taken place there.

“We have got to be good stewards of the land, and we're focused on that,” Dearie says. “When we started to look at the amount of diesel that we were using to bring grapes backwards and forwards, it made much more sense to have those wines processed in eastern Washington where the grapes are grown.”

The exploration of whether it could sell part or all of its Woodinville property was a natural follow on to that decision.

“Like anything else, we’ll explore all of the options, but if we don't like any of the options for the site here in Woodinville, we won't take any of the options,” Dearie says. “You've got to look at where the best places to deploy capital are. We've got some assets, like part of the Woodinville site here, that is excess to our needs, and if we can redeploy the capital in there, we should.”

Dearie says he doesn’t expect moving production and potentially selling parts of the property that were used for that purpose to negatively impact consumer experience at the winery.

“The consumer is coming to the Woodinville site not to see the winemaking production facilities. They’re coming here for the consumer experience of tasting wine, sitting on the lawn, watching the concerts. What we want to do is give more wonderful experiences to consumers who come into the site.”

What’s next for the A to Z/Rex Hill team

While some recent winery acquisitions in Oregon have been influenced by the 2020 vintage where wildfire smoke drastically reduced production at many wineries, A to Z/Rex Hill’s Amy Prosenjak says that was not the case here.

“It was really about the future rather than anything that had happened in the past,” she says.

Prosenjak will join the Ste Michelle team as President of Oregon Brands. “When you take Erath and A to Z and Rex Hill, you have these three great brands that you can provide distinct flavor profiles, distinct wines, distinct price points, [and] distinct brand stories,” she says. “It gives you a lot of options out there to our great consumers.”

Founding partners Deb Hatcher, Cheryl Francis, and Sam Tannahill will join Ste. Michelle as consultants. Michael Davies will continue as executive winemaker. Bill Hatcher, another founding partner, is retiring as chairman of the board for A to Z. Otherwise, consumers should expect more of the same. All in a newly renovated tasting room

“A to Z’s premise has always been ‘Try Oregon for $20. Try it tonight. And if you like it, maybe you'll buy the next great $50 bottle that you come across from Oregon,’” Prosenjak says. “That’s what it was from the beginning and still is today.”

The power of Oregon Pinot

The acquisition of A to Z/Rex Hill makes SMWE the largest producer in Oregon. This also sets the winery up well for what many expect to be the two biggest growth categories of the next decade – Oregon and Washington. It also clearly shows the power of Pinot Noir in general at present, and Oregon Pinot Noir in particular.

“Pinot is a hot varietal right now,” Dearie says. “And we've got two core brands with A to Z and Erath which are very different styles and then a more premium one with Rex Hill. So we think we've got to the best of all worlds where we can we can speak Oregon from multiple different styles in flavor, profile, and processes. I think that's really quite exciting.”

As the company continues to grow these brands, it’s a message Ste Michelle can take not just around the country. With an international sales team, it’s a message that Ste Michelle can take around the world.

“I think Oregon is renowned for making fantastic quality, particularly Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and sparkling [wines],” Dearie says. “And the consumer recognizes the quality that comes out of Oregon, and we see that as well.

“We’re hoping to be able to continue with that legacy and to make Oregon stronger, to take Oregon not only across the US but then ultimately into some selective international markets so folks can taste these great Oregon wines.”

Image of Chateau Ste Michelle by Richard Duval. Image of Amy Prosenjak, David Dearie, and schematic of A to Z Winery courtesy of Ste Michelle Wine Estates.

Harvest begins in Washington

Harvest is underway in Columbia Valley. Christian Grieb at Treveri Cellars reports picking Chardonnay from the winery's estate vineyard in Yakima Valley on August 31st. The fruit, which will be used for sparkling wine, was picked at 17.1 Brix and 3.18 pH. 

"Perfect for bubbly!" says Grieb.

Grieb notes that this vintage looks about 15 days behind recent years, consistent with what other growers have reported. Treveri picked estate Chardonnay on August 12th in 2021. The winery's first fruit most recent years has come been Hilltop Vineyard Chardonnay, picked on August 11th in 2021, August 21st in 2020, and the same date in 2019. Treveri picked Hilltop  Chardonnay on August 16th in 2018 and 2016. This information is summarized in the table below.

The image here, courtesy of Treveri, is of Grieb pouring a sabered bottle of Treveri Blanc de Blanc over the new vintage, a harvest tradition.







A look at Washington’s 2022 growing season thus far

A cold, wet spring impacted the region

The following article was written by Michael Fagin. Fagin is an operational meteorologist providing weather forecasts to clients in the Pacific Northwest and providing custom forecast for groups climbing Mt. Everest and other major peaks. Michael is also a travel writer with a focus on weather and wine.

As the growing season started in Washington, areas of low pressure moved in and out of the region in April and May. The net result was far below average temperatures and above normal precipitation.

The rainfall and additional mountain snowpack were certainly welcome. However, the cold spring was less so. Fortunately, warm and dry conditions returned in July. Growers are hoping for these conditions to continue for the remainder of the growing season.

April and May weather patterns

April started off with a cold bang for the Pacific Northwest. Much of Eastern Washington had close to 5 degrees (F) below average temperatures. The map below shows the parts of Eastern Washington that were 4 to 6 degrees below average temperature (in the blue color, credit Western Regional Climate Center).



But it wasn’t just cold. It was wet.

The map below on the left shows much of Eastern Washington for April 1st to May 8th, 2022 was markedly wetter than historical averages (in dark blue, credit Western Regional Climate Center). In many cases precipitation was 130% to 150% above average. The map on the right shows the precipitation departure from average in inches.


 













Why was it so cold and wet?

What caused these conditions? The main culprit was a broad trough of low pressure that was anchored over the Northwest for much of April and parts of May. This pattern tends to steer wet and cold weather systems into Washington.

Also, we had La Niña conditions that persisted through the spring. Simply explained, La Niña is below normal sea surface temperature anomalies off the equatorial waters of South America. This pattern usually brings below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for much of Washington.

The map below shows the cool waters off the coasts of South America and Western US (in blue, credit NOAA). In fact, La Niña strengthened this past April. Several meteorologists have suggested that this contributed to the cooler temperatures for Washington.



 















Impacts for Eastern Washington

Given the cold wet start to the growing season, it is no surprise that Growing Degree Days (GDD) in the Columbia Valley were below normal during the spring and early summer (GDD is a measure if heat accumulation; it is the average temperatures over 50 from April 1st to October 31st). You can see from this Washington State University GDD graph that 2022 started well below the long-term average before slowly moving up toward it.





 









Focusing on two regions with readily available data, Walla Walla and Prosser, we see similar trends. The GDD for 2022 is the green line shown below (charts below from Applied Climate Information System ACIS- NOAA). For both regions, you can see through mid-July, the line is close or equal to the red line, which represents the lowest GDD that occurred in 1955. As the season progressed, warmer temperatures moved Growing Degree Days closer to historical averages. Here, the long-term average is shown as the brown line.







The rainfall chart below for Walla Walla indicates that current precipitation (the green line) was close to the wettest period on record (the blue line) from April to July. Prosser has a similar trend. However it was wetter than the wettest period on record.






Warmer summer temperatures arrive

While the 2022 growing season started out cool and wet, warmer weather in July through mid-August moved Growing Degree Days closer toward the long-term average.

In July, Prosser’s average temperature was 3 degrees above normal. Through August 18th, it is 1.8 degrees above normal. For Walla Walla, July was 1.3 degrees above normal, and through August 18th it is 1.8 above normal.

Will the recent warm pattern continue for the rest of August? Several forecast models suggest well above normal temperatures for the remainder of the month. The map below shows expected temperatures from August 18th to September 1st will be 7.2F (4C) warmer than average (credit to Tropical Tidbits).

As noted recently, many growers currently report being approximately two weeks behind recent years in terms of development. It will be interesting to see during the rest of the growing season if this warming trend continues and if GDD can approach closer to the long-term average.




 













Looking ahead

Many are also wondering what September might look like. This is more difficult to say. The extended temperature forecast out to 14 days generally can be accurate. However forecast out to 30 days are less so.

For these extended 30 day outlooks, many meteorologists look at the Climate Forecast System (CFS), which is data from NOAA. At present, the outlook for much of September is temperatures will generally be above normal.

However, there are several cooler air masses that will briefly move for cooler temperatures. The map below indicates below normal temperatures for September 14th (from Pivotal Weather; 2 meter AGL is temperatures 6.6 feet above ground level).

In this case, temperature in dark blue is forecast to be 10 degrees below normal. However, according to the CFS forecast, this cooler system should be short lived.

In truth, only time will tell exactly what September holds.



 

A Toast! To Washington wine

I am beyond humbled to have been recognized with a Toast! Award for ‘Wine Industry Champion’ as part of this year's Auction of Washington Wines. The Auction is in its 35th year and has raised over $55M to provide money for Seattle Children's HospitalWashington State University's Viticulture & Enology program, and the Auction of Washington Wines' Industry Grant


Each year the Auction has recognized an honorary grower and vintner. This year the Auction expanded the award program and created an event to celebrate honorees, taking place on August 11th. 

Auction executive director Jamie Peha wrote “This evening we recognize individuals and organizations who have given the best of themselves to ensure the on-going success of the industry. From those who have put Washington state on the world stage to get us to where we are today, to the next generation who will build on these successes and lead us into the future.” Recipients were nominated and final selections were made by a judging committee of industry peers.

Congratulations to the other individuals who were recognized: Bob Betz (Lifetime Achievement Award); Dick Boushey (Award of Distinction); Kevin Corliss (Honorary Grower); John Bookwalter (Honorary Vintner); Chateau Ste Michelle (Auction of Washington Wines Star Award); Washington Winegrowers (Healthy Land, Healthy Communities); Senator Kurtis King and Representative Larry Springer (Martin Clubb Washington Wine Hero Award); Patrick Rawn (Vine to Wine); Lacey Lybecker, Sadie Drury, Andrew Januik, and Shae Frichette (Emerging Leaders); and honorary chairs Marchese Piero Antinori (Marchesi Antinori SpA), Renzo Cotarella (Marchesi Antinori SpA), and Marvin Shanken (Wine Spectator).

Below are the remarks that I prepared in accepting the award. To those in the industry who weren't at the event, these words are for you. What I said at the time varied slightly, but both came from the heart.

* * *

It’s a long time ago now, but in the year 2000 I moved to Seattle from Boston, leaving behind a career in medicine and research. I can honestly say I had no idea what I was going to do next.

If you had told me then that pretty soon I would be spending all my time writing about Washington wine, I would never have believed it. I didn’t even know Washington made wine and didn’t know anything about wine other than I liked to drink it occasionally. If you told me that today I would be standing here in front of you all receiving an award for that work, I wouldn’t have believed that either.

But almost immediately after moving to the Northwest I began a love affair with Washington wine. I was captivated by the youth of the region and by the sense of possibility.

I was captivated by the quality of the wines I was tasting, yes. But most of all I was captivated by the people, their stories, and their passion for what they were doing.

So in 2004 I started writing about and reviewing wines under the name Washington Wine Report. Today, 18 years later, I continue to be driven by people growing, making, and marketing wine in this state. By the people who have made Washington’s industry what it is today and what it will be tomorrow.

And that is all of you. The truth is, I would not be up here today if it were not for each of you.

You inspired me when I first moved out here 22 years ago looking for a new direction in my life. You continue to inspire me today. Not just the wines you make but the people that you are.

You are truly the ones deserving recognition. I have merely been the messenger telling your stories. But telling those stories has been the greatest privilege of my life.

Thank you all for letting me into your cellars, for walking with me in your vineyards, and for sharing your stories and your passion.

Thank you for listening to me talk endlessly about cork taint, wine temperature, and smoke impact. Thank you for letting me ride along with you on the journey of Washington wine.

I want to thank my wife Annie for her love and support. I also want to thank my friend Patrick Skillings who unknowingly launched my wine writing career by sharing my reviews with some friends. Thank you to the people who nominated me for this award. I’m truly grateful.

Please, keep making the wines and I promise to keep telling your stories and keep championing Washington wine. Thank you so much!

* * *

Pictured here from left to right: Curtis King (Senator, Washington), Shane Collins (Washington Winegrowers), David Dearie (Chateau Ste Michelle), Kevin Corliss (Ste Michelle Wine Estates), Lacey Lybecker (Cairdeas Winery), Andrew Januik (Januik, Andrew Januik), Larry Springer (Representative (Washington), Patrick Rawn (Two Mountain Winery), Bob Betz, MW, Dick Boushey (Boushey Vineyards), Shae Frichette (Frichette), Renzo Cotarella (Marchesi Antinor SpA), Vicky Scharlau (Washington Winegrowers), Sean Sullivan (Washington Wine Report), and John Bookwalter (J. Bookwalter). Picture by Annie Sullivan.

Veraison begins in Columbia Valley

Growers in Washington are seeing the start of veraison, the changing of color of the grapes. This means the beginning of harvest will soon be at hand.

Sager Small at Woodward Canyon Winery in Walla Walla Valley saw veraison in the winery’s estate Cabernet Sauvignon on July 27th/28th. Small says the 2022 growing season has been two to three weeks behind recent years, but last month's high heat brought it closer to two weeks.

Grower Phil Cline saw veraison in Cabernet Sauvignon at Equus Vineyard, pictured here, on August 3rd. Equus is located in Columbia Valley east of Yakima. Cline concurs that the season is currently running two weeks behind recent years.

Shaw Vineyards, which farms sites throughout Columbia Valley, has reported seeing veraison at two Red Mountain locations - Shaw 32 Cabernet Sauvignon on August 3rd and Quintessence Syrah on August 2nd.  

Finally, at Weinbau Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope, grower Miguel Rodriguez saw veraison in Block 9 Merlot on August 3rd.

A look at Washington State University’s graph of Growing Degree Days, a measure of heat accumulation during the growing season, shows that spring was quite cool, tracking with the 2011 vintage. Warmer temperatures in July moved heat accumulation close to the long-term average.

With August, September, and October still ahead, much of the story of this year's growing season remains to be written.

Les Collines distinguishes itself with grapes, place, and people

Les Collines Vineyard sits like a sentinel at the base of the Blue Mountains. The Walla Walla Valley stretches out to the west. On a clear day, the views extend all the way to the Tri-Cities. If wine grapes truly do like a view, they couldn’t do much better.

“On an aesthetic level, it's a gorgeous site,” says vineyard manager Brad Sorensen. “It seems like a very natural place to grow grapes.” Sorensen spent 14 years managing vineyards in Sonoma and Napa Valley – including sites for stalwarts Far Niente and Paul Hobbs – before taking over managing Les Collines in 2018.

French for ‘the foothills,’ Les Collines was established in 2001. At 212 planted acres, Sorensen says it is the largest contiguous vineyard in Walla Walla Valley. The entire site itself is close to 300 acres. 19 varieties are planted, with fruit going to 50+ wineries.

Les Collines’ location by the Blue Mountains gives it two distinct advantages growing wine grapes. The first is its elevation, which ranges from a high of 1,370 feet in the southeast corner down to a low of 1,140 feet in the northwest corner. This is higher than many valley vineyards.

The vineyard’s higher elevation means that, during the heat of the afternoon, Les Collines is typically two to seven degrees Fahrenheit cooler than lower elevation sites in the valley. Meanwhile Les Collines is warmer than lower elevations during the evening, as cool air flows down to lower parts of the valley. The site’s proximity to the Blue Mountains also means it takes the sun longer to reach the vineyard in the morning.

“It takes longer to get to that peak temperature,” says Kelsey Itämeri, owner and winemaker at Itä Wines. “Even that little bit of lack of direct sunlight will help mitigate the hot, hot, hot days.” Les Collines’ gentle slope also allows cool air to drain, helping to protect against frosts and freezes.

The second advantage Les Collines gains from its proximity to the Blue Mountains is increased annual precipitation. Les Collines receives an average of 22 inches of precipitation per year - enough that the vineyard could be dry farmed. In contrast, vineyards in the western edge of the valley might receive a mere eight.

“We irrigate, some years twice just to make ourselves feel better,” says Sorensen with a laugh. “You go to other parts of the state, if you don't start irrigating and continue throughout the entire year, you don't have a vineyard.”

The soils at Les Collines are deep loess – windblown sand and silt that has accumulated over thousands of years. These soils retain enough moisture to keep vines healthy while allowing the rest to drain away.

“It has a really, really deep topsoil,” says Brandon Moss, partner and co-winemaker at Gramercy Cellars, which started using Les Collines Vineyard fruit in its first vintage in 2005. In fact, founder Greg Harrington credits Les Collines with inspiring him to quit his job and move to Washington to make wine.

While the entire site has loess topsoil, the lower reaches of Les Collines sit below the highest of the Missoula Floods – a series of cataclysmic events that inundated everything 1,200 feet and below in the Columbia Basin with water thousands of years ago. As a result, there are Missoula Flood gravels underneath the loess at lower locations.

Syrah is the second most planted variety at Les Collines but is the one that has received the most notoriety. The variety has produced top quality, vineyard-designated wines from Gramercy, WT VintnersAmaviKerloo, and others.

“It's always has this profound nose of violets,” Moss says of Les Collines Syrah. “It's a very floral, pungent, violet aroma.” This is no doubt a hallmark of Les Collines. The site’s higher elevation and cooler temperatures also produce a signature.

“The greatest thing about Les Collines is when we pick, the acid numbers are just perfect, right around 6.2 to 6.5 grams per liter,” says Moss. “You just don't have to intervene as much in what the vines are doing.”

Jean-François Pellet, director of winemaking at Amavi and Pepper Bridge (and partner at the latter), agrees that part of what makes Les Collines special is its ability to hold acidity. “Sometimes we wait a little for a little higher ripeness, but it’s not about ripeness,” Pellet says. “Sometimes it’s to get the acid down.”

While the vineyard has to date been largely known for its red wines, whites can also excel at Les Collines. Itä makes compelling examples of Semillon from the site.

“It has a dynamism to it,” Itämeri says of Les Collines. “I think it's a really beautiful fit for the style that I'm going for.”

Les Collines’ white offerings are expanding. Sorensen recently planted Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Picpoul (with the Picpoul planted for Gramercy).

“It's been historically such a red place, but I think we're particularly suited to aromatic whites,” Sorensen says.

A substantial portion of the vineyard has been deliberately left as a habitat for native animals. “It’s right next to the wild,” Sorensen says. “We have moose come down the creek and elk and mountain lions and all this great diversity.”

There is a firm focus on sustainability. Les Collines is certified Salmon Safe and is also Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) certified. Mechanical tilling is done and no herbicides are used.

“My barometer for a spray program is, I used to live in the middle of Paul Hobbs vineyard with my family, and it's like anything I don’t feel comfortable using around my kids, I don’t use,” Sorensen says.

As more winemakers and consumers pay attention to not just how wine tastes but how it’s grown, this approach will surely become increasingly important. “They're not just all about making high quality grapes, no matter the cost,” says Itämeri. “They, for lack of a better term, give a shit. That really matters to me. Because I also give a shit.”

Over the last 20 years, Les Collines has firmly established itself as a premier vineyard. However, with many vines now reaching 20+ years of age, the vineyard is really just stretching its legs.

“It’s a special place,” Sorensen says.

Top image courtesy of Les Collines Vineyard. Make sure to visit the vineyard's interactive map here. All other images by Richard Duval.

A visit to the Royal Slope appellation

On Thursday, July 7th, I took a day trip out to the Royal Slope. Though grapes have been grown in the area since the 1980s, Royal Slope only recently received appellation status, becoming Washington’s 15th federally approved growing region in 2020. In a sign of Washington’s fast moving times, the state now has 20 approved appellations, the most recent of which was Rocky Reach in June. Others are currently proposed.

Royal Slope is one of the nearest of eastern Washington’s appellations for those living in the Seattle area. 
Visiting Royal Slope, two things are immediately apparent. The first is where it gets its name. Legend has it that a pair of Scotsmen climbed the Saddle Mountains and remarked on the slope’s majesty, giving the area its moniker. The same pronouncement surely holds true today, with the broad slope providing a sense of majesty.

The second is how extensively planted the area is. Royal Slope grows just about everything. There are vineyards, orchards, row crops, and circle crops as far as the eye can see. All of this is made possible by irrigation in this otherwise arid region (Royal Slope receives an average of 6 to 8 inches of precipitation annually, the same as the larger Columbia Valley of which it is a sub-appellation). On this day, my wife and I almost had a sense that we were alone, with few other cars or even people in sight, save the occasional agricultural worker.

Our first stop of the day was at Stillwater Creek Vineyard to visit with vineyard manager Ed Kelly, pictured here. Kelly began a long and distinguished career grapegrowing in 1982 at Mount Veeder Winery. After two decades farming top level sites in California, Kelly moved to Washington with the intent to retire. However, life always has other plans. In 2011, he joined the Stillwater Creek team as vineyard manager. Kelly says he still intends to retire in the next few years but also gives every indication of someone who will stay involved in farming long after that.

“This is the most unique AVA I’ve ever worked in,” Kelly says of Royal Slope. “I think it produces more great vintages than anywhere in the world.”

Just looking at Royal Slope, one can see its tremendous physical advantages: a long, broad, generally south-facing slope; a range of elevations and aspects; and proximity to the Columbia River.

Stillwater itself is approximately 230 planted acres and sources fruit to about 40 wineries, most prominently Novelty Hill, where the vineyard’s fruit makes up the majority of production. Mike Januik, founder of Januik Winery in Woodinville and winemaker at Novelty Hill, worked with the Alberg family to plant Stillwater in 2000.

Kelly has focused much of his career on building soil structure at his sites, and so he has at Stillwater. “Better soil structure leads to better wines,” he says.

2022 has thus far been a cool year relative to the last 10. It was shocking to see just how far behind fruit development was from recent years, with clusters looking more like mid-June than the end of the first week of July (see image of Cabernet Sauvignon). Kelly estimates Stillwater is three weeks behind recent years – substantial but not anything that can’t be made up over the course of the growing season.

From Stillwater, my wife and I continued on to Solaksen Vineyard to meet with Alex Stewart (right) and Jesse Schmidt, two thirds of the new winemaking team at Matthews Winery. Hal Iverson makes up third of the trio. Matthews receives about 35% of its fruit from Royal Slope.

Solaksen is Lawrence Vineyards property. The site is located at the top of the Frenchman Hills, with elevations ranging from 1,430 to 1,490 feet – high by eastern Washington’s current grape growing standards. The vineyard is spaced seven foot by three foot, with the plantings off axis (the name is a Norwegian-inspired term for "off-axis from the sun). Matthews sources six clones of Cabernet Sauvignon from the site, as well as Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Stewart says a number of things separate Solaksen. 

"Foremost, the intention of planning the vineyard: the high elevation, off-axis to which it is planted, vine density, and the diversity of clones per varietal,” he says “Add in the attention to each vine by the stellar crew there, and you have the recipe for some outstanding fruit.”

In Royal Slope in general, what I’ve been most impressed by as a critic is the large diversity in top quality wine I have had from the region. I have had exciting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, and sparkling wine from Royal Slope. Traveling across the appellation on this day, the area’s diversity was apparent, with large differences in the maturity of fruit within and between sites and also substantial differences in elevation.

A quick stop at Stoneridge Vineyard was next on the list. Stoneridge is best known for a series of wines from K Vintners/Charles Smith over the years. The vineyard has a distinct earthy/savory profile that is found across all of the wines, regardless of variety.

Like many esteemed vineyards in eastern Washington, Stoneridge is unassuming. It’s closer to the Saddle Mountains and is clearly a considerably warmer site than previous stops based on fruit development. The soils are sandy with fractured basalt. It almost looks like you’re at the beach.

We finished up the day making a side trip outside of the Royal Slope appellation to Conner Lee Vineyard. In my mind, Conner Lee is now the most highly regarded Columbia Valley vineyard that does not sit within one of the nested appellations. Perhaps in time, this area too will receive its own appellation status.

Conner-Lee has made its mark over the years with thrilling Chardonnays from Buty (which sadly closed its doors earlier this year), BookwalterGormanSightglassValo, and others. The site was established in 1980 by Dick and Louise Owings under the direction of Dr. Walter Clore, recognized by the state as the “father of the Washington wine industry.” Conner Lee receives its name from Rhoady Lee and Bill Conner, who joined as partners in the vineyard. The vineyard was purchased by Josh Lawrence and Tom Merkle in 2019.

Conner Lee sits at an elevation of 1,085 feet to 1,164 feet with loamy fine sand and very fine sandy loam. Bottom line to non-soil scientists: lots and lots of sand.

There are 12 varieties planted at Conner Lee, including the increasingly seldom seen Chenin Blanc and the almost never seen Muscadelle. The site is 150 acres, with the Matthews team sourcing Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir. Note how much further along its fruit is in the picture than sites in the Royal Slope, even though Connor Lee is considered a cooler site (however, this is Pinot Noir). 

Finally, it was time for the drive home, appreciating the occasional streams that along with irrigation, bring agriculture to these areas.

Moving on from Wine Enthusiast

After nine and a half years, I am moving on from Wine Enthusiast.

I started at the magazine as a contributing editor at the beginning of 2013. Since that time, I have reviewed nearly 13,000 wines and authored over 90 articles for Enthusiast.

I began by covering parts of Washington along with Southern Oregon and Idaho. Since the beginning of 2015, I have covered Washington in its entirety. As of this year, I have also been covering all of Oregon and Canada for the magazine.

During my tenure, I have tried to cover the regions in my beat to the fullest of my abilities with the passion and integrity required of any critic. Given how fast the Pacific Northwest wine scene is evolving, doing the region justice has been no easy task. This is an extremely exciting time in the region. The wines have never been better than they are today. I have tried to reflect all this. It has been an honor to tell this story to the readers of Wine Enthusiast.

It has also been a great privilege to work with some of the finest wine writers and critics in the business over the last nine and a half years. In particular, I want to thank my colleague and friend Paul Gregutt for initially recommending me to Wine Enthusiast. I also want to thank Lauren Buzzeo for hiring me when she was tasting director and then continuing to support me as managing editor and earlier this year as executive editor.

Leaving Wine Enthusiast after so long is no doubt bittersweet, and I leave with some business unfinished. I want to offer my sincerest of apologies to producers in Oregon and Canada, who welcomed me with open arms when I took over covering these regions at the beginning of this year and also generously offered me their time over the last six months.

As I said to many people when I took the position, I very much understand how disruptive reviewer changes are for wineries and in fact entire wine regions. I do not take such changes lightly. For making another change this quickly, I am truly sorry. However, I guarantee you the time we spent together was not wasted.

My reasons for leaving Wine Enthusiast are professional, not personal. Some know I have had health issues over the years. I want everyone to know that my leaving Wine Enthusiast has nothing to do with that. I am fine.

I will have more to say about my plans going forward in the future. I will say for now, however, that this is not the end of my time writing about and reviewing Northwest wine. Rather it is the beginning of a new chapter.

I intend to continue writing about Pacific Northwest wineries and rating and reviewing the area’s wines as I have for the last 18 years. This includes wines from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. More to come.

Note to producers: My intention is to review and score all wines that have been submitted prior to today’s date for Wine Enthusiast. Please contact me if you have any questions.