Washington Road Trip
John Clerides
The road trip was set. The four of us were ready to
depart on our weeklong tour of Washington State. We
circled all of the highly recommended wines in our tour
book, make all the necessary appointments and we were
off. There was Brent Hayman, now with the Raincity Grill,
Kevin Chestnutt formerly with the Cannery, my manager
Kevin McKinnon and myself. What we found, or in some
instances did not find, were wineries open and in one
case a winery that was open with no one tending the
till. That was in 1988. Things have certainly changed.
I reflect on that road trip and I realize that all of
us were pioneers.
Today, Washington State is booming. Wineries were literally
opening up on a weekly basis. New vineyards are being
planted and although many superb wines are being made
in the state, the best wines have yet to be made.
I have included a list of some of the state’s
top wineries. Chris Camarda at Andrew Will crafts some
of the state’s finest single vineyard Cabernets
and Merlots – hard to find, but well worth the
effort. Since the early 1980’s, Alex, together
with his son Paul, have evolved in crafting some of
the finest Cabernets this writer has tasted. Just when
I think Quilceda Creek cannot surpass the previous year’s
effort, they manage to do it. They deserve the entire
praise of the world. Down the road is Delille Cellars
. Chris Upchurch crafts his Chaleur Estate red with
breed, elegance and finesse. Usually a blend of Cabernet,
Merlot and Cab Franc, this wine sends shivers down my
spine when I taste it. Included in the Delille family
are D2, named after Department Road #2, which cuts through
the Medoc and their Chaleur White, which is a deft barrel
fermented blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
I am amazed at the quality of the wines being produced
from Stimson Lane that own Chateau Ste. Michelle and
Columbia Crest . Their wines in all price categories
offer good value. They have contributed immensely to
the quality image of Washington State wines. Additionally,
they have helped out many small producers with technical
help and grape sources. This is a great example of a
large corporation recognizing that the strength of small
wineries contributes to the overall success of an industry.
Moving east towards Walla Walla there are several excellent
wineries. The best known is Leonetti . Gary Figens’
wines are lush, rich, balanced and concentrated form
the get go. He has been an inspiration and an ambassador
for many in the state. Hard to find but worth the effort.
One of the most underrated wineries in the state is
Seven Hills . It is one of the few wineries that is
under-priced even in today’s heated US economy.
Much like Chris Camarda at Andrew Will, Casey likes
to highlight single vineyard bottling. Klipsun and Seven
Hill Vineyard bottling of Cabernet and Merlot are concentrated
wines that require decanting and or cellaring. Rick
Small from Woodward Canyon continues to amaze me with
his youthful exuberance for life and wine. Never one
to rest on his laurels, he continually strives to improve
his wines, either in the vineyard or in the cellar.
I recently had a bottle of his 1983 vintage Cabernet,
andit was still dirnking beautifully, and his newer
wines are even better. Next door to Woodward Canyon
is L’Ecole 41. Known for their Semilons, their
Merlots and Cabernets are to be reckoned with. With
lush ripe fruit, and balance. L’Ecole’s
wines are reaching new pinnacles. Hedges specializes
in wines from the Red Mountain area. Their Cabernet/Merlot,
Three Vineyard and Red Mountain Reserve are wines that
have a sense of place. The latter two wines are not
for the faint of heart. They are big wines, with tannins
and structure. Barnard Griffin wines are made by ex-Hogue
winemaker Rob Griffin. His Fume Blanc is one of the
best, along with his powerful and structured Merlots
and Cabernets.
I have saved the best for last. For me, the most exciting
development in Washington State is Syrah. Once the vineyards
planted reach maturity, Syrah from Washington State
will be a force. The pioneer in Syrah is, of course,
David Lake at Columbia Winery . His latest release of
Syrah from Red Willow shows all the classic smoke, roasted
meat and leather qualities that make a classic Syrah.
The two boutique wineries that one should be on the
look for are Glen Fiona and McCrea Cellars. Glen Fiona
is the effort of Gary Figens’ brother Rusty. The
wines are dense, big and chewy and require some bottle
age. Doug McCrea 1998 bottling his Yakima, Boushet and
Ciel du Cheval Syrah are the result of over 15 years
of hard work. Initially strapped with mediocre fruit
and his growers treating Syrah with irreverence. New
plantings and sources of fruit are now coming into production.
The wait is paying dividends. His Viognier is excellent.
I am excited about Syrah and I will watch it’s
development closely.
The availability of these wines in government liquor
stores is extremely limited. However, in recent years
some of the independent wine shops have focused on these
wines.
Try Marquis Wine Cellars for
• L’Ecole 41
• Quilceda Creek
• Andrew Will
• Delille
• McCrea
• Glen Fiona
• Woodward Canyon
• Seven Hills
• Hedges
• Leonetti
And try Liberty Wine Merchants
for
• Hedges
• Barnard Griffin
• Quilceda Creek
John Clerides is the owner and
President of Marquis Wine Cellars. John travels extensively
through the wine regions of Italy, France, California,
Washington State, Oregon and Australia. In many instances
he discovers wines for clients long before they become
unobtainable .
|
John Clerides
|
