Washington's Rock-Solid Reds
Look to this Pacific Northwest state for Cabernet and Syrah at reasonable prices
When it comes to fine red wines at fair prices, Washington excels. Its Cabernet Sauvignons and Syrahs are rich in pure fruit flavors and sneak in nuances of spices, nuts and flowers, with whiffs of earth. Merlot remains a solid performer; Cabernet Franc and Malbec show promise. Best of all in these turbulent times, you can explore terrific versions of all these varieties for $30 a bottle or less.
The steal of the year has to be the Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Reserve 2005 (95 points on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale, $27). With its array of ripe black currant, blackberry, violet, black tea and black pepper aromas and flavors, this red shows remarkable subtlety in its play of complex elements against a refined structure and a long finish. And Columbia Crest's winemaker Ray Einberger, who has worked in Bordeaux and at Opus One in Napa Valley, made 6,000 cases of it, meaning there's plenty to go around.
"I'm looking for the texture and complexity of Bordeaux but the fruit of California," Einberger says. "The beauty of Washington state is that the fruit keeps its freshness, even when it gets very ripe."
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with 5 percent Merlot and 4 percent Cabernet Franc, the wine uses grapes from six different independent vineyards on per-acre contracts. To get more intensity, the winery limits yields to an average of 2.5 tons per acre, low for Washington Cabernet, which often hits 4 to 5 tons. "You're going to start seeing some single-vineyard bottlings from these vineyards," Einberger adds, mentioning Stone Tree on Wahluke Slope and Watoma Springs near Cold Creek.
There are plenty more wines just behind this one in quality—and not all of them reds. During the past year, I have blind-tasted nearly 530 Washington wines in our California offices, with more than 230 of them scoring 90 points or higher. Of these outstanding bottlings, more than 80 cost $40 or less, pointing to impressive value across the board. The seven wines that earned classic ratings (95 or more points) also represent good value compared with their counterparts from California and France; all of them cost $75 or less. (An alphabetical list of all wines tasted for this report is available.)
Winemakers for a big wine company such as Columbia Crest, part of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the state's largest, have the flexibility to cherry-pick the best grapes for special wines like the 2005 Reserve. Not surprisingly, Ste. Michelle produces several other gems for less than $30. For example, Chateau Ste. Michelle's sturdy Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills Canoe Ridge Estate 2006 (92, $28) has an unexpected soft edge to its explosive black cherry, currant, black olive and smoke flavors. The Columbia Crest Chardonnay Horse Heaven Hills H3 2007 (90, $15) ranks right up with Washington's best Chardonnays for its vibrant, spicy pear, cream and lime aromas and flavors.
Other impressive bottlings in this price range come from Efestē (pronounced "F-S-T" for the initials of owners Daniel Ferrelli, Patrick Smith and Kevin Taylor) and Darby, relatively new wineries in the burgeoning Woodinville wine country. They bring in grapes from eastern Washington to the same Seattle-area industrial park where the longer-running Gorman and Mark Ryan make their wines.
The smooth, generous Efestē Syrah Red Mountain Ceidleigh 2006 (93, $29) glows with gorgeous plum, blackberry and floral-spice character, with a long, expressive finish. Efestē operates out of the same building once occupied by Januik and Novelty Hill, now in their new architecture-award-winning winery. Chris Upchurch of DeLille, just down the road, consulted on Efestē's first vintage. Winemaker Brennon Leighton sculpts the rough grapes from Red Mountain into polished, gleaming wines, such as the Ceidleigh Syrah.
The luxuriant Darby Syrah Walla Walla Valley The Dark Side 2006 (92, $25) weaves tobacco, mineral and wet earth notes through dark berry and tar flavors. Owner and winemaker Darby English, a former golf pro, sells medical equipment while he ramps up production in his winery from the current 1,000 cases to 3,000 cases. He focuses on Syrah and Viognier from growers in every major region and aims to bring out the distinctions among them in tiny individual-vineyard bottlings.
Washington has its share of big-ticket wines that top the $100 mark. One icon is Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. The Columbia Valley 2006 (94, $125) shows its class with plum, currant, black olive, cedar and roasted meat flavors playing against crisp tannins. Another high-end red is the Côte Bonneville DuBrul Vineyard Yakima Valley 2004 (94, $120), a supple blend of Cabernet and Merlot that rolls out its mocha-accented blackberry and cherry fruit with grace and elegance. Dedicated collectors can try to get their hands on the 21 Grams Walla Walla Valley 2005 (94, $125), a Cabernet-Petit Verdot blend whose 100-case production is allocated to customers on the mailing lists of Waters Winery and Gramercy Cellars, the two winery partners in the venture.
But you can find the same quality—or even better—for less. This report's top-rated wine, the Cayuse Syrah Walla Walla Valley Bionic Frog 2006 (96, $75), is followed closely by two more 2006 Cayuse Syrahs, both at 95 points and costing $65; Andrew Will's Sorella Horse Heaven Hills 2006 (95, $74), a complex Cabernet blend from Champoux Vineyard; K Vintners' Syrah Cougar Hills 2006 (95, $50) from Walla Walla; and Gorman's The Evil Twin 2006 (95, $55), a Syrah-Cabernet blend from Red Mountain.
These four wineries, plus Betz, Bookwalter, Buty, Fielding Hills, Januik and Spring Valley, make several wines that scored 92 points or higher at $75 or less. Credit an amazing consistency of vintage quality as one reason for this largesse. Except for a winter freeze that left Walla Walla virtually grapeless in 2004, conditions throughout this decade have produced one ripe, balanced vintage after another. There is special excitement over 2007 and 2008, which I tasted from barrel at several wineries in March. The wines show great promise, revealing remarkable depth to their fresh flavors.
You can sense that promise in some of the wines in the $20-or-less category, which producers often release earlier. Of the nearly 100 wines rating 88 points or higher in this price range, 56 are from 2007 and 2008. Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Hogue, RiverAerie and Charles Smith all offer multiple bottlings in this value category.
Nearly two dozen wines at $20 or less reached the outstanding score range. They demonstrate Washington's great versatility: Besides the states's main strengths of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, the list includes Cabernet Franc, Gewürztraminer, Malbec, Riesling and Roussanne. Wine lovers willing to try new labels can discover such prizes as the Substance Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley Cf 2007 (90, $18), soft in texture but with lovely intensity to its currant and cherry fruit. A project involving principals from Waters and 21 Grams, the Walla Walla-based Substance bottles 100-percent varietals with simple white-on-black labels that recall the periodic table of elements. The Cabernet Franc is labeled "Cf," the Merlot "Me," and so on, and the wines cost $18 or less.
Charles Smith, whose K Vintners Syrahs turn heads regularly, keeps most of his Magnificent Wine Company wines at $12 or less, except for a few special varietal bottlings. The Syrah Columbia Valley 2006 (91, $20), the best of them, wafts Indian spices through smooth, polished plum and blueberry fruit. Another Smith label, Charles & Charles, makes the dry, crisp rosé Volume II Columbia Valley 2008 (90, $12), vibrant and tangy, with pomegranate and raspberry fruit and a welcome hint of mineral.
You can get change from a $10 bill with the light, off-dry Barnard Griffin Riesling Columbia Valley 2008 (90, $8), which shows pretty peach, pineapple and floral notes that echo enticingly. For a bit more, Barnard Griffin's velvety Syrah Columbia Valley 2007 (90, $17) has a racy edge to its spicy currant and wild blueberry flavors.
Although Washington and Oregon share such appellations as Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Gorge, very few Oregon wineries use Washington grapes, and vice versa. Several wineries based in Oregon are worth noting, however, for their Washington wines. One of the most successful labels is Rockblock, from the owners of Oregon's Domaine Serene, which presents the dense, generous Syrah Walla Walla Valley Reserve 2006 (91, $40). King Estate produces the NxNW label, which includes the Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2005 (91, $35), attractive for the way its ripe flavors slide in over fine tannins, then seem to take off and float on the palate. Pinot Noir specialist Ken Wright's spicy, creamy Chardonnay Washington Celilo Vineyard 2007 (89, $28) comes from a vineyard in Columbia Gorge.
Among the 28 white wines in the 90-plus range, Chardonnay remains the clear leader with 16. But don't miss the Rieslings. The Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley 2008 (87, $10), by far the largest production wine in Washington (669,000 cases made), is also one of the state's best values. Its effusive pear and citrus flavors finish off-dry but balanced with lively acidity. Few wines taste better on a warm summer's day.
That's how Washington got to be the No. 2 wine-producing state: refreshing wines, the best of them complex and layered and relatively easy on the wallet. These days, that's a winning combination.
Editor at large Harvey Steiman is Wine Spectator's lead taster on the wines of Washington.
