Unfiltered, Unfined

Yakima Wine Country

Although I’ve had tremendous fun the last month in U.S. wine country (see Wine Media Tours, Idaho Wine, Who Knew?, and Wines from Paso Robles), I’m glad that this past week’s trip to the Yakima Valley, where I was accompanied by my good friend Paul, was the last one in 2009. But Yakima’s position as the last stop on my domestic wine country tour puts it at risk of getting short shrift in my columns, and that would be a shame. There are dozens of wonderful wineries in the southeast corner of Washington (for a view of another piece of Washington wine country that’s close to Yakima, see Wine’s Toughest Job), and hundreds of well-priced wines worthy of mention.

 Like so many great wine regions, Yakima is an arid place. Located in the lee of two distinct mountain ranges at the same latitude as France, it’s also perched at the edge of a high desert, which limits rainfall. The soils mainly consist of windblown soil over a rocky substrate, the legacy of the Missoula floods that roared through the valley hundreds of times at the end of the last ice age. Compared to California, there are at least two more hours of daylight during the growing season. This combination of warm days, cool nights, low rainfall and sandy soil creates terroir that limits pests (allowing most of the vines to remain on their own rootstocks), while also making vines struggle just enough to produce terrific fruit.

Gilbert Cellars

Upon our arrival in Yakima, Paul and I headed over to the Gilbert Cellars tasting room, where we sampled several excellent wines. One of those that most exemplified the positive results that can come from this region’s parched production was their raspberry candy-scented Cabernet Sauvignon. After the raspberry came vanilla cream, cherry soda, and a spicy minerality that I noticed in many of the bottles we sampled during our tour. It’s smooth, thick and utterly delightful, perfect for popping in front of an open fire this holiday season.

I also loved the Gilbert Cellars Grenache Ice Wine, oozing butterscotch, crème brulee and thickly clotted cream on the nose. The palate is all about honey and lemon cream pie, which would be a terrific pairing with the juice.

We then toured a couple of smaller wineries, including Wineglass Cellars in the small town of Zillah. Wineglass has won a lot of awards for its small production wines, including the Capizimo, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Dusty slate and black cherries led into dark chocolate and raspberries. The tannins were moderate, but as with many Washington wines there was lip-smacking acidity that led to a long, baking-spice finish.

Paul (left) tasting at Wineglass Cellars

A bonus discovery at this winery was the earthy Syrah Les Vignes de Marcoux, with a nose straight out of the Rhone Valley, but also containing New World cinnamon, allspice and dark raspberry elements on a lithe, smoky frame. A well-balanced Syrah that spoke volumes about the potential of this grape in this region.

Our next stop was a winegrower’s dinner, where we hobnobbed with several of the most famous and accomplished grape growers in the area. There were a lot of great wines at this dinner and tasting (and the restaurant, Bon Vino, was another tasty revelation), but the one that most caught my notice was the chocolate-cherry dominated Owen Roe Cabernet Franc Rosa Mystica, produced from O’Reilly’s vineyard grapes. Many other fruits were also noticeable in this wine, including black raspberry and ripe blueberry, as well as a brown sugar and maple finish that was truly unique. A very special wine that’s worth twice the price.

Another bottle that caught my eye was the Smasne Upland Estates Cabernet Old Vine from the Snipes Mountain American Viticultural Area or AVA (there are several sub-AVAs that dot the Yakima Valley, including Snipes, Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Ridge and Horse Heaven Hills). Dark chocolate and cassis met with black raspberry cream and orange peel on this long, lean beauty. A real pleasure to drink.

Gnarly old Muscat vines at Upland Estates

But the show-stopper at this dinner was an ice wine made from old vine Muscat Alexandria, also from Upland Estates. This had it all: tangerine, peach, red cherry, even honeysuckle and cedar on the lush, tart finish. Great acidity made this a bottle to savor.

It was a late night, but on these sorts of tours there’s no rest for the weary. Bright and early the next day we headed out for another round of tasting at various wineries, including Kestrel Wines, one of the larger (around 30,000 cases) producers in the valley. One of the best wines we sampled at this stop was their Viognier, full of honeysuckle, rose petals, lime juice and live-wire acidity.

Kestrel also produces a top-notch ice wine from Semillon grapes, bursting with egg cream and lemon zest, followed by peach and lychee on the long, lush finish. A big mouthful that just keeps on going long after the last drop is swallowed.

Ben (left) and Paul (right) with Len Parris of Chandler Reach

Chandler Reach Winery was another stop that showed me what kind of quality wines Yakima is now producing. The estate Sangiovese blend, called Corella, is a complex mouthful of bright raspberries, cherries and soft cedar. While it’s not necessarily Tuscan in style, it’s a tremendous value that I’d feel comfortable buying by the case.

Dinner that evening was at Wine O’clock Wine Bar, located in a wine-themed industrial park that also includes several tasting rooms. There the saffron and green papaya infused Willow Crest Pinot Gris definitely caught my eye. Fresh and lively, it’s a great food wine that can also stand on its own. Another top-notch effort was the Bunnell Family Cellar Syrah Boushey Mc-Pherson Vineyard, with a dark chocolate nose leading to beef blood, blackberries and molasses on the thick yet lively finish.

The next day we toured several vineyard sites, which limited the alcohol intake until dinnertime. But the wines that evening helped make up for this lack, especially the Two Mountain Winery Riesling, a bit sweet but loaded with tangy acidity, oozing apricot, peach, pear and sour apple aromas and flavors.

Another top wine from this house was the juicy Brother’s Blend Red, named after Matthew and Patrick, the two brothers who own and operate this distinctive winery and grape growing operation. Blueberries and juicy blackberries led to a smoky, smooth finish that made my tongue wake up after a plethora of wines. Truly a great effort, and another positive surprise on this trip.

Yakima wine country at its best

Our final morning in Yakima was spent at Kana Winery’s tasting room, where I really enjoyed the Masterpiece White Wine, made from Viognier, Marsanne and Rousanne. Lemon pith and stone fruit pits vied with apricots and tangy tangerine, leading to a smooth finish that showed me how far Yakima has come with white Rhone varietals.

Yakima isn’t the oldest or most venerable part of American wine country (although it is the oldest AVA in Washington), but the area is definitely riding a big wave of great products and a compelling story. The wines are soulful, deep and should fascinate any lover of the wine lifestyle. Make a point of trying some of these bottles. They’ll open up an entirely new aspect of the wine experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Recommended:

White

Kestrel Viognier 2007 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $20

Willow Crest Pinot Gris 2008 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $10

Two Mountain Winery Riesling 2008 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $15

Kana Winery Masterpiece White Wine 2007 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $20

Red

Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $32

Wineglass Cellars Capizimo 2006 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $17

Wineglass Cellars Syrah Les Vignes de Marcoux 2006 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $28

Owen Roe Cabernet Franc Rosa Mystica 2007 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $40

Smasne Upland Estates Cabernet Old Vine 2006 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $45

Chandler Reach Winery Corella 2007 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $18

The Bunnell Family Cellar Syrah, Boushey-Mc-Pherson Vineyard 2006 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $42

Two Mountain Winery Brother’s Blend NV (Yakima Valley, Washington) $45 (estimated, not yet released)

Dessert

Gilbert Cellars Grenache Ice Wine NV (Yakima Valley, Washington) $26/375ml

Upland Estates Ice Wine Muscat Alexandria 2007 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $30/375ml (estimated, not yet released)

Kestrel Ice Wine Semillon 2008 (Yakima Valley, Washington) $50/375ml