By Ken Robertson Ken Robertson, a newspaperman for more than three decades, writes the "Swirl, Sniff & Sip" column for Wine Press Northwest. He has been been sipping and writing about Northwest wines for nearly a quarter century. This article originally appeared in the Spring 2000 issue of Wine Press Northwest magazine |
Onward, Upward & Woodward
As the Northwest's red wines began to make a name for themselves 20 years ago, an unspoken fear was these fine young vintages might show great promise in childhood, then turn unruly in their teens and twenties. The newcomers were proving a little difficult to judge because they didn't act their age. In 1985, when I interviewed Bob Thompson, co-author of The California Wine Book, as he visited the Tri-Cities, he said what struck him most about Chateau Ste. Michelle's fine cabernet sauvignons from the late 1970s was "how little they move." Fifteen years later - and nearly 25 years since the first great Chateau Ste. Michelle cabernet of 1975 - several of us at Wine Press Northwest began discussing the idea of putting together a family reunion of some of the region's earliest offspring: a vertical tasting. I had toyed with the thought for several years as my supply of Northwest red wines from the 1970s and 1980s slowly dwindled. All but a few remnant bottles of the Ste. Michelle were gone. Too many gaps in the Leonetti Cellar cabernets. But there at the bottom of the wine cabinet lay bottle after bottle of Woodward Canyon cabernets, starting with 1981 and reaching well into the 1990s. Year after year of cabernet sauvignon finely crafted in Lowden, Wash., by one of the Northwest's finest red wine producers. Convincing those members of the Woodward Canyon clan to come to a tasting wouldn't be hard. But there were some difficult gaps, notably 1983 and 1989. When I pitched the idea to Wine Press Editor Andy Perdue, he started drooling at the thought. And writer Bob Woehler volunteered to raid his own cellar for some that were missing from my collection. Then Perdue had a thought that brought it all together: Ask winemaker Rick Small to attend the tasting, discuss the wines and - here was the catch - see if he would fill in the missing years. Small graciously agreed, digging into his own cellar for the 1983, the 1989 and the youngest of his wine offspring, vintages 1996-99. So, the Woodward cabernet reunion was arranged, and in December, members of the Wine Press Northwest tasting panel sat down with Small and some guests for an evening of sampling his cabernet sauvignon of the 1980s and 1990s, the wines that have evolved into his "Old Vines" series. We agreed to taste the wines by starting with the eldest and working up to the 1999, which of course is only a few months into the making and is years from bottling. Most of the tasters had tried many of the wines several times over the years. On the panel were Woehler, a wine judge and wine writer for 22 years; Coke Roth, also a wine judge and former owner of a wine and beer distributorship; Perdue; Small; Gilles Nicault, Small's associate winemaker; Steve Burns, executive director of the Washington Wine Commission; Vicky Scharlau, executive director of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers; and the author and his wife, Patti Robertson, suppliers of 11 of the wines sampled and 22-year veterans as avid Northwest wine consumers. Blaine Hulse, president of the Pacific Northwest Enological Society, the Tri-Cities Enological Society and Wine Press Northwest's tasting facilitator, managed the tasting logistics, assisted by Loretto Hulse, a Wine Press writer, and Jackie Johnston, a Wine Press photographer. Bob Thompson's observation that Northwest red wines appeared to change little from year to year proved prophetic. As the panel proceeded through the 1980s, perhaps the most immediate impression was that Small's oldest wines still were acting mighty young. Luscious fruit; aromas of mint, cedar, plums and berries; hints of vanilla and tar from long-ago oak; and finely structured tannins unfolded from each vintage. The cavalcade of wines was equally memorable to those who had drunk them years ago and to those who were tasting them for the first time. Despite up to nearly two decades of aging, these wines needed time in the glass to unfold and reveal themselves. Small enthusiastically described each wine's merits as the tasters proceeded. The 1983, he noted, won a double gold medal in San Francisco. The 1984 won a gold medal at the Tri-Cities Wine Festival and was named Washington Wine of the Year. The 1986 turned Wine Spectator magazine's head and wound up No. 56 in its Top 100 wines. The 1995 scored a 99 in the Wine Enthusiast. His enthusiasm for wine-making still stands out after 20 years. Of his 1994, for example, he recalled, "What I was thinking about was trying to capture the most from the grape. You had to really mess up not to make a nice wine with it." Along with the comments about each wine, a brief history of red wine and red wine grape harvests tumbled out as the tasting proceeded. Looking back to 1981, Small recalled his first vintage sold for a mere $10 a bottle. His winery then was one of 41 in Washington state. Now, it's but one of nearly 150, with a new winery popping up every few weeks. Although Small has historically favored a handful of the region's best-known vineyards, a handful of surprises are on his list. Both 1981 and 1982 were made from grapes grown at Sagemoor Vineyards just north of Pasco. The stunning 1983 was 83 percent from Kiona Vineyards near Benton City, and 17 percent from the soon-to-be-famous Seven Hills Vineyard. The 1984 was a tremendous challenge because it was an odd mix from a freeze year - grapes that were barely ripe from Balcom & Moe and Moreman vineyards were balanced by fruit from Graves Vineyard at Dallesport that verged on being too ripe. Under Small's hand, they blended into a wine that consumers and judges loved. In later vintages, the grapes came consistently from the region's finest vineyards: Small's own Charbonneau, Seven Hills, Mercer Ranch (now Champoux), Balcom & Moe, Sagemoor and Conner Lee. As Small reminisced about making the wines, he often sounded like a proud father describing his accomplished children. Sipping the 1983, which was the panel's clear favorite of the 1980s wines, he observed, "It feels like an old friend every time I drink it." By evening's end, he pronounced, "With the right foods, every one would still be a nice experience." No one disagreed. The parade of fine wines was a great incentive to seek out their successors across the Northwest. 19 Years of Woodward CanyonThe tasting panel agreed this was an incredible set of wines. Wine judges Coke Roth and Bob Woehler, who have been tasting wines with the author for 22 years, felt all of them showed the hallmark of winemaker Rick Small: his attention to detail that produces remarkable consistency in quality. All agreed the standout wine among them was the 1983, which many believe was the finest vintage of the 1980s. Woodward Canyon, Columbia, Kiona, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Quilceda Creek and Leonetti also produced exceptional cabernet sauvignons that year. Some proof of that remains at a handful of restaurants and wine shops around the Northwest. Expect to pay a heady price, however. One of the Northwest's finest restaurant wine lists, from Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie, Wash., recently listed 1983 Kiona for $155; 1983 Columbia from Otis Vineyard for $175; 1983 Quilceda Creek for $255; 1983 Quail Run for $250. It did not list 1983 Woodward, but 1982 - which was quite good but no match for 1983 - listed for $235 and 1986 for $170. That makes Small's original price for the 1981 - a mere $10 - seem a tremendous bargain. Wine shop prices from the mid- to late 1980s ran $16 to $18 for most of these wines. So perhaps 10 to 15 years ago, software stocks weren't the only good investment. A 10- to 20-fold return doesn't sound bad. Especially when you can drink the proceeds. Here are the panelists' impressions of the Woodward wines:
1982: Nicely balanced, hints of mint, earth and green pepper in the nose. Chalky mouth feel, darker fruit than 1981 hints of its American oak show. Small's associate winemaker, Gilles Nicault said this was much like the fine Bordeaux of his homeland. Grapes from Sagemoor. 1983: Best of the night and favorite of the vertical. Hints of anise, mint, cedar, chocolate and vanilla on the nose. Flavors of huckleberry, black cherry from deliciously young fruit. Still-youthful tannins. Complex, lingering finish. Its quality stood out when it was first released and remains 15 years later. "Astounding" and "stunning" were among the adjectives the panelists used. Could be interesting for another decade. Grapes from Kiona (83 percent) and Seven Hills (17 percent). 1984: Eucalyptus and pepper in the nose. Just a bit grapy. Blackberry flavors, a little softer feel with tremendous fruit flavors, some minty overtones. Likely to keep for several more years. Grapes from Sagemoor, Moreman, Balcom & Moe, Graves and Seven Hills. 1985: Oaky, cedary, plummy aromas. Nice oak spice and a bit lighter fruit. Long, delicious finish. Showed a little more alcohol. Very smooth with meat. A perfect wine for a special dinner. Grapes from Seven Hills, Charbonneau and Mercer Ranch. 1986: Very fruity, smoky, hint of herbs in aromas. Flavors of black cherries, tannins still strong, especially for a 13-year-old wine. The finish was huge and shows off its oak nicely. A good candidate for a few more years in the cellar. Grapes from Mercer and Seven Hills. 1987: A great wine from a vintage Small praised as "warm and beautiful." Aromas of berries, camphor, tobacco. Dark berry and cherry flavors. Huge but not overpowering tannins. Finish went on for a full 20-30 seconds. Shows off the quality grapes of Mercer, Charbonneau and Seven Hills vineyards. 1988: Plummy nose with hint of mint. Flavors of black cherries, bittersweet chocolate. Smooth, supple with nice tannins. Starting to show its age with mellow intermingling of classic varietal flavors of tobacco, old cedar and cherries. This was 96 percent Charbonneau grapes with a little from Mercer and Seven Hills. Among the top three of the 1980s wines. 1989: A little trouble here. Small and Nicault detected a hint of TCA - "corked" is the more common term. A different press may have extracted more tannin as well. Still an enjoyable wine but with less fruit showing. Unfortunately, we didn't have a second bottle available to fall back on. Starkly different than the 1986 and 1987. Grapes 100 percent from Mercer Ranch. 1990: A worthy standard-bearer for the new decade. A huge wine with bright fruit from a warmer vintage. This wine grabs you by the shoulders and shakes. Deep fruit of blackberries and black cherries, oak, tannin, tar, tobacco flavors and aromas all there and easy to find. One of the top three or four of the tasting. Grapes from Mercer and Seven Hills. 1991: A year of serious winter damage. Grapes from Sagemoor, Conner-Lee and Mercer, where winter damage was worst. Although some were not quite ripe, Small combined them into a softer, smoother wine. Jammy flavors and cocoa in the finish. Slightly herbaceous nose. 1992: Hints of orange oil in the nose, though a couple tasters said it seemed a little smoky. Mix of berry aromas and flavors. A nice, warm vintage made from 85 percent cabernet and 15 percent merlot. A lot of subtle complexity. Mercer, Charbonneau, Sagemoor and Conner Lee grapes. 1993: Another big, complex wine. Nose fruity, smoky and alluring. Big, supple tannins matched well with dark fruit of chocolate cherries, huckleberries and cassis. A little edgy because of its comparative youth. Long, satisfying finish. In the top five. Grapes from Mercer, Canoe Ridge, Conner Lee and Sagemoor. 1994: A really deep purple wine that needs time for its aromas to show. Perhaps because of this, panelists were split. Small said it was a great vintage of grapes from Canoe Ridge, Conner-Lee Mercer and Charbonneau. Once it opened up, aromas were jammy and cedary with hints of an unsmoked cigar. Flavors of deep berries and bittersweet chocolate. One to watch as it ages. 1995: The first year Small split his cabernet into "Old Vines" designation. Grapes 50 percent Sagemoor and 50 percent Mercer. Dark and dense colors. Minty on the nose. Big tannins and lively acids. Flavors of spice, cream and vanilla. Rated a 99 in Wine Enthusiast blind tasting. This wine is still a baby with unlimited promise as it ages. 1996: Aromas of fresh venison and deep, lush fruit. The younger fruit from Canoe Ridge contrasts with the old vines from Sagemoor and Mercer (now Champoux). Huge, jammy flavors, supple, stunning tannins. A tantalizing and wonderful wine from a really cold year. Buy a case and enjoy it over the next two decades. This wine was from Small's "Artist Series," the only wine that wasn't part of his "Old Vines" series. 1997: This Old Vines cabernet will be a stunner when it is released early this year. Shows the complexity of grapes harvested from nearly 30-year-old vines at Sagemoor (33 percent) and Mercer (67 percent). Rich blackberry and huckleberry flavors that will age well. 1998: So young its flavors fairly shout, "Fruit!" It seems almost sweet because of their strength.Tannins still raw, but it has another year to go in the barrel. Grapes 100 percent from Mercer old vines. From a warm year when the grapes ripened early. 1999: This is supposed to be the vintage of the decade, and this version is all from Mercer grapes. Small said they tested at 25 brix after an excellent September and October. Flavors of Marionberries and huge tannins are promising indicators of the enthusiastic forecasts for the end-of-century vintage. |
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1981: Slightly brick colored.
If you have it, don't wait too long to drink it, Small advises. Plummy,
dried fruit in nose, lingering finish, flavors of cherries and black cherries.
Tannins very much alive and balanced nearly perfectly with the acids. Near
the top rank of the 1980s vintages. Grapes from Sagemoor Vineyards north
of Pasco.