McCrea Cellars Vineyards

Washington State's Premier Rhône Varietal Winery .

Vineyards

The remarkable success of Washington wine is by no means an accident. The State's wine regions are endowed with several key elements that provide a basis for potential greatness. Many of these are not found in any grape growing region globally.

Luminescence, a phenomenon attributed to the high northern latitude, gives the vines an extra hour or more of daily sunlight. The State's vines are "own-rooted" providing a subtle advantage that contributes to the great fruit intensity found in Washington wine. The desert climate's warm days and cool nights nurture excellent balance in the wines, supporting good acidity and reasonable pH. With only a few inches of rain annually, the vines can be irrigated precisely, controlling excessive vigor and applying water at the most appropriate points during the growing season. Finally, the volcanic soils are rich with a spectrum of minerals that bring subtle, yet great complexity to the wines.

There are many locations in Washington that offer excellent potential for a host of vinifera. However, like any renowned region, understanding the role of mezoclimates and microclimates is essential in effort to make distinctive world-class wines. Locating and developing a particular site for Rhône grapes is challenging. A host of parameters are involved, but primarily, due to the State's northern latitude, the role of weather is crucial. At the core of site selection is the seasons cumulative heat units, providing the requisite sunlight to ripen all the varietals. Air drainage, or the movement of air due to slope, is essential to avoid frost damage and to temper the severe cold temperatures that can cause winter kill in a desert climate at roughly 47 degrees northern latitude.

Syrah is capable of adapting to a fairly wide range of conditions, but the reds of the Southern Rhône, such as Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise require substantial heat and a longer growing season. We've spent fifteen years making critical choices, finally arriving at a handful of appropriate sites that nurture these grapes, resulting in outstanding examples of Rhône varietal wines. Each site offers distinctive and diverse qualities enabling us to achieve wonderful complexity and fruit depth. Combined, they represent a historical foundation, a beginning, contributing greatly towards the understanding of Rhône varietal viticulture in Washington State.

Boushey Vineyards

Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Picpoul, & Roussanne

Dick Boushey was among the first of Washington's growers to plant Syrah at a time when the grape was relatively unknown and certainly untested. Today, his contribution to the establishment of Syrah is receiving great acclaim. The locations of our two vineyards, at essentially the center of the Yakima Valley, are not recognized for exceptional heat as that of Red Mountain or the Waluke Slope. In retrospect, we now know that the more moderate climate supports a Syrah of penetrating focus and complexity, due partially to the long fall hang-time. But primarily, Dick's innate talent to sense and control the vines' vigorous growth has resulted in berries of remarkably small size, and wines exhibiting great concentration.

'Grande Côte'

Syrah

Overlooking the Yakima Valley at about 800 feet, this singular planting is entirely Syrah. We established the site in 1994 with Dick, transforming it from an abandoned apple orchard into a rather steep, south-facing vineyard. The slope provides excellent air drainage, primarily a deterrent to late spring frost damage and severe winterkill.

Below the shallow, firm loam, outcropping vesticular basalt (lava pumace with air cavaties) is fused with calcite, providing a unique minirality in the root zone. The resulting Syrah has very complex aromas redolent of smokey, gamey meat, huckleberry and violets. Plantings of vinifera are rarely found on this singular geological phenomenon in Washington.

'Lower County Line Road'

Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Picpoul, & Roussanne

Named after the road dividing Yakima County from Benton County, this vineyard is on the same ridgeline as the 'Côte' but with a gentle slope and soils that are predominantly sandy loam. In 2004, we planted small parcels of Rhône varietal whites including Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Picpoul. Additionally, we planted Cinsault, a varietal offering deep color and aromas of violets, and a new clone of Syrah, all originating in the legendary vineyard of Chateau Beaucastle, Chateauneuf-du-Pope. We're very excited about these grapes! The whites offer an opportunity to blend a new wine we call 'Sirocco Blanc.' The Cinsault contributes greater complexity to our Southern Rhône-style red 'Sirocco.' The new Clone C Syrah affords an increasing understanding of the clonal distinction of the grape in Washington, and an exciting promise of quality reflecting its great heritage at Chateau Beaucastle.

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Ciel du Cheval

Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Viognier, & Roussanne

Red Mountain is Washington's smallest appellation, yet it is the State's premier gem. However, there's nothing small about the wines, as this appellation is recognized for it's powerful, "larger than life" bottlings. Dramatic development is underway with the release of the long-controlled Washington State DNR land. In time, much of the 4000 or so acres will ultimately become vineyards or wineries, with maybe an inn or B&B. There are plans for developing Red Mountain into a primary tourism destination, including a "working winery" where visitors can observe the entire winemaking process.

For thirty-six years, the renowned Ciel du Cheval Vineyard has withstood the test of time. Owners Jim and Pat Holmes have achieved considerable acclaim with this vineyard, and in so doing, have made a significant contribution to Washington's viticultural heritage. It will be a long time before many of the newer Red Mountain sites will achieve such prestige.

Jim was among the first growers in Washington to express an interest in Rhône varietals, planting what is now one of the oldest blocks of Syrah and Viognier in the spring of 1994. Soils are quite shallow with alluvial gravel throughout due to the great violent Missoula floods dating back 13 to 17 thousand years ago. The Syrah vines yield powerful, deep wines, partially due to the thicker skins resulting from the cumulative seasonal heat, proportionate to that of the upper Napa Valley. Viognier thrives as well, expressing the classic aromas of peach, lychee, pear and melon, and a subtle floral aroma.

Following these successes, we were rewarded with a second planting in 2000, including Mourvèdre, Counoise and Roussanne, and another clone of Syrah. The final planting was Grenache in 2003. What is particularly impressive about the Ciel du Cheval vineyard is that each of these varietals has adapted very well, clearly reflecting the appropriate aromas and flavors of their Rhône Valley lineage.

Jim's enthusiasm for these sun-lovers is unsurpassed. He literally led the way with Southern Rhône varietals in Washington and significantly contributed to the establishment of Syrah. Thanks to his vision we now have an "easel of flavors", resembling the painter and his colors... 13 acres of the essence of the Rhône.

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Elephant Mountain

Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, & Cinsault

Perched high above the Valley floor at 1600 feet, the Elephant Mountain Vineyard is positioned at the western extreme of the Yakima Valley, near the city of Yakima. In a sense, Elephant Mountain and Ciel du Cheval flank the Valley's opposite ends with a driving distance of about one hour. Both vineyards have fairly common soils with fine to heavier silt loam and alluvial gravel that resulted from the great Missoula floods. But strewn throughout Elephant, one can find agates, a translucent quartzite pebble, often common to igneous rock or silica, and a byproduct of volcanic activity.

The vineyard was established in 1998 by Joe and Tom Hattrup with an initial planting of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their background as orchardists provided a great foundation for the transition to becoming grape growers, establishing what today is considered one of the Yakima Valley's finest younger vineyards.

Elephants Mountain's high elevation provides excellent protection from frost damage, helping to extend the growing season late into the fall. It's difficult to describe this lofty location looking down into the Valley for many miles and out to two of the State's great volcanoes, Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier. Somewhat center in the vineyard, a large basalt rock-pile outcropping has become a dramatic visitors attraction, often featured in tours by wine journalists, trade and media. Replete with a large firepit, benches, tables, and a grape arbor, it's a great place to simply take in the grand expansiveness of Eastern Washington or gather around the fire and hear tales of the pioneers who first settled the Pacific Northwest by establishing the Oregon Trail which can still be seen today as deep ruts running right through the vineyard.

The Elephant Mountain Syrah is a classic with very good structure for vines still under ten years of age. The wines are redolent of dark black cherry, currents, black raspberry and a touch of roasted coffee bean. The higher elevation contributes to greater hang-time while the summer's sun, sometimes intense at 1600 feet, increases skin thickness, thereby gaining structural tannins.

In 2007, we'll harvest our first Mourvèdre from Elephant Mountain. Considering the soils, this planting promises potential for significant fruit depth displaying the rustic, spicy, leathery and meaty components typifying this classic grape varietal originating primarlily in Spain's Jumilla region and flourishing in the Rhône Valley and Bandol.

.	Copyright 2001-2008 McCrea Cellars