While California commands attention for intense, highly polished and collectible wines, the red wine offerings from Washington give Napa cabs a run for their money – often at a fraction of the price.
And although it produces some excellent whites (think chardonnay and riesling), Washington’s strong suit lies in its red blends and varietals. Grapes like cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah ripen well in the hot, dry summers in inland vineyards sheltered from the Pacific by the Cascade Mountains. But the chilly nights and rapidly cooling autumns mean that these grapes develop excellent flavor concentration and tannin quality, alongside the high sugar (and potentially high alcohol) levels.
Cabernet sauvignon is the most planted grape in the state. At the top end are Bordeaux-style wines from the likes of Leonetti, Figgins, Quilceda Creek, L’Ecole No.41 and Betz Family Winery. Our highest-scoring wine in the list below is a serious blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and merlot. The Figgins Walla Walla Valley Estate Red 2017 was tight and reserved when we tasted it three years ago and is only now opening up in all its complexity. It’s great to start drinking now or for years to come.
READ MORE TOP 100 WINES OF THE USA 2022
Another Bordeaux blend that is just now entering its drinking window is the Substance Walla Walla Valley Vineyard Collection BX Klein Vineyard 2018. For those looking for a richer, plush red, this one is for you. It’s a merlot-dominant blend with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, with depth and intensity and delicious cocoa character.
These are both from Walla Walla – a rapidly growing AVA on Washington’s southern border with Oregon. Despite its relatively small size, Walla Walla has fantastic variety, perhaps due to its complex array of silty loam, schist and stony soils. Producers are pushing the boundaries with other Bordeaux varietals like cabernet franc and malbec, Rhone varietals (check out some stunning grenache wines from K Vintners in our annual report), as well as Italian and Spanish grapes.
But some of the most impressive wines from Walla Walla we have found are made from syrah. The grape can express itself so differently here, from peppery intensity to herbal aromatics to mineral austerity. Two examples below are L’Ecole No 41 Syrah Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Grown 2018 and the K Vintners Syrah Walla Walla Valley Powerline Estate 2019. Both are aromatically intense and intriguing, with aromas of dried herbs and peppercorns in common. And yet, L’Ecole No. 41 Seven Hills is all about finesse and balance, now drinking beautifully; whereas K Vintners’ Powerline Estate has a firm, stony minerality to it, and will benefit from another couple of years in bottle.
We have included a couple of outstanding syrahs from the massive Columbia Valley AVA, spanning a full quarter of the state. The Long Shadows Syrah Columbia Valley Sequel 2018 is rich, inky and concentrated, with delicious black fruit and charcoal notes, and is approachable now or for years to come. Also check out the B. Leighton Syrah Yakima Valley Olsen Brothers Vineyard 2018, which is equally flavorful and has an intense meaty, smoky character while remaining fresh and vivid. It’s made from a small vineyard in Washington’s oldest AVA, Yakima Valley, within the Columbia Valley.
READ MORE TOP 100 VALUES WINES OF 2022
And for an even more specific sub-AVA within Yakima Valley, we return to cabernet sauvignon (with just a sprinkle of petit verdot – 0.23 percent, to be exact) from Red Mountain AVA. The Hedges Red Mountain La Haute Cuvée 2018 is produced from grapes farmed biodynamically in their Hedges and Magdalena vineyards, which have both been Demeter-certified since 2011. It’s full-bodied and concentrated with toasty complexity, yet nuanced.
Last, but not least, the Betz Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Père de Famille 2018, a blend of 88 percent cabernet sauvignon with 10 percent petit verdot and 2 percent merlot, recalls high-quality Bordeaux. Its tight structure and focus with a firm tannin frame give it longevity to go along with its classic notes of iodine, tobacco leaf and blackberry. And at 13.6 percent alcohol, it’s one of the fresher and more medium-bodied reds produced from the valley.
These eight wines are readily available in the U.S., mostly in the $35 to $70 range, and are fantastic examples to drink now or to cellar. Enjoy.
– Claire Nesbitt, Associate Editor
Figgins Walla Walla Valley Estate Red 2017 – JS97
JJBuckley.com: $93.94
Wine.com: $99.99
K Vintners Syrah Walla Walla Valley Powerline Estate 2019 – JS96
JJBuckley.com: $49.94
TotalWine.com: $49.99
Betz Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Père de Famille 2018 – JS95
JJBuckley.com: $72.94
TotalWine.com: $77.97
L’Ecole No 41 Syrah Walla Walla Valley Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Grown 2018 – JS95
KLWines.com: $34.95
B. Leighton Syrah Yakima Valley Olsen Brothers Vineyard 2018 – JS94
Wine.com: $44.99
Hedges Red Mountain La Haute Cuvée 2018 – JS94
Wine.com: $79.99
Long Shadows Syrah Columbia Valley Sequel 2018 – JS94
TotalWine.com: $54.97
Wine.com: $63,99
Substance Walla Walla Valley Vineyard Collection BX Klein Vineyard 2018 – JS94
JJBuckley.com: $69.94
Wine.com: $69.99
