Located in Windinville, 15 miles northeast of Seattle, Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s oldest winery. Founded in 1967, and now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the winery’s roots actually stretch back to the time of the repeal of Prohibition. The impressive French-style chateau is located on 87 acres of land that once belonged to lumber baron Frederick Stimson, who used it as a hunting retreat and rural working farm. The expansive estate hosts more than 250,000 visitors annually for tours, tastings, dinners, and outdoor summer concerts. My wife and I visited the winery several years ago; and we were quite impressed with both the setting and the production facilities. If you are ever in the Seattle area, it is well worth a visit.
Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few premium wineries in the world with two state-of-the-art wineries, one devoted to the production of white wines, the other to reds. The winery has received some of the highest accolades in the industry, including “American Winery of the Year” by Wine Enthusiast for 2004, and “2005 Winery of the Year” by Restaurant Wine. Chateau Ste. Michelle is now owned by Altria (formerly known as Phillip Morris).
With an annual production of over 2,000,000 cases a year (yes, you are reading correctly, two million), Chateau Ste. Michelle is the world’s leading producer of Riesling wine. And, undoubtedly, its signature vintage is its Eroica Gold Riesling, which is crafted in partnership with German winemaker Ernst Loosen and has been named to the Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” wine list for five consecutive years.
I recently tasted the 2013 Eroica Gold Riesling at a wine dinner hosted by Autograph Brasserie in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and I can personally testify to its extraordinary character. This is a lush & luscious vintage, with ripe fruit flavors and just the proper touch of sweetness balanced by crisp acidity at the finish. The 2013 retails around $30.00 per bottle.
The winery produces three other Rieslings as well, with the 2015 vintage now readily available. The 2015 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling was recently selected as a “Best Value” by the Wine Spectator, which bestowed 89 points (100-point scale) and noted its “orange blossom and petrol aromas and slightly sweet nectarine and grapefruit flavors.” The 2015 Dry Riesling, noted the Wine Enthusiast, is a “refreshing style of Riesling with beautiful fruit flavors, crisp acidity and an elegant finish.” The 2015 Riesling, which I recently sampled, received 88 points from the Wine Enthusiast, and strikes a middle ground between the winery’s sweet and dry entries. The nose is slightly perfumed and the palate just a touch off-dry. A perfect wine for warm weather quaffing or paired with spicy Thai cuisine. The best part…? The price… All three retail at the $10.00 mark.
The 2015 Horse Heaven Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc was also quite excellent. This is a quintessential Sauvignon Blanc, crisp and racy on the palate, as the winery utilizes partial stainless steel fermentation to preserve its fresh & vibrant citrus characteristics. Another definite for warm weather quaffing. It is available online at garyswine.com for $12.99 per bottle (plus shipping).
The two red wines sampled at the aforementioned wine dinner were both excellent. The first was the 2012 Cold Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. A “classic” Washington vintage for this Cabernet, it delivers rich concentrated black fruit in a user-friendly approachable package. It normally lists at $35.00 a bottle; but it may be purchased online at saratogawineexchange.com for $27.34 (plus shipping). My nod, however, goes to the 2014 Indian Wells Merlot. I’ve never been a particularly enthusiastic fan of Merlot, but the 2014 isn’t your usual Cab wannabe. Rather, it is a blend of 86% Merlot and 14% Syrah. And it is the presence of the Syrah that significantly enhances the wine’s body, mouthfeel, and rich fruit character – and it’s a good deal less expensive than the Cabernet. It lists around the $16.00 mark; but it is available online from empirewine.com for $14.95 (plus shipping).
A lot of good things going on at Chateau Ste. Michelle! J
Cheers!
TAD
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