Walla Walla Wineries: Rhône Meets Walla Walla at Reynvaan Family Vineyards and Rôtie Cellars

Reynvaan's Estate Vineyards in Walla Walla

Continuing on the march to share with you the fabulous places in Walla Walla, Washington that M.C. Ice and I hit on the trip, we have two very small wineries with very high quality wines: Reynvaan Family Vineyards and Rôtie Cellars. Both focus on Rhône varieties and both are so small that you'd need to get on their mailing lists to try them (although Reynvaan does have limited distribution in the northeastern U.S.). I know that's a little inconvenient, but I promise -- it's worth the hassle. 

Here's the quick scoop on each:

Reynvaan Family Vineyards
I was tipped off by a wine friend who had visited Reynvaan that they were a must-see in Walla Walla. They're located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains on the Oregon border in a lovely, clean facility with pretty views. Although not open to the public generally, I was lucky to squeak in for their spring release weekend where they feature their latest and greatest vintages. 

The Reynvaan family was all there, including Mike and Gale Reynvaan, who started the winery in 2005 with the goal of making wines that reflect the terroir of Walla Walla. They were very cool people and I loved talking wine business with Mike. He's a great, smart guy.

Reynvaan's grapes come from two vineyards. The first, called "In the Rocks," is known around Walla Walla as having a soil profile that's similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône Valley. The rocks absorb sun and then radiate heat onto the vines during the cooler nights. This helps reds like Syrah and Cabernet and warmth-loving whites like Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and Marsanne thrive. 

The second, "Foothills in the Sun," is a high elevation vineyard best for Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Viognier. These grapes can take the heat and maintain acidity even when it gets a little sunny and steamy. 

Angela and husband Chris,
lovely folks

I had great conversations with everyone in the family at Reynvaan -- Mike, Gail, and their daughters Amanda and Angela who have started their own wine project, a non-vintage red called "Result of a Crush." Seems like a fun project and a great way for them to get into the family biz! 

Now to the wines. I was sad I didn't get to try their Syrah, for which they are best known, but everything was sold out, so I took what I could get! I didn't get  price list (none are available quite yet for purchase but they all ranged from $40 - $75).

2011 Viognier
13.9% alcohol
Color: A pale straw color despite the fact that the wine spent 4 months in new oak.
Smell: Orange sherbet, white flowers/gardenia, fresh laundry hanging outside.
Taste: Lemon with a cucumber note. Fresh-picked herbs. A little like a sugar cookie (I mean this in a good way). Great acid, very fresh. 
Drink or sink?: Drink. This is the first release of this wine and I hope it's not their last. I'm still thinking about it! It had the perfect balance of full texture (the oak helps this), acidity, and fruit flavor.



2011 Queen's Road White
55% Marsanne, 45% Viognier, 13.2% alcohol 
Color: Deep yellow, which is what I'd expect from these two pigmented white grapes.
Smell: Similar to the Viognier but more intense with strong gardenia and white jasmine notes and a fresh laundry smell again. 
Taste: Like edible flowers and fresh cut herbs. A light, refreshing palate cleanser with great mouth-cleansing acidity. 
Drink or sink?: Drink. A nice, light summer wine. It would be great to sip on a patio, or with light appetizers or light, white fish in a oil or butter sauce.



2011 Grenache Blanc 
12.5% alcohol
Color: Virtually clear
Smell: Honey and tarragon with the fresh floral character that seems to be typical of Reynvaan's whites. A lot of lemon, and ripe apricot. 
Taste: Lemon, lemongrass, lime, and Asian pear flavors were all over this wine. But its texture was a little lacking. The acidity overpowered the lovely fruit and honey that the grape was trying to express. 
Drink or sink?: Surprisingly after that description, Drink. Although this was my least favorite of the day, I think in 6 months or a year it will become my top pick. Grenache Blanc often does better with a little bit of time in the bottle and I think this wine has all the elements of being fabulous if given some time to chill out. 


2011 Cabernet Sauvignon 
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. No idea what the alcohol is, as you can see from the photo it was one step from a barrel sample (very cool!)
Color: Like most of the Cabs from Walla Walla, this had a nice, rich ruby color from the long growing season that builds pigment.
Smell: Perfectly ripe black cherry, strawberry, blackcurrant, and a hint of tomato and dried dirt. 
Taste: Just like it smelled but more reserved -- the fruit was a little less pungent. There was also a great black tea taste and more earthy flavors than the smell implied. The tannins, acid, and alcohol were all perfectly balanced to give it a long, chewy finish that wasn't overpowering since the acid kept it in check.
Drink or sink?: Drink. I think this wine will age fabulously well. It had a perfect balance of all the elements a Cabernet should have -- the texture was amazing. I loved this wine and bought a bottle. I'll let you know how it tastes in a few years when I open it! 

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Rôtie Cellars

Downtown Walla Walla
near the Rôtie Cellars tasting room

Oh-so-conveniently located in an upstairs storefront in the middle of Walla Walla, Rôtie is a very small and focused shop. Winemaker Sean Boyd is a Rhône wine lover and since 2007 his aim is to make wines that are at the cross-section of Washington and Rhône. He makes his wines mainly from the Columbia Valley, not from Walla Walla, a curiosity I talked about in the Woodinville post if you want to know more. 

I have to admit that I sadly didn't learn that much about the wines or the winery because I guess I arrived at the end of a long day for the tasting room and the staff seemed a little weary! It was spring release weekend so they saw a lot of traffic -- I get it. That said, the wines were good and it's a place to check out for interesting stuff.


2012 Southern White, $28
70% Viognier, 15% Roussanne, 15% Marsanne from the Columbia Gorge and Horse Heaven Hills AVAs. 13.5% alcohol. 
Color: A dark, golden yellow color from the ripe, luscious grapes used. This wine was aged in stainless steel so the color is from the grapes. 
Smell: The Viognier dominated with lots of white flowers and lemons, and sugary fruit smells. The other grapes added a touch of green apple smell that was a nice counter-balance. 
Taste: Candied lemon and the sensation of biting into a ripe, red apple -- crisp yet sweet seeming with great acidity
Drink or sink?: Drink. A very nice, medium-bodied white.



2011 Southern Blend, $40
(this is a typical blend of Southern Rhône grapes)
65% Grenache, 23% Mourvedre, 6% Syrah, 6% Cinsaut from the warmer Horse Heaven Hills and Snipes Mountain in the Columbia Valley. 13.8% alcohol.
Color: A lovely light raspberry color (except for old vines, Grenache is lightly pigmented)
Smell: Lots going on here -- raspberry, strawberry, black pepper and then a woodsy quality -- a maple syrup/tree sap thing with some pine needles thrown in. 
Taste: Like raspberries or strawberries picked right from the vine with a ton of black pepper and cinnamon. Low tannins, higher acid made this very refreshing. 
Drink or sink?: Drink. A great wine with a terrific balance and lots of interesting flavors. 


2011 Northern Blend (typical grapes of the Northern Rhône), $40
95% Syrah, 5% Viognier from Walla Walla Vineyards ("In the Rocks") and other parts of the Columbia Valley. 13.8% alcohol.

Color: Ruby red, with thick legs dripping down the glass.
Smell: A little closed right now, this wine needs some time to age. I smelled a little raspberry, and some floral notes from the Viognier but it was a little stingy in showing it's stuff! 
Taste: A little more black plum and pepper here, with chewy tannins that lasted forever, but hard to describe because the wine is not ready for drinking
Drink or sink?: Totally inconclusive. I think it will be great in 3 years, but right now this bottle needs to lay down in a cool, semi-humid place and relax!

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So that's it! Two good experiences with producers concentrating on Rhône varieties. It's not the last of the Rhône lovers from this Washington series, so stay tuned. 

I'm hoping that wines like these and the others I tried will start to bring more people back around to Syrah, which is one of the best reds that no one seems to buy these days!