Walla Walla Wineries: Woodward Canyon, An Historical Stalwart

Between the podcast and the 101 on Woodinville and Walla Walla, Washington, the background of this fabulous region is covered on WFNP! Now, it's just on to the meat and potatoes: the reviews. 

Since we got around in Walla Walla, there is much to share, so I'll hit a few in each post and then dedicate longer posts to a few really interesting places you should know about.



For this installment, we'll hit one of the oldest wineries in Walla Walla, Woodward Canyon.

One quick note: There is vintage variation in Washington. 2010 and 2011 were very cool years. I tried wines mostly from these vintages and loved the lower alcohol levels and fresh acidity that resulted. I can't really comment on warmer years, since I had very few of those wines, but I can say that I hope they continue to have longer growing seasons like these years, since I think it results in wines that are amazingly balanced and showcase the terroir perfectly.

Woodward Canyon Background
I was particularly interested in hitting up Woodward Canyon because they are one of the oldest wineries in Walla Walla. Rick Small, the dude who founded it with his wife, Darcey, is a legend of sorts in Walla Walla. From a local wheat farming family, Small got a degree in agriculture and returned to Walla Walla to live the family dream. 

The only problem? He and Gary Figgins, who founded Leonetti Cellars picked up the "wine bug" (Leonetti's wines are about $125 a bottle and the critics go nuts over them. I didn't visit because I heard they don't see "the public",  and that's not so normal in my book).  Both got really interested in viticulture and both planted vineyards in the mid 1970s. By 1981, Small had taught himself how to make wine and he and Darcey created the Woodward Canyon brand. 

They restored a 1870s farmhouse, became the second winery in Walla Walla, and then encouraged others by going through the grueling process of fighting the federal bureaucracy to make Walla Walla an official American Viticultural Area. 

The ironic thing: most of their wines don't use the Walla Walla AVA -- they source fruit from all over the state and chose to use Washington State as their place of origin. Strange but true.

That said, Rick Small is a real pioneer and without him, Walla Walla wouldn't be the force it is today. Going back to his farming roots, he hired a winemaker in 2003 so he could focus more on the vineyards. 

Woodward Canyon is a medium sized winery -- they make about 16,000 cases a year. They focus on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. I loved the tasting room staff, especially Shari, the hospitality manager who was smart, helpful, and so proud of her winery! 

_____________________________________

The Wines
I asked them to show me their top 3 or 4 wines and here's what they served up!

2011 Washington State Chardonnay, $44
100% Chardonnay, 13.3% alcohol.
Color: Straw colored with a slight green tinge (usually a tip off to great acidity)

Smell: Fresh and acidic -- like lemons and limes, and a little green appley. 

Taste: Like a green apple with a touch of vanilla from the oak aging. The texture of the wine was outstanding -- it only goes through partial malo-lactic fermentation, which means it's a tad creamy but still has an acidic bite. A nice contrast. 

Drink or sink?: Drink. Very well made and a nice start to the tasting. 

_____________________________

2010 "Artist Series" Cabernet Sauvignon  Washington State, $54 
(exclusively in restaurants or through the web site, each

vintage the label is based on a piece of art from a local artist. A portion of the proceeds go to charity)
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, 14.1% alcohol.

Color: Very dark ruby 

Smell: Rich blackcurrant, licorice, and ripe plum aromas. There was this great smell like a Christmas fruitcake -- dried fruit, sweet vanilla and cinnamon, and then a little bit of pine or earth. 

Taste: Blackcurrant, plums, cooked cherries, and then a bit like menthol (it was a touch medicinal, which was I think will calm down with time in the bottle). Great texture -- it was very soft at first, but then had a kick of mouth-drying tannin and a super long finish. 

Drink or sink?: Another balanced, tasty wine. 

_____________________________

2009 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $89
93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, 16.7% alcohol (OH MY!)

Color:  Dark red/garnet colored.

Smell: Like a cinnamon bun -- sugary, bready, and like cinnamon (of course! All from oak). Plum, blackberry, and damp soil smells were behind the sweet oak smells.

Taste: Tasted similar to the Artist Series -- the same signature Christmas cake flavors with a soft start and rich tannin to finish. The wine had a burning alcohol sensation though, mostly due to the fact that it's higher in alcohol than many dessert wines, which you are only meant to sip.

Drink or sink?: I was informed by a lot of people in Walla Walla that everyone lies about their alcohol content. By law, wineries have a 1% leeway (up or down) on alcohol. In Walla Walla, if they mess with it, they mark it down 1% less than the actual deal. The problem is that our bodies can tell. When something is high alcohol, it feels hot in your mouth and going down your throat. In my opinion, it throws everything off and makes an otherwise good wine, not so good. I have to sink this one for the hot burn that threw the wine off balance. 

_____________________________

2006 Estate Reserve (blend), magnum Size, Washington State, $190

42% Cabernet Franc,  35% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 14.8% alcohol.

Color: Brownish from the age, but sort of brick red.

Smell: This was the best of the day. Very earthy from that Cabernet Franc, and like dried strawberry and apricot with some blackberry jam notes from the other grapes.

Taste: There was an amazing contrast between cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper spice, vanilla, and black plum, blackberries, and strawberry flavors. Also, this sauteed thyme or marjoram herb thing bubbled up on the finish and it was AWESOME. 

Drink or sink? Drink. My time at Woodward Canyon finished strong. This was the best wine of the tasting and shows that Woodward Canyon's wines are built to last and may be better after a few years of aging!

____________________________________

A good experience to kick off the trip! Have you been to Woodward Canyon? Let me know what you thought by posting a comment below or on Facebook or Twitter!