Woodward Canyon Winery

Woodward Canyon Winery

As one of the oldest and most prestigious Walla Walla wineries, Woodward Canyon has been crafting ageworthy red and white wines since 1981. In the past few years I’ve tried some of their reds and whites from the ‘90s and they continue to impress. Woodward keeps their production small and their tasting room is now featuring some of the harder to find wines, such as their Celilo Vineyard Chard and their Old Vines Cabernet. Winemaker Rick Small has been crafting wines for more than 30 years and one of the keys to these esteemed wines is sourcing from some of the best vineyards in the state, such as Celilo and Champoux.
Their reds are viscous, heavy and ageworthy. One of my favorite Cabernets each year is their Artist Series. Commanding a slightly lower price than their ‘Old Vines’ Cabernet, I’ve sampled every Artist Series vintage since 2002 and their new release, the 2012, just might be their best. Approachable in its youth, this is a tremendous wine for a special occasion. You can find their wines at their wine shop (https://www.woodwardcanyon.com/store/products), or you can grab their wines at Pacific Northwest specialty wine shops or Total Wines. Here are some of the great new releases that I tried at Woodward Canyon:‪#‎woodwardcanyon‬

2013 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay- Nose has banana and oak. Palate has vanilla, red delicious and starfruit. Nice finish. -93

2012 Woodward Canyon Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay- Tich nose with oak, banana, lemon zest and brioche. Palate has starfruit, golden delicious, unripe pear and nice tang. Delicious. -93

Woodward Canyon Non Vintage red wine- Nose has blackberry, black cherry and oak. Palate has red cherry, anise and raspberry. Soft but balanced. -89

2012 Woodward Canyon 'Erratic'- This is the second release of this wine. Mouvedre heavy wine. Nose has smoked meats, black olive and blackberry. Palate has blackberry, stewed strawberry, and black cherry. Nice depth and richness. Drink after 2017. -93

2011 Woodward Canyon Estate Red- 95% Cab Franc and 5% Petite Verdot. Nose has fill, red cherry, and anise. Palate has red cherry, raspberry, and is layered and deep. Very serious considering the vintage. Drink after 2016. -94

2012 Woodward Canyon ‘Nelms Road’ Cabernet- Nose has anise and blackberry. Palate has blackberry, black cherry and light tannins. Drink 2015 on. -90

2012 Woodward Canyon ‘Old Vines’ Cabernet-Powerful wine, with a highly perfumed nose of anise, red currant, blackberry and cassis. Palate has chocolate, anise, blackberry and is rich. This is serious juice. Don't drink until after 2017.
-95

2012 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Artists series-Graphite and cassis on the nose. Dense wine with creme de cassis, blackberry and mocha. Incredible depth. Drink after 2015. -95

2011 Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley Merlot- Nose has red cherry, anise and red bell pepper. Palate has cherry tomato, red cherry, and vanilla. Layered and rich. Drink 2016 on, as the fruit still needs some time to integrate. -92