As part of Washington Wine Month we bring you an exciting new feature on another big player in Washington wine. If you are a fan of sweeping views and a huge range of great red and white wines, a visit to Maryhill Winery is a must. Established in 1999 by Craig and Vicki Leuthold, the winery has gained plenty of attention in the Northwest wine industry since that time. The Leutholds crafted a 3,000-square-foot tasting room, a vine-covered arbor, bocce courts, picnic grounds and an adjacent 4,000 seat amphitheater that hosts an impressive summer concert series, with upcoming performances by famed groups Tears for Fears and Chris Issak. The views of the valley and the river from this winery are just incredible.
In the past ten plus years, this winery has expanded its production and range of wines considerably. The winery has grown from only a 4,300 case production in 1999 to more than 90,000 cases today, making it the 9th largest winery in the state.
There have been plenty of awards since its inception. Some awards include the "2014 Winery of the Year" by San Francisco International Wine Competition, "Top 10 Winery of the World" by The World Association of Wine Writers and Journalists, "2013 Winemaker of the Year" by Indy International Wine Competition, “2009 Washington Winery of the Year” by Wine Press Northwest and "Best Destination Winery" by Seattle Magazine. Maryhill produces more than 50 varietals and blends, as there is just a huge range of wines offered by this winery – and many at exceptional prices. I recently had the chance to taste through some of their more popular offerings. Their 2015 Maryhill Chardonnay (WWB, 90) was an awesome and rich effort that showed nice balance considering the heat of the vintage. This is a wine to buy by the case, at only $16.00 per bottle. Another great value was their 2015 'Proprietor’s Reserve' Albariño (WWB, 90) which was sourced from the famed Otis Vineyard and showed a really classy range of aromatic and fruit flavors. Finally check out their 2013 Maryhill ‘Winemaker’s Red’ Red Wine (WWB, 89) which is just a tremendous value red wine that shows a ton of ripe fruit flavors. Learn more about Maryhill Winery at http://www.maryhillwinery.com/ Here are the great new release wines by Maryhill.
2015 Maryhill Chardonnay- This green hued white begins with aromas of roasted pineapple, pear, Pink Lady apple and hints of nutmeg. There are flavors of brioche, vanilla cream, Gala apple and suggestions of starfruit. Bright and balanced, with a creamy finish, this is an excellent value. Drink 2016-2022- 90
2015 Marhill 'Proprietor’s Reserve' Albariño- Sourced from the famed Otis Vineyard, this wine opens with aromatics of starfruit, Bartlett pear and white peach pit. This yields flavors of honeydew melon, Pazzaz apple, candied pink grapefruit and suggestions of dried mango. The oily texture, ripe fruit and balance is excellent. Drink 2016-2021- 90
2013 Maryhill 'Winemaker's Red' Red Wine- This intriguing blend was sourced from more than 25 Columbia Valley vineyards. The wine starts with aromatics of black cherry, black olive, coffee grounds and blackberry jam. There are flavors reminiscent of black cherry, black raspberry, cassis and milk chocolate. Forward and rich, this is an excellent effort for the price. Drink 2016-2022- 89
2015 Maryhill Viognier- This expressive white wine starts with a bouquet of white peach, honeysuckle, bananas foster and roasted macadamia nuts. This leads to flavors of creme brulee, banana custard, pineapple and vanilla cream. A bit on the sweet side but the Viognier maintains nice minerality. Drink 2016-2020- 88
2012 Maryhill Zinfandel-This wine begins with a fruity nose of black plum, prune, red cherry and dill. There are ripe flavors of red cherry, red raspberry jam, prune, and hints of coffee grounds. This is a forward and delicious Zin that is meant for short-term consumption. Drink 2016-2020- 89
2011 Marhill Mourvèdre- Sourced from the Sugarloaf Vineyard in the Rattlesnake Hills, the wine starts with aromas of creosote, black cherry, blackberry preserves and coffee grounds. There are medium weight flavors of anise, tar, black cherry and cassis. This is polished and medium weight. Drink 2016-2021-88