One of the truly unique wineries in Woodinville, W.T. Vintners utilizes the talents of Advanced Sommelier, Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen, who crafts a dazzling array of wines, from crisp Gruner Veltliner to stony Syrah. The latest set of releases are really special as this is the first time that Jeff has crafted a Chardonnay which is something he admittedly thought he would never do. Jeff has given us some very special details about this brand new wine.
“My deep love for wine is rooted in the wines of Burgundy, from both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. My first harvest was in the Willamette Valley in 2005. I then had the opportunity to work the harvest in Burgundy in 2008 for a small domaine and followed it up in 2009 in Martinborough, New Zealand. Each time it was a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir 14-16 hour a day intensive. These experiences shaped my philosophy and winemaking techniques that I apply to all of our wines. In Eastern Washington, we believe Syrah and Rhône varieties transmit that certain "je ne sais quoi" that makes each vineyard we work with special. However, in the heat and intense sun of Eastern Washington, I don't feel the style of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir I sought to make was possible. For our Pinot Noir, we sought out some of the best fruit we could find in the Pacific Northwest, landing in the exquisite Seven Springs vineyard in the Willamette Valley. When we turned our attention to Chardonnay, we found a young vineyard in the cool-climate Columbia Gorge, called Rainmaker, in the hills above White Salmon. Upon our first visit, this vineyard commanded our attention and inspired our sense of adventure to see what could be. We are under no illusions that we have created the next Montrachet or Grand Cru Chablis, but with patience and a gentle hand in the cellar, we believe we have made a Washington Chardonnay true to the grape and the place. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed and spontaneously fermented in 4-year-old 225L François Frères barrels. The goal was a kiss of oak and mouthfeel, not a slathering of new wood. Fermentation was brutally slow, it took 11 months for the wines to finish. The wine saw no SO2 until then. After 14 months we racked the wine to marry the barrels and bottled with a small SO2 bump at bottling after 16 months. Making this wine was an exercise in patience and having faith in the process. In the end, I think it's pretty damn delicious and will bring people a lot of joy.”
One of the best Rose wines I have sampled for my upcoming 2020 Rose Report, Jeff also crafts his Rose from the ‘Rainmaker Vineyard’ and has a great style which has plenty of richness but is very restrained in style. He described this beautiful wine “We started making Rosé in 2013 and have bounced around from the Walla Walla "Rocks" to the Willamette Valley searching for the right vineyard. I am looking for tension, texture, and acidity in our rosé, not a chilled hyper-pale flabby red wine or a mouth puckering wine devoid of the varietal character. I love the Pinot Noir rosés of Marsannay in Burgundy and Sancerre rosé, from the Loire. I especially love Domaine Vacheron. Pinot rosé at its best has energy, a sense of place and brisk freshness. They are supremely drinkable and versatile wines with food, from sushi to tacos.”
Jeff continued “In 2014 and 2015 we got to work with the old block of Celilo Vineyard Pinot for our rosé, we loved the resulting wine. When the vineyard sold we lost our access and bounced around for a bit looking for a new home. The moment we set foot on Rainmaker vineyard it was clear this was the place. Rainmaker vineyard is a breathtakingly beautiful south-southwest amphitheater with volcanic clay soils at an elevation of about 1200 feet. The potential is so exciting. We have partnered with the owner's Larry and Patti Singer, along with James Mantone of Syncline and are developing what will become one of Washington's foremost cool-climate vineyards.”
Jeff described his winemaking process, adding “We slowly whole-cluster pressed the pinot to extract color, flavor, and a touch of tannin. The fruit had over 7 grams of mouth ripping acidity so we neutral barrel fermented about 10% of the wine to add back to the stainless-steel fermented wine softening out the edges without undermining the character of the vintage. The remaining juice was spontaneously fermented at a cool 58 degrees in stainless steel to slow things down keep the lees in suspension as long as possible. This helped build texture and mouthfeel as a counterpoint to the high acidity in the wine.”
The wines are stellar across the board and his 2019 W.T. Vintners ‘Rainmaker’ Rose (WWB, 92) has marvelous texture and tension with bright red fruits. I love the elegance in this wine. Even better is that thrilling new 2018 W.T. Vintners ‘Rainmaker’ Chardonnay (WWB, 93) which is fresh, vibrant and remarkably soft, showing great range and minerality. Learn more about these gorgeous wines at wtvintners.com Here are the beautiful new wines by superstar winemaker Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen and W.T. Vintners.
2019 W.T. Vintners ‘Rainmaker’ Rose- Adeptly named, hailing from the ‘Rainmaker Vineyard’ in the Columbia Gorge AVA, the 2019 W.T. Vintners Rose opens with pretty pink grapefruit blossoms that are woven together with rose water and shades of red raspberry that all come together in the glass. The palate has remarkable freshness and elegance with copious minerals that mingle together with a soft texture and bright guava and red cherry candy flavors. The combination of freshness and mouthfeel is seriously good. Drink 2020-2025- 92
2019 W.T. Vintners ‘Underwood Mountain’ Gruner Veltliner- The 2019 ‘Underwood Mountain’ Gruner Veltliner delivers forward green apple, pear and green papaya aromas that come together in the glass. The palate is bright with a silky mouthfeel and wonderful vein of tension that runs through the core of tart orchard and citrus fruits, with wet stone undertones. Enjoy in its youth while the brightness shines. Drink 2020-2023- 91
2018 W.T. Vintners ‘Rainmaker’ Chardonnay- The 2018 ‘Rainmaker’ is the first Chardonnay that winemaker/somm extraordinaire, Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen has ever made. The aromatics are quite delicate with white rose and nectarine aromas that meld with shades of wet rock and cantaloupe that all come together in the glass. The texture is really good, as bright minerals mingle with Pink Lady apple, apricot and banana flavors with melon and wet stone undertones. A complete wine, this beautifully textured new ‘Rainmaker’ with a very Burgundian feel, will have a long life left in the cellar. Just wait for the long finish. Drink 2020-2029- 93
2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Grenache- An outstanding new Washington Grenache, the 2017 ‘Boushey Vineyard’ shows serious range and finesse. Fragrant red rose petals and shades of cigar box with smoky undertones greet you aromatically. The palate has great freshness, verve and viscosity with layers of red currants, red cherry candy, salted charcuterie and shades of green olive tapenade. The flavor range is seriously good. Showing good weight and minerality, I can see this cellaring well for a decade or more — but why wait? Drink 2020-2030- 93
2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Rhone Blend Boushey Vineyard’ Red Wine- The 2017 ‘Rhone Blend’ combines a higher portion of Mourvedre (49%) with 36% Grenache and the remainder Syrah. The smoky, herbal and savory tones are extraordinary on the nose as a dusting of white pepper collides with fresh sage, smoked pork shoulder and blackberry jam on this exotic bouquet. The insanely good aromatic range brings you back to the glass for more delight. The palate has great texture and finesse, with layers of smoked meats, creosote, herbal tones and black fruits that mingle with minerals and a touch of milk chocolate. Seriously good right now, the beautiful new ‘Rhone Blend’ will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Stone Vine Vineyard’ Syrah- One of the acclaimed vineyards in the Pacific Northwest, the ‘Stoney Vine Vineyard’ is located in the Walla Walla Rocks AVA and is nothing short of a world-class site for Syrah. Right away you are enticed by the pretty floral tones that combine with Mandarin orange rind, red cherry candy, bacon fat and Umami aromatics that all take shape in the glass. The palate is fresh, showing light stony character alongside a bright vein of tension that runs through the core of red fruits, green olive tapenade and citrus rind accents. The range imparted is seriously good in this fantastic new bottling that is best enjoyed over the next seven to ten years. Drink 2020-2027- 93
2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Gorgeous Destiny Ridge Vineyard’ Syrah- The ‘Gorgeous Syrah shows deeply concentrated blackberry cobbler and mocha tones that collide with shades of wet stone on this expressive nose. The palate has good rashness and acidity with medium-bodied red and dark fruits that mingle with the citrus rind and scorched earth undertones of the wine. The silky texture entices. Drink 2020-2030- 92
2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Damavian Les Collines Vineyard’ Syrah- One of the storied vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, the ‘Les Collines Vineyard’ is known for its beautiful herbal tones both aromatically and on the palate. This rendition shows those high-toned citrus rind and herbal tones alongside shades of bacon fat and stony terroir that all meld in the glass. The palate is highly elegant with a silky texture and wonderful length that seamlessly aims the wine across the mid-palate. Bright, showing a good sense of minerality, the Syrah yields ripe black fruit flavors that mingle with minerals, damp earthy tones and shades of sagebrush and pipe tobacco. Elegant and showing great range, the 2017 ‘Les Collines Vineyard’ Syrah will cellar well for another decade or more. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Grand Cote’ Syrah- Sourced from one of Dick Boushey’s acclaimed vineyards in the Yakima Valley, the ‘Grand Cote’ Syrah opens with loganberry liquor aromatics that mingle with a light dusting of white pepper, smoked meats and cigar box tones that all take their shape in the glass. The platen has great freshness and weight, with a silky texture that makes this really sing. Shades of Hoisin sauce, blackberry jam, cedar and lighter herbal undertones all combine on the palate. Rich and viscous, with great verve, the 2017 ‘Grand Cote’ Syrah will cellar well for at least another decade. Drink 2020-2030- 93
2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Mourvedre- The 2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Mourvedre is another sensational effort by superstar winemaker Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen. Aromatically quite intense right out of the gate, this unveils cracked green peppercorns with layers of dark fruits and smoked brisket tones that all take shape in the glass. The ripe mouthfeel and polished texture gives this an err of elegance. Blackberry cobbler and coffee ground flavors combine with menthol and fresh sage tones, with suggestions of creosote on the palate. Fresh and vibrant, with good viscosity, the 2017 W.T. Vintners ‘Boushey Vineyard’ Mourvedre will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2020-2030- 93