As I approached the long, winding road, I saw the beautiful vineyards creating a panoramic effect. Abeja is one of the most beautiful sites you will see in the Walla Walla Valley. Co-winemaker Dan Wampfler greeted me, as we walked into their brand new production facility that is a sight to be seen. Brand new tanks and fresh concrete was everywhere and the smells of new French oak permeated throughout the building.
For years I have admired the wines by Abeja who have consistently produced some of the finest wines of the Walla Walla Valley. Wines were first made by illustrious winemaker John Abbott, and Abeja is set in the foothills of Walla Walla’s Blue Mountains. Abeja has eight luxury cottages, with a large farmhouse, creeks, and gardens on the 38 acre property. Abeja relies on the winemaking talents of Dan Wampfler and Amy Alvarez-Wampfler. Both Dan and Amy have more than 30 years of combined winemaking experience. They work closely together on the wines and craft truly one of the great overall lineups of wine. There is little doubt that the Abeja Chardonnay has been one of the benchmarks for Washington State.
One of the best editions of this wine that I have tasted over the past decade, the 2021 Abeja Chardonnay (OB, 94) is rich with outstanding flavor complexity and great underlying tension. Do not miss out on the gorgeous 2020 Abeja Merlot (OB, 94) which is also very dense and layered, showing a very soft texture. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://www.abeja.net/ Here are the great new wines by Abeja.
2021 Abeja Chardonnay- Coming from the Cello, Connor Lee and Abeja Estate Vineyards, this outstanding Chardonnay was aged for ten months in only 14% new French oak barrels before bottling. This has the very classic Abeja texture, as the mouthfeel and viscosity comes off very gratifying —as does the level of mouth-watering acidity. Layers of banana cream, roasted pineapple, and Macadamia nut with salty and silty undercurrents all wonderfully collide in unison on the palate. A joy to drink now, this has some cellaring potential, as this will pick up earthy and nutty notes as it ages. Drink 2023-2030- 94
2020 Abeja Merlot- For years Abeja has made a very strong reputation for Merlot wines. This edition has just a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon blended in and is sourced from the Abeja Estate, Mill Creek and Sagemoor Farms properties. Silky and pillowy on the mouth, this unveils chocolate covered red raspberry, sagebrush and loamy soil notes on the palate, with scorched earthy accents. With good viscosity and verve, this is fantastic stuff to consume now and over the next eight years. Drink 2023-2031- 94
2020 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a range of sites throughout the Columbia Valley and blends 79% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller parts Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The herbal notes are wonderful on the palate, with violets, cracked white pepper, green herbs and rabbit brush accents. Heady dark fruits mingle well with copious minerals, and dark chocolate cake flavors. Really good now, enjoy this over the next eight years. Drink 2023-2031- 94