Truly one of the great wineries of Lake Chelan, Cairdeas is an ancient Gaelic word meaning friendship, goodwill or alliance. Founded by Charlie and Lacey Lybecker in 2009, Cairdeas is named after Charlie’s Irish heritage, Lacey’s goodwill (that is how they met), the alliance they made with each other and those in our industry, and the friendships they have made along the way. Lacey and Charlie are some of the nicest people you will find in the Washington wine industry.
The winery sources from some great sites throughout Washington including the acclaimed ‘Boushey Vineyard’ in the Yakima Valley and the ‘Lawrence Vineyard’ in the new Royal Slope AVA. The winery is perched atop the lake with stunning views of Lake Chelan and the surrounding valley. It is a gorgeous spot to enjoy their fantastic Rose wine.
The new edition of their 2022 Cairdeas Rose (OB, 91) is fresh and lively with loads of mouth-watering acidity. Even better is their 2021 Cairdeas ‘Caiselan An Papa’ Red Wine (OB, 94) which is all about balance, showing some astonishingly good flavor and aromatic range.The best part is these wine are all reasonably priced under 60 dollars. Learn more about this excellent Chelan outpost at https://cairdeaswinery.com/winery/about-us/ and here are my reviews of the new Cairdeas wines.
2022 Cairdeas Rose- Showing off its beautiful salmon hue, the 2022 Cairdeas Rose comes from the Meek Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. This version has near equal parts Grenache and Syrah, compared to considerably more Syrah in the ’21 bottling. The mouthfeel is smooth and soft, as this revels in copious crunchy red fruit flavors with mandarin orange rind and stony accents. Delicious, this is outstanding Rose to enjoy on a hot summer day. Drink 2023-2028- 91
2022 Cairdeas ‘Nellie May’ White Wine- Named after the owners’ grandmothers, the 2022 ‘Nellie May’ is a fantastic Rhone-inspired combination of Viognier (59%) and Roussanne (41%) which was soured from the Lawrence and Coyote Canyon Vineyards. Once on the mouth this reveals bright acidity that connects with pear and green apple flavors alongside pastry crust and cantaloupe notes with a touch of cream towards the end. This is seriously good stuff with excellent nerve. Drink 2023-2029- 92
2021 Cairdeas ‘Consonance’ Red Wine- A unique blend of Syrah and Petite Sirah, the 2021 Consonance is inky in the glass. Smoke and anise aromatics combine with suggestions of sagebrush, dark currants and chocolate cake. The palate is smooth and concentrated, as this is just a delight to savor now with its heady black and blue fruit flavors. This has both the stuffing and finesse to cellar well for another decade. Drink 2023-2033- 93
2021 Cairdeas ‘Tri’ Red Wine- The 2021 ‘Tri’ combines mostly Syrah (67%) and Mourvèdre (22%) with the remainder Grenache. Provenceale herbs, grilled lamb and shades of citrus blossom water all combine on the nose. The palate is fresh and nicely concentrated, with a great core of red and dark fruit flavors. Enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2023-2031- 93
2021 Cairdeas ‘Caislean An Papa’ Red Wine- The 2021 Cairdeas ‘Caislean An Papa’ Red Wine is a highly complex blend of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault and Counoise. White pepper dusted bacon, red currants, cigar ash and shades of black truffle all grace the nose alongside boysenberry fruits. The palate shows wonderful balance with deft finesse and good concentration from this warm vintage. Finishing long with black currants, sage and exotic spices, this is beautiful wine to consume now and over the next decade to come. Drink 2023-2033- 94