It is my pleasure to share one of the greats of Walla Walla. I have long enjoyed visiting this scenic site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Abeja is one of the most beautiful sites you will see in the Walla Walla Valley. They have a brand new facility there that is spacious and squeaky clean. Abeja wines were first made by illustrious winemaker John Abbott as this location boasts 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 who have now been there for a decade. 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.
Co-winemaker Dan Wampfler with his wife, Amy, create some of the most quintessential Washington Chardonnay. They use limited new oak as well as concrete tanks. “I like oak as a tool, rather than a weapon” Dan explains. He stated “Texture with the concrete tank and it provides significant more mouthfeel, texturally this gives you depth.” The Skysill Chardonnay has now become of the finest Chardonnays made in the Pacific Northwest. “We do three different picks for this wine to get those layers” he explained.
I love the new 2024 Abeja ‘Washington State’ Chardonnay (OB, 94) which is a stunning bottling that comes from several Columbia Valley sites. Another year and another perfect wine for the Wampflers. The 2021 ‘Skysill’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 100) is no cheap treat at over 200 bucks. But it is absolutely worth the splurge. It is pillowy, soft, opulent and dense — everything that you want in a world-class Cabernet. Only 186 cases made of this special wine. Learn more about this outstanding winery at http://www.abeja.net/ Here are the great new wines by Abeja.
2024 Abeja ‘Washington State’ Chardonnay- Another beautiful edition of this wine, the 2024 ‘Washington State’ Chardonnay was sourced from top sites such as Celilo and Skysill as well as Kenny Hill. Like the ’23 edition, this is dense and fat on the tongue, with terrific viscosity and loads of underlying minimality. White peach and baking spice laced French bread alongside vanilla bean and custard notes all combine on the palate. Finishing long, this is complex, elegant Chardonnay that is best consumed now and over the next decade. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2023 Abeja ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Chardonnay- The 2023 Abeja ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Chardonnay was also stored in a limited amount of new French oak before bottling. All of the estate Chardonnay is planted above 1300 feet which leads to serious tension in the wine. Stony minerals combine with beautiful weight and a pretty core of melon and citrus fruits on the palate. Showing a terrific mouthfeel and great stony character, with outstanding length, this is best consumed over the next decade. Drink 2025-2035- 94
2024 Abeja ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Viognier- Another flat-out stunning rendition of Viognier from the Walla Walla Valley, the 2024 Abeja Viognier was stored in neutral French oak before bottling. Honeysuckle water and juicy nectarine and pear tones fill the palate alongside pie crust and shades of yellow plum. Like the ’23, this comes off delightfully fat and round on the tongue. Salty and mineral-laden, with a great viscosity, enjoy this beauty now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2033- 94
2023 Abeja Syrah- The 2023 Abeja Syrah comes from this low-yielding estate vineyard on Mill Creek road. This site is now ripped up and will eventually be replanted. The nose is wonderfully herbal wit kirsch and shades of anise with purple flowers. The palate is dense and rich with great chocolate and dark fig flavors alongside suggestions of garrigue. Intense and beautifully-textured, this is really well-done stuff that will cellar well for another ten plus years. Drink 2025-2034- 94
2023 Abeja ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot- Like the 100% varietal ’22, the ’23 Abeja ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot comes from outstanding sites such as Skysill, Ciel du Cheval, as well as old plantings at Bacchus and Dionysus Vineyards. Dark currants and tar mark the nose alongside shades of anise and graphite. This is dense, well-structured stuff with loads of heady dark fruits and chocolate. Soft and supple on the tongue, with great underlying verve, enjoy this beauty now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2025-2040- 95
2022 Abeja ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The outstanding 2022 Abeja ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Wahluke Slope, Walla Walla Valley, White Bluffs AVAs. It has 9% Merlot 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot blended in and was stored in 40% new French oak barrels for 20 months before bottling in August 2024. This is loaded with dense dark fruits, with Arabica bean, red bell pepper and sagebrush accents on the palate. Considering the vintage, this has terrific flavor density. Drink 2025-2042- 95
2023 Abeja ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Franc- The 100% varietal 2023 ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Cabernet Franc comes from both the Heather Hill and Skysill Vineyards. It was stored in mainly neutral French oak for 20 months before bottling, offering heady aromatics of red bell pepper and green herbs alongside suggestions of pencil lead and blackberry compote. This comes off with a terrific mouthfeel, with great flavor density, showing the heat of the vintage. Dense yet still showing an herbal streak, enjoy this beautiful wine over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2025-2042- 95
2022 Abeja ‘Heather Hill’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2022 ‘Heather Hill’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a world-class following up to the stunning ’21. All varietal, this was stored in 40% new French oak before bottling. On the nose this takes on black florals, dried herbs with shades of espresso and Black Forest Cake. The palate shows good freshness and a light saline streak with refined tannins and a massive wall of black fruits. This is a total stunner that will live on for decades. Drink 2025-2043- 96
2023 Abeja ‘Skysill’ Chardonnay- The thrilling 2023 ‘Skysill’ Chardonnay comes from this high-elevation location roughly one mile from Abeja’s Mill Creek winery. This is a breezy location with dramatic diurnal shifts, as the Chardonnay was aged in French oak for nine months before bottling. It shows the outstanding viscosity produced from this warmer vintage. The wine is a blend of three clones and was stored in mostly new French oak (light toast levels) before bottling. This is extremely weightless throughout the drinking experience. Marzipan and orange blossom water combine with shades of toasted brioche, roasted mango and shades of white peach all collide with copious minerals on the palate. The length of this wine is astonishingly good. This might have a touch more weight than the ’22. This is quite simply a must-try for any West Coast Chardonnay lover. Drink 2025-2037- 97
2021 Abeja ‘Skysill’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Once again made 100% varietal, the otherworldly 2021 Abeja ‘Skysill Estate Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon originates from this high-elevation, highly windy site in the Walla Walla Valley. Stored in mainly new French oak before bottling this has crazy good weight, length. and seamless character throughout the drinking experience. Loaded with power, this bursts out of the glass with heady loganberry compote, creme de violette, Turkish coffee, graphite and Middle-Eastern spices. The mid-palate is highly concentrated and intense, with refined tannins, as this comes off opulent and refined, loaded with black and blue fruits, with cocoa powder, iodine and graphite accents. Pillowy, soft and decadent, this is a perfect wine made in a great vintage. Only 184 cases made. Tasted over two days with consistent notes. Drink 2026-2050- 100
2022 Abeja ‘Skysill’ Merlot- The 100% varietal 2022 Abeja ‘Skysill’ Merlot comes from one block in the vineyard, planted back in 2016 at the top of the property. This location creates very small berries as the wine is then fermented and stored in new French oak for 20 months before bottling in July 2024. Fresh sage marks the nose alongside suggestions of blackberry compote, kirsch cordial and suggestions of dark chocolate shavings. The palate is incredibly weightless, with great flavor density, salinity and loads of fresh herbs. This is pillowy, soft, highly novel Merlot that is truly one of a kind in Washington State. Drink 2025-2045- 98