Kerry Norton was in town recently, showing off wines made by his predecessor and admitting he had taken on a difficult task. Norton became director of winemaking at Columbia Winery a year ago, succeeding David Lake, who had joined the winery in 1979, during its adolescence, and led it into award-winning maturity before he retired in 2006.
Following Lake was a challenge, Norton admitted, but one he enjoyed because he had admired Lake and had enjoyed the wines he made.
Still, Norton is a winemaker – like almost all winemakers – who likes to add his own personality and his own beliefs to his wines. He also understands the grapes of Washington, since he has spent 20 years making wine in the Pacific Northwest, most recently at Covey Run in Washington, earlier at Eola Hills. on Oregon. He doesn’t expect major changes, but he hopes to put his own stamp on the Columbia Winery label, starting with the 2007 vintage, his first. Since those wines were happily resting and improving and maturing in the tanks and barrels of the winery, Norton was carrying wines from the 2005 and 2006 vintages, made by Lake.
Columbia was one of the first big wineries in Washington state, and one of the first to demonstrate that Washington, like California, could grow varietal grapes and produce first-class wine. The winery, founded in 1962, was a hobby that turned into a business enterprise by 10 friends, six of whom were faculty members at the University of Washington, in Seattle. The men, who named their winemaking operation Associated Vintners, and settled in Woodinville, Wash., an Eastern suburb. The winery owns vineyards in central and eastern Washington, along the Columbia River, which serves as the boundary between Washington and Oregon. Almost all the vineyards are east of the Cascade Mountains, which shield the growing areas from fierce winter winds.
Wines from Columbia are pleasant, modestly priced and superior with food; they generally provide fine value and the half-dozen I tasted are under $20 at retail.
The ‘05 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were excellent, with good complexity and long finishes. The latter is a pleasant blend, with 76 percent Merlot, 13 percent Malbec and 11 percent Cabernet Franc, a well-rounded blend with cedar notes in the aroma and a rich, dark berry flavor on the palate. The Cabernet Sauvignon, all of the named grape, displays dark cherry in the nose and palate, with hints of blackberry and clove adding sharpness. Both are aged in French and American oak for 14 months. Syrah, from 2004, has just a hint of blend, with one percent each of Mourvedre and Viognier, and a rich, ripe plum accent providing enjoyment through a long, well-rounded finish.
The 2006 whites represent three different styles – American, French and German – and are, respectively, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling, with the latter two 100 percent of the named grape and the Chardonnay blended with 4.5 percent Viognier. The Chardonnay is bright and tasty, with just a little of the butter-vanilla influence. It spends only five months in oak, with 85 percent in stainless steel without a second, or malolactic, fermentation.
The result is wine that avoids the over-oaked influence that creates a wine too heavy for my palate, nor is it the bare-bones, austere wine that typifies some of the French Chablis, though it’s made from the same grape. Pinot Gris, which translates as Grey Pinot (or Pinot Grigio in Italian) is crisp and lovely, with a hint of spice and a spare, slightly spicy note to contrast with the melon overtones. Riesling, a mainstay grape of German white wines, is slightly sweeter, a fine accompaniment to spicy Asian cuisine while the Pinot Gris and Chardonnay are perfect with simple broiled fish, or with oysters on the half shell.
The Columbia Winery products, American standards for almost a half-century, show the simplicity, flavor, balance and finish that David Lake’s wines always have shown. It will be interesting to see what Kerry Norton does in future years.
RECENT TASTINGS: As a long-time fan of Zaca Mesa Winery, I was very pleased to find a bottle of the 2004 Z Cuvee Red while looking in a closet for something to accompany a grilled lamb roast. It was a splendid choice. The wine is a Rhone-style blend, using Grenache (60 percent), Mourvedre (26), Syrah (13) and Cinsault, the four grapes used to make Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The wine was lush and delicious, with berry flavors predominating and a delightful feel on the palate. The lack of the ‘04 on the Zaca Mesa web site (www.zacamesa.com) indicates that the wine is sold out, but a 2005 is available, and if it’s as charming as the one I tasted, it’s a good buy at $18.
Speaking of Napa Valley wineries, I also tasted some splendid offerings from the Joseph Phelps Vineyard, long a premier California producer. The 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($54) is a classic vinification of a classic grape, with los of fruit, rounded flavors and a long, smooth finish. The Phelps ‘06 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc (about $32) is another winner, with delicious citrus notes in the aroma and on the palate.
Mendocino County is one of my favorite California areas to visit, and the county’s wine producers continue to improve. A 2004 Pinot Noir from Goldeneye, one of the Duckhorn properties, shows a wonderful balance and delicate handling of the tricky grape. It’s priced at $52, and well worth it, as are all the Duckhorn wines.
Sauvignon Blanc now offers a real challenge, and a fine alternative, to the traditional Chardonnay, and its tartness and acidity make it a favorite in our refrigerator, especially when compared to some of the over-oaked California offerings. We recently tasted very good 2006 samples from the Merryvale Starmont vineyards and Martin Ray, and from the Frei Brothers estate, now a Gallo operation but a site where wine grapes have been growing since 1890. All are under $20. A Gallo import from the Sebeka Winery, in the Western Cape region of South Africa, retails for less than a sawbuck and is quite satisfactory.
-Joe
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