25 Years of Winemaking in Washington State
March 18th, 2019
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Winemaker Insider Newsletter
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By Gilles Nicault
Director of Winemaking and Viticulture
Long Shadows Vintners
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Enjoying All Seasons in Walla Walla
One of the joys of living in the Walla Walla Valley is the distinct four seasons we experience each year. Yet, this year, it seems fall lasted until the end of January with some beautiful days warm enough for outside lunches and enjoyable motorcycle rides. Although winter was initially shy, it became buoyant February 1st through March 12th, keeping the high temperatures around 20 degrees and the lows barely above zero. Coincidentally, the snowfall also broke some records of length of time on the ground and quantity, especially so late in the season.
Last year at this time, the vines were already showing some activity with signs of sap flow.
Even though there are still some patches of snow remaining across the valley as I send this newsletter, I do not foresee any major problems caused by this unusually cold weather but a delay in the start of the growing season.
These temperatures could have been ideal to make an ice wine but they came too late. While making a Botrytis wine is a spur of the moment decision taking advantage of the development of the noble rot during harvest, making ice wines like we have done under our Poet's Leap label is a real commitment. We need to leave healthy clusters on the vine and bet on having cold enough temperatures in December. The cold temperatures induce the formation of ice crystals in the berries, increasing the concentration of flavors, acidity and sugar in the remaining juice after pressing.
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| Harvest on October 16th of the Sangiovese at Boushey Vineyards |
Weather during the 2018 harvest was worthy of an Indian Summer. Beautiful days and cool nights in September and October encouraged the hang time of the grapes, optimizing physiological maturation of the phenols while preserving good balance and vibrant fruit. Across the board, all the varietals excelled at showing their full potential, from the elegant well-balanced lively whites, to the well-structured yet polished red wines showing richness and complexity. Our Sangiovese, harvested at Boushey Vineyard, is a good example. The weather allowed us to harvest at the end of the growing cycle when the canopy was shutting down, bringing that beautiful fall color to the
leaves, yet the maturation was evident with lignified stems and seeds, great concentration of color and flavors, refined tannins and the vibrant character that transpire in Saggi.
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| Jorge Vasquez working with the Sauvignon Blanc |
Allen could not have chosen a better vintage to spearhead the creation of our first ever Sauvignon Blanc. We used different fermentation vats to increase its complexity. We fermented parts of the blend in a concrete egg for the minerality and in a couple of stainless steel drums for freshness. We also experimented with various neutral and new French oak barrels to increase the overall viscosity and to add layers to the aromatic profile. Jorge racked it off the heavy lees and we blended the different components prior to bottling. I usually avoid the comparison of Columbia Valley wines with other wine regions, but if I did, I'd say that the final blend has a lively acidity worthy of New Zealand, a flavor spectrum reminiscent of Sancerre and the richness of Napa.
2019 - A Year to Celebrate
This year is my 30th year in the world of Viticulture and Winemaking as I enrolled for a 4 year degree in Avignon in 1989. 2019 is also my 25th year in the United States. I arrived on April 15th, 1994 to attend a one year internship in the Yakima Valley at Staton Hills. Although I was initially surprised by the absence of good baguette, cheese or saucisson, I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest for its landscape diversity, the pristine wilderness, the friendliness and welcoming people and the potential to grow all kinds of crops, including world-class wines.
I met my wife-to-be, Marie-Eve Gilla, that month as well. Five years later, 20 years ago, we were married in France with many friends; among them were the Smalls of Woodward Canyon Winery and the Shiels of Dubrul Vineyard in attendance.
Early March, we had a very snowy birthday party for our daughter Suzanne, who turned 15. Her brother Olivier is soon to be 17 and is a year one designated driver.
Another milestone in 2019 will be the 10th vintage of the
Côt
é Nicault's Rhone style wine with the release of the 2015 vintage in April!
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TASTE WASHINGTON
Taste Washington is the event where both the local wine industry and the restaurant scene collaborate to showcase one of Washington's most colorful sides: its gastronomy. I find it thrilling that we are experiencing the early stages of a phenomena that brings passion, happiness and friendship together. The Pacific Northwest's gastronomy is evolving at a rapid pace before our eyes and will soon be on par with Tuscany, Burgundy, Rioja, Bordeaux and Provence.
Chad Mackay's foresight has been instrumental for the
Red and White Party, one of the events that is the epitome of the food and wine's art at his AQUA by El Gaucho. Chad and I (one of the featured winemakers for this event), were
interviewed earlier this month by KOMO TV.
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SEMINARS
At both Long Shadows Vintners' location and our Nine Hats location in Sodo, South Seattle, we have organized various events that have been very well received and now book shortly after announcement. One of the most popular events is our Vintners' library tasting, which provides the chance to review our library wines with vintages as old as 2003, our first year making wines with our celebrated vintners. In February, we also conducted a blending seminar in Seattle. A perfect opportunity to learn a crucial step of winemaking while getting dirty and creating an assemblage using different wine varietals, a graduated cylinder, some hidden inspiration and good humor. Do not hesitate to visit our calendar of events on our
website or contact
Nina Depiesse
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IN THE NEWS
Allen Shoup has always been a recognized visionary; Long Shadows being a perfect example of his creativity. Articles, interviews and ratings are proof that even after a decade and a half, this venture still turns heads. Just last month, we were among the wineries mentioned in the publication AFAR's "6 Best Wineries in Washington". Please check it out here:
AFAR
The renowned Wine Industry network has interviewed
Allen Shoup
and released the video. He is as captivating as always, my mentor for the last 16 years.
Margot Sinclair Savell of "Write for Wine" also posted a very well-written blog showcasing three of our wines.
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My intentions are to share some of the highlights from our exciting industry through this newsletter.
Whether you have a question, are planning a trip to Walla Walla or just want to say "Hi!", I would love to hear from you. I hope to see you all in the near future, a glass of wine in hand.
Santé!
Link to previous newsletters:
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