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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.3 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 10 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by MarshPDX on 2/6/2014 & rated 89 points: Interesting old wine. A little past peak but still drinking very well. Good stuff. (2051 views) | | | Tasted by Magnolian on 1/2/2011 & rated 92 points: Moderate bricking, with a slight transparent ring along the rim. Nose is mostly oak; thankfully the palate still retains abundant fruit. Silky smooth with refined balance and complexity. On the downhill part of its life but still very enjoyable for now. (2319 views) | | | Tasted by callmeacab22 on 10/19/2008 & rated 94 points: Fantastic. One of the best bottles in recent memory. Depth, power, and finese come together in this well-aged bottle. (2633 views) | | | Tasted by Mark on 4/11/2007 & rated 90 points: Tasting note from memory, my second tasting of this wine was considerably improved over the first (no TCA). A surprising amount of fruit but a heavy amount of oak clouds the wine overall. The fruit is red, dark and rich, some chocolate, blackberry and current. I don’t think I see an improvement over a year ago and suspect that this wine is showing at it’s peak, still, I hold off on my last bottle for another year. (3056 views) | | | Tasted by jmull on 1/29/2007 & rated 92 points: From a 375. Incredibly deep, dark fruit flavors. Thick, almost syruppy (but not sweet) notes of strawberry and blackberry. Plush and soft on the palate. Finish goes on and on. If more U.S. merlot tasted like this, I'd drink more U.S. merlot. Really nice and probably at its peak, although this wine will live a lot longer. NIGHT TWO UPDATE: Even better, as the rough edges have smoothed out. Deserves more decanting than the 15 minutes I gave it last night, I guess. (3108 views) | | | Tasted by Magnolian on 11/16/2006 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 15 minutes. Deep, rich nose dominated by violets. Loads of flavor on the palate with cherries, plums, some oak, and chocolate. Still a big wine with thick, silky texture. Delicious. Close to peaking; I have one bottle left that I'll save a for a year. (1706 views) | | | Tasted by Spencer on 3/9/2006 & rated 91 points: Another very good bottle of this wine. At a great stage of maturity right now. (1906 views) | | | Tasted by Mark on 2/6/2006: Loads of fruit on this one. Dark rich cherry and chocolate, with a medium length on the finish. Unfortunately, this bottle was marred with slight traces of TCA, almost at the point of being undetectable for me (and I’m pretty sensitive). Once you realize it’s there, it’s hard to get past it. Even so, the wine showed remarkably well, I can only imagine what a good sample might taste like. (1912 views) | | | Tasted by Redteeth on 7/16/2005 & rated 90 points: This was a very nice Merlot. I don't buy a lot of Washington Merlot but I have usually found Woodward Canyon to be among the best. Again, this proved to be the case. The color was dark red. The taste was full with spice and ripe berries. There was still a fair amount of tannin but it was balanced. This wine did not appear to be in danger of too much age and I would be comfortable holding it longer if I had more. (1853 views) | | | Tasted by Spencer on 2/7/2005 & rated 92 points: Blind tasting with David and Steve. Lush, sweet fruit, a heady, complex nose, and a long, full finish make this one of the best Washington merlots I've had. Low acid, and bordering the line of being confectionary, but still balanced and focused. This shows all the good traits of merlot without too many of the negatives, aside from the slight lack of structure. I bet if this wine had been blended with bit of Woodward Canyon's firm Columbia Valley cabernet, they could have made a hell of a blend. (2072 views) |
| Woodward Canyon Producer website
Located in the Walla Walla Valley appellation of Washington State, Woodward Canyon Winery was started in 1981 by Rick Small and his wife, Darcey Fugman-Small. Since that time, the winery has consistently produced premium, award-winning cabernet sauvignons and merlots as well as chardonnays. Early on Rick determined that quality would take precedence over quantity. Consequently, Woodward Canyon has remained small, increasing its production from 1,200 cases in 1981 to our current production of about 17,000 cases. About 7,000 of this total production is Nelms Road, Woodward Canyon's second label.
Woodward Canyon is a founding member of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and of Walla Walla Valley Vinea, the Winegrower's Sustainable Trust. Woodward Canyon Winery is located in Lowden, about 13 miles west of Walla Walla, Washington. Our tasting room is a restored 1870's farmhouse.MerlotMerlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Columbia Valley Columbia Valley Winery Association |
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