Wine Article
2006 Soos Creek Artist Series
Last edited on 2/22/2010 by SyrahQueen
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"7 of our 12 vineyards are on the list of the top 10 Washington State vineyards as ranked by Andy Perdue of the Wine Press Northwest magazine: Champoux - #1, Ciel du Cheval - #2, Boushey - #4, Klipsun - #8 and Sagemoor, which includes Bacchus, Dionysus and Weinbau - #9."
"The most important factor in making great wine is the terroir of the vineyard and one of the primary elements of terroir is the soil. The history of the vineyard soils in the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington is a fascinating one. They are the effects of the Ice Age floods that occurred 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. The below story is summarized from an article by Andy Perdue in the Fall, 2005 issue of the Wine Press Northwest magazine."
"At the end of the Ice Age, part of the Cordilleran ice sheet crept south down into Idaho. This lobe of glacial ice blocked the Clark Fork River creating Glacial Lake Missoula that covered western Montana. Eventually, this ice dam failed setting loose a 500-foot-high wall of water that swept southwest across Eastern Washington at 60 mph. These floods were equal to 10 times the instantaneous flows of all the rivers in the world combined. After this first dam broke, the glacier continued its march south, repeating the entire process of temporarily blocking up the river then bursting to flood Eastern Washington another 80 to 100 times every 50 to 75 years. Each time, more gravel, sand and silt was washed south, shaping Washington's wine country. Since the end of the Ice Age, wind has continued to shape the landscapes of the Columbia Valley by adding a top layer of sand and silt to create the perfect terroir for premium wine grapes."
"Champoux is in the Horse Heaven Hills appellation and may be the best vineyard for Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington State. We began our association with this vineyard in 1989 – the year we started our winery and the year Paul Champoux became the vineyard manager..."
"Ciel du Cheval is also recognized as one of the very best vineyards in Washington State for Bordeaux grape varieties. Owned by Jim Holmes and managed by Ryan Johnson, it is in the tiny but highly acclaimed Red Mountain appellation..."
"Dineen is the closest vineyard to our winery, located in the town of Zillah and lies within the new Rattlesnake Hills appellation. It sits on top of a large hill that is cool enough to allow for slow but complete ripening. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc wines have good fruit intensity, are dark in color, with adequate acid and tannin." -Winery
"The most important factor in making great wine is the terroir of the vineyard and one of the primary elements of terroir is the soil. The history of the vineyard soils in the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington is a fascinating one. They are the effects of the Ice Age floods that occurred 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. The below story is summarized from an article by Andy Perdue in the Fall, 2005 issue of the Wine Press Northwest magazine."
"At the end of the Ice Age, part of the Cordilleran ice sheet crept south down into Idaho. This lobe of glacial ice blocked the Clark Fork River creating Glacial Lake Missoula that covered western Montana. Eventually, this ice dam failed setting loose a 500-foot-high wall of water that swept southwest across Eastern Washington at 60 mph. These floods were equal to 10 times the instantaneous flows of all the rivers in the world combined. After this first dam broke, the glacier continued its march south, repeating the entire process of temporarily blocking up the river then bursting to flood Eastern Washington another 80 to 100 times every 50 to 75 years. Each time, more gravel, sand and silt was washed south, shaping Washington's wine country. Since the end of the Ice Age, wind has continued to shape the landscapes of the Columbia Valley by adding a top layer of sand and silt to create the perfect terroir for premium wine grapes."
"Champoux is in the Horse Heaven Hills appellation and may be the best vineyard for Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington State. We began our association with this vineyard in 1989 – the year we started our winery and the year Paul Champoux became the vineyard manager..."
"Ciel du Cheval is also recognized as one of the very best vineyards in Washington State for Bordeaux grape varieties. Owned by Jim Holmes and managed by Ryan Johnson, it is in the tiny but highly acclaimed Red Mountain appellation..."
"Dineen is the closest vineyard to our winery, located in the town of Zillah and lies within the new Rattlesnake Hills appellation. It sits on top of a large hill that is cool enough to allow for slow but complete ripening. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc wines have good fruit intensity, are dark in color, with adequate acid and tannin." -Winery