Woodward Canyon
Owner and winemaker Rick Small’s family has been farming the same land where Woodward Canyon’s vineyards now lie for three generations. Rick first planted vineyards here in the late 1970’s, and Woodward Canyon was the second winery to be established in the Walla Walla appellation in 1981, after Leonetti. With deep roots in the land, Rick Small is one of a handful of the Washington wine industry’s ‘elder statesmen’ that have devoted their lives to producing some of the world’s finest wines in Washington. Woodward Canyon wines express the passion and intensity of Rick Small’s devotion to his work - he personally oversees the crafting of each of his wines from vine to bottle. Painstaking effort is taken in each step of the winemaking process, from canopy and irrigation management in the vineyard to ageing oak in order to make his own barrels at the winery. Rick’s vision for his wine has always been quality over quantity, and his enduring reputation as one of Washington’s finest winemakers is testament to his success. Woodward Canyon wines are never fined nor filtered and are always expertly handcrafted. Rick Small’s intimate knowledge of the land and passion for quality can be tasted in every glass.
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| Website | www.woodwardcanyon.com/ |
|---|---|
| Address | 11920 W. Highway 12, Lowden, Washington, 99360 |
| Wine Maker | Rick Small |
| Country | America |
| Region | Washington |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley, Columbia Gorge, Washington State, Walla Walla Valley |
From this Winery
Inspired by the Grand Cru’s of Burgundy, chardonnay was the first wine founder, Rick Small, made as a home winemaker, and it was also the first varietal planted on the Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard. This wine is a blend of two different blocks from our Estate Vineyard – our southeast-facing “old vines” block planted in 1978 and a newer, north-facing block planted in 2011. Produced and bottled at Woodward Canyon Winery.
2018 was a warm and dry vintage where we saw beautiful ripening with lovely physiological maturity. Clone 4, clone 6, and clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, and clone 400 of Petit Verdot were thinned to ensure even ripening. The crop yields ranged from 1.5 tons to 2.4 tons per acre. Our efforts toward sustainable wine growing begun in 2004 have improved the grapes and wine from Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard.
The wine shows beautifully, with rich high toned fruit, balanced acidity and great proportion. Complex flavors of cherry, spice, coffee and earth are enticing. Notes of black cherry, spiced oak, leather and earth come forth in the aroma. This wine is generous and balanced enough to enjoy now, yet with the complexity and structure to age well for six years or more.
This beautiful and dark garnet wine shows a complex nose of black fruits, chili powder, tomato, and lead pencil that integrate beautifully with the subtle, attractive oak. In the mouth, the wine is rich and elegant, showing ripe fruit, nice balance, and proportion. Integrated tannins enhance the texture; the finish is complex, generous, and long. While this wine can be enjoyed now it will benefit greatly from additional cellaring and, with proper storage, should develop for ten years or more. Pair with your favorite flavor-packed family style meals from tapas to Thanksgiving dinner- this wine can match a wide range of cuisines. Store and serve at cellar temperature.
This release of the “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon is dark purple and dense in the glass. Intermin-gling aromas of ripe blackberries and cassis develop with a rich concentration of ripe black fruits. The new French oak beautifully integrates the fruit, acid, and alcohol creating a nice weight, tex-ture, and overall mouthfeel. The smooth but firm tannins leave you with a rich, long finish. It ex-presses the purity of fully mature cabernet sauvignon fruit that can only be achieved from old vine fruit. This will pair nicely with fine cheeses and roasted meats.