2007 Andrew Will, Sorella, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington State, USA

Andrew Will Winery

Andrew Will Winery was started in 1989 by winemaker Chris Camarda and is now run by his son Will Camarda.

The winery was launched out of a love for wine that Chris had developed while working in the restaurant trade for almost 20 years. Named after the Camardas’ son Will and nephew Andrew, Andrew Will has been a major contributor to the success and notoriety in recent years of Washington State wines. 

Initially, the winery consisted of 900 square feet of rented industrial space in Seattle. In 1994, the Camardas moved to Vashon Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, where they built the present winery. The fruit, however, comes from the mainland, across the Cascades in eastern Washington, where all the significant vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the mountains.

Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval vineyards are adjacent on the loam and gravel soils of Red Mountain but produce different styles of wine. Klipsun makes massive, opulent wine to appreciate early. Ciel du Cheval possesses a slightly more tannic structure and great ageing potential. Sorella is a classic Bordeaux blend, made up with mainly Cabernet Sauvignon from Mercer Estate, along with some Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Ciel du Cheval, with the exact blend varying from year to year.

Washington State

Washington State is the United State’s second-largest wine region, second only to California. The first grapes were planted here in 1825, though it wasn’t until 1960 that the first commercial vineyards were planted.

The state has 20 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). The first, Yakima Valley, was established in 1983. Columbia Valley AVA is the largest; the region is shared between Washington and neighboring Oregon. Other notable AVAs include Walla Walla Valley, Puget Sound, Red Mountain, and Horse Heaven Hills.

Washington’s largest producer, Chateau Ste. Michelle was founded in 1967. Today, there are over 1,000 wineries in the state, along with over 400 winegrowers. Among the leading producers here are Cayuse Vineyards, Horsepower Vineyards, and Hors Catégorie Vineyards.

A wide range of grape varieties is grown here, with Cabernet Sauvignon the most widely planted, followed by Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, and Syrah.

Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.

In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and  Australia.