2011 Andrew Will, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, 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.

Merlot

The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux and a grape that has been on a relentless expansion drive throughout the world in the last decade. Merlot is adaptable to most soils and is relatively simple to cultivate. It is a vigorous naturally high yielding grape that requires savage pruning - over-cropped Merlot-based wines are dilute and bland. It is also vital to pick at optimum ripeness as Merlot can quickly lose its varietal characteristics if harvested overripe.

In St.Emilion and Pomerol it withstands the moist clay rich soils far better than Cabernet grapes, and at it best produces opulently rich, plummy clarets with succulent fruitcake-like nuances. Le Pin, Pétrus and Clinet are examples of hedonistically rich Merlot wines at their very best. It also plays a key supporting role in filling out the middle palate of the Cabernet-dominated wines of the Médoc and Graves.

Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in California, Chile and Northern Italy.