Rhônes on the Rise: Washington State Takes the Lead

BY ERIC GUIDO | AUGUST 10, 2023

It’s time to start looking beyond Washington State wine’s usual reputation. Most consumers associate Washington with Bordeaux blends, which isn’t wrong. However, beyond the seductive Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend that Washington State has mastered, there has been a slowly-building revolt among producers and viticulturists. Some have planted Rhône varieties with notable success. A few have built significant customer waiting lists or are obscure and hunted for. Yet, when most reports on Washington State wine are published, they read more like a conversation about Bordeaux than the Rhône varieties blends, a travesty in my view.

I’ve loved Washington State wine for many years. It was often my choice over Napa and Sonoma because of a combination of price and quality that is unheralded within the United States. However, upon my first visit as a critic, as opposed to as a buyer, I quickly realized that Washington State needed to receive a different treatment. In the past, the region was covered in a single article spanning all wines and areas within, resulting in the intricacies of terroir and varieties getting lost in the 800 to 1,000 wines per report. Imagine if Bordeaux and the Rhône were combined into one single article. That would be unacceptable. And so, as of now, Washington State gets its just deserts because the level of high-quality, world-class Rhône varieties produced here is nearly unparalleled in the United States. The emerging AVA shared both with Oregon and Washington may one day be considered one of the choice pieces of terroir around the world. This is a new frontier, getting in on the ground floor, with producers waiting in anticipation to see what Washington State might accomplish. It’s an exciting time.

Looking out across Red Mountain from Upchurch Vineyards.

Washington Rhônes

Rhône varieties aren’t new to Washington State. Many wineries have done a terrific job creating wines that marry the region’s dry warmth with a terroir stamp and the winemaker's hand. Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, Royal Slope and Walla Walla Valley have all succeeded in creating Washington State Rhône reds and whites for over a decade now. The earliest plantings go back to the mid-eighties in the Red Willow Vineyard of Yakima Valley. 

To be clear, when I speak of Rhône varieties in Washington State, I’m referring to these reds: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Carignan, Counoise and Petite Sirah and these whites: Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Clairette Blanche and Picpoul. In many cases, consumers will mostly find Syrah. In Washington's hot, dry and irrigated vineyards, Syrah can be wildly deep and expressive or savory and earthy, reminding tasters of the Northern Rhône. It can also be fruity and juicy but often forgettable. Knowing the right source and the producer's style is a trick to gauge what will be found from bottle to bottle. Outside of Syrah, there are many other varietal bottlings. Spicy Mourvèdres and nuanced Grenaches are among the most exciting, along with some genuinely seductive Viogniers. Châteauneuf du Pape fans have a wealth of GSM (Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre) bottlings to choose from. 

Certain producers, such as K-Vintners, have successfully communicated the individual terroir of these areas in a way that few others have. Their lineup of top-shelf single-vineyard Syrah is a perfect example. Meanwhile, the well-known and highly allocated Cayuse wines have blazoned the Walla Walla AVA on their labels since the winery's inception, with a unique style that has bewildered and seduced wine collectors. Betz family winery does a fantastic job of marrying site to winemaking style, with old-world-styled reds sourced from throughout the region. More recently, Liminal Wines, a project from Marty Taucher and Chris Peterson of Avennia, has committed solely to exposing the unique terroir of the relatively new WeatherEye vineyard on Red Mountain. 

The exploration of choice terroir to plant Rhône varieties continues and expands to this day. It’s safe to say that nearly all producers in the region are looking to get some skin in the game.