2015 Merlot Estate

Winemaker Kevin Mott, who has worked at Woodward Canyon since 2003, is convinced that global warming has resulted in roller-coaster years in eastern Washington in recent times, such as the very cool 2010 and 2011 growing seasons, and the very early starts in 2015 and 2016, the former vintage featuring the earliest start to the harvest of his career (Woodward Canyon began picking Sauvignon Blanc on August 14 and Merlot at the end of that month for the first time.) But although these two years began with early heat, the uptake of flavor in the grapes “stalled at a certain point.” But even in the later harvest of 2016, Woodward Canyon had harvested their most important blocks (Champoux and Sagemoor) for their Artist Series wine before the rains arrived.

“It seems to me that the hot vintages don’t have the bright fruit character of more moderate years,” said Mott. “When the temperatures get to 109 degree or higher one always finds it in the wines, like in 2006, and the fruit aromatics come down.” By the way, Woodward Canyon did not bottle any 2016 Chardonnay as after trying to go organic they had to deal with a bad attack of leaf hoppers in their estate vineyard just west of Walla Walla. This fruit was declassified into their Nelms Road second label and the estate decided to give up organic growing. “Fortunately for us, 2015 had been a big vintage,” noted winemaker Mott.