2020 WeatherEye "Estate" Red Mountain Mourvèdre

Professional Reviews

Staff Reviews

RW

Ryan Woodhouse

Ryan Woodhouse

K&L Buyer

WeatherEye Vineyard is one of the most incredible plantings in the USA. A site so radical it's implementation has been 15 years in the making! Every block is intimately fine tuned to the specific altitude, slope, exposure, soil composition an unique qualities of the land. Instead of clearing the land before planting vines, existing native plants have also been incorporated into the vineyard in an effort to capture a true sense of place in the wines that includes the sous bois or garrigue type elements one might find in the wines of the Rhone Valley. The incredibly rocky volcanic soils, constant wind and elongated growing season the elevation brings gives the wines immense concentration and structure. Even though the vines are relatively young, the intensity of the wines here is already formidable. The Mourvedre comes from a tiny block right on the ridge line of the mountain at 1300ft. The block is less than one acre of head-trained vines. The aromas and flavors are captivating - the wine at once expresses huge intensity of deep, smoky dark fruit, but also lifted spiced red berries, crushed flowers, dried herbs, wild thyme, dusty earth. The combination of fruit and savory elements is just so compelling. The structure is pretty serious, but at the same time, the wine is very expressive and resolved. Every element of the wine is amped up and dynamic, but all in perfect balance. A category defining wine.

Notes

WeatherEye Vineyard on the ridge line of Red Mountain in Washington is without doubt one of the most exciting and radical plantings in the USA. The vineyard that is planted in dozens of micro-blocks draped over the peak and north-facing aspect of the mountain were areas previously deemed up-plantable. The soils are extremely rocky and consist mostly of fractured basalt. The crest and slopes are constantly buffeted by relentless wind. The vineyard uses numerous different trellising systems, vine densities, and row orientations. Some blocks even have stone walls around individual vines (like La Geria in Lanzarote) to protect them from the harsh environment. When developing the vineyard, native scrub was intentionally left amongst the vines for biodiversity and also in hopes to capture some of the “garrigue” character of this unique site. The wines themselves are made by one of the state's most highly regarded and critically acclaimed winemakers, Todd Alexander. Formerly of Bryant Family, and Cade / Plumpjack in Napa Valley, Todd now makes cult Washington wines including Force Majeure, Pášxa, and The Walls. The buzz about WeatherEye is palpable throughout the wine business. Noted wine writer Alder Yarrow proclaimed: "Mark my words: the greatest wines Washington State has ever produced will come from one of the most ambitious vineyard projects I have ever seen in the United States…these wines [are] about to become some of the most sought-after wines made in Washington."