WeatherEye Is Washington’s Most Exciting Terroir
While the primary focus of my trip to Washington was Walla Walla, I decided to extend my visit and check out a vineyard I’ve wanted to see for many years: WeatherEye.
As I’ve explained in a previous newsletter, this incredible site on the upper slopes and ridgeline of Red Mountain is one of the most exciting vineyard developments of the past decade anywhere in the USA. Seeing it with my own eyes was truly mind-blowing.
This exposed, windy, rocky ridge was once considered virtually unplantable due to its extreme growing conditions and exceptionally rocky soils. Ten years later, it has become one of the most sought-after and critically acclaimed vineyards in the region.
The vineyard consists of dozens of small blocks planted using many different trellising systems and spacing regimes, each carefully selected for the specific site and microclimate. The WeatherEye team, led by Ryan Johnson, who walked me around the vineyard, has also chosen not to remove many of the native plants growing on the mountain. These aromatic sages and various wildflowers are very much part of the character of WeatherEye, in much the same way one might think of garrigue as part of the terroir in the Rhône Valley.
The incredibly meticulous farming I witnessed across the mountain is a testament to the ambition and dedication to excellence at WeatherEye. The wines from here—both estate produced and those made by wineries purchasing fruit—express that same utter commitment and devotion to the site.
2021 WeatherEye "Estate - Hillfighter" Red Mountain Proprietary Red $29.95 (Elsewhere $55) 94WE 93JD The very best introduction you can get to the remarkable wines of WeatherEye is the Hillfighter Red Blend. This cuvée brings together Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Tempranillo from several sites across the mountain, expressing the vineyard in a broad panorama.
This wine really isn’t about varietal typicity. It’s about a sense of place: a bold expression of a rugged, rocky, windswept mountain.
There’s rich, powerful dark fruit, but also wildflowers, dried herbs, cured meats, dusty spices, crushed-rock minerality, and camphor. I went deep on this compelling wine to secure the very best pricing we could—almost 50% off the typical cost. It’s right up there with some of the most intriguing wines on our shelves anywhere near this price point. If you haven’t experienced the wines of WeatherEye yet, there’s no better time—or better bottle—to take the leap.
2021 WeatherEye "Estate" Red Mountain Mourvèdre $49.95 (Elsewhere $85) 97OB 96WE 96JD 95VN Probably my favorite variety from WeatherEye, Mourvèdre seems to thrive in these rocky, sandy soils, and as a late ripener it handled the warm 2021 vintage with ease. This pure, vibrant, linear wine beautifully combines aromatic dark fruit with hints of wild mountain chaparral, floral notes, leather, pink peppercorn, and hard-ground spices. Truly a world-class expression of the variety from a very special place.
2021 Liminal "The Mountain Tower - WeatherEye Vineyard" Columbia Valley Bordeaux Blend $49.95 (Elsewhere $90) 97JD Illustrating just how monumental this vineyard has become, Liminal is a project from the winemaking team at Avennia Winery launched entirely around wines made exclusively from WeatherEye fruit.
The Mountain Tower bottling comes from a very steep block of Bordeaux varieties planted on the back, or north side, of Red Mountain. Significantly cooler and less sun-exposed than the roughly 95% of vineyards in the region that face south, this block produces powerfully structured wines with intense liquid-rock minerality from its fractured basalt volcanic soils.
The 2021 is a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 18% Merlot, aged 20 months in 40% new French oak. This baby has at least 20 years of aging potential. Fans of Howell Mountain Cabernet, take note: this will probably work very well for you at a fraction of the price you’d typically pay.