Walla Walla Vintners Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, Washington 2022
Founded in 1995 by home winemakers Myles Anderson and Gordy Venneri, Walla Walla Vintners was the eighth bonded winery in the Walla Walla Valley — established at a time when the region's potential was only beginning to be recognized. Now owned by Scott and Nici Haladay, who took the reins in 2017, the winery operates from a modern facility in the Mill Creek foothills alongside its LIVE-certified Cut Bank Estate vineyard. The philosophy centers on traditional, labor-intensive winemaking and close partnerships with sustainably farmed vineyard sites. Merlot has been a cornerstone of the portfolio since the winery's founding, and this Walla Walla Valley bottling draws from three of winemaker Derrek Vipond's most valued sources.
- WINEMAKER: Derrek Vipond
- FARMING: LIVE Certified Sustainable Grapes. Partner vineyards include Salmon-Safe certified Seven Hills Vineyard.
- VARIETY: 88% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec
- TERROIR: Fruit sourced from three Walla Walla Valley sites: Les Collines Vineyard (1,140–1,370 ft elevation, ancient silt loam over prehistoric gravel beds), Seven Hills Vineyard (900–1,100 ft, wind-blown glacial loess soils, 6–8 inches annual rainfall), and the estate Cut Bank Vineyard. The 2022 vintage brought a challenging spring with snow and cool temperatures, followed by a warm summer recovery and four weeks of ideal October ripening conditions that yielded wines of vibrant acidity and concentrated fruit.
- VINIFICATION: Fermented in 6-ton stainless steel tanks. Averaged 20 days on skins.
- AGING: 18 months in French oak, 40% new and 60% once-used and neutral barrels. Bottled May 2024.
- TASTING NOTES: Plum, blackberry, and wild huckleberry with accents of bay leaf, exotic wood, and lavender. The palate is plush and enveloping with a round, seamless texture and firm but graceful tannins. 14.9% ABV.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Braised short ribs, roasted lamb, duck confit, mushroom ragù, aged hard cheeses.
- SCORES: 93 pts. Decanter, Clive Pursehouse (2022 vintage)
Walla Walla Vintners Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, Washington 2022
Founded in 1995 by home winemakers Myles Anderson and Gordy Venneri, Walla Walla Vintners was the eighth bonded winery in the Walla Walla Valley — established at a time when the region's potential was only beginning to be recognized. Now owned by Scott and Nici Haladay, who took the reins in 2017, the winery operates from a modern facility in the Mill Creek foothills alongside its LIVE-certified Cut Bank Estate vineyard. The philosophy centers on traditional, labor-intensive winemaking and close partnerships with sustainably farmed vineyard sites. Merlot has been a cornerstone of the portfolio since the winery's founding, and this Walla Walla Valley bottling draws from three of winemaker Derrek Vipond's most valued sources.
- WINEMAKER: Derrek Vipond
- FARMING: LIVE Certified Sustainable Grapes. Partner vineyards include Salmon-Safe certified Seven Hills Vineyard.
- VARIETY: 88% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Malbec
- TERROIR: Fruit sourced from three Walla Walla Valley sites: Les Collines Vineyard (1,140–1,370 ft elevation, ancient silt loam over prehistoric gravel beds), Seven Hills Vineyard (900–1,100 ft, wind-blown glacial loess soils, 6–8 inches annual rainfall), and the estate Cut Bank Vineyard. The 2022 vintage brought a challenging spring with snow and cool temperatures, followed by a warm summer recovery and four weeks of ideal October ripening conditions that yielded wines of vibrant acidity and concentrated fruit.
- VINIFICATION: Fermented in 6-ton stainless steel tanks. Averaged 20 days on skins.
- AGING: 18 months in French oak, 40% new and 60% once-used and neutral barrels. Bottled May 2024.
- TASTING NOTES: Plum, blackberry, and wild huckleberry with accents of bay leaf, exotic wood, and lavender. The palate is plush and enveloping with a round, seamless texture and firm but graceful tannins. 14.9% ABV.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Braised short ribs, roasted lamb, duck confit, mushroom ragù, aged hard cheeses.
- SCORES: 93 pts. Decanter, Clive Pursehouse (2022 vintage)