Paul Gregutt
Wine Adviser
In Arthur Miller’s masterpiece “Death of a Salesman,” Willy Loman’s beleaguered wife, Linda, browbeats her sons for their lack of respect, saying famously, “Attention must be paid.”
Attention must be paid. That line resonates with me as I taste certain wines. It’s a sad irony that although the so-called New World style of forward, rich, ripe, fruity wines is soundly criticized by the wine press, leading critics and magazines continue to give exactly those wines the high scores. They win the gold medals at judgings, and they command the high prices and cult wine status that well-heeled collectors cherish.
Some wines don’t fit the mold. Some are made with more long-term intentions. Isn’t it a bit unfair to penalize those who make substantial wines with legitimate staying power because they do not amaze us with “hedonistic” fruit the instant the cork is pulled?
Enter Woodward Canyon in Walla Walla, a winery I have followed through 25 vintages. The winery’s inaugural release, a 1981 cabernet, was a prized acquisition. That very wine, tasted in 1998, remains one of the greatest wines I have ever had. In subsequent years, I have come to realize that these are wines to which attention must be paid.
Woodward Canyon’s owners, Rick and Darcey Small, belong to that small group of Washington wine industry pioneers whose contributions are almost too numerous to list. Darcey was instrumental in acquiring AVA (appellation) recognition for the Walla Walla Valley in 1984. Rick, who convinced his parents to let him plant a small slice of family land to wine grapes more than 30 years ago, worked virtually side-by-side with his friend Gary Figgins (Leonetti Cellar) in the late 1970s to work out the logistics of professional winemaking.
“The fact that Gary and I were good friends made us better,” says Small. “Like when you run a race with another fast runner, you get better.”
Where Leonetti’s focus has always been on red wines, Woodward Canyon made its early reputation by crafting luxuriously rich and oaky chardonnays. Riding that wave, Small partnered with the Chalone winery group for some years, then returned to sole ownership of Woodward Canyon and turned his attention more and more toward making red wines from Bordeaux grapes.
The estate vineyard, now entering its fourth decade, sits on a hilltop northwest of the winery, just outside of Lowden. The views are breathtaking.
“I’m the third generation on this land,” Small explains. “It was cattle ranched and wheat farmed. It was never good soil. If I take under three tons per acre, I can taste the place; more than that, the varietal characteristics take over.”
By any measure, it’s a windy, arid site, which challenges the vines. A row of huge, rusty water tanks adorns the summit, each one dragged up and set in place by Small. The oldest vines (chardonnay) are survivors, still bearing. The red grape vines, which date back to the mid-1990s, have recovered nicely from the freeze damage of 2004.
On a recent visit, we admired neat rows of merlot, cabernet sauvignon (several clones), cabernet franc, Dolcetto and grenache. A sizeable organic garden produces enough heirloom potatoes and tomatoes to supply several of Walla Walla’s best restaurants, and a north-facing slope has recently been returned to native trees and shrubs, part of an effort to obtain full organic certification for the property.
At 60, Rick Small still outpowers those half his age. He’s perpetually caffeinated, and seems to operate in a terminally excitable condition. Words tumble out so quickly that in conversation he never quite catches up with his thoughts. Disarmingly honest and endlessly curious, he examines his vines, and his wines, with the eye of a scientist and the heart of an athlete (he’s a formidable bike rider).
Last month, fulfilling a donation made to the Auction of Washington Wines, Woodward Canyon and Seattle’s Waterfront restaurant hosted a tasting of every vintage of the winery’s best cabernet, from 1981 through the unreleased 2005 — all served from magnum.
A magnum, which holds twice the wine of a standard bottle, is considered an ideal size for aging wines, and this tasting certainly underscored the point. Small, animated as always, explained this was the first time he had ever tasted all these cabernets from magnum (only one vintage — the ’92 — was poured from a regular bottle as no magnums existed).
Throughout the quarter century of winemaking on display, Small had been relentlessly experimenting. Vineyard sources changed. Barrel sources and vinification techniques changed. Vineyard practices changed. Wines got richer, riper and more alcoholic. There were freeze years, years in which the young and struggling winery could not afford to buy new barrels for the reds, cool vintages and hot vintages, experimentations with inner staves (a method of refurbishing old barrels) and years in which, magically, everything clicked.
In 2003, Kevin Mott was installed as winemaker, and following a few years in which the winery’s cabernets were almost impenetrably dense and reductive, Mott and Small have put together a superstar run. Nonetheless, alcohol levels are on the rise, and Small believes that balancing ripeness and alcohol is one of the biggest challenges they face.
“If we were making wines the same way as we did years ago,” he says, “those wines would be panned, at least by certain influential writers.” But he’s not changing his style for the critics. “The climate change,” he insists, “is the bigger issue.”
Even with their riper fruit, Woodward Canyon’s red wines remain tight upon release. Don’t expect instant gratification. When I taste them, I often find that they need many hours, sometimes days, of breathing time to open up fully. But as the magnum tasting proved, these are wines that are structured to age, wines that reward your patience — and your attention.
New releases from Woodward Canyon (distributed by Vehrs)

  • Woodward Canyon 2006 Chardonnay, $36. This is classic Washington chardonnay, beautifully built upon ripe apple, pineapple and kiwi fruit, with proportionate acid and lovely, lightly toasty oak.
  • Woodward Canyon 2006 Dolcetto, $19. Inspired by a trip to Italy, Small planted Dolcetto intending to make a “working person’s drink.” Sold only at the winery, it offers wonderful blueberry aromas and fruit-driven flavors.
  • Nelms Road 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, $21. This is the second label of Woodward Canyon, offering the same superb winemaking at significantly lower prices. The 2005 cabernet is rock solid, with dark flavors and a long mid-palate that spread deliciously into a full, rich, earthy finish.
  • Woodward Canyon 2004 Artist Series #13 Cabernet Sauvignon, $44. The winery’s young vine blend, this is a bit more open and expressive than the old vines bottling. It too will benefit from some hours of breathing time.
  • Woodward Canyon 2004 “Old Vines” Dedication Series Cabernet Sauvignon, $75. The “Old Vines” Dedication Series cabernet was the wine showcased by magnum. This is the newest vintage, a blend of grapes from Champoux (Small is a partner in that vineyard), Sagemoor and the winery’s own estate-grown vines. It’s almost pure black, super-sappy, rich, ripe, dense and chocolatey. Still a bit raw but powerful and vibrant, it’s packed with gorgeous fruit. Give it 10 years.

Pick of the Week

  • Nelms Road 2005 Merlot, $21. This is a popular glass pour around the country, and easy to see why. Soft, lush, beautiful fruit — a creative blend of merlot, cabernet, cab franc, barbera and syrah — brings plenty of rich flavors of ripe cherries, hints of cut tobacco, fresh hay and earth. It has lovely structure, depth and detail, remarkable for its price. Look around, and you’ll find it selling for around $19. (Vehrs distributes.)

Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.