Casting Long Shadows

For most up-and-coming winemakers, landing a job alongside one of the world's most experienced and accomplished practitioners of wine might be described as a dream come true. But how do you explain the vat winemaker Gilles Nicault fell into when he was selected to be the home winemaker at Long Shadows Vintners?

The latest Allen Shoup project, in the rolling hills of Walla Walla, Washington, has placed Nicault among six superstar winemakers chosen to be winemaker-partners at Long Shadows, not coincidentally because of the impressive long shadows their work has cast on the wine world. For Nicault, a University of Avignon graduate who worked in the Côte Du Rhone, Provence and Champagne before heading to the eastern slopes of Washington, it's an opportunity of a lifetime. After stops at Staton Hills and Hogue, Nicault worked closely with perfectionist Rick Small at Walla Walla-based Woodward Canyon for almost a decade. There, Nicault came to understand the terroir of Washington wine and perhaps even more importantly, worked directly with Small, a highly motivated, fastidious winemaker known to leave no stone unturned at his tiny, perfect winery.

Nicault openly credits Small for "exposing me to new ideas, originality and creativity and with being so generous with his knowledge." As you might expect, Small supported Nicault's decision to join Long Shadows; in retrospect, the young Frenchman's work at Woodward Canyon turned out to be the perfect training ground for his current dilemma - working with several perfectionists all at once.

After coming to grips with his new job, it's easy to understand why Nicault's smile is so wide. "Each vintner comes with a unique approach to winemaking," says Nicault. "Our new winery will house an incredible array of equipment that will allow us to take advantage of each winemaker's preferred style." A partial list of specialized equipment points to the detail Nicault is immersed in. There is a unique cluster-press for riesling; a state-of-the-art basket press for reds; double-sorting tables; and numerous types of fermentation tanks including wood tanks (said to be preferred by two of the partners) as well as multiple small, stainless tanks to allow cold soak maceration, extended fermentation and numerous cap management techniques during fermentation.

Long Shadows Vintners will have completed building its winery in September, a remarkable facility in Walla Walla, just northwest of town, not far from the Oregon border. When we visited the premises, we were knocked out by its fit with the land. The building is barely visible from its surrounding environs as it disappears into the hillside, but inside it is relatively spacious and more than capable of meeting some very exacting standards demanded by its roster of global winemakers.

The project was founded in 2003 by Washington's guiding wine light, Allen Shoup, former president and CEO of Château Ste. Michelle from 1984 to 2000. Shoup's vision, and he has plenty of it, was to see what outsiders with impressive track records could bring to the Washington wine table. He was also smart enough to know their presence would almost assuredly grab the interest of knowledgeable retailers world wide, making the new wines easier to sell. That they speak to a new level of Washington wines makes the project even more fulfilling.

While some might interpret bringing in outsiders as a bit of a slap in the face to Washington's pioneering winemakers, Shoup doesn't see it that way, nor do the imported winemakers. Today's high-end wine world is all about global collaboration of ideas. In that sense, Long Shadows is merely an extension of clones and winemaking techniques. Only this time there are real live human beings involved and they can transfer knowledge into Washington and conversely take it back with them to their home regions. That makes it a win-win proposition for a small, undercapitalized region like Washington that does not have 500 years of history to help fuel sales.

In time, Shoup insists each wine will have its own dedicated facility. "Each winery's case production is extremely limited, but as production slowly grows to the 3,000-case level, we plan to build a new, stand-alone facility for each wine," he says. Shoup is also busy traversing Washington wine country in search of "varietal- specific vineyard plantings that would make ideal locations for the individual wineries."

As for Long Shadows, the wines are beginning to appear in the Canadian market and we can expect to see more volume and greater distribution in the coming months. For now, we can share some thoughts with you about the individual wines coming out of this exciting new project.

Shoup's vision has always been long, but it would appear he is about to cast an even longer shadow in Washington, this time with the help of his talented winemaker-partners. It's a model Canadian winemakers should be watching closely.

POET'S LEAP
(Riesling)

Armin Diel is the man behind Poet's Leap. His family-owned estate of Schlossgut Diel has been making wine in Burg Layen, in the Nahe River Valley, since 1802. He joins Ernie Loosen as another high-level German producer making riesling in Washington. In his spare time, Armin is also one of Germany's leading wine writers. He is co-editor of the German Gault Millau Wine Guide and writes frequently for Alles über Wein, a leading German wine review publication. The 88-point 2004 Poet's Leap Riesling impressed us with its floral, rose petal, petrol, mineral nose and nectarine flavours but the alcohol and weight takes away from its elegance and vibrancy. The 88-point 2005 Poet's Leap Riesling ($35 bottle with 1,620 cases made) has a brighter, tighter style with a more noticeable acidity and fruit. It points to a very promising future.

FEATHER
(Cabernet Sauvignon)

Feather is all about Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards, Napa Valley. Dunn's massive Napa mountain cabernet takes a back seat, or should I say "sweet," to his somewhat softer, more succulent Washington examples. The 91-point 2003 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon ($85/331 cases) delivers huge oak and vanilla on the nose with plenty of clove pudding, tobacco and smoky, blackberry jam. It's a softer style of Dunn that you won't see in Napa but it's not a new Dunn. It's simply terroir, exposing what you get from the land; and in the case of Washington cabernet sauvignon, once you get it ripe, it is softer and more malleable than most of its global brethren. The fact that Dunn doesn't put up with any nonsense says more about Long Shadows than any marketer could.

PIROUETTE RED BLEND
(Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Shiraz-Petit Verdot)

Philippe Melka is yet another quiet member of Long Shadows, in a sense preferring that his wine speak for itself: do you sense a pattern? At Melka Wines, the premium Métisse is among Napa Valley's most sought after labels. Pirouette is in collaboration with Agustin Huneeus of Quintessa in Napa and Veramonte Winery in Casablanca, Chile; together the pair has released a stunning Washington red blend. The 93-point 2004 Pirouette Red Blend ($85/653 cases) is a fabulous mix of floral, spicy, licorice, cedar, plum and vanilla aromas in a ripe, supple and balanced red. In essence, making a pirouette on your tongue before entry.

SEQUEL
(Syrah)

Making a post-Penfolds Grange, John Duval has agreed to a "Sequel," of sorts, made with Washington syrah. The soft-spoken Australian, and former chief winemaker at Penfolds, is dabbling in what many think may be Washington's grape of the future. The 92-point 2004 Sequel Syrah ($85/1,359 cases) is a touch fruitier than the 2003 first edition. Smoky garrigue, black pepper and meaty, spicy, orange peel and black plum flavours disappear into a wonderfully integrated wine that has Duval's trademark power and finesse stamp all over it. Like the famous RWT he developed at Penfolds, Sequel is an all-French oak barrel-aged syrah from five vineyards. Impressive, to say the least, with only two vintages under his belt.

PEDESTAL
(Merlot)

Okay, not all the partners are the shy, retiring type. Michel Rolland and Washington merlot seemed destined to be involved with each other and Pedestal, a predominately merlot blend, is the result. The 90-point 2004 Pedestal Merlot ($85/1,624 cases) is a fine effort in a difficult year. Rolland's acute tasting abilities and his knowledge of wood and coopers have given Washington's signature grape a dash of elegance to restrain its power and weight. Chocolate, crushed dried oregano, tobacco leaf, smoky, black olives and cedar and vanilla all preview its boisterous, spicy, coffee, bacon, tobacco, olive, black cherry flavours. Vive la France.

SAGGI
(Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah)

I have always imagined Tuscany and Washington to be closer in style than most would think, and Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, makers of Cabreo and Nozzole in Chianti Classico and La Fuga Brunello di Montalcino, are proving it with Saggi. The 92-point 2004 Saggi ($70/633 cases) is a delight to drink, with its floral, smoky, black olive, coffee, vanilla, black cherry flavours flecked with cassis, licorice and meaty flavours. Fruit intensity with balance and finesse and a twist of Italian dryness. Bravo.

CHESTER-KIDDER
(Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah-Merlot-Cabernet Franc-Malbec-Petit Verdot)

The finale is the home-team wine made by Allen Shoup and Gilles Nicault. The 90-point 2003 Chester-Kidder Red Blend ($80/772 cases) is named after Allen Shoup's grandfather, Charles Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. It's more local than the other wines, playing on cedar, tobacco leaf, cherry, green olive, smoky herbal aromas with smoky, coffee, vanilla, black cherry, floral, meaty, cinnamon flavours. It has fine length and intensity with good complexity. Like the Long Shadows project itself, this wine holds much potential.

Anthony Gismondi is editor-in-chief of Wine Access magazine and one of Canada's most influential wine critics. A top-rated writer, broadcaster and speaker, his expertise is widely acknowledged throughout the international wine community. A weekly columnist for the Vancouver Sun, Anthony is also co-host of the popular fast-paced live radio show called The Best of Food and Wine with food writer/author and Wine Access food editor Kasey Wilson. In 2002, he launched a comprehensive wine website that contains a large and growing database of wines and stories chronicling his work and adventures in the world of wine.
This article originally appeared in the October/November 2007 issue of Wine Access magazine.