2023 Merlot, Champoux Vineyard

Champoux Vineyard is located in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area which was established in 2005. It sits above the Columbia River. The soils consist of deep silt loam over basalt bedrock and gravel. Eight inches of rain per year is typical.

This Merlot, as with our Bacchus Merlot, is a serious wine with complexity and power. It is a varietal that deserves its place among the best of Washington State wines. We also value it for how accommodating it is for all types of vintages, cool and warm alike. And we appreciate the versatility it offers for the palates of many.

As with all of our red varieties, we sort very carefully by hand on the way in to the destemmer and also on the output side. For the style of wine that we make, it is crucial that as little green stem material as possible remains in the fruit, since, during fermentation, those green and edgy characters can become part of the flavor profile of the wine. We do this process by hand. While we could employ a machine, what fun would that be?! Wonderful camaraderie is had each year on the sorting table.

The flavor profile of Champoux Merlot is classic Horse Heaven Hills with deep red characters, such as wild raspberries, dark red cherries, and pomegranate. These bright influences make for a luminous wine, with vibrancy and lift. And we said this about the 2022 vintage, but 2023 amplifies the idea. These luminous red characters combine with exotic floral notes and dark purple fruits like plum and blackberry. The density and complexity of flavors create a wine that is lush and deep and in perfect balance. While we thought the 2022 vintage couldn’t be topped, the 2023 might have done it! For sure it is one of our all-time favorites for Merlot!
John Abbott – Winemaker