It took more than 30 years after the Alberg family purchased these 235 acres of shrub-steppe near the town of Royal City, Wash., before Tom Alberg, Jr., began to transform it into Stillwater Creek Vineyard. A trio of clones populate the nine Merlot blocks that among the 60 blocks managed by Ed Kelly, a plant pathologist from University of California-Davis who took his education into vineyard management in Napa. His berries in the hands of winemaker Mike Januik became a bold example of Merlot redolent of Bing cherry and Baker’s chocolate. A delicious structure of espresso-grounds tannin and nuttiness is capped by raspberry, currant and vanilla bean. Club members have been taking their share this month, so this cellar-worthy example of Washington Merlot soon will be available to those who visit Mithun-designed industrial-chic tasting room along Woodinville-Redmond Road.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 551 cases
Alcohol: 14.4%
Leave a Reply