Several of Canada’s top wine writers and sommeliers met recently with Darel Allwine, chief winemaker at Col Solare Winery based in Washington state.
Jane Staples
Wine Columnist, Ottawa Wedding Magazine
Sitting down with a winemaker to discuss his winemaking techniques is always a special experience. Winemakers are like artists, who combine both creativity and science with complete focus, to achieve their unique products. They are working with Mother Nature too, so every vintage can vary.
I recently had the chance to discuss winemaking with Darel Allwine, winemaker at Col Solare. The name “Col Solare” means “Shining Hill”, referring to the way the vineyards are planted in such a way that they fan out like the rays of the sun.
Photo by Jane Staples
Col Solare represents a partnership between Washington’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and the prestigious Marchesi Antinori, whose family have been making wine for 26 generations in Tuscany. Antinori is considered a true visionary, with extremely shrewd judgement about the evolution of the wine industry.
Darel collaborates with Antinori’s chief enologist, who visits twice yearly to taste and discuss the specific fruit balance that will be used in each vintage.
He has an unusual background for a winemaker, since he worked for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force Mobility Command, before temporarily “retiring.” He answered an ad for cellar worker at Columbia Crest and discovered a new passion, wine. He quickly rose through the ranks.
Photo by Jane Staples
In 2013, Darel was appointed winemaker for Col Solare by the Ste. Michelle-Antinori partnership. As he says, his retirement job is a dream come true.
Today, he works in a state-of-the-art cellar, using innovative techniques and learning about Italian winemaking to achieve a product that represents the best of both New World and Old World winemaking skills. Their vision is to use fruit from the best vineyards in Washington State to produce an ultra-luxury, limited-production wine based on Cabernet Sauvignon.
This has been an extremely successful collaboration, resulting in a line of wines that is truly a masterpiece. It was both a pleasure and a privilege to taste such exquisite wines.
Col Solare winery and tasting room, Red Mountain, Washington
“Can great wine come from Washington?” Well, meet The Shining Hill and all its powerhouse glory.
Wines from Washington State have come a long way in a condensed period of time. At their going pace, they have grown to well-established ranks, and yet, are still emerging. They have attracted passionate people with characater who humbly respect tradition, embrace collaboration and convention, and share a visionary outlook for the wines’ world-class potential. Fuel these fundamental qualities with grit and here we are today!
A key player embodying this figure of passion, innovation, and grit is Ste. Michelle Wines. Their team of trailblazing winemakers and collaborative partners has proven their weight in talent for crafting well-structured, full-bodied, value-priced red wines that consistently secure their ranks on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines list.
This hype has warranted their investment, innovation and perseverance towards the growth of Washington State. This passion yielded intrigue from across the world. This intrigue led to investment and a prestigious partnership between Ste. Michelle Wines and the house of Marchesi Antinori with the goal of showcasing wine talent from Washington like never before.
This partnership broke ground in the late 1990s on the smallest, warmest, most coveted and flawless AVA (American Vinicultural Area) in Washington State – Red Mountain AVA. Red Mountain, when you just gloss over the name, doesn’t sound like much, but the name speaks volumes. It’s red! It’s a desert! It’s dry. It’s hot! The mineral rich soil boasts very high pH. Together with blue skies and sunshine throughout their growing season, there no doubt that such a place wouldn’t grow superb red grapes for making premium wines.
When Antinori saw this hill, he saw brilliance. He referred to it as Col Solare, Italian for Shining Hill. Well, the man can certainly call it because the name stuck. Col Solare, that shining hill that embodying every quality and character of The Red Mountain AVA, became the name of Washington’s premium red wine.
These reds initially started out as blends of Cabernet Sauvignon (most dominant), Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Syrah. They are now cellar worthy powerhouse Cabernet Sauvignons with a fraction of Merlot for fruit concentration and floral aromatics, Cabernet Franc for texture and spice, and Syrah for balance finesse.
Since its inaugural vintage, winemaker Darel Allwine, has had a hand in crafting these premium reds. He is the head winemaker for Col Solare and has had over 20 years of Washing ton State grape harvests under his belt. He speaks Washington wines fluently and absolutely affirms the quality and greatness that exists in Washington Wines.
Greg Hughes
Certified Sommelier & Wine Writer
In 1995, Chateau St. Michelle and the well-known Antinori house embarked upon a joint venture in Washington State. In 2007, they began to focus on premium Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain area, in one of the southernmost areas in Washington viticulture.
Col Solare is the singular/penultimate culmination of their efforts to produce a premium Cabernet. The blend is dominated by Cab Sauv (typically a Bordelais-style with Cab Sauv/Franc, Merlot, with occasionally Syrah or Malbec) coming from specially managed plots planted to high density and trimmed to single guyot to stress and concentrate the wines.
A well-harnessed continental climate is what Washington viticulturalists describe. Incredibly, long, warm ripening periods, with extra cool nights help to preserve acidity and aromatics.
The terrain can look like Mars in many places. Sandy, rocky basalt and loess with a distinctly red hue. Washington only receives seven to fifteen inches of rain a year.
The principle architect of the wine, Darel Allwine, believes in using mostly 100% new French oak, but have occasionally used a bit of American.
Chateau St. Michelle owns two thirds of every grape grown in Washington. However, even though a significant chunk belongs to them, and to the Aquilini family (owners of the Canucks), they still enjoy the feeling that it is a close-knit community where they look after one another.
There was a particularly interesting story surrounding Duckhorn’s newly purchased Canvasback vineyards next door to Col Solare. In Washington, water rights are a heavily regulated responsibility attached to land stewardship. Growers have to be strategic about growing.
Not needing much water, it isn’t surprising so many in the area turn to viticulture.
Duckhorn’s required water rights and the success of their new venture was becoming contingent on a new irrigation system they required. Chateau St. Michelle helped out by sharing their water rights.
The wines:
Col Solare 2013: Cold and wet spring – until June. Unusually wet. There were disease issues they don’t normally see. This wine is tight – needs cellaring or time to breathe. It has a lot of density, and acidity to match. Slight graham cracker to the aromas. Super gushy fruit – oak is completely well matched. Slight cherry candy nose. (NB: Shining Hill is their second wine. 900 cases of mostly cab. 50/50 new and used oak).
Col Solare 2012: A classic vintage. Completely typical season temperature and length. Harvest was in October. 49% estate fruit – 85% Cab Sauv. Deep purple colouration. Beginning to show the rusticity that the 08 and 09 have, but still very much on primary fruit character.
Col Solare 2009: Pretty rustic and wild. Lovely gaminess. Crimson colour. Quite vibrant. Aged notes of raw game, sundried tomato, cocoa, morello cherry, currant and leaf. The flavours have a lot of the juicy fruit like the 2013 has. It seems more polished and savoury – less gushing or candied fruit.
Col Solare 2008: This is a little more subtle and fruity. Less wild and in your face than the 2009, but with plenty of classic Cab elements. Tons of chocolate, chickory, cassis jam, and dried herbs. Even though Washington is extremely hot and their ripeness levels are insane, this wine does not feel over ripe. There is lots of control in the acidity and minerality keeping it alive after 8 years. As it ages, this wine does show off a lot like an Italian IGT.
All three wines have different identities. These are due to variability of the blend, which occasionally includes Shiraz. This collaboration is an interesting insight into what premium Washington wine tastes like, as well as what motivates tradition European producers, like Antinori, to travel.
Do they search for terroir they see as associative to Tuscany, or are they seeking out those working hard in promising new regions?
Col Solare 2013
Red Mountain, Washington, United States
Col Solare 2012
Red Mountain, Washington, United States
Col Solare 2009
Red Mountain, Washington, United States
Col Solare 2008
Red Mountain, Washington, United States
Partnership
Col Solare is the partnership between two influential wine producers who are recognized leaders in their respective regions: Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori and Washington State’s Chateau Ste. Michelle. Col Solare, Italian for “shining hill,” realizes the partners’ mission to unite two unique viticultural and winemaking cultures to produce an ultra-luxury, limited production Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine.
Vintage
The 2013 growing season on Red Mountain started with mild spring temperatures and bud break slightly earlier than normal. Temperatures in early summer warmed significantly, and stayed warm through July and August, with few heat extremes allowing the fruit to develop to full ripeness. Relatively good weather at the end of September and in early October helped complete ripening and produced wines with complex aromatics, good color, and elegant tannins
Winemaker’s notes
Polished, focused and generous, this 2013 vintage of Col Solare offers aromatics and flavors of black cherry, cassis, crushed berries, and tobacco along with a rich and silky palate that lingers forever. – Darel Allwine, Winemaker
Alcohol 14.7%
PH 3.80
Total Acidity 0.54g/100ml
Barrel Aging 100% new French oak 22 months
Production 7,025 cases
Varieties
88% Cabernet Sauvignon
38% Shaw/Quintessence Vineyard
29% Col Solare Estate Vineyard
9% Klipsun Vineyard
9% Four Feathers Vineyard
3% Kiona Heart of the Hill Vineyard
6% Cabernet Franc
4% Col Solare Estate Vineyard
2% Quintessence Vineyard
4% Merlot 4% Col Solare Estate Vineyard
2% Syrah 2% Col Solare Estate Vineyard Vineyards
Vineyards
39% Col Solare Estate Vineyard
40% Shaw/Quintessence Vineyard
9% Kilpsun Vineyard
9% Four Feathers Vineyard
3% Kiona Heart of the Hill Vineyard
Appellations
91% Red Mountain
9% Columbia Valley
Photo by Jane Staples
Photo by Jane Staples
