Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State
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Farmland in Washington State
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A wonderful, overwhelming feeling of being off the grid washed over the excited passengers as they drove past fields of hops, cattle roaming about and groups of sheep flocking together. Then, like out of a fairytale, rows of gorgeous vines planted on a sloping hill within a bowl-shaped valley seem to materialize as if it were a mirage conjured up by the minds of travelers who sought out great Cabernet Sauvignon wine. But this vineyard was very real and an auspicious one at that, as it was discovered by Dr. Walter Clore, known as the “Father of Washington Wine,” who had the insightful foresight to plant a top-quality vineyard for Ste. Michelle Vintners, which would later become the prestigious Chateau Ste. Michelle, and gave this illustrious site the name Cold Creek Vineyard.
Cold Creek Vineyard
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
In the early days of Washington State winemaking, it was always questioned if they could make a Cabernet Sauvignon worthy of ultra-premium status, as many of the planted sites in the state during that time were not able to achieve the balanced ripeness for Cabernet. Yet Cold Creek Vineyard, despite its name, was a warmer site, and it was able to silence the doubts regarding Washington’s ability to make an outstanding Cab as it was one of the first vineyards that made concentrated, fleshy wines, yet still kept that vibrant acidity that is key to making it stand out compared to other Cabs.
Under the leadership of winemaker Tristan Butterfield, a new project under the label of ETHOS has just been launched by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, with its first offering – a predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon that will be a blend of some of the top vineyards in the Columbia Valley region of Washington State, such as Cold Creek Vineyard.
This wine will showcase the uniquely special qualities of Cabs from the famous region of the Columbia Valley to give wine lovers, who are curious to seek out other Cabernet wine regions, the opportunity to experience an affordable glass of the best aspects of this area, as it blends fruit from some of the top vineyards.
Rooted In Precision & Artistry
Tristan Butterfield
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
The winemaker steering this incredible project, Tristan Butterfield, has a fascinating background rooted in his upbringing in the Pacific Northwest, as he received a degree in physics from the University of Notre Dame. Despite being enthralled with physics, which demands a meticulous nature that he innately possesses, combined with a wonder at the mysteries of the universe, Tristan decided to take an unconventional path after pursuing a career in research and engineering in Washington State.
As he started visiting wineries in Washington, exploring incredible vineyards such as Cold Creek and learning about how wineries and cellars worked, he soon developed a passion for wine. He decided to dedicate all his love and energy to becoming a winemaker.
Red Mountain during autumn
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Many people who want to become winemakers, even if they have graduated from a prestigious winemaking school, usually have to work a few harvests at a winery as an intern. But Tristan didn’t go that route as he was determined to get a paid full-time job, and so, he cold-called a bunch of wineries, with a small family winery not only hiring him with zero experience but also allowing him to live in their basement. Eventually, he realized he needed more experience with the multitude of vineyards in various sub-regions which led him to a job at a much larger winery that would provide him with exposure to a variety of premium vineyard areas, such as Yakima Valley and Horse Heaven Hills. Through time, he left the larger winery, albeit a wonderful experience, as he started to feel that pull back to where his passion truly lay, back at a small family winery, and not just any – a family that was the first to plant vineyards in the premium location of Red Mountain.
The pedigree of Chateau Ste. Michelle is illustrious as they are not only a stalwart in the Washington wine community as the first winery in the state, tracing its beginnings to the 1930s, but their ability to create special projects that bring insight and nuance to a grape variety, particular region or style of wine is truly impressive. Even though Tristan’s heart belonged to a small family mindset, he could not say no to one of the most important and influential wineries.
ETHOS
2022 ETHOS, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Ste. Michelle Wine Estates
He joined Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2018 and became the assistant winemaker in 2022. It was serendipitous, as he was the perfect candidate to become the winemaker for ETHOS. Since it is a project that emulates the community culture of Washington State, which is rooted in boutique production and multigenerational, family-owned vineyards, Tristan says that it will be treated like a separate artisan winery, isolated from the rest of the production, with particular plots within vineyards allocated specifically for ETHOS. Yet, unlike many small family wineries, Chateau Ste. Michelle has a tremendous amount of resources and they have conducted extensive trials regarding many aspects of fermentation and oak aging across a myriad of vineyards.
So, Tristan, with his meticulous nature and access to practically unlimited resources, will be able to bring out the ideal qualities in each plot as he wants each bottle of ETHOS to be the best example of that area. In the future, he plans to release single-vineyard wines geared towards wine collectors. Still, this initial bottling of top sites across the Columbia Valley will serve as an accessible introduction to the glory of Washington Cabernet. And as Chateau Ste. Michelle has been a beacon for much-deserved recognition for Washington growers and winemakers, he is hopeful that this project will inspire wine drinkers to seek out many other wineries in Washington State and make it their go-to Cabernet Sauvignon region of choice.
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
Sunset in the vineyards of Yakima Valley
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When it comes to outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, it is the impeccable balance of intense concentration and marked acidity that conveys its richness in pristine, bright fruit that embraces structure in the form of fine tannins that brings an overall elegance and finesse amongst that rich purity of fruit. The top vineyards of Washington State are distinctively unique, although the aforementioned describes what they all have in common at their core.
Yet as Tristan explains, it takes a lot to make sure the “tannins heighten fruit expression” in a way that doesn’t draw attention away, as the goal is to make them seamlessly integrated and that there is just an overall lift to the wine that has a wow factor. It takes a tremendous amount of work, attention to detail and critical thinking to make that happen, whether it is the timing and temperature of each fermentation or the perfect barrel for each small batch of wine or managing those plots of vineyards marked specifically for ETHOS in a precise manner for balance or macerating each plot to gently extract the ideal amount of tannins while still getting out much of the sense of place expression in those skins or spending a tremendous amount of time finding the ideal blend that genuinely represents the best qualities of Columbia Valley in any given vintage, Tristan does all that and more, and treats this project as if it was his own small family winery.
It is easy to see how Tristan’s background, which includes a degree in physics, helps him to juggle having to know various aspects of different branches of science while surrendering to the inherent mystery of Mother Nature. And despite physics itself having its multitude of mysterious facets that can seem magical in its own way, it does not equal the same draw that wine has for Tristan, as in his words: “There is nothing like tasting something that is so immediate and human.”
2022 ETHOS, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Cathrine Todd
This is their first restaurant focused, on-premise, wine that will be a great value as a by the glass pour or that special bottle on the list that over-delivers for the price.
2022 ETHOS, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington State: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 41.5% sourced from Cold Creek Vineyard, giving the wine dark fruit, structure and concentration, 24.5% from Canoe Ridge Vineyard in the sub-region of Horse Heaven Hills, giving another dimension of dark fruit and depth, 10% from William’s Vineyard in the sub-region of Red Mountain, giving elegance and juicy fruit and the rest sourced from five other top vineyards such as Indian Wells (Wahluke Slope), Stone Tree (Wahluke Slope), Shaw (Red Mountain), Four Feathers (Columbia Valley) and Wautoma Springs (Columbia Valley) adding nuances of savory notes, finesse, focus, red fruit, power and structure.
Tasting Note: A wine that is brilliantly balanced from the first moment one takes in the delightful aromas of crushed rocks, delicate herbs, vivid floral bouquets and cigar box with juicy blackcurrant coulis and spiced red cherry compote flavors with an elegant backbone of graphite and slate and fine-grained tannins that merge seamlessly into the succulent texture with a long, flavorful yet bright uplifting finish.
Dining and Cooking