Chateau Ste Michelle

I recently had an amazing luncheon with winemaker, David Rosenthal of Chateau Ste Michelle. Chateau Ste. Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington state. Built on the 1912 estate owned by Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson, the winery’s roots date back to the Repeal of Prohibition. The first vines were planted in 1972 (Cold Creek Vineyard, Eastern WA.). They have now had over 50 years of winemaking experience.  Combining Old World traditions with New. A wonderful accomplishment for this winery is that they have two state-of-the-art wineries, one for red and one for white.

Over the years, Chateau Ste. Michelle has given many opportunities to young winemakers so they can learn and grow. I had the opportunity to meet with David Rosenthal, who is considered to be their “white winemaker.” David has had 15 years of experience in the wine industry, starting his journey in 2001 at none other than Robert Mondavi Winery after graduating from college. He has had experiences in California, Oregon, Australia and Washington. In 2007, David rejoined Chateau Ste. Michelle as white wine enologist and was later promoted to assistant winemaker in 2011. David was promoted to white wine maker in 2015 and is still holding that position to this day.

I was able to taste some of the most popular wines they produce:

• 2017 Mimi Chardonnay (90 pts Wine Enthusiast)
• 2015 Gewurztraminer
• 2015 Eroica Riesling (91 pts Wine Advocate)
• 2013 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot (92 pts Wine Spectator)
• 2013 Ethos Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (93 pts Wine Advocate)
• 2012 Artist Series Red Wine (93 pts Wine Advocate)
• 2013 Eroica Gold Riesling (92 pts Wine & Spirits)

I am a red wine drinker so of course my favorite was the 2012 Artist Series Red Wine, which is a meritage blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. But, I will say that their Rieslings blew me away. Chateau Ste Michelle has teamed up with Ernst Loosen of Germany for their Riesling project. Chateau Ste Michelle has teamed up with Dr. Loosen and creating Riesling since 1999. Currently, the Eroica Riesling vintages from Chateau Ste Michelle have been awarded 89+ points from various wine journalists.

Please do yourself a favor and grab a bottle of Chateau Ste Michelle next time you’re out at dinner, or in your local wine shop. They truly make amazing wines coming out of Washington State. I also love that you can get a great bottle of wine that has been taken care of and put a lot of thought into without breaking the bank! I cannot wait to get out to the Pacific Northwest to experience the winery and vineyards.

Who’s in?!