Grapevine: Turner finds a nice balance at Three Rivers Winery
Holly Turner grew up in McMinnville, Ore., yet pinot noir is one of the few wines she does not make at the Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla. Turner, who began her winemaking career in 1994 at Ste. Michelle, moved to Walla Walla in 2000. She was assistant winemaker at Three Rivers for her first two years, and has been the winery’s head winemaker since then.
Turner modestly defines her role as “the keeper of the grapes” until the wine makes it to the bottle. Her style, she says, is “all about balance. I want everything to flow on the palate; juicy in the mouth but not too toasty, and no burn. Everything I do with wine is based on tasting and balance; so if anything describes what I’m trying to do, it’s balance.”
Well put, but too modest. At Three Rivers, she makes a wide variety of varietal and vineyard designated wines and sources fruit from a diverse mix of vineyards and appellations. She has quickly established a style distinctly her own. The wines – which range from white Meritage and chardonnay to the full spectrum of reds to seductive, late-harvest dessert wines – are all made to the highest standards. Even better, Three Rivers pricing, especially for their white wines and every day red blend, is well below many of its peers.
Turner’s work expresses exactly those qualities that I value most in all wines and showcases the reasons that I have long believed that Washington ultimately will be recognized as this country’s leading fine wine region. Pop the cork on a bottle of Three Rivers 2005 White Meritage ($19). This Bordeaux blanc-style blend – roughly two thirds sauvignon blanc, the rest semillon – is immaculately fruity, with a lovely mix of pear, lime, citrus and apple. The aromas are lively and fresh, and the flavors follow right along. The mix of fruit is such that individual flavors can be picked out, but they work together harmoniously. The wine has been aged in French oak but is not oaky. The acids are natural and proportionate, and there are no rough edges and no hint of bitterness in the finish. Everything runs together precisely, like the purr of a fine motor car.
“I like to think I’m really just the keeper of the grapes until I get the wine to the bottle,” says Turner. “So much happens in the bottle. If you can put it in there at peak flavor and freshness, it can have a nice little life.”
Three Rivers offers a generous smorgasbord of such wines. Turner cajoles the most delicate and beautiful aromas from them, be they expressions of chardonnay or syrah, grenache or gewürztraminer. Aroma is usually the first thing that gets obliterated when grapes are picked too ripe, or wines are overextracted, or alcohol levels are too high, or new barrels are used as primary flavoring agents rather than delicate seasonings. Turner gives you the full wine experience, not just the palate-blasting fruit that so many wineries serve up these days.
Three Rivers is just off Highway 12 a few miles west of Walla Walla. The tasting room, (509) 526-9463, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and offers free tastings of the current Columbia valley releases. Limited edition and reserve wines may also be tasted for a modest fee.
Three Rivers 2005 Meritage White Wine
Columbia Valley
$19
Roughly two thirds sauvignon blanc and one third semillon, aged sur lie in French oak, this is one of the state’s top three or four white Meritage wines. It’s immaculately fruity, with a lovely mix of pear, lime, citrus and apple. In the mouth it sails along with flavors both lively and fresh.
Three Rivers 2005 Chardonnay
Columbia Valley
$19
Spicy and brisk, this elegant chardonnay delivers flavors of pear, melon and apple strudel. Barrel fermented in French oak (30 percent new), it tastes of lightly applied butter, toast and fresh baked brioche, beautifully melded together.
Three Rivers 2004 River’s Red
Columbia Valley
$13
Half merlot, 30 percent cabernet, 14 percent malbec and 5 percent grenache, this is a jewel; full-flavored and complex and beautifully structured. Throw it against a steak, a burger, any beef dish, and it will shine. Firm and balanced, with everything in proportion and excellent length for a wine in this price range.
Three Rivers 2004 Ahler Vineyard Syrah
Walla Walla Valley
$39
I tasted this prerelease; this new vintage won’t be out until May. Tight, sharp and snappy, it’s already showing the customary vibrancy of Holly Turner wines. I’m not entirely convinced that this is a superpremium vineyard site, but Turner does well by it. The polished fruit mixes plum and wild berry with a bit of citrus; the wine is lifted and tangy without any volatility or burn.