Gordon Brothers Puts Its Best Fruit Forward

In the 1996 edition of “Northwest Wines,” the authors lament the sorry state of Gordon Brothers Cellars: “At a time when so many of Washington’s best growers are making the best wines in their history, this winery seems to have lost its way.”

That assessment probably served as a wake-up call, because the Tri-Cities area winery is staging a comeback. The brothers — Jeff and Bill — hired a new winemaker, came up with a stylish new label and planted a hot new varietal. Syrah is considered the state’s next big thing, the merlot for the millennium.

The latest crop of Gordon Brothers releases reflects the winery’s new direction, which is truly a return to showing off its best asset: the fruit.

More than 80 acres of vineyards are planted high above the Snake River east of Pasco. It’s a pretty spot once you negotiate the dusty roads.

Many of the top names in the state have used grapes from the Gordon Brothers, including Woodward Canyon, Chinook and Hogue.

The new winemaker, a French woman named Marie-Eve Gilla, will also be working in the vineyard. And, as some vintners are willing to admit, the best wines are made when good care is taken in the vineyard.

“Marie is very dedicated, passionate and thorough about what she does,” said Hogue winemaker David Forsyth, who hired Gilla on a contract basis during last fall’s harvest. “She’s hard-working. She gets in there and gets her hands dirty.”

(Marie) Gilla has been experimenting with different yeasts and other winemaking techniques trying to make Gordon Brothers wine “more approachable,” she said.

The Paris native studied winemaking in Burgundy before coming to the states. She worked at Covey Run for four years before hooking up with the Gordons.

Of the latest releases I sampled, I really enjoyed the light, lemony chardonnay, the full-bodied cabernet and the late harvest gewurztraminer. Only the merlot was disappointing, but it even drank smooth after it opened up.

If you had given up on the Gordons, it might be time to give them another shot.

Mark your calendars

There are loads of wine events coming right up:

In Odessa, Wash., the annual wine tasting thrown by the town’s hospital foundation has evolved into quite the party.

The event, at the hospital, features Northwest wines and fund-raising auctions. It’s Friday, starting at 7 p.m., and tickets ($15) will be available at the door.

More than 25 wineries will be featured at the Inland Northwest Wine Experience on Monday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

Tickets are $60, which includes an hors d’oeuvres buffet, a commemorative glass and the chance to sip high-end stuff from producers such as Leonetti Cellar and Quilceda Creek.

Proceeds benefit the Children’s Village in Coeur d’Alene. For ticket information, call event sponsor Vehrs at 922-5656, extension 28.

Next weekend, May 8-10, Spokane’s wineries will share barrel samples and preview new releases at their annual spring open house.

All area wineries - Arbor Crest, Caterina, Knipprath, Latah Creek, Mountain Dome and Worden’s - will be open special hours, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and each will be serving unique food samples.

For directions or additional information, call the wineries.

That weekend is also a good time to visit Walla Walla wineries during the annual Balloon Stampede. Participating vintners will host special events such as a cooking demonstration at Waterbrook and an olive oil tasting at Canoe Ridge.

Wineries include Woodward Canyon, Waterbrook, L’Ecole No. 41, Patrick M. Paul, Canoe Ridge, Glen Fiona and Seven Hills in Milton-Freewater, Ore.

For a map or additional information, call Walla Walla’s Chamber of Commerce at (509) 525-0850.

Fusion winemaking

Famed winemaker Piero Antinori has formed an alliance with Chateau St. Michelle to produce an Italian-style blend using Washington fruit.

The wine - a mix of cabernet, merlot and syrah - will be called Col Solare and the inaugural ‘95 vintage will make its debut next year.

Antinori is known as one of the preeminent producers of “super Tuscan” wines. His family has a history in the wine trade that dates back to the 14th century.

Tasting notes

Generally, the food at wine tastings runs along the lines of dried-up cheese and stale crackers. But at the recent Taste Washington event at The Paramount Theater in Seattle, the food from the region’s top restaurants was on equal footing with the outstanding selection of wine.

I could go on and on about the savory wild mushroom-cheese tartlet from Andaluca or the ceviche with tropical fruit from the new Avenue One. Spokane’s Paprika was there handing out scrumptious bites of smoked duck with a cabernet-cherry conserve.

But because this is a wine column, I’d better spill about my liquid favorites.

I was going the red route and absolutely adored Woodward Canyon’s ‘95 “old vines” cabernet, the ‘95 reserve merlot from Waterbrook, the ‘95 cab from L’Ecole’s Windrow vineyard, the ‘93 cabernet from Chinook and Preston’s ‘94 reserve merlot. The ‘96 syrah from Glen Fiona was interesting, with good fruit, but still a little rough around the edges.

This event, the first of its kind, was a big hit. Maybe a little too successful, even. You could barely move through the packed-house crowd.

Next time, maybe a bigger venue is in order.