Grapevine: Thirty years later, ‘Bernie’ still amazes

Let the record show, there is no such person as Bernard Griffin. Though Bernard (Bernie to his friends) is often cited as the man responsible for the excellent wines marketed by a certain well-known Tri-Cities winery, it is in fact Rob Griffin, and his wife Deborah Barnard, who started (and still own) the enterprise back in the early 1980s.

This year, Rob Griffin is marking his 30th anniversary as a winemaker in Washington – a milestone that few individuals have yet reached, and even fewer have surpassed. It was supposed to be, Griffin recalls, just a brief adventure following his graduation from UC Davis; a youthful fling way up north. “I figured I’d invest a year or two, get my name on the marquee and come back to California in a blaze of glory,” he told me a couple of years ago. Three decades later, it has become a life’s work.

Wherever he has made wines – first at Preston Wine Cellars, then at Hogue during its youthful heyday, and ultimately at his family-owned Barnard Griffin winery – Rob Griffin has carved a trail laden with wonderfully fresh, carefully-rendered wines. They deliver what I would describe as true-to-varietal, true-to-place flavors. By so doing, and keeping his prices in check, Griffin has steadily grown the winery to become one of this state’s two or three largest that remain family-owned.

Barnard Griffin wines are widely available and have become staples at groceries and state-owned liquor stores. There is a reaction to such popularity at the snootier levels of wine retail – wine shops generally don’t like to carry such plebian wines. Their very availability brands the brand (at least in some consumer minds) as a sort of Washington state Yellow Tail; ubiquitous, cheap and somewhat tawdry.

Nothing could be further from the truth. At every price level, and across the board, Griffin’s expansive lineup of current releases offers a stand-out wine that can easily go cork-to-cork with its peers. The wonderful fumé blanc, which sells for as little as $8 in some stores, is a springtime must-have. Dry, sauvage and nicely detailed, it offers bright, tart, citrusy fruit and a substantial mouthfeel. It was vinified in stainless steel – no oak – and finished at a moderate 12.6 percent alcohol, like a crisp French Sancerre or a lighter bottling from New Zealand.

“We made a deliberate effort to ‘New Zealandize’ the nose,” explains Griffin. “We chose to bring in some grapes at pretty low sugar levels, so the finished wine retained classic herb scents.” In other words, it tastes like sauvignon blanc, not like some tropical fruit punch slathered in wood.

Flavors that are true-to-varietal have always seemed to me to be indicative of the best winemaking. It shows that the winemaker knows where to source grapes, when to pick them, and how to treat them to bring out authentic nuances. It’s a hallmark of Barnard Griffin wines.

The winery makes a broad array of these moderately-priced wines, including chardonnay, riesling, merlot, cabernet and syrah. But for those who visit the tasting room, or are on the mailing list, additional treats await. Last month, wine club members were offered the winery’s first-ever viognier, a bone dry, aromatic, clean and elegant wine with beautifully-defined fruit. There are also limited bottlings of reserve wines, single vineyard wines (a 2004 Ciel du Cheval Merlot was particularly lovely) and experimental wines (malbec, anyone?).

For spring, Barnard Griffin’s 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese ($10) is darn near perfect. With 12.4 percent alcohol, it’s a low-impact sipper. The dry finish does not detract from the fresh fruit strawberry flavors, and it can certainly stand alongside a simple picnic of cold cuts, cheeses and pasta salad.

Here are a few other Barnard Griffin gems to explore.

Barnard Griffin 2005 Chardonnay; $10. A super value, half barrel fermented, half stainless, made in a consistent style with the fumé – good acid, great fruit, some nice butterscotch finish in the back of the throat.

Barnard Griffin 2006 White Riesling; $8. Tight, bright and spicy, with light peach flavors under fresh herb. Though it’s under 12 percent alcohol, it does not come across as sweet, but rather as racy and food-friendly.

Barnard Griffin 2005 Semillon; $10. True to varietal and European in style, it’s tart with lemony acids and a hint of cracker in the finish.

Barnard Griffin 2004 Merlot; $15. This is straight-ahead Washington merlot, with pretty, bright raspberry and cherry flavors set on a foundation of herb and leaf.

Barnard Griffin 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon; $15. A gorgeous color, this vanilla and clove-laced cab is dark, plummy, rich and full-bodied.

Barnard Griffin 2005 Syrah; $15. Still young and tight, this Wahluke Slope syrah sports crisp acids, hints of citrus rind and a polished mouthfeel.