A Winery to Watch: Crayelle Cellars

A frequent reader of The Oregon Wine Blog tipped me off to a man by the name of Craig Mitrakul. While I hadn't heard of Craig, I was familiar with some of his handiwork: Craig held posts as the assistant winemaker at both Ponzi Vineyard in the Willamette Valley and Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla before becoming the winemaker at both Ryan Patrick and Saint Laurent Estate Winery.

More recently, Craig and his wife Danielle have struck out on their own in the creation of Crayelle Cellars. Craig has been called "one of the up and coming wine making stars in Washington" by Wine Press NW. Crayelle Cellars just released their first vintage in August of 2009, a 2007 Syrah and 2008 Dry Riesling. Craig's choice of syrah and riesling was a result of his coming up through the world of wine; Riesling came from his East Coast roots and his time in the Finger Lakes of New York state, while the focus on Syrah came from working a harvest in Australia. All Craig's fruit comes from the Ancient Lakes area of the Columbia Valley. Currently under application for an AVA status, this area is a bit further north and at a higher altitude than much of the valley. I think this is one of the keys to the wine that Craig is crafting. The labels on the Crayelle wines include three words that represent the philosophy of Crayelle; balance, character and longevity. I can say with certainty that the Crayelle wines have balance in spades. Both wines are 100% varietals made in small lots, around 70 cases of each.

The Crayelle Syrah ($26) is refined and elegant with a fine and smooth finish. Craig sent me a bottle of each to sample and stressed that he's making wine to be enjoyed with food. We paired it with a shrimp bisque and shrimp corn cakes. It had subtle pepper notes and red fruit with what Gwynne described as a "nutty" finish; I'd call it almost smoky. It was a very good match for the subtly spicy notes of the shrimp corn cakes. What really stood out for me with Craig's wine, particularly the Syrah, was how it departed from the majority of the varietal produced here in Washington. The Crayelle Syrah provides a different experience and a chance to expand your horizons (and your palate) when it comes to Washington Syrah. In this Syrah you find a new potential AVA showcased in a wine that reveals itself slowly, letting the fruit speak for itself. Many Washington Syrahs are big and bold; Crayelle appears a bit more intellectual and layered.

The Dry Riesling ($16) is done in an Alsatian style. The wine is crisp and aromatic with notes of citrus fruits all the way from the nose through the palette. The wine's acidity is very well balanced and it is an excellent food wine. This is a wine that will win over those wine drinkers who believe that Riesling and its sweetness are not for them. There is a minerality that is present amidst the fruit accents, but it doesn't result in a chalky wine that I feel you often get with drier style Rieslings. Instead you find a wine that is light and bright on the palate.


I found his wines to be about substance and subtlety; the Crayelle Syrah isn't the party guest who draws attention to themselves, raising their voice and shouting tales of their exploits across the room; rather, you learn the personality through an extended and shared conversation. Craig shared that the goal at Crayelle is layers of flavor and texture on the palate. They're not interested in hitting you over the head with their wine.

Variety is what makes wine so enjoyable. If every cork we popped tasted the same, the conversation would be boring and short. If you're willing to "listen," I think you'll find something very interesting in the wines coming out of Crayelle Cellars. These are wines that have depth, balance, and character. And if Crayelle's first release is any indication, longevity won't be a problem either.

Seattle's Urban Wineries Part 4: The Tasting Room

In the heart of Seattle's tourist haven, Pike Place Market's Post Alley, lies The Wines of Washington Tasting Room (a second Tasting Room can be found in Yakima at the Wilridge Wine vineyards). For a long time The Tasting Room was one of the only ways someone without the time or access to Washington's wine country could sample the wares from the eastern side of the state. Since this is part 4, we know there are at least three other ways, and quite honestly there are several more, I'll get to those later.

The Tasting Room is a wine cooperative founded by Paul Beveridge of Wilridge Wines and Robert Goodfriend at Harlequin Cellars. There are seven wineries that participate, all of which are winemaker-owned facilities that make 3,000 cases or fewer annually. The wineries are located throughout Washington, from Walla Walla to Yakima to Seattle's Madrona neighborhood and the Olympic Pennisula, and include Latitude 46 North, Wilridge, Harlequin, Camraderie, Wineglass Cellars, Mountain Dome and Naches Heights Vineyards. In many cases the wineries don't have a tasting room of their own, and participation in the cooperative allows them to get additional exposure without having to manage a tasting room operation. Perhaps the greatest asset The Tasting Room offers is its variety; with a wine list that easily has 50 different selections that you can buy by the taste, glass, or bottle. The Tasting Room also offers anywhere from 10 to 14 different tasting flight options from which to choose, which allows you to really tailor your visit to what you want to experience.

With its large wooden tables and the feel of a European wine cellar, The Tasting Room has been designed to be a gathering place. If you buy a bottle there, there is no corkage fee, which makes it a perfect place to share a bottle of wine over board games. We opted for a game of Jenga, the Clifton Cuvee ($18) from Latitude 46 North, a Rhone style blend that is mostly Grenache, and a cheese plate that included cheese from Beecher's (located in Pike Place Market).


The beauty of The Tasting Room lies in the simplicity: a welcoming atmosphere that brings multiple small lot producers together. The wide variety of board games help break the ice and bring a joviality to wine that isn't always present. In addition to the wine and tasting flights, The Tasting Room also often has Meet the Winemaker events. If you're looking for a quick way to sample a variety of what Washington State has to offer, look no further.

What happened? The bottle is empty! EdenVale Midsummer's Eve.

I was all geared up this evening to write an intellectual, refined post on the wine of the evening - EdenVale's 2006 Midsummer's Eve White Wine -- and next thing I knew, the bottle was empty.  Whoops!  Who was I kidding, anyway?  When is ANYTHING intellectual and refined on The Oregon Wine Blog? If your answer is "all the time, of course" then you have a new place on our favorite reader list. Really, we have a list. On to the wine.

Just like this post, I had other intentions for this particular wine. It was scheduled to be paired with the first course of our winter wine pairing dinner, taken from the pages of The Vintner's Kitchen. Unfortunately, the wine didn't arrive in time for the dinner so on the rack it sat until tonight, waiting for the perfect pairing with a chicken stir fry and an empty glass. Midsummer's Eve is a white wine blend, and while I don't have the technical specs at hand, I'm deducing that it is a blend of Pinot Gris and Viognier. Slightly off-dry, the wine presents with a nose of peaches and pears. On the palate, Drew found the wine a buttery and I detected melon with a very pleasant mouthfeel. This is one of those unique wines that could go perfectly in nearly every scenario. I enjoyed it with a spicy stir fry, however, it would be amazing on a hot summer night out on the deck, or paired with a fruit-based dessert by the fire on a cold winter evening. Meant to exemplify all four seasons, EdenVale hit the mark on this one.

I don't drink a ton of white wine at this point in my vinographical life, but this is definitely an enjoyable wine. It's also a bit on the lighter side and goes down easily, hence the empty bottle and lack of notes. Check out this wine and check out EdenVale, situated firmly in the Rogue Valley out of Medford.

Salud!

Urban Wine Tour from 106 Pine

One of Seattle's newest wine bars is 106 Pine, where their motto is "Fresh Finds, Local Wines," and much of what they feature comes out of the nearby Pike Place Market. While that is reason enough to check them out, as of January 2, 2010, they're also offering a Urban Wine Tour on Saturdays at 2pm. Shannon Borg, the beverage manager, invited me to come join them on their inaugural trip. Given that it was advertised as a three hour tour, I was a little nervous!

Shannon is the wine writer for Seattle Magazine and has really come to develop a relationship with the wines and wine industry of Washington. She sees her role at 106 Pine as a way to give back to Washington wine and showcase the work of those she's known and worked with for so long. Though this first tour was a dress rehearsal with the owners and staff of The Chocolate Box and 106 Pine, it quickly became evident that Shannon was going to make an excellent guide. It was immediately apparent that she knows a lot about wine; I mean a lot.

The tour kicked off at the facilities at 106 Pine with a sparkling wine made by Masquerade, the Effervescing Elephant. It was a very well made Washington sparkling wine that Shannon paired with a chevre from Idaho's Rollingstone Creamery. As we tasted, Shannon explained the difference between sparkling wine and Champagne, along with the traditional "methode champenoise."

We piled into a bus-like van and made our way to Ward Johnson Winery. On the way Shannon explained the state of the Washington Wine industry and the role that Prohibition played in the industry's rebirth in the '70s. Kurt Johnson was there to greet us and to pour their Counterbalance Chardonnay, which will be featured at 106 Pine. Kurt told the tour-goers how he and Charlie, his brother got started in the basement of their mother's house in Richland, Washington.



Shannon and Kurt talked about the Counterbalance Chardonnay's high acidity and fruit characteristics, which make it stand out in the Chardonnay land of butter and oak. Shannon paired the Ward Johnson Chardonnay with the Cirrus, an amazing and highly recommended Camembert style cheese from Mt. Townshend Creamery.

From there we went a few short blocks down Elliot to The Wine Outlet. The Wine Outlet is owned by the guru of Washington Wine in Seattle, Richard Kinssies. Richard has been here from the beginning of the rebirth of Washington Wine. Richard gave us a run down of the history of his role in Washington Wine, and then shared with a JW Bridgman Viognier based blend ($7) that he blended himself. He explained the philosophy behind the Outlet: he won't sell a wine he can't get his customers a deal on. From the Voignier we transitioned to a '06 Northwest Totem Cellars Longhouse Syrah (a steal at $15). Shannon paired this wine with the Barolo and Tartufo salamis, cured meat from Creminelli.

Our final destination was in Sodo, the neighborhood that surrounds Seattle's sports stadiums. Our van pulled up at 85 Atlantic Artisan Vintners, where we were greeted by Jim of Sodo Vino and Judy of Falling Rain. Jim talked to us about the cooperative wine operation that they had running out of 85 Atlantic, and explained that as an urban winemaker, he works in Seattle because they want to be where the wine buyers are. He touched on the role the barrel plays in imparting flavor to the wine. To wrap up our visit to 85 Atlantic, Judy treated us to the highlight of the tour, a barrel tasting of two of her Merlots; one from Clifton Hills vineyards and one from Stone Ridge. Judy will eventually blend these in her Falling Rain releases.

Once the tours get underway, they'll conclude the tour with a chocolate and dessert wine pairing back at 106 Pine and wrap up in time for you to enjoy happy hour at 106 Pine. Tours are planned for every Saturday, and tickets will be $50. I'd call it a deal, particularly for those new to wine. The barrel tasting alone will be worth the price of admission, and you'll leave knowing much more about wine than when you arrived.