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A   W o o d i n v i l l e   w i n e r y   o f   S t e.   M i c h e l l e   W i n e   E s t a t e s


14111 NE 145th  (Map)
Woodinville, WA  98072
Info Line:  425-488-3300
Order by Phone800-866-6276
Email: info@ste-michelle.com
Home Page:  www.chateau-ste-michelle.com
Winery Information
Named 2005 Winery of the Year by Restaurant Wine Magazine.

Head Winemaker:
 
Bob Bertheau

Vineyard Acreage: 
3,400 acres in Horse Heaven Hills

A Family of Wines

Tasting Room & Tour Hours: 

Complimentary tours and
tastings daily from
10:30am to 4:30pm

Wine Shop open daily:
10 am to 5:00 pm

Library & reserve wine
tastings by appointment
and for a modest fee.
Call: 425-415-3633

CLOSED:  Thanksgiving, Christmas,
New Year's Day and Easter

Complementary Tours & Tastings  Xboxpncl.wmf (5138 bytes)
Wine & Gift Shop  Xboxpncl.wmf (5138 bytes)
(Gourmet deli items for picnics)
 
Cellar Tours Xboxpncl.wmf (5138 bytes)
(Tours leave every half hour
from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm)

Picnic areas on landscaped grounds  Xboxpncl.wmf (5138 bytes)  

Wine Clubs  Xboxpncl.wmf (5138 bytes)

Mailing List  Xboxpncl.wmf (5138 bytes)   

Online Wine Shop Xboxpncl.wmf (5138 bytes)
 

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       Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington state's oldest winery.  Its history dates back to just after the repeal of prohibition when the state's bountiful fruit and berry harvests were vinified to produce the Northwest's first wines. 

       During the1950s the company began planting classic vinifera grapes in the Columbia Valley and made its first varietal wines under the Ste. Michelle label in 1967.  Its pioneering efforts awakened America to a new wine region.  Today, Chateau Ste. Michelle continues to be a leader in viticultural research and enjoys international acclaim for its world-class Chardonnays, Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons.

Visiting the Winery
      Chateau Ste. Michelle is located 15 miles northeast of downtown Seattle in Woodinville.  Situated on 87 wooded acres, the country French-styled chateau is located on the grounds that were once home to Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson.

       Picnics on the winery grounds are popular year-round, and during the summer, the winery offers an outdoor-concert series that has featured such artists as Tony Bennett, Jackson Browne and the Gipsy Kings, to name just a few.  Cooking classes, special dinners and wine education programs are also offered throughout the year.

Winemaking

      All of Chateau Ste. Michelle's vineyards are located east of the Cascade Mountains in Washington's Columbia Valley and Horse Heaven Hills appellations.  Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few premium wineries in the world with two state-of-the-art winemaking operations, one devoted to whites and another to reds.  Bob Bertheau leads the white winemaking team at Ste. Michelle's Woodinville winery, located 15 miles northeast of Seattle, and leads the red winemaking team at our Canoe Ridge Estate winery on the Columbia river in eastern Washington's Horse Heaven Hills appellation. 

Choose from several Wine Club options.

Online Wine Shop Launched!
Get your favorite, hard-to-find Chateau Ste. Michelle wines straight from the source.

Featured Wines from
Chateau Ste. Michelle's "Family of Wines"

       Our Family Of Washington Wines includes a diverse collection of premium Columbia Valley wines styled to bring out the varietal character of the region:
  • Distinguished Vineyard wines to epitomize the terroir of our best vineyards;
  • Reserve wines made only at the winemakers' discretion in limited quantities;
  • Artist Series Meritage, a special Bordeaux-style blend, crafted for power and longevity;
  • Ethos Wines represents the pinnacle tier of Chateau Ste. Michelle produced in extremely limited quantities - no more than 1% of a vintage;
  • Columbia Valley Wines styled to bring out the varietal character of the region.

     As part of the winery's ongoing pursuit of quality, Chateau Ste. Michelle enjoys winemaking partnerships with two of the world's most distinguished vintners; Col Solare is an alliance with Tuscany's Piero Antinori; and Eroica Riesling is a partnership with the Mosel's Ernst Loosen.

 

Ethos Wines... The pinnacle tier of Chateau Ste. Michelle

2004 Ethos Chardonnay
Columbia Valley
100% Chardonnay
92 pts - Wine Advocate
91 pts - Wine Spectator
$29.99 [Order Online]

Chardonnay from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate made up over half of the blend, along with fruit from our Cold Creek Vineyard.  Individual lots were managed separately, allowing Bob to identify the best lots for Ethos. Barrel fermented in 55% new and one-year-old French oak for enhanced complexity.

“As the pinnacle of Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay, my vision for Ethos is old world complexity and elegance with concentrated Washington fruit. Sourced predominately from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate, the 2004 Ethos shows the delicacy of Canoe Ridge Estate fruit, but with complexity from the natural fermentation.  This Chard exhibits intriguing citrus, floral and mineral notes, which give way to an elegant, refined wine with an easy finish.”   Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2003 Ethos Syrah
94 pts - Wine Enthusiast
90 pts - Wine Spectator
$39.99 [Order Online]

Six Syrah vineyards throughout Eastern Washington provided fruit for this wine: Williams on Red Mountain, our own Canoe Ridge Estate in the Horse Heaven Hills appellation, High River in the Columbia Basin, Washington Fruit on the Wahluke Slope, and Vanessa Vineyard in Walla Walla. Aged for 20 months in 91% new oak barrels, 81% American and 10% Hungarian, for added sweetness and depth. 2% Cinsault adds a touch of strawberry fruit character and 2% Mourvèdre contributes slight leather and meatiness.

“Deep, dark and a little ponderous, I want this wine to have rich, concentrated fruit. As the pinnacle tier for Chateau Ste. Michelle, all Ethos wines offer layers of complexity and the Syrah is no exception. We use six different Syrah vineyards to achieve this beguiling combination of concentration, fruit and complexity.” -Bob Bertheau, Winemaker

 

Artist Series Meritage... A special Bordeaux-style blend, crafted for power and longevity

2002 Artist Series Meritage
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 10% Merlot
91 pts - Connoisseurs' Guide
4 Stars - Restaurant Wine

$50.00  [Order Online]

The tenth vintage of Artist Series Meritage celebrates a decade of the inspired collaboration between artisan winemaking and some of the world’s greatest artists. It is a wine built for aging by carefully blending the top lots of the vintage for power, elegance and structure. The refined Bordeaux-style blend was crafted from the finest Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot from Washington state’s Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) from our Cold Creek Vineyard, one of Washington’s oldest and warmest sites, provided the backbone of this blend.  Malbec (20%) from our vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate adds brightness on the mid-palate and reflects the opulent, velvety character of this grape.  Merlot (10%) from Indian Wells was added to broaden the mouthfeel.  Abundant aromas of honey and allspice lead to lush, concentrated flavors of black cherry, blackberry and chocolate.

 

Distinguished Vineyard Wines epitomize the terroir of our best vineyards.

2003 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot
Horse Heaven Hills
86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Syrah, 1% Malbec
$21.99 [Order Online]

The vineyard at Canoe Ridge Estate lies on a steep south-facing slope on the bank of the Columbia River in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills AVA.  Aged in predominately French oak (93% new) for 18 months.

“This Merlot exhibits bright red cherry and currant fruit aromas and flavors. Canoe Ridge Estate expresses itself in this way in most of the reds. We allow this Merlot to stay a little more refined and elegant, accenting it with spicy, restrained French oak, while retaining plenty of that trademark Washington concentration.”  Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2005 Marier Sauvignon Blanc
Cold Creek Vineyard
$15.99 [Order Online]

Planted in the early 1970s, Cold Creek Vineyard is one of Washington’s oldest and most acclaimed vineyards.  It enjoys one of the longest and warmest growing seasons in the Columbia Valley. The vineyard is located 38 miles east of Yakima, Washington, south of the Columbia River and Wahluke Slope.  100% barrel fermented in neutral oak barrels.  Sur lie aged for two-and-a-half months for complexity and structure.

“This is our first Sauvignon Blanc produced exclusively from Cold Creek fruit. I like to call it our ‘Wild Thing’ wine because of its complexity and bold expression of Washington fruit. Crafted in an Old World style, it exudes aromas of grass and sweet pea and delivers flavors of white grapefruit, slate and wet stone. This is an excellent wine to pair with many types of cuisine.”  Bob Bertheau, Winemaker

 

Columbia Valley Wines... Styled to bring out the varietal character of the region.

2002 Syrah
Yakima & Columbia Valleys
Highly Recommended, Excellent Value - NW Palate, Mar 2006
$11.99  [Order Online]

White pepper spice aromas lead to rich black cherry and blackberry jam flavors.  This is a soft, lush and jammy style of Syrah with a lingering coffee, brambleberry finish.  Aged for 14 months in half-French and half-American oak barrels, 50% new.  95% Syrah, 5% Grenache.

2005 Dry Riesling
Columbia Valley
100% Riesling
89 points, "Best Buy" - Wine Enthusiast
$8.99 -
 [Order Online]

Riesling fruit for the Dry Riesling came from cooler sites within the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington.  Grapes were picked under cool nighttime skies to preserve the variety’s bright, juicy style.  Winemaker Bob Bertheau finds the gems and proper style cues among the finest Riesling grapes of the harvest to create the Dry Riesling, which he makes in a dryer, crisp, food friendly style.  A cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks preserves the freshness and bright fruit qualities of this wine.

“Our Dry Riesling is a dry, crisp, refreshing style of Riesling with beautiful forward fruit flavors and an elegant finish. It delivers brisk, cooler climate Riesling characters of mandarin orange,  key lime,  ripe nectarine and pear. This is the wine I like to drink at home as an aperitif.”  Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker


Online Wine Shop Launched!
Get your favorite, hard-to-find Chateau Ste. Michelle wines
straight from the source.

Browse all current releases from Chateau Ste. Michelle

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Copyright © 1997 - 2006
Susan R. O'Hara. All rights reserved.
Last revised:  11/14/2006