|
Badger Mountain/Powers
Part 14, Washington State: visiting one of North America's leading wine
growing regions
The
Powers family established the Badger Mountain vineyard in the early
1990s, planting it under contract to Chateau Ste Michelle. Bill
Powers decided to switch to organics in 1987, the first to do so in
the state. He was friends with the Fetzer family, who were on their
journey to organics. They convinced Bill that the conditions in
eastern Washington were ideal for organics. So he decided to make
the switch, and got certified in 1990.
In
1995 he had his winery, Badger Mountain, certified as an organic
food processor. Currently Badger Mountain is 100% organic with no
added sulphites, and is half of the business.
The
Powers label came about because sometimes they had to buy
conventional fruit to get the organic. So in 1992 they began with
Powers, which makes conventional wines.
The
whole process is built on the ethos of Bill Powers,’ says sales
manager Mickey Dunne. ‘We still do a fruit contract with a
handshake. We are sort of this different entity. We don’t send any
wines to people who give number scores. We have grown by putting
wines in glasses and having people try them.’
Mickey Dunne
These
wines are not expensive, and represent good value for money.
THE WINES
Powers Viognier 2014 Columbia Valley, Washington State
Lively, bright, fresh and a bit juicy. Very fruity with nice
pear and citrus fruit. Clean and crisp. 87/100
Powers
Malbec 2013 Washington State
Fresh, floral and
fruity. Lovely juicy cherry fruit nose. Supple, bright and fruity in
a lighter style, with a peppery edge to the fruit. 89/100
Powers Merlot 2013 Washington State
Sweet, juicy and berryish with a bit of spiciness. Supple and a
bit spicy. 87/100
Powers
Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Washington State
Slight green hint to
the berry and blackcurrant nose. Juicy and focused with a bit of
spiciness. Fresh and drinkable in a lighter style. 88/100
Powers Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Champoux Vineyard 2007 Horse
Heaven Hills, Washington State
Sappy and a bit gravelley with nice earthy notes under the dense
blackcurrant fruit. There’s a gravelly, savoury twist to this wine.
91/100
Powers Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Champoux Vineyard 2009 Horse
Heaven Hills, Washington State
Leafy, gravelly, spicy edge to the nose. Sweet, a bit earthy,
and quite savoury. This is grippy with notes of gravel and tar.
90/100
Powers Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coyote Vineyard 2012 Wahluke
Slope, Washington State
Lovely aromatics: floral with a hint of leafiness. Very pure
with supple sweet blackcurrant and blackberry fruit. Supple. 90/100
Powers
Kiona Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Red Mountain,
Washington State
Nicely defined
focused blackcurrant fruit with some grippy structure. 91/100
Badger Mountain Chardonnay 2014 Washington State
Fruity, lively and clean with nice citrus and pear fruit. 87/100
Badger Mountain Riesling 2014 Washington
State
Lively and fresh with bright, pure, focused lemony fruit with a
hint of apple. Nice fruity style. 88/100
Badger Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Washington State
Sweet and pure with chocolatey blackberry and black cherry
fruit. Very attractive and drinkable with a bit of grip. 88/100
Badger
Mountain Merlot 2014 Washington State
Supple, juicy and textured with nice fresh, green-tinged plum and
blackberry fruit, with a bit of cherry. 89/100
WASHINGTON STATE WINES
 Introduction
Betz
Columbia
Winery
De
Lille
WT
Vintners
Savage
Grace
Chateau
Ste Michelle
Andrew
Will
Airfield
Estates
Hedges
Milbrandt
Vineyards
Ciel
du Cheval Vineyard
Col
Solare
Powers/Badger
Mountain
J
Bookwalter
Pacific
Rim
Gordon
Estate
Long
Shadows
Seven
Hills
Charles
Smith
Geology
with Kevin Pogue
Leonetti
Woodward
Canyon
Gramercy
Cellars
L'Ecole
No 41
Columbia
Crest
Maryhill
Memaloose/Idiot's
Grace
COR
Cellars
Syncline
Wines
tasted as indicated
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
Back
to top
|
