Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/118688
from both estate-grown fruit and other select Horse Heaven Hills fruit. Take his Pinot Gris, for example, grown on The Benches vineyard: He took the phenoliccharacter grape and fermented it for 35 to 40 days at about 50 degrees. "When I ferment whites in tank, my goal is to do the slowest, coldest fermentation I can do without stalling fermentation," Murray says. "That's where you get the exotic tropical fruit flavors: cold fermentations." The Expedition Chardonnay undergoes malolactic fermentation and has a trace of residual sugar to give the wine the butterscotch characteristic American consumers love—"but nobody's ever picked up on the RS; you really can't tell," says Murray. The approachable $15 Pinot Gris and Chardonnays could easily sell for $9 a glass in restaurants. The Expedition reds—Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, varieties for which Canoe Ridge Vineyard is best known—follow David Oldham, Education Director, Precept Wine When David Oldham introduces himself, he's quick to spell his name. "It's like an old ham, he says, always drawing a laugh. " Oldham is Precept Wine's new secret weapon. Formerly the assistant winemaker at Andrew Will, Oldham is now Education Director for Precept Wine and is charged with showing the trade Precept's Northwest vineyards and wineries. In Washington State, Oldham takes small groups through the Walla Walla Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley and other hotspots. But be warned: The old ham might tell a few jokes and stretch the truth about nearby alien crop circles, or a possible Chainsaw Massacre–looking house. You get the point—it'll be fun. The popular Vineyard Reserve Merlot has garnered many fans for Canoe Ridge. suit, delivering value and generating revenue in every glass. Murray hopes this new line will lead value wine drinkers to his Vineyard Reserves ($24), and ultimately, his blockselect Estate tier wines. "We make what we grow off the Canoe Ridge Vineyard estate," Murray says. "Precept has some amazing fruit, people and capital to back up its wineries." Its Canoe Ridge winemaker is pretty good, too. Just don't expect him to admit it. David Oldham. april 2013 / the tasting panel / 83