Gordon Brothers Cellars
http://www.gordonwines.com

In 1980, Jeff Gordon, along with his wife, Vicki and brother Bill decided to plantwine grapes on a sagebrush-covered slope overlooking the Snake River in southeastern Washington’s ColumbiaValley. In 1985, he released his first small lot of Chardonnay wine produced from their estate vines, and today the Gordon Brothers brand is growing in both production and acclaim.

Before planting the vineyard, Jeff sought out the expertise of Walt Clore, the “Father of Washington Wine.” Together the two inspected a 200-acre parcel of sagebrush-covered land near the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Walt strongly approved of the land that would soon become Gordon Brothers.

At the time the vineyard was planted, there were 19 wineries in Washington and less than 5,000 acres of winegrapes in production. Jeff and Vicki quickly fell in love with the camaraderie of the small, but remarkably supportive winemaking community. Now, the Washington wine industry has grown to over 300 wineries and 30,000+ acres of winegrapes, but the Washington industry still maintains its solidarity.

 

Along the way, there have been a few changes. In 1998 Jeff’s brother Bill retired. That same year a new wine production facility was built on the vineyard that greatly centralized all aspects of the winemaking process. In 2001, Jeff’s daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Marc Nelson, joined the family business. Marc manages the vineyard along with the organic cherries, potatoes, melons, corn and alfalfa. Katie is the Director of Marketing for the winery.

Jeff Gordon’s decision to plant red varietals in the mid-80s was considered ill-advised by the conventional wisdom of the locals, but time and a beautiful array of estate-grown wines has proven that his decision was correct.

The land itself, and the Gordon Brothers tradition of respectfully nurturing its full potential, has always been central to the success of the winery. The vineyard is fertilizer free and the surrounding apple and cherry orchards are certified organic. With a unique volcanic soil breakdown that includes basalt, sandy loam, clay loam and gravelly loam, the earth of the Gordon Brothers estate vineyard produces grapes of great depth and intensity.

The south-facing site is perched some 620 feet above sea-level along the Snake River. The vineyard has excellent air drainage and benefits from the river’s moderating influence. The vines are sometimes blanketed by snow in the winter, but spring and summer offer sunshine and warmth allowing the grapes to ripen completely. Temperatures during the growing season can fluctuate from 95 degrees Farenheit the day to 55 degrees Farenheit at night, enabling the grapes to develop high acids and high sugar levels.

With an absence of phylloxera in Washington, all of the Gordon Brothers vines grow on their own rootstock yielding ‘true’ grape varietals. Typical vine spacing is 6’ by 10’, and vertical shoot positioning is applied to maximize sun exposure. Thanks to an abundance of water from wells near the shores the Snake River, the vineyard is amply supplied for irrigation.

The majority of the 100-acre estate vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer, with small experimental lots set aside for Tempranillo and Malbec.