1999 Washington State Vintage

The 1999 growing season in Washington State was defined by contrast. Spring arrived extremely cool, leaving many growers and winemakers anxious about whether the fruit would ever reach full ripeness. The summer remained below average in warmth, prolonging the season well into fall. Then came the rescue: September brought warm, sunny conditions and, crucially, an almost complete absence of rain through harvest. This dry, warm late season provided just enough accumulated heat for the grapes to ripen fully while the lack of moisture kept botrytis and other fungal threats at bay. Decanter rated it 4 out of 5 stars and described the vintage as one of the finest of the 1990s, calling the warm dry fall a minor miracle.

• Spring was exceptionally cool, making 1999 one of the coolest vintages of the decade rather than one of the warmest
• A warm, dry late-season through harvest period rescued fruit that had struggled to ripen during a below-average summer
• The lack of fall moisture eliminated the annual botrytis risk on red grapes, resulting in clean, healthy fruit at harvest
• Early reports after harvest pegged 1999 as potentially the star vintage of the 1990s in Washington State

Walla Walla Valley was again a focal point of critical attention, with its established producers delivering wines of notable depth and structure. The broader Columbia Valley, home to benchmark vineyards such as Champoux in the Horse Heaven Hills, Seven Hills, Pepper Bridge, and Mill Creek Upland, also performed strongly. Yakima Valley contributed reliable Riesling and red varietals, while Red Mountain, then still seeking its own AVA designation (granted in 2001), continued to attract attention for structured Cabernet Sauvignon. The warm days and cool nights that characterize Eastern Washington in general helped preserve the acidity and aromatic freshness that distinguish Washington reds from warmer New World regions.

• Walla Walla Valley: Exceptional results for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from producers including Leonetti Cellar, Woodward Canyon, and Dunham Cellars
• Horse Heaven Hills: Champoux Vineyard provided the fruit for Andrew Will's Sorella Bordeaux blend, a benchmark of the vintage
• Columbia Valley: Quilceda Creek sourced from top sites to produce a 98-point Cabernet Sauvignon rated among Washington's finest to that date
• Yakima Valley: Consistent Riesling and solid red varietal production, though less headline-grabbing than Walla Walla and Horse Heaven Hills

Several wines from 1999 earned critical recognition that helped cement Washington's reputation as a serious premium wine state. Quilceda Creek, founded in 1978 and dedicated entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon, received 98 points from Wine Advocate for its 1999 Columbia Valley Cabernet. Wine Advocate's reviewer described it as combining elegance with power reminiscent of great Bordeaux, with magnificent depth and structure for long-term cellaring. Leonetti Cellar, founded in 1977 by Gary and Nancy Figgins and one of the pioneers of Walla Walla Valley winemaking, produced a 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon that landed on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list. Andrew Will's Sorella, sourced entirely from Champoux Vineyard and made as a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blend since its first vintage in 1994, was another standout of the year.

• Quilceda Creek 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon: 98 points from Wine Advocate, praised for combining power and elegance with long-term cellaring potential
• Leonetti Cellar 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon: 89.5% Cab Sauv, 8.4% Merlot, 2.1% Petit Verdot at 13.7% ABV; Wine Spectator Top 100 at number 99
• Andrew Will 1999 Sorella: Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend from Champoux Vineyard, building its reputation as one of Washington's finest Bordeaux-style wines
• Woodward Canyon, founded in 1981 by Rick Small, and Dunham Cellars, established in 1995, both contributed well-regarded releases that reinforced Walla Walla's status

At 25-plus years of age, the finest 1999 Washington reds occupy a fascinating drinking window. Wines with well-documented cellar storage, particularly top Cabernets from Quilceda Creek, Leonetti, and Andrew Will, are showing the kinds of evolved aromatics and resolved tannins that reward patience. The vintage's structured acidity and firm tannin framework, born of a long, cool growing season with a late push to ripeness, were well-suited to longevity. Contemporary tasting notes on the 1999 Leonetti describe tannins as fully resolved, with mocha, cassis, and earth leading the nose. Bottles outside ideal cellar conditions may have faded, so provenance matters enormously at this stage.

• Top-tier bottles from Quilceda Creek and Leonetti with verified provenance are described by tasters as showing resolved tannins and complex tertiary notes at 25 years
• The 1999 Leonetti Cabernet shows earth, leather, cedar, tart cherry, and tobacco on the palate according to documented tasting notes from the 2013 to 2020 period
• Wines without ideal cellar history should be consumed promptly; the vintage's moderate alcohol and structured acidity are assets only when storage has been correct
• The long, cool growing season before the warm fall harvest gave these wines a structural backbone suited to extended aging by Washington standards

Cabernet Sauvignon was the standout variety of 1999, benefiting from the extended growing season's gradual build of tannin structure and the fall warmth that delivered sugar ripeness without overheating the fruit. Merlot also performed well; Decanter's guide specifically noted that the long ripening season helped produce very good Merlot. Winemakers across the state worked with Bordeaux blending varieties, often combining Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Leonetti's 1999 Cabernet was blended with Merlot and Petit Verdot; Andrew Will's Sorella incorporated Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot alongside a Cabernet Sauvignon majority. The moderate alcohol levels documented in top wines, such as the 13.7% ABV of the Leonetti Cabernet, underscore the vintage's cool-season character.

• Cabernet Sauvignon thrived thanks to gradual tannin development during a long, cool growing season followed by warm fall ripening
• Merlot excelled across Walla Walla and Columbia Valley sites, with the extended ripening season adding complexity without over-softening
• Bordeaux blending varieties including Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc featured prominently; Leonetti's 1999 Cab included 2.1% Petit Verdot alongside Merlot
• Alcohol levels in documented top wines ran notably moderate for the era, reflecting the cool-season character of the vintage

The 1999 vintage arrived at a pivotal moment in Washington wine history. The Washington Wine Quality Alliance was established in 1999 to develop and introduce winemaking and labeling standards, signaling a maturing industry. The Auction of Washington Wines was also organized that year to honor industry leaders. The number of wineries in the state stood at roughly 74 in 2000, and the industry was on the cusp of explosive growth; by 2009 that number would surpass 380. The 1990s as a whole saw the emergence of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah as the state's prestige varieties, with pioneers such as Leonetti Cellar, Quilceda Creek, and Woodward Canyon establishing the benchmarks that continue to define Washington's premium identity today.

• The Washington Wine Quality Alliance was established in 1999 to create formal winemaking and labeling standards for the state
• Approximately 74 wineries operated in Washington in 2000, a number that would multiply to over 380 by the end of the decade
• Quilceda Creek had been focused on Cabernet Sauvignon since its founding in 1978, and its 1999 effort was among the highest-rated Washington wines to that point
• Leonetti Cellar, Woodward Canyon, and Quilceda Creek are credited with putting premium Washington Cabernet on the national map in the 1980s and 1990s