2017 Washington State Vintage

The 2017 growing season was shaped by dramatic weather swings. The Columbia Valley received record snowfall during winter, and a freak blizzard in April stalled bud break for two to three weeks, leaving the season well behind the record warm vintages of 2013 through 2015. Cool weather persisted through bloom. A hot July and August then dramatically accelerated ripening, bringing heat accumulation to slightly above average for the season despite the cold start. Harvest began on schedule, but temperatures cooled significantly in the second half of September. Rather than being a problem, this cooling allowed for extended hang time without added sugar accumulation, stretching picking into the first week of November and allowing growers to achieve excellent phenolic maturity at moderate Brix levels.

• Record winter snowfall put significant moisture into the soil, which helped protect natural acidity and fruit flavors when summer heat arrived
• Bud break was two to three weeks behind the warm vintages of 2013 to 2015 due to the April blizzard and cool spring
• A hot July and August rescued the season, while a cool late September and October extended harvest and preserved acidity
• Sugars were slightly below average and acid levels above average at harvest compared to recent years, per Washington State Wine Commission reports

Wildfires burned hundreds of thousands of acres across Washington and Oregon during the summer of 2017, blanketing Seattle, Portland, and much of the Columbia Valley in smoke and ash. This was the defining anxiety of the vintage for many producers. Grapes are most susceptible to smoke taint between veraison and harvest, and the timing was concerning. In practice, the largest growing regions dodged the worst. Walla Walla Valley was largely unaffected and produced wines without significant smoke influence. The Columbia Gorge contended with smoke to a greater degree, and a small number of producers there declined to release certain wines. Across the Columbia Valley, Washington's biggest growing region, winemakers reported that smoke had far less impact than feared, and the finished wines largely do not show taint.

• Wildfires burned across eastern Washington from July onward, with flames coming within a few miles of some vineyards
• Walla Walla Valley, Washington's most prestigious sub-region for Bordeaux varieties, was largely spared significant smoke exposure
• Columbia Valley winemakers reported the smoke did not accumulate enough to meaningfully affect their wines
• The Columbia Gorge AVA was more affected; at least one Gorge producer declined to release Pinot Noir for the vintage

Walla Walla Valley emerged as the vintage's crown jewel for red wines, particularly for Bordeaux varieties. The cool finish gave Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots a measure of grace and finesse that the previous three hot vintages could simply not achieve. Red Mountain, Washington's smallest and warmest AVA, also delivered concentrated, structured Cabernet Sauvignons with good aging potential. Yakima Valley contributed excellent fruit across both red and white varieties. The 2017 vintage is perhaps most celebrated for its white wines, which benefited from the cool start and late-season chill. The record snowfall had put moisture into the soil, helping vines build dense canopies that protected natural acidity and delicate fruit flavors through the summer heat.

• Walla Walla Valley: The most celebrated sub-region of the vintage for Bordeaux varieties, with wines showing finesse over raw power
• Columbia Valley broadly: Warm days and cool harvest nights produced ripe wines with bright, food-friendly acidity
• Red Mountain: Concentrated, structured Cabernet Sauvignons with characteristic intensity and aging capacity
• White wine regions: The cool-climate pockets of the Yakima Valley and broader Columbia Valley delivered some of the best Rieslings and Chardonnay blends in recent memory

Leonetti Cellar, founded in 1977 as Walla Walla Valley's first bonded winery, produced a benchmark 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon that earned an average of 94 points across major critics. The wine is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot, aged 22 months in new barrels, and shows dark fruit, pipe tobacco, mocha, and structured tannins. Woodward Canyon, another Walla Walla pioneer and a long-time collaborator of Leonetti's founding family, released a 2017 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon that critics praised for its rich, layered fruit and long cellaring potential. For white wines, DeLille Cellars' 2017 Chaleur Blanc earned 94 points from Wine Enthusiast, while Poet's Leap's 2017 Riesling from the Columbia Valley was praised for its stone fruit and acid balance.

• Leonetti Cellar 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon: 94 points average; aromas of dark currant, pipe tobacco, mocha, and chocolate with structured, refined tannins
• Woodward Canyon 2017 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon: Rich, layered dark fruit with ample cellaring potential according to Wine Enthusiast
• DeLille Cellars 2017 Chaleur Blanc (Columbia Valley): 94 points, Wine Enthusiast; a white wine highlight of an exceptional vintage for whites
• Poet's Leap 2017 Riesling (Columbia Valley): 91 points, Wine Enthusiast; lime, wet slate, white peach, and impressive acid balance

At approximately eight years of age, 2017 Washington reds are approaching or entering their sweet spot. The vintage's higher-than-average acidity and moderate tannin structures suggest genuine longevity. Top Cabernet Sauvignons from Walla Walla Valley and Red Mountain, such as those from Leonetti Cellar, are best from around 2025 through the mid-2030s and beyond, with the finest examples having at least a decade ahead of them. Mid-range Cabernets and Merlots are showing beautifully now with integrated oak and softening tannins. White wines, including the celebrated Rieslings, are most likely past their primary peak and should be consumed promptly if still in the cellar, though the best examples with good acidity may still be holding.

• Premium Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignons (Leonetti, Woodward Canyon): Peak drinking roughly 2025 through 2035; genuine long-term aging potential
• Red Mountain and Columbia Valley Cabernets: Excellent now through the late 2020s; tannins integrating and secondary complexity developing
• Merlots and Bordeaux blends: Approachable and generous now; most should be consumed by 2028 to 2030
• 2017 Rieslings and white blends: Consume now to enjoy any remaining freshness; most are past their optimal window

2017 sits in marked contrast to the three vintages that preceded it. From 2013 through 2015, Washington experienced successively hotter growing seasons, with 2015 being the warmest vintage on record, producing wines of power and extraction but occasionally with challenging tannin development and lower acidity. The 2016 vintage saw the earliest harvest of the largest crop on record, at approximately 270,000 tons, following a fast start that cooled back toward average, producing generous, ripe wines. By contrast, 2017 delivered more restrained alcohol levels, elevated acidity, and a cooler stylistic profile. The 2018 vintage that followed is widely regarded as outstanding, often compared to the beloved 2012, and is considered by many critics to be superior for reds. For white wines, however, 2017 may stand as the finest Washington vintage of the decade.

• 2015: Warmest vintage on record; powerful, extracted reds with more challenging tannin structure than 2017
• 2016: Warmest early start on record with the largest ever crop (approximately 270,000 tons); ripe, generous reds but less structural finesse than 2017
• 2018: Widely considered the benchmark red wine vintage of the decade, rivaling or surpassing 2017 for Bordeaux varieties
• 2017 white wines: Broadly considered the finest expression of Washington whites in recent memory, owing to the cool start and extended hang time