Building on our legacy as Washington’s state’s founding winery, we bring you Impetus, a visionary wine showcasing three varieties that are stellar in our growing region. This unique combination provides a mélange of structure, fruit and complexity that represents the pinnacle of excellence in Washington state.

Making wine is a balancing act with an inherent collaboration with Mother Nature, grape growers, and winemakers. The journey from grape to bottle is an uncertain one and with each risk taken, the potential for greatness grows in exchange. The uncompromising mission of organic grape growing and winemaking is the ultimate gamble.

USDA Certified Organic
Washington State Department of Agriculture Certified Organic

The 2020 Yakima Valley Red Blend brings together ripe brambly boysenberry, and black cherry on the nose, and doubles down on rich juicy berries and dark chocolate on the palate, along with subtle toasty oak. This wine is plush, with elegant tannins that create a beautiful silky mouthfeel.

Making our first organic wine at Chateau Ste Michelle was an exciting and nerve-wracking experience for the whole winemaking team. It is a commitment that requires the attention of every single person in the winery to ensure the organic wine is kept wholly separate. All equipment must be specially cleaned before use and all safety nets to ensure wine quality are removed. It is a risky business where many things can go wrong, and we are all very proud of the result of all our efforts. Our organic wine was blissfully unaware of the stress and effort surrounding its upbringing and made its way calmly into the bottle with all its raw and unadorned beauty intact.

Of course, the first requirement is organic grapes. Our grape-growing partner faced the same challenges of isolating the grapes from all other farming operations, and the removal of safety nets to protect the grapes from disease and pests. We are very grateful to have such capable partners in our efforts to create a wine that highlights our values of sustaining the land, the wildlife around it, our community, and our wine region.

USDA Certified Organic
Washington State Department of Agriculture Certified Organic

This wine has fresh raspberry, black pepper, and a lighter tannin presence.

The 2018 vintage gave us a perfect combination of heat for ripening in the summer and a gradual cool down during harvest that allowed proper ripeness in the ideal timeframe. This year's blend is a special combination of Canoe Ridge Estate (39%), Cold Creek (26%), Kelly (18%), and Dineen (17%) Vineyards. The combination of warmer and cooler sites is the exact expression I look for in the Artist Series. The cooler sites provide dark cherry fruit, a touch of herbs and delicate harmony. The warmer sites give ballast and depth to add concentration and aging potential. This wine plays the perfect role of 'Old World' styling with "New World' structure.

Sourced from a single block of our Cold Creek Vineyard, fermented with the pedal to the metal, and aged in the finest French oak barrels, this is the decadent wine lover’s dream. Inky dark color, rich, juicy flavors, endless complexity, and a weighty finish that puts a steak in its place.

Planted in the 1970s, Cold Creek is one of Washington's oldest and most acclaimed vineyards. Character builds season after season in the growth rings of the old woody vines. Sun-drenched growing conditions with low rainfall result in small berries with full-bodied flavors. This Merlot has broad-shouldered structure, concentrated fruit characters and deep color.

The Horse Heaven Hills AVA and Cabernet Sauvignon are a flawless match. The heat of the day brings out vibrant fruit characteristics, while cool nights ensure extensive complexity through long ripening. Sandy, powdery soils lead to a unique combination of weight and silky smoothness.