A diamond in the rough, this vineyard is turning heads with world class wine grapes
Starting a vineyard from scratch capable of producing world class wines takes a lot of trial and error. Les Collines’ vineyard manager Shane McKibben cut his teeth planting vines and installing the irrigation system at the acclaimed Seven Hills Vineyard. Before that, he worked in the nearby Pepper Bridge Vineyard.
Armed with lessons learned from these earlier projects, McKibben, with the help of his foreman Aaron Enriquez and crew, began planting most of the 240-acre Les Collines Vineyard from 2000 to 2004.
“When I had the opportunity to start Les Collines, I knew what I wanted to do right from the beginning,” McKibben said. “I started with the best, clean clonal varieties, and we designed the vineyard and irrigation from everything we learned from planting Pepper Bridge and the original Seven Hills Vineyard.”
Today, there are numerous wines that carry the Les Collines Vineyard designation on the bottle’s label, a testament to the high quality of the grapes.
Winemaker Ryan Crane of Kerloo Cellars has made a Les Collines Syrah every year since 2007. “Les Collines fruit is beautiful, insanely structured with robust aromatics. This vineyard is a diamond in the rough, hands down one of the most unique terroir sites in the state,” Crane said.
Devin Stinger of Adamant Cellars blends Les Collines grapes with other vineyards to produce his signature Walla Walla Valley Syrah. “The Les Collines Syrah has a unique aroma and characteristic that I find easily distinguishable. Shane does a very good job of managing the vineyard,” said Stinger.
In French, Les Collines means the foothills, aptly named because it sits on the foothills of the Blue Mountains. It’s one of the higher elevation vineyards in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley with the uppermost vines planted at 1,380 feet. The long, hot days and cooler nights, along with the deep, heavier clay soil found there, contribute to the fruit’s unique aromas and depth of flavor ranging from earthy to floral notes. Currently, about thirty wineries in Washington, Oregon, and as far away as New Jersey, are using fruit grown at Les Collines Vineyard.
By John Vitale
Get a taste of this rising star with several of our favorite Les Colline vineyard-designate Wine Picks. Click here to view the article and WINE PICKS as published in the Fall 2011 issue.