Woodward Canyon has been growing and producing Barbera for over twenty years, making the vines among the oldest in Washington State.
The 2023 Woodward Canyon Washington State Barbera offers a vibrant bouquet of dark red fruits like cherry and plum, with hints of baking spices. Expect a juicy acidity on the palate, balanced by a medium body and fine tannins. The fruit flavors carry through, complemented by notes of black olive. This food-friendly wine boasts a dry, refreshing finish with lingering acidity. Serve at cellar temperature. It is best to enjoy now but with proper cellaring can age up to five years from vintage.
Woodward Canyon has been growing and producing Barbera for over twenty years, making the vines among the oldest in Washington State. Washington’s 2023 wine grape growing season delivered a long, steady ripening period with warm summer temperatures and few major weather extremes. A cooler spring delayed development slightly, but the extended harvest window allowed fruit to mature evenly while retaining freshness and acidity. This 100% Woodward Canyon Estate Barbera was produced from two clones of Barbera; Clone CVT 171 (we refer to this as the Italia) and clone FPS2 (Rauscedo 6), which we refer to as the "American" since it came through the UC Davis FPS program.
Planted in 1977, Woodward Canyon is the westernmost vineyard in Walla Walla Valley AVA, roughly 15 miles west of Walla Walla, Washington. There are 35 vineyard acres planted and several more acres of green belts that support native species such as western juniper, ponderosa pine, western sagebrush, arrowleaf balsamroot, and perennial wildflowers. Ritzville silt loam over fractured basalt, slope 15-18%, 750-850ft elevation. All grapes are Salmon Safe certified as is the wine.
Grapes were hand sorted and then destemmed to a combination of 1, 1.5, and 3 ton open top fermenters. Grapes underwent a 48 hour cold soak followed by innoculation with Prise de Mousse yeast. Daily punchdowns on the 1 and 1.5 ton fermenters were done by hand, twice a day. The 3 ton fermenters received 2 pumpovers per day. After 6 days on the grape skins, the wine was drained and pressed to 59 gallon barrels to finish yeast fermentation followed by the malolactic fermentation.
