Washington Wines made in Walla Walla.
What’s Happening
Our Walla Walla and Woodinville tasting rooms are open for business BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please call ahead of your visit to make sure we are available and have a space santitized and ready for you and up to 4 additional guests.
A polite reminder that per Washington State mandates, masks will be required in public spaces. Please come prepared wearing a mask until we have you seated in your private tasting zone.
Walla Walla Hours: Open by appointment ONLY. Call 509.522.9463 to book your visit.
Woodinville Hours: Open by appointment ONLY. Call 425.242.8872 to book your visit. Interested in curbside pick-up or purchase? Stop by anytime, Thursday through Monday from 12-6pm!
Follow along on social media @forgeroncellars and @ForgeronWines to learn more about daily deals, new releases, and more!
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Wines
The Forgeron winemaking philosophy remains unchanged since 2001 when our founding winemaker opened Forgeron Cellars in Walla Walla. The principles learned in Burgundy, continue to apply. We uncover the best vineyard sites for our favorite varietals grown in the AVAs of the Columbia Valley, then gently guide the winemaking process to deliver wines that fully express the beauty, complexity, and age-worthiness the region has to offer.
Events
Our full production winery and tasting room is located right downtown Walla Walla, walking distance from historic Main Street's fine restaurants, shops, hotels, and tasting rooms. For those who can't make it to Walla Walla Wine Country, our Woodinville Tasting Room and Event Space offers convenient access to our wine club and tasting room only Forgeron Selections.
Our Story
We work to uncover the best vineyard sites for varietals grown in the AVAs of the Columbia Valley, then gently guide the winemaking process to deliver wines that express the beauty, complexity, and age-worthiness the region has to offer.
Vineyards
Washington shares the long hours of sunlight and continental climate of many great wine growing regions of the world. Forgeron is proud to work with exceptional vineyard partners, from across Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington, who are focused on sustainability and align with our philosophy on pruning, use of technology, and harvesting technique.
Walla Walla Valley
5 Acres Sourced
Bridging both Washington and Oregon, the Walla Walla Valley AVA ranges from 400 to 2000 feet in elevation, and receives between seven and 22 inches of rainfall depending on the area of the valley. This area is a regional agricultural hub that abounds with crisp apples, juicy strawberries, tender asparagus, sumptuous sweet onions, and nearly 3,000 acres of prime vineyards.
- Birch Creek Vineyard
- Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
- Francisca's Vineyard
- Chardonnay, Viognier
- Minnick Hills Vineyard
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot
- Pepper Bridge Vineyard
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah
- Seven Hills Vineyard
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese
Columbia Valley
2 Acres Sourced
Encompassing nearly 11 million acres, Columbia Valley bridges the states of Washington and Oregon, and was established as an American Viticulture Area in 1981. Variety typicity and pure fruit aromas and flavors are the hallmarks of wine from the Columbia Valley. The relationship to the Missoula Floods, a series of cataclysmic events, defines the soil types of the vineyards in Washington. Most vineyards lie below the floodwaters with soils of loess—wind blown deposits of sand and silt—overlying gravel and slackwater sediment with basalt forming the bedrock. This provides a diversity of soil types that are well drained and ideal for viticulture. The Columbia Valley lies in the rain shadow of the
Cascade Mountain range. The region has an arid and semi-arid, continental climate, receiving an average of 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) of precipitation annually. Irrigation is therefore required to grow vinifera grapes. This irrigation, along with consistently warm, dry temperatures during the growing season, provides growers with a large amount of control over grape development compared to many other regions of the world. This leads to minimal vintage variation and high-quality wines.
- Dionysus Vineyard
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
- Sagemoor Vineyard
- Barbera
Red Mountain
2 Acres Sourced
The smallest appellation in Washington State at 4,040 acres, Red Mountain is named after the reddish hue of cheatgrass in the spring. This is a hot AVA with 6 to 8 inches of average rainfall and the plantings are primarily red grapes. Red Mountain soil is made up of sandy loam and gravel with high alkalinity (high pH) and a rich calcium carbonate content. A lack of soil nutrients along with the high pH reduces the vigor of the vines, resulting in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. This, along with prevailing winds, leads to higher tannin levels in many of the wines compared to other regions.
- Heart of the Hill Vineyard
- Mourvèdre
- Klipsun Vineyard
- Cabernet Sauvignon
Horse Heaven Hills
1 Acre Sourced
The Horse Heaven Hills is 570,000 acres (230,671 ha) in size, with elevations ranging from 200 feet (61 m) above sea level along the Columbia River to 1,800 feet (549 m) at the northern boundary. Pressure differentials cause significant winds in the Horse Heaven Hills. These winds reduce canopy size and toughen grape skins, as well as protect against mold and rot. The nearby Columbia River also has a moderating effect on temperatures, reducing the risk of early and late season frosts, which can be a problem in nearby areas. The area is among Washington’s warmer growing regions, allowing a wide variety of grapes to ripen successfully.
- Alder Ridge Vineyard
- Zinfandel
Wahluke Slope
3 Acres Sourced
As one of the warmest regions in the state, the Wahluke Slope is known primarily for red grape varieties, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Wahluke Slope wines tend to be ripe and full-bodied with pure varietal fruit flavors. The entire 81,000-acre appellation sits on a large alluvial fan, making the soils notably uniform over a large area. The topsoil is deep, wind-blown sand with a depth, on average, of more than 5 feet (150cm). This provides both ample drainage for vinifera vines and greater uniformity in plant vigor and ripening than seen in other areas of Washington.
- StoneTree Vineyard
- Malbec, Primitivo
Yakima Valley
7 Acres Sourced
The Yakima Valley is one of Washington’s cooler growing regions. For this reason, white grape plantings outnumber red grape plantings. Yakima Valley Chardonnays display a variety of aromas and flavors depending on the relative warmth of the vineyard site. Cooler sites are notable for fresh green apple and warmer sites for stone fruit and tropical fruit. While a cooler region compared to its peers, the Yakima Valley also includes the Red Mountain appellation, which is consistently one of Washington’s warmest growing regions. There is, therefore, considerable diversity across sites. The Yakima Valley wholly contains the sub-appellations Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, and Snipes Mountain.
- Boushey Vineyard
- Marsanne, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache Blanc
- Candy Mountain Vineyard
- Merlot
- Crawford Vineyard
- Chardonnay, Roussanne
- French Creek Vineyard
- Chardonnay
Accolades
2017 Blacksmith Rouge
Yakima Valley
2017 BlackSmith Rouge GSM - "Plump and fruit-forward, with appealing black cherry and smoked spice flavors the linger on a bright finish. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2023. 877 cases made." — TF
https://www.winespectator.com/wine/detail/source/sitesearch/note_id/1237007
90
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon
Walla Walla Valley
92 Points from Wine and Spirits Magazine, Fall 2019
www.forgeroncellars.com
92
2015 ANVIL Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley
"The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon ANVIL Dionysus Vineyard includes 10% Petit Verdot and was brought up in new French oak. Deep purple/plum-colored, with notes of smoked back fruits, sappy herbs, underbrush, and cedar, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, ripe, powerful texture, building tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 3-4 years and enjoy over the following 10-15 years or so."
-Jeb Dunnuck, April 2019
jebdunnuck.com
93+
2016 Chardonnay
Columbia Valley
The 2016 Forgeron Chardonnay received a Silver medal from the 2019 Bellingham Northwest Wine Festival.
https://www.whatcombeerandwinefoundation.org/wine-awards-and-judging
2017 Blacksmith Rouge
Yakima Valley
The 2017 Forgeron Blacksmith Rouge received a Silver medal from the 2019 Bellingham Northwest Wine Festival.
https://www.whatcombeerandwinefoundation.org/wine-awards-and-judging
2017 Blacksmith Rouge
Yakima Valley
2017 Blacksmith Blanc, Columbia Valley - "This blend has a very fresh array of red berries and plums with a gently smoky edge to the palate, which then turns to a pure boysenberry, mulberry and raspberry finish. 37% Grenache, 37% Syrah and 26% Mourvedre. Drink now. Screw cap."
- James Suckling
jamessuckling.com
91
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon
Walla Walla Valley
The 2015 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon is “Bold, ripe cab with a rich serving of sweetly spicy oak, framing the ripe plums and blackberries. Sustained vanilla through the finish. Drink over the next six years.”
- James Suckling
jamessuckling.com
91
2015 Cabernet Sauvignon
Walla Walla Valley
2015 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
Full-bodied, smooth, and balanced, you will find this Cabernet is genuine and age-worthy, a result of patience and restraint used in the vineyard and our winemaking process. In the glass you are greeted by scents of cola, clove, and black currant. The full mouthfeel is extracted, rich, and framed by thick tannins and elegant layers of blackberry, chocolate, spice, and ripe cherry. A must serve with a big, juicy steak or a burger with blue cheese.
www.greatnorthwestwine.com
2016 ANVIL Syrah
Yakima Valley
2016 Syrah, Boushey Vineyard
Coming from the Boushey Vineyard in Yakima Valley and brought up in 44% new French oak, the 2016 Syrah Anvil Boushey Vineyard reveals a vivid purple color to go with beautiful notes of blueberries, scorched earth, graphite, and ground pepper. With subtle background oak, medium to full body, and ripe tannins, it offers more purity and elegance than the Façon Rouge release, will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and drink nicely for 7-8 years. -Jeb Dunnuck
www.jebdunnuck.com
94
2016 ANVIL Syrah
Yakima Valley
2016 ANVIL Syrah, Boushey Vineyard
The Boushey Vineyard, a highly regarded site for this variety, sits on fractured basalt, silt loam soils and windblown loess, with elevations up to 1400 feet. Aromas of black pepper, crushed lavender and boysenberry are striking. The luxurious, satin mouthfeel; is spiced with cinnamon cherries and ripe plum. Espresso, soy sauce and black pepper continues to energize with high-toned acidity, while licorice coats the tongue on the lengthy finish. - The Tasting Panel
www.tastingpanelmag.com
95
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STAY CONNECTED
Never miss another winery event or discount again! Join our mailing list to stay up-to-date on all things Forgeron.
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