Single Vineyard Designates from Stillwater Creek

Planted with seven clones of Cabernet alone, this distinctive vineyard and its elite selection of clones are a favorite among many winemakers

FANS OF WASHINGTON WINE may well be familiar with Stillwater Creek, a vineyard designation that appears on dozens of boutique wine labels by the likes of JM Cellars, Adams Bench, Reininger Winery, Saviah Cellars, Pondera Winery and numerous others. But a trip to Novelty Hill Winery in Woodinville, founded by prominent Seattle venture capitalist Tom Alberg and his wife Judi Beck, reveals the bigger picture—the vision for their winery coincided with the birth of Stillwater Creek Vineyard in 2000.

It was during an event in 1999 that winemaker John Bigelow (JM Cellars) introduced Tom Alberg to his brother-in-law, Mike Januik. Mike had recently left his position at Chateau Ste. Michelle as head winemaker to launch his eponymous winery. “The conversation quickly turned to wine, and we began discussing an idea I’d had about wine grape growing on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills where my family has owned property since 1968,” recalls Tom. He invited Mike to visit the site, who quickly confirmed its suitability for grape growing.

“Mike felt the soil and aspect of our property, now known as Stillwater Creek, was ideally suited to wine grapes,” says Tom, who with his family started developing the 235-acre parcel into the world-class vineyard it is today.

Mike consulted on the planting of the vineyard, and when it was complete he suggested the Alberg’s consider making wine with their grapes. “Confident in the knowledge we had an exciting vineyard source and buoyed by the fact we had an acclaimed winemaker on our team, my wife Judi Beck and I launched Novelty Hill,” says Tom.

Since the first grapes were harvested in 2002, Mike Januik has been crafting the wines for Novelty Hill (in addition to his role as winemaker for Januik Winery), relying on fruit sourced from Stillwater Creek Vineyard.

Tom Alberg’s interest in using technology and innovation in the vineyard to make superior wines paved the way for what he calls an “elite selection of clones” to be planted, with new ones being added from time to time. To illustrate, last year’s planting of two new Cabernet Sauvignon clones brings the total to seven for this variety alone.

“Different clones of each variety express themselves in slightly different ways, and it is those differences that often make for a more interesting wine when blended together,” points out Mike Januik, who has worked with all 14 varieties grown at the vineyard. “Stillwater Creek, in my opinion, combines a perfect combination of structure and suppleness in the reds.”

John Bigelow at JM Cellars located up the hill from Novelty Hill-Januik Winery, has been working with fruit from Stillwater Creek since its inception. “Once the vineyard was planted, I committed to several blocks of grapes including Cabernet clones 8 and 191, Joseph Phelps clone of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Merlot clones 3 and 348, Malbec, Viognier, Chardonnay clones 95 and 15, and Petit Verdot,” John says.

He agrees with brother-in-law Mike about the advantages inherent in blending clones, saying, “The ability to blend a single variety with multiple clones provides incredible layers of flavor.  I love these clones in our wines, but I also love the wines of Baer, Pondera, Novelty Hill, Sparkman, Sightglass Cellars, and many others coming from the blending of these clones.”

The Mourvèdre and Syrah found in John’s red blend, Nietos, are both from Stillwater. “The rich, dark color [of the wine] is the signature of this vineyard.  The tannins are so fine coming straight from the grapes that no fining is needed,” he says. “The vineyard is a winemaker’s dream.”

Stillwater Creek’s vineyard manager is Ed Kelly, who managed premium vineyards in Napa and Sonoma prior to signing on in 2011. “I call him the wizard of minerals,” says John Bigelow. “He understands the connection between the health of the vine and the minerals it receives from the soil better than any vineyard manager I have worked with in twenty years.”

Karen and Buzz Buckingham of Sol Stone Winery in Woodinville have been making wine for 14 years and recently added Stillwater Creek to their list of vineyards. Their first Stillwater release is the 2016 Chardonnay, with Cabernet and Grenache still in barrel.

“Specifically, we blended two different Chardonnay clones together, 95 and 15, to achieve the end result, and then barrel fermented,” says Karen. “Structurally, the fruit is well ripened and flavorful which we attribute to the vineyard’s site, which has enough altitude to produce cool nights while the days are of sufficient heat to produce fruit that has acid contents we like for our style of wines.”

Known for their Bordeaux varietal red blends, Woodinville-based Baer Winery has been exclusively using grapes from Stillwater Creek since 2004. Consulting winemaker and enologist Erica Orr has worked closely with owner Lisa Baer since 2007. “The vineyard manager Ed Kelly has made a career of sustainable viticulture and has been working with us here in Washington for the past six years really maximizing the potential of this site,” says Erica. “The vines are now in their ‘sweet spot’ of maturity which means the crop and the leaf canopy and root system are in balance and harmony.”

Like others, Baer Winery’s formula for success behind their mesmerizing red blends may be attributed, at least partially, to the wide selection of clones available. They pull in several clones of almost everything they harvest, including two clones of Merlot, five clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, two clones of Cabernet Franc, and three clones of Chardonnay.

“The Chardonnay we press together and ferment as one wine, but all the red clones are picked separately, fermented separately, aged separately in barrels until we are confident in the blend composition to go forward with the blend assembly before bottling,” shares Erica.

Veteran winemaker Mike Januik has been relentless in his quest to push the envelope of Washington wine quality for over three decades. Although he has access to grapes from many top sites, he admits he will always feel a unique connection to Stillwater Creek.

“I’ve seen the vineyard transformed from a raw piece of sage covered acres to one of the best vineyards in the state, and it is in large part because of this that it will always hold a special place for me,” he concludes.

Written by John Vitale

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Stillwater Creek Vineyard Designates

EDITOR’S PICKS:

JM Cellars 2015 Nietos, $55
Editor’s Choice – Extraordinary (96-100 pts.)
Nietos (Spanish for grandchildren) is a unique blend of 50% Mourvèdre and 50% Syrah. Posh, svelte and powerfully structured without being the least bit weighty. Alluring, smoky aromas lead to highly expressive and brooding flavors of black plum, violet, loamy earth, grilled meat and leather, interwoven with peppercorn and light-footed tannins that soar through the endless finish.