This tasting room recently opened in June of 2019, nestled in the heart of the historic downtown neighborhood of Snohomish with a grand view of the river from the covered back deck.
Ron and Anne Shackelford’s story began eight years earlier when the couple began searching for a property east of the Cascades, looking for a place to get away for weekends and soak up the sun with their two young sons. What they found was a beautiful hillside property that overlooked the Yakima River, the Horse Heaven Hills, Rattlesnake Mountain, and the lower Yakima Valley. It was the perfect place for the young family to escape for camping trips, and Ron and Anne jumped on it.
The couple began dabbling in winemaking at home in the ’90s, but it wasn’t until the mid-2000s that Ron developed a greater appreciation for fine wines. During a weekend camping trip, Ron’s excitement for wine was rekindled. “That summer, just south of our property we could watch Dick Shaw’s newly-planted vineyard being tended. This got my wheels turning.”
That year they bought a half-ton of Syrah from Tapteil Vineyard and made one barrel. Pleased with the resulting wine, they purchased another half-ton in 2010. “It turned out well again, so we thought, let’s do this!” Ron remarks with enthusiasm. In 2011, they planted a small estate vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. After several years working with the fruit, they went commercial in 2016, and the future is looking bright.
Visit the tasting room at 1301 1st St, Snohomish or learn more at www.shackelfordwine.com
Here are 3 wines we recently reviewed:
Shackelford Vintners 2016 Castellan Red Wine, $36
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
A Cabernet-forward red wine that’s rich, concentrated and well built, delivering a complex mix of cassis, red and black fruit, fennel and tobacco flavors that meld into powdery sweet tannins on the structured finish.
Shackelford Vintners 2016 Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc
Editor’s Choice – Excellent (88-90 pts.)
Bold and smooth, boasting refined characters of blackberry, plum and pomegranate layered with ample spice and espressive notes of cocoa and graphite. Full bodied in style, with fine tannins that add range on the rich finish.
Shackelford Vintners 2018 Gifford Vineyard Grenache Rosé
Editor’s Choice – Outstanding (91-94 pts.)
Crafted in a dry Provencal style, this is fresh and minerally, displaying dried spice supporting the aromas and flavors of peach, white cherry and fresh-sliced apricot. Balanced, showing solid energy on the finish.