This outfit consistently turns out head-turning wines, and the caliber of guest services scores high marks, too. Since 2009, Washington Tasting Room magazine has followed Charlie and Lacey Lybecker’s wine “journey,” if it’s fair to call it that. Considering their many accomplishments over the past decade on a deep dive into Washington-grown Rhône-style wines, the term “journey” really ought to be upgraded to “odyssey.” (To make a literary comparison, The Incredible Journey is a children’s book about two lost dogs and a cat who try to find their way home through the woods. Whereas Homer’s Odyssey is an epic Greek poem about a king who spent ten years of his life to reclaim his kingdom and reunite his family.)
The winery’s sole focus on Rhône varietals, both reds and whites, is on a par rarely seen in the state. Case in point, they don’t make a single Cabernet or Chardonnay. And with so many Rhône varietals to play with, such as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan or Cinsault, to name but a few in Charlie’s quiver, the offerings are prolific. A trip to the winery is always one of excitement because full-throttled Rhône Ranger wineries like Cairdeas are still the road less traveled.
There has been a barn raising of sorts at the winery fronting Lake Chelan in the town of Manson. The Lybecker’s had bought the property in late 2013 with the goal of establishing long term roots. Since then, they’ve been busy planting vines (Rhône varietals, naturally), expanding production capabilities, and most recently have completed construction on what Lacey calls their “dream tasting room.”
The building is an attractive gambrel-style barn with a copper roof. General tastings happen on the first floor and there’s a wine club loft upstairs. The new tasting room takes advantage of expansive views of the vineyard, Lake Chelan and the Cascade mountains.
“We’re embarking on our 13th vintage of making Rhône-inspired Washington wines, and this building is a culmination of our vision for Cairdeas Winery,” says Lacey.
Visit the winery’s charming new tasting room at 31 Winesap Ave, Manson. They are open daily for tastings or by reservation at www.cairdeaswinery.com.
Below are three releases we recently reviewed:
Cairdeas 2018 Trí
95 pts.
A rich-tasting, well-honed GSM-style red handpicked from Boushey Vineyard with gorgeous blackberry and steeped plum flavors backed by all-encompassing structure. Elegant underpinnings of black olive, smoky white pepper and bacon fat waft through the muscular yet refined finish. $48
Cairdeas 2019 Chouette Vineyard Artist Series Syrah, Lake Chelan AVA
94 pts.
Beguiling, offering reductive notes of earthen funk, this single-vineyard red leads heartily with cigar box, charcoal and black peppercorn inlaid with sweet raspberry. Secondary tiers of thyme, sage, blackberry and cherry are followed by tertiary notes of steeped plum, blueberry and iron. Dusty tannins maintain a juicy edge on the finish. $58
Cairdeas 2019 Finial
92 pts.
This Southern Rhône-style red is Mourvèdre-dominant, complemented by Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. Fresh and racy, showing polished blackberry and violet flavors with alluring layers of leather, prosciutto and white pepper. Freshly-turned earth, wet stone and red berry accents add intrigue to the juicy finish. $42