The upside to being a wine guy is the sheer quantity of wine I get to taste over a years time. I never tire of discovering new wines and wineries. Last year, I decided it would be a good idea to spotlight a winery that stood out to me as a quality producer of wines that represented a good value to the consumer. In 2012 I chose Milbrandt Vineyards as my winery of the year…This year the honor goes to Cor Cellars, owned by Luke Bradford who also happens to be the wine maker and chief bottle washer (he and his assistant Dan, do just about everything in production).
Luke Bradford,.. Understated, humble and passionate about wine. Those were the first three words that came to my mind after meeting him a few months ago. I also discovered that he makes some pretty awesome wines! When I tasted his ’09 Malbec, I was blown away, and it was the first wine I gave an A+ grade up to that time (I have given only one other wine that grade since). Luke’s style is a lot old world with a kiss of the new. He believes in wines that go with food… Wines with a nice balance of acidity and fruit ( and hopefully lower alcohol). Believe it or not, this is a trend that is gaining momentum in the United States. Where did Luke get his start?
Raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, Luke developed an interest in farming. As he put it “I’m kind of a ‘Deadhead’ hippie who always wanted to get back to the land and farming.” He spent his high school years in Park City, Utah and there he developed an interest in rock climbing and skiing. He went off to Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington (where he no doubt developed Washington roots) and studied history and English. in 2000 he took a trip to Italy to visit his cousin on his mother’s side of the family who was a wine maker. it was on that trip that he got the wine bug. He fell in love with the wine world (which is hard to avoid when you go to Tuscany or anywhere in Italy for that matter). His cousin invited him to come back to Italy and help with the harvest. Luke took a semester off from college in the fall of 2000 to help with the harvest at Tenuta di Trinoro in southern Tuscany. He went back for two more harvests which also included helping at Passopisciaro winery on the north slope of Mt Etna in Sicily.
From that point on, he was helplessly sucked into the excitement of the wine world. He went back to college and changed his studies to chemistry and business management. After graduating from college in 2002 he went to Italy again to help with harvest. When he got back, he went straight to the Gorge in eastern Washington State to get started on his wine career. He worked at Wind River Cellars and then Syncline Cellars before going out on his own in 2005.
He moved the winery in 2006 into a renovated shop in Lyle WA which is very close to Oregon. His approach to wine making is straight forward. As he put it… “Use all available information from sensory and scientific analysis, follow your intuition, never cut corners and stay clean.” The winery at this time produces 3,600 cases a year with a ten-year plan to get production up to 5,000 cases. Luke realizes that it is the quality of fruit that determines the outcome of the wines, so he sources fruit from vineyards such as McKinley Springs, Alder Ridge, Elephant Hills and Hog Back Ridge (all quality sites). Luke made an interesting observation… “You can’t make good wine from horrible grapes, but you can make horrible wines from good grapes.” Thankfully, Luke does not make horrible wines. Although calling wine makers celebrated janitors, I was able to get him to admit that he has a skilled touch when it comes to blending and the finished product (most wine makers I have talked to have this underlying modesty).
As I mentioned earlier, Luke strives to make wines that are fresh, not over oaked and lower in alcohol levels. He does this by picking his fruit a little earlier, so the acid levels are there and the sugar levels are a little lower. There is a fine line to this approach since you risk having wines that can go to the “green”, veggie side of the flavor profile. Luke has done a nice job avoiding that by his astute attention to the vineyard site as it gets closer to harvest. The result… Wines with finesse, a little muscle (when needed), excellent balance and complexity.
Cor Cellars produces eight varieties, six reds and two whites. All the Cor Cellar wines are solid and the prices are quite reasonable for the quality of the juice. For instance, the Cab roles in at a very modest $32. while their red blend called Momentum goes out the door for only $19. The rest fall between those two price points. When you can get wines of this caliber for those prices, that’s a deal. Luke Bradford is making his mark on the Washington wine scene and I think you owe it to yourself (if you haven’t already) to give his wines a try… You will not be disappointed. If you can’t find them in your local store, check out their website. Or, tell your local wine shop that they are distributed in Washington State by Vinum Importing so they can order you up a couple of bottles.
Here are a few of my recent reviews on some of the Cor Cellars wines…
2009 Cor Cellars Cabernet Franc Alder Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills, WA)… $23.
Almost beefy on the nose with notes of pencil lead, tobacco, beauty bark and dark currants. Excellent structure with a kiss of sweet fruit on the front of the palate with notes of black plums and currants coming through and a hit of tobacco. Smooth tannins with just a little “grip on the back-end. Finishes with notes of roasted meats, licorice and spice that lingers. This is still a baby and will improve over the next 5-8 years. (A-)
2012 Cor Cellars Riesling Underwood Mountain Vineyard (Columbia Gorge, WA)… $19.
Very steely on the nose (it made my mouth water just smelling it) with notes of minerals and apples coming through. Green apple skins all over the palate with that steely edge popping the fruit notes into a bracing finish with a little kiwi action joining the party. This my friends would be the bomb with a plate of oysters, clams or mussels. (B+)
2010 Cor Cellars Momentum Red (Horse Heaven Hills, WA)… $19.
Aromas of red flowers, currants and cassis, with a rustic edge. Notes of black olives, wood, cassis and cherries with a little leather and tobacco (a page of Bordeaux blended in…I’m sure of that). Nice balance of acidity and fruit, giving it a freshness on the palate with just a touch of green tobacco and grip on the finish. 35% Malbec, 35% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. This certainly could be drunk alone, but would benefit paired with a nice steak, stew or roast. (A-)
I am looking forward to new releases from Cor Cellars (Luke told me he is excited about the 2013 harvest), and I anticipate good things for that winery in 2014 and beyond…. Please make sure to put them on your wine radar.
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man a.k.a The Blue Collar Wine Guy
