One of the highlights of our Walla Walla trip was the tour of Basel Cellars. Arranged by Kevin and Wendy who were celebrating their 10th anniversary, the tour turned out to be a wonderful experience for all who attended.
For those who have not been to Basel Cellars it is magnificent, with the lodge and tasting room located on top of a gentle rolling hill. There is a breathtaking view of the surrounding area and vineyards. The interior is rustically designed with original artwork all around. Basel has lodging available as well as meeting facilities and rivals most anything I have seen in Sonoma or Napa Valley. The entertainment area downstairs is decorated in a Harley Davidson motif complete with bar, pool table and dance floor.
We were met in the lobby by the tasting staff and went from there to the tasting bar where we sampled their current offerings. After the tasting we were treated to a private tour with Trey Busch, head winemaker at Basel Cellars. He showed us their kitchen facilities for banquets, the conference room, entertainment room and of course we were delighted when we ended up in the barrel room. Trey talked to us about wine processing and the vineyards, both estate and contracted, that they source grapes from. I was delighted to see that he had Cabernet Sauvignon grapes off of Ste Michelle's Cold Creek Vineyard in barrel. It turns out that Trey has been a fan of the vineyard for years and we had a lively discussion of the 1983 Chateau Ste Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon from Cold Creek and the impact it had on the reputation of Washington red wines. We sampled wines from the Basel Cellars 2004 vintage still in barrel, with Trey using a "wine thief" to fill our glasses. The Cabernets are deep with plum, blackberry and spice showing and only light wood present. My favorite was the 2004 Cabernet Franc off of one of Basel's contracted vineyards. Breathtaking! You could put it in bottle right now and I would buy it. Be watching for this release in a couple of years.
Trey Busch is passionate about his craft. His Bordeaux and Rhone varietal wines are a tribute to the terroir of Walla Walla and of the highest quality.
In all an amazing visit to one of the nicest wineries in the Pacific Northwest and we look forward to going again. Be sure to check out our Pictures link as well as the link to Basel Cellars Estate Winery. If you would like to know more about Walla Walla wineries check out the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance link. We invite you also to our wine review page for our recommended Basel Cellars Wines. |
