Lewis Peak Vineyard
When I think of Lewis Peak, the first thought in my head is: Beautiful. The second? Extreme. Lewis Peak is the highest elevation commercial vineyard in the state of Washington, the wind blows - ALL THE TIME - and mountain climate delays ripening. Receiving 30” of annual rainfall, the vineyard is dry farmed, sustainable (moving to organic) and a joy to work with. For Devium, I pull all of the fruit at Lewis Peak, 1.5 acres each of Malbec and Riesling. The first vintage, 2019, I used the Malbec to make my first ever pet nat and made a classically styled Riesling. The yields and the size of the berries from Lewis Peak will always be small, resulting in miniscule quantities of intense, personality driven wines. Truly the next frontier of Washington Wine and a vineyard that I am extremely fortunate to be working with.
WeatherEye Vineyard
Located half on Red Mountain and half in the Columbia Valley, WeatherEye is probably the most exciting new vineyard in Washington State. Ryan Johnson, backed by Cam Myhrvold, has created an awe inspiring vineyard. When they aren’t planting top secret clones of all of your favorite Rhone varieties (in nearly every training system imaginable), they are pioneering some of the most innovative viticultural practices that I have ever seen. The sky is the limit for this site and I am incredibly fortunate to be working with this fruit beginning with the 2018 vintage.
French Creek Vineyard
French Creek Vineyard, in the Yakima Valley, is managed by my good friend Damon Lalonde. The Rhone block at French Creek is planted on a steep northeast facing slope. The slope and the aspect help to protect the fruit from our intense summer sun. The soils are a mixture of gravel, sand and silt, which leads to a wide range of ripeness and flavor amidst the block. I feel that this is ideal for producing the edgy, complex profile of our Mourvedre based French Creek Red blend.
Elevation Vineyard
Elevation Vineyard, and the "Ziggy Stardust" block in particular, is one of the most exciting new plantings in the Northwest. Planted on the edge of the Walla Walla AVA, in the foothills of the Blue Mountains where the slopes get up to 40%, Elevation is established entirely on fractured basalt, with almost no topsoil. The vines struggle in the low vigor environment to produce small amounts of fruit, with incredible savory flavor profiles. Our funky 2016 Ziggy Marsanne was grown at Elevation.
