Côte Bonneville > Washington State

Côte Bonneville > Washington State > USA

Hugh and Kathy Shiels planted the Dubrul Vineyard in 1992 in the Yakima Valley, Washington State’s oldest appellation. The vineyard is planted with own-rooted (ungrafted) vines and farmed in a natural, sustainable manner fitting this unique ecosystem. Yakima is one of the cooler AVAs of the Columbia Valley so vineyard site is crucial for full, even ripening. Dubrul is a very special site: south-facing, steep and rocky. Year after year this vineyard produces ripe grapes from little clusters of small, concentrated berries noted for flavors of blueberries, black currants, dark cherries and plum with silky tannins. This incredible vineyard has been supplying grapes to Washington’s top wineries, most notably Owen Roe. In a May 2007 review, The Wine Spectator said “Year after year, the wines from Dubrul Vineyard in Yakima Valley stand out for the purity of fruit, power and racy acidity to balance.” Cote Bonneville is now considered as one of the hottest, rising stars in the Washington firmament.

The Shiels think of their vineyard in terms of the 4 elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

EARTH: The west wind has carried ash from the Cascade Volcanoes to their site most recently when Mt St Helens erupted in 1980. And from the east, a series of Ice Age floods burst from Glacial Lake Missoula, depositing rocks from the lake bottom. These rocks are covered with calcium carbonate, imparting minerality to the wines. The volcanic ash mixed with Ice Age rocks results in soils of very low vigor thus the vines are very low yield and the berries and clusters are small; the fruit flavors are intense and concentrated.

AIR: At 1200 feet of elevation and with steep slopes falling away on three sides, the vineyard has excellent air drainage, thus protecting it from freeze damage; cold air flows just like water. On a daily basis, temperature-driven air movement readily occurs from warm days to cool nights. The cool nights preserve the acidity in the fruit, making age-worthy and food-friendly wines.

FIRE: The Sun provides the fire for the Dubrul Vineyard. Due to its northern location, it benefits from over seventeen hours of sunlight during the peak of the growing season, two hours more than other regions to the south, in effect creating a longer growing season, affording full fruit flavor development.

WATER: Eastern Washington is a desert, receiving eight inches of rain a year. The Dubrul Vineyard is irrigated with pristine snow melt running down from the Cascades. Through precise drip irrigation practices, the Shiels can control vine vigor, canopy growth and crop load.

The management of this gem of a vineyard is a team effort using the highest levels of available technology. The attention to detail is endless and evolving, using different trellising systems, canopy management and thinning patterns for the various blocks. As a team, their efforts culminated in the Dubrul Vineyard being named 2007 Washington Vineyard of the Year by Seattle Magazine. And though technology is important, there is also a deep understanding of the ecosystem. The vision of the Dubrul Vineyard has always focused on sustainable farming practices. This concept ranges from protecting the soils from wind and water erosion, insect control and water usage. They even protected the area surrounding the vineyard when they enrolled it into a Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program.

In 2001 The Shiels took a major step and created their own winery, Côte Bonneville. The idea was to create their own great wines that best expressed their vineyard site. They continue to sell a large proportion of their grapes to the State’s top wineries while reserving a small percentage for their own, handcrafted bottlings. They built a small production facility next to their home and do all the cellar work themselves to ensure the high quality of their wines. At the point of optimal ripeness, they select the best clusters for the Cote Bonneville wines, keeping the various lots separate for the first few months so they can monitor their development. Blending is done in early spring so the so the flavors will better marry during the lengthy time in barrel. Percentages in the blends will vary but they always reflect the best of each vintage year. They barrel age for nearly two years, then bottle age another 18 months, allowing the wine to harmonize prior to release. They buy French oak barrels from nine different coopers, giving an interesting and complex nuance to the wines.

Côte Bonneville Website

Carriage House

The 2004 Carriage House is DuBrul Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) Merlot (17%) and Cabernet Franc (3%) The wine was aged for 21 months in French oak cooperage, 85% new, and bottled on June 3, 2006. Alcohol measured 13.9%, pH was 3.68, titrable acidity measured 0.56. 653 cases were produced.

2004 has been hailed by Kevin Zraly as an exceptional Washington vintage. This wine represents the alluvial Cabernet block in attractive bright tones of blueberry, cherry and blackberry. Fine grain tannins coat the palate through the lingering finish, which carries notes of dark chocolate and hints of anise and allspice. Subtle French oak is well integrated. The DuBrul aromatics once again are effusive.

Côte (Dubrul Vibeyard)

The Côte represents the pinnacle of the Dubrul Vineyard.

The wine was vinified in small lots, aged 24 months in new French oak barrels, then bottled, unfined and unfiltered, on August 29, 2006. Alcohol measured 14.2%, pH was 3.48, titratable acidity was 0.61, 451 cases were produced.

The Côte is estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon (63%) and Merlot (37%). The deep garnet color and exuberant aromatics lead to sweet plum, blackberry, bright cherry and cassis flavors which unfold into a long lingering finish.