5 OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR'S LESSER-KNOWN DISTANT RELATIVES
charles the ticklish
todd the indifferent
alice the shallow
walter the discombobulated
gregory the inept
Visit the Canoe Ridge Vineyards website
2013 The Conqueror Red Wine, Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley
This fruit forward blend offers notes of cassis, blackberry, plum, and a kiss of cedar on the lingering finish.
Canoe Ridge Vineyard: Perched on a ridge above the Columbia River, the vines are planted on their own roots on a sloping ridge at 425-740 feet in elevation. Here, well-drained sandy loam and basaltic soils allow deep rooting. Cool nights provide ideal temperatures for excellent sugar to acid balance, and low rainfall (about 6-8” annually) translates to excellent flavor concentration. The vineyard’s latitude and south- and north-facing orientations help vines soak up more than 17 hours of sunshine per day at the peak of summer, resulting in rich, fully mature flavors and supple tannins.
The Benches Vineyard: Formerly known as Wallula Vineyards, The Benches are located 20 minutes southeast of Pasco on the Washington side of the Columbia River. A dramatic series of tiered benches lead down to the river, creating the most picturesque vineyard in the state.
Horse Heaven Hills AVA: Horse Heaven Hills is a 570,000-acre stretch of land located in South Central Washington state along the Columbia River, near the town of Paterson. The AVA was established in 2005.
Unique features:
The Winemaker
Bill Murray's roots in wine date back to his youth in Napa, California. It wasn't until he was living in Portbou, Spain in 1987, that his passion for wine was ignited by Rioja. The next year, he moved back to Napa to get involved in the wine industry. He enrolled in the Napa Junior College Viticulture program, and then jumped in as harvest help at Buena Vista Winery.
As an avid cyclist racing bikes in the late 1980s, he met Larry Brooks, founder and winemaker at Acacia Winery. Larry finally caved to Bill's repeated requests to join the company. Then-principals Michael Richmond (currently at Bouchaine) and Brooks (currently at Tolosa) inspired Bill to make wine. At Acacia, Bill learned to self-manage. He had total autonomy in winemaking, vineyard management, and scheduling.
In 1996, Bill shifted from winemaking to vineyard management under vineyard manager Mary Maher (currently at Harlan Estate), who taught him to analyze and predict crop level.
In 2000, Bill took the associate winemaker position at Bouchaine, continuing to work with Richmond, its new GM and winemaker. They worked largely with Bordeaux blends. Bill recalls Michael's saying: "Winemakers are not artists; winemaking is a craft."
Bill brings the full spectrum of practical experience to his craft; he's pruned vineyards, worked the bottling lines, in the cellar, the lab, the tasting room, managed vineyards and makes wine. When he's not at the winery, you'll find him cycling, swimming and enjoying food and wine with friends across the Northwest.
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