Marvelous Mourvèdres from Devium

One unique grape, two extraordinary vineyards and a break-the-rules winemaker

Keith Johnson oversees a splendid lineup of wines as the Production Winemaker at Sleight of Hand Cellars. But it is at his side hustle – tiny Devium winery – where he lets his freak flag really fly high. "One of the biggest aims of my Devium project," he confides, "is to let go of some of the control. By using fringe sites, not sorting for ripeness, choosing interesting varieties and field blends, and taking an extreme minimalist approach in the cellar, the finished wines speak much more of the place, and much less of me. The more I lean into this philosophy the more the wines seem to express the ideals that I look for when I drink wine. They are full of energy and they have something to say.”

A recent email from Keith caught my eye. His esoteric, limited-production, bleeding edge wines are always interesting. But this time he chose to spotlight just three of his Fall releases, and all three were Mourvèdres. The grape has been cropping up (pun intended) more and more frequently in my tastings, usually in a Rhônish blend, sometimes in a rosé, rarely as a pure varietal. It seems to have attracted the attention of winemakers seeking to make wines that are unusual, different, not yet done to the limit by the mainstream wineries.

Here is a recap of a few recent releases:

Devison 2021 Off The Table Mourvèdre – Here the Mourvèdre is blended with 18% Syrah. It opens with intense aromatics and a lively blast of cold coffee threaded through the savory, gamy red-fruited core. It bears the unmistakable stamp of winemaker Peter Devison – spicy, focused and long, with trailing notes of orange peel, breakfast tea and licorice.

WeatherEye 2020 Estate Mourvèdre – 100% varietal, this exceptional wine clearly expresses the essential character of the grape – lightly savory, with peppery red fruits, and compelling subtlety.

Syncline 2022 Rosé and 2021 Subduction Red – Both include 45% Mourvèdre in their blends. James Mantone explains that he is aiming for intensity – the level  of flavor – rather than just concentration. "Concentration is easy to get in Washington," he believes, "but it lacks that energy and life. It's the difference between orange juice from concentrate or fresh-squeezed."

There just isn’t much Mourvèdre grown in Washington, which acts as a damper on any substantial growth as a pure varietal. Which makes these new wines from Devium even more intriguing.

In Jancis Robinson’s “Wine Grapes” – an exhaustive reference covering 1368 different vine varieties – Mourvèdre (entered under Monastrell, its Spanish name) is described as a “high quality, heat-loving, dark-skinned variety most valued for its heady, structured contribution to blends.” The grape is a principal component of many southern French wines, notably Bandol. Some typical descriptors are aromatic, floral, dark-fruited (blue plums, brambly berries), gamy, meaty and lightly herbaceous. As a pure varietal it’s quite rare in the Pacific Northwest, but Devium’s latest give a good look at the grape unbound.

I asked Keith Johnson what about this somewhat off-the-radar grape captured his interest.

KJ:  “For me, going back to my nascent wine days, reading Kermit Lynch, Mourvèdre always intrigued me. It has a mystery, a rusticity to it. Although I’m not handling it as traditionally in Provence, when I started this project what’s most important is vineyard blocks and sites and the people who farm them. In 2014 I brought in French Creek Syrah; and I knew some Mourvèdre was coming the next year, and I thought that would be a really cool wine to work with. To me this wine gives a feeling of Bandol/Beaujolais coming together, but with an edge you don’t really get from Gamay.”

PG:  Before we jump into the Mourvèdre collection, what else is happening at Devium?

KJ:  “I am going to no sulfur. That’s not buying into the Natural wine movement – what’s more important is the idea of reducing the things you have to help you – the crutches – along the way, and see what comes out of that. I could make wines that are riper and sell more, but for me the effort to get down to wines that are more primal is more fulfilling. There’s a lightening of my mind every time I toss out a tool that I’ve used to make wine. Not an easy path to go down.”

PG: We started our tasting with an unreleased Devium 2017 Celilo Vineyard Brut Chardonnay, made entirely by hand start to finish. A clean, fresh, no frills effort, acid driven with appealing minerality. Still en tirage are the 2018 and 2019 vintages, after that, says Keith “I realized my minimalist pursuit no longer jived with traditional sparkling wine. So I decided to go with Pet-Nats.” The two examples I tasted were exceptional.

Devium 2022 Lewis Peak Vineyard Pétillant Naturel – Not to be confused with the Lewis vineyard in the Yakima valley; Lewis Peak vineyard is at 3000 feet atop Lewis Peak in the Blue Mountains. This is 100% Riesling grown at the site, surely one of the most unusual in the state. It is ridiculously good, far more sophisticated and dense than most of the Pét-Nats that are proliferating like blue gnats in October. With a great bead that emulates méthode champenoise, zesty, zippy, mineral-drenched acidity, and bright and fresh flavors of citrus flesh and rind, this is downright irresistible. A Wine Club only offering; 12%; (Washington)

Devium 2022 Lewis Peak Vineyard Pétillant Naturel – This blends 45% Riesling and 55% Malbec from the vineyard high atop Lewis Peak. A beautiful sunset color, it’s a fascinating wine that seems to get the very best out of both grapes. The Riesling brings vividly fresh citrus and mineral components; the Malbec pulls in suggestions of red plums and graham cracker. It’s fair to say you won’t find anything comparable, but I wouldn’t miss a chance to taste this. 100 cases; 12%; $28 (Washington)

On to more of the current releases.

Devium 2022 Les Collines Vineyard White Wine – This is equal parts Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc, and as with almost every Devium wine, it is utterly unique, and tastes like no wine I have ever had from this vineyard. The texture stands out, with as much or more impact than the fruit. It’s immaculately clean and refreshing, with appealing minerality, lemon rind, green apple and pineapple flavors in abundance. I love it for all of the above, and especially for its low alcohol, a trend among more than a few groundbreaking new winemakers. Highly recommended. 100 cases; 12.5%; $28 (Walla Walla Valley) 93/100

Devium 2021 WeatherEye Vineyard Red – This is 63% Mourvèdre and 37% Graciano, co-fermented. The lovely aromatics weave a tapestry of brambly raspberries, marionberry jam, plum pudding and a dash of musky animal. It’s a high energy wine built upon a winning combination of firm acids and earthy tannins. Low (not no) sulfur, long, vibrant and textural. 120 cases; 13.5%; $50 (Columbia Valley) 93/100

The back story on this wine is that it comes from a block is on the north side of Red Mountain, outside of the official AVA. When the original planting went in this section was supposed include a Spanish clone of Mourvèdre. That turned out to be Graciano. Kevin picks up the story here:  “The winery who was supposed to work with this block wasn't interested in Graciano, and I was fortunate enough to be one of the first names on Ryan's waitlist for fruit, and the only one crazy enough to say yes to Graciano without hesitation. The first thing I did was order every Graciano I could find. Initially I intended to make pure Graciano. It’s kind of like the Petit Verdot of Rioja. High alcohol, high acid, early ripening. I found that you need the Mourvèdre to dial back the Graciano a few notches. Graciano brings the alcohol, acid and tannin; the Mourvèdre dials back the shrillness and adds a lot of body. By picking both at the same time you get the Graciano very ripe and the Mourvèdre a little under-ripe. I pick them together and co-ferment.”

Devium 2022 French Creek Vineyard Mourvèdre “Sans Soufre” – This is aromatic and generously fruity with cranberry, raspberry and cherry highlights, along with a restrained touch of the gamy animal note that is characteristic of the grape. As with most Devium wines, this is being released while quite young to emphasize freshness. It’s high-toned, well-balanced and fully developed at a low (for red wines) finished alcohol. Johnson calls it “a wine that likes to dance and play in the margins. It has a beauty all its own and seems to flit between the seen and the unseen.” 120 cases;; 12.5%; $34 (Yakima Valley) 91/100

Devium 2021 French Creek Vineyard Mourvèdre “Sans Soufre” – This was released last Fall but a few bottles are still available. In contrast with the 2022 this strikes me as more dark fruited, with plum jam and marionberry flavors. It feels richer and heavier on the palate. It gives an impression of more concentration; the trade-off is less compelling aromatics. Each of these wines is well balanced, flavorful, and reflective of its particular vintage. A few bottles remain; 12.5%; $34 (Yakima Valley) 91/100

Devium 2021 WeatherEye Vineyard The Mountain Monster Mourvèdre – My first impression was that this wine, young though it is, was already raisined, tasting much more mature than expected. Backed with bone dry minerality, it’s deep and dense, the finish like licking a dry stone. Further tasting brough up thoughts of hot climate, high alcohol Zinfandels – some of the 16+% stuff I used to taste from the Amador Hills. But the Monster is not 16.5%, and there is no alcoholic burn. The flavors are mature rather than cooked, pastry fruits if you will, and there is enough acid to keep the wine fresh. I have no idea how this will taste in five years, but right now it’s drinking beautifully. 25 cases; 14.5%; $75 (Red Mountain) 93/100

KJ:  “This block at the very top of Red Mountain requires that the vines be protected from the relentless winds with piles of rock. Nature really calls the shots here… the wind that never stops putting stress on the vines, the unremitting Red Mountain sun. You take it as it comes. This is a fascinating dynamic because it leads to the largest vintage variation of any of my wines. While the 2019 release was elegant, fresh, ethereal, and transparent; this 2021 couldn't be more different. It’s the boldest, highest alcohol wine that I have ever released. In some ways you would think ‘this isn't typical of Devium’ but I prefer to believe that it epitomizes Devium, in spirit if not in typical profile. Nature gave me these bold grapes, and I have attempted to do my transparent best. It’s what the vineyard gave me, I’m not going to fight it.”

PG: Without exception every wine I’ve ever tasted from Devium attempts to ratify Johnson’s break-the-mold goals. “We have already filled out the picture of the classic Washington style,” he says, “and if you came along after that you could walk into any tasting room and they’d have very similar wines. That conversation doesn’t need to be had anymore. What’s the next conversation? What are you adding to the conversation? It’s just as important to have a reason to exist. You can’t rest on your laurels any longer.”

Not every Devium wine is a total success, and Johnson would be the first to say so. But I have never had a more interesting experience with wines that relentlessly challenge the nose, the palate and the head. “Forget the past you left, it will not bother you” (Bob Dylan). Amen brother! Now’s the time to grab a few bottles of these truly ground-breaking wines. Purchase Devium wines here.

Note – Our NW weather seems to have taken a severe turn into winter, following what has been a truly glorious autumn. Wineries – please check with me before shipping new releases so we can coordinate timing to minimize any problems with the cold.

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