Pursuing the Bears

I catch up with Kyle MacLachlan for a tasting of his expanding line of Bear wines

It’s almost impossible to believe that the first release of Kyle MacLachlan’s …pursued by bear Cabernet Sauvignon happened over 15 years ago. Given his acting fame, the wine project – a collaboration with the late Eric Dunham – attracted a lot of attention right from the get-go, including a breathless 2010 ‘Food & Wine’ article that followed him all the way up to Waitsburg. Though Dunham’s initial impact on the project was and continues to be felt, it’s Dan Wampfler, Dunham’s successor and now co-winemaker (along with his wife AmyAlvarez-Wampfler) at Abeja who has been overseeing the production of the expanding lineup since the 2006 vintage.

I emailed Dan with a question about his working relationship with Kyle. His response:  “We work closely together. Not a week goes by we don’t talk. We are very collaborative and constantly looking for opportunity to find ways to make better wines. Kyle is in Walla Walla about 10-12 times per year and we visit vineyards together, taste wines together and explore world wines/WA wines and brand ideas together.”

In an interview I did with Kyle some years back, he shared the beginnings of his enthusiasm for drinking wine. “I was still living at home [in Yakima] in the early 1970s, and the parents were drinking wine. Suddenly it was fashionable. These were large format jug wines – Lancers, Hearty Burgundy. My first real girlfriend in high school we’d sit at the dining table at her house and wine was served and we could have a glass, and conversation would happen, and it was a very civilized and adult thing to do. We’d try to score a white wine – a Blue Nun – and we’d go on picnics at the Terrace Heights cemetery, put a blanket down, drink wine. That was senior year of high school. That continued until I met director David Lynch [in 1983 while filming Dune]. He was a red wine drinker and he exposed me to things like Lynch-Bages. We drank a lot of wine during the making of Dune, and again while filming Blue Velvet.”

Another mentor was MacLachlan’s friend Ann Colgin (of Napa’s Colgin Cellars) whom he remembers was encouraging and contributed hard-to-get, custom-made Taransaud wine barrels to the proposed project. “I didn’t have any way to make it happen until I met Eric Dunham,” he explains. “I started with Eric with an intense curiosity and an idea of how it might impact my family – primarily my father and brothers, being from Yakima, and recognizing I wanted to spend more time with my Dad. It was a mix of curiosity, passion about wine and a desire to come home and share something with him that would engage him. We shared a passion for golf, gardening and I wanted something else. I thought maybe this will lead me somewhere. I didn’t know that it would be so compelling and I would become more and more engaged.”

“So my point is that what this is has grown and deepened and evolved with the same ideas as any other winery here in Walla Walla. Source the best fruit, make the best wine you can, make something you like and want to share with people. An expression of Columbia Valley/Washington wine. I think Washington’s recognition worldwide continues to grow. New AVAs – the discovery is still very real, scratching the surface of what works where. It’s still fun when a new area develops and you get to learn about what’s coming from that particular place. Dan and I talk about this a lot – our sourcing, what we’re trying to do, what areas would be fun to explore since I don’t have estate wines.”

From the start and unsurprisingly, …pursued by bear wines have been very much in the Dunham mold – supple and smooth, with delicate floral aromas over pure, powerful black fruits and ripe, polished tannins. But as there had been much growth and winemaking changes since I’d last tasted through the lineup, I jumped at the chance to taste the latest with Kyle at his new tasting room just off Main Street in Walla Walla.

Here are his comments and my (brief) notes on these latest releases, including the new and expanding Twin Bear lineup.

Twin Bear 2022 Chardonnay

KM:  This is my first Chardonnay. I didn’t much want to go into the Land of Chardonnay. I know what I like and I didn’t want to be disappointed. The natural acidity that comes with Washington fruit is what I really love. The idea of the Twin Bear label was the slight reference to Twin Peaks, but also to do an AVA-specific line. It was getting a little confusing with all the Bear names. So all the Twin Bear wines will be AVA-specific. In ’23 the Chardonnay is all Boushey vineyard fruit.

PG:  The first-ever Chardonnay from this winery is clean, focused and sophisticated. Sourced from the Bacchus vineyard, the wine was lightly oaked, and a small percentage was put through malolactic. Stylistically this is going in the right direction for Washington Chardonnays – more lean, more pure, more attention to detail, cut back on the fruit intensity and build nuance. 125 cases; 14.2%; $40 (Columbia Valley) 91/100

Twin Bear 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

PG:  This is the third vintage for this 100% varietal Cabernet. At first it was tight, focused and compact, though the finish stopped short. After a day of breathing open the aromatics blossomed. The wine was aged for 34 months in new oak, and has taken on a lean, hard frame, with somewhat astringent tannins. Best guess is leave it alone for a couple more years and then decant. This can age indefinitely. 125 cases; 14.3%; $80 (Walla Walla Valley) 92/100

Blushing Bear 2022 Rosé

KM:  The idea of making rosé sounded enticing; so I said can we do Bandol style. I asked Dan can you find Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre? It was late in the season [2015] and we made just 75 cases. It was a little too pink but tasted great. I love the acidity – it leads with citrus notes. So in 2016 we increased production; this year we made about 900 cases of Blushing Bear. Maybe a little too much!”

PG:  I think this is a good Washington take on the Bandol style. In this vintage the blend is Grenache and Mourvèdre, no Cinsault. It’s a gorgeous pale straw color, the generous acids are refreshing, and the flavors hit on lots of citrus. It’s listed on the website for sale in three packs for $84. 900 cases; 13%; $28 (Columbia Valley) 91/100

…pursued by bear 2020 Bear Cub Red

KM:  We’ve made this since 2016, the year I dissolved the partnership with Dunham and went ahead on my own. That year I got a little too ambitious with my sourcing and so two thirds of my …pursued by bear wines stayed in barrel. I didn’t know what to do. Bulk it out? It was really good wine! Finally there was no option but to bottle it. It was already a Cab/Merlot blend. I said we can make a story out of this – a return to the original blend of Cab/Merlot/Syrah. So Bear Cub became a return to the original style. We bottled about 1000 cases and I said it’s entry level, half the price, very small margins but we’ll overdeliver. It was too good of a deal for my distributors to pass up.”

PG:  Now back to being a Cabernet/Merlot blend, this 2020 has good grip and ripe black fruits. The Cub is sourced differently from the flagship wine, and the blend is different. It’s muscular and well-made, full, firm and lightly toasty. No skimping here – it was aged for 20 months in French oak. A good all-purpose red with real power, it’s sold in three packs for $105. 14.2%; $35 (Columbia Valley)

…pursued by bear 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon

KM:  The blend changes every year. This one is Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Merlot; Cab Franc makes its way in and out of this depending on the year. As for vineyards, Dionysus is a big part, some DuBrul, some Heather Hill.

PG:  As always this is a big wine, reflecting the Dunham style of dark fruits, tannic grip, a pleasing grainy character and plenty of new oak. The black fruits match up well with the Taransaud barrels. Upon release it’s a chunky, full-bodied, muscular wine with more than a nod to a Napa Cabernet. Will it add further complexity with more bottle age? I don’t have the old bottles to answer the question. If any of you have tasted older versions, chime in. 490 cases; 14.5%; $70 (Columbia Valley) 93/100

Baby Bear 2019 Syrah

Pure Syrah sourced from the Lewis and Phinny Hill vineyards, this retains its fresh, fruity core, with engaging acids that carry a hint of lime. Aged almost three full years in new 600 liter Taransaud puncheons, it will benefit from another year or two of bottle age. 243 cases; 14.2%; $60 (Columbia Valley) 92/100

Last thoughts from Kyle: “The wine business is full of mistakes – miscalculations – and you just sort of roll with it and keep going. You might have a plan, but nature, your audience or whatever might step in and change the course of what you’re doing. I remember when I hit a milestone for my third vintage and I thought ‘now we have a vertical.’ Looking back on the decisions, good and not so good, it’s been an interesting journey!”

Note that along with these current releases the winery website has a number of inviting holiday specials. My sincere thanks to Kyle MacLachlan for taking time on a very busy weekend to sit down and taste and talk wine.

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Thank you all for your support. During this holiday season may you stay safe, drink well, hug your friends and don’t forget to kiss your dog!