What Works? Old and New Strategies For Impactful Wine Branding

Plus: New wines from Amos Rome, Bergström, Corollary, Efesté & Matthews

I inadvertently lit a fuse on a topic of interest to anyone making, selling or buying wine these days. On my Facebook page I linked to a press release from a Washington winery touting their $800 100-point wine. I made it clear that I had not tasted the wine and had no opinion on its quality, nor on whether or not it would merit 100 points. What caught my attention, and the notice of dozens of folks who posted their thoughts, was the price. At $800 a bottle, it was clearly making a statement, as no Washington wine in the history of the state has ever come close to such a price upon release.

Some comments from folks in the wine trade scoffed at the cost and suggested that the wine simply couldn’t be sold. Some folks argued that by raising the price ceiling to such magisterial heights it would have a positive impact on the perception of all Washington wines. Some defended the price by pointing to even more expensive Napa Valley wines. Underlying all of the divergent views were two more fundamental questions:

1) What strategies in today’s challenging marketplace can increase the visibility and sales of a brand?

2) Can acclaim for a single wine have a positive impact on an entire region?

Let’s consider some options that have been or are being tried to answer those questions. I’ll break them down into four phases.

Phase One – make a Parker-pleasing wine. It’s no secret that when Napa Valley wines really began taking off in the mid-1980s, vintners noticed that a certain style generated the highest scores from Robert Parker, then the most influential reviewer in America. Those wines – Cabernets and Bordeaux blends, 15% alcohol and often higher, sometimes aged in 200% new oak (not a typo!) – cost more to make and rapidly raised the prices being charged. And there were more and more of them as the 1980s flashed into the 1990s, the scores continued to climb, and consumers seemed willing to pay virtually any price for such ‘cult’ wines.

Phase Two – as the competition grew more and more crowded, other factors along with the Parker score and the soaring price came into play. Scarcity was one. Whereas a 100 point first growth Bordeaux might be expensive, it was never unobtainable. Trying to find a hundred point Screaming Eagle or Colgin Cabernet, on the other hand, was much more difficult. The built-in scarcity of the most sought-after Napa cult wines was a marketing advantage.

I don’t have empirical evidence as proof but it seems to me that at about the time of the first internet boom – mid-1990s – came a wave of massively heavy, deeply-punted wine bottles. These bottles often showed up from new brands (in Washington as well as California) that were hoping to claim a place at the cult wine table, using packaging and pricing rather than scores or a track record for consistent excellence.

The idea that a high price, a high score and a massively heavy glass bottle would somehow sprinkle fairy dust on your brand now seems outdated. Wine fashions come and go, and everything new gets old. Hence my disbelief that an $800 Washington wine with no history and a single high score from a single critic can magically raise the bar for an entire industry.

Enter Phase Three – entertainment! This recent and promising trend is designed to bring visitors to tasting rooms where sales can go directly from winery to consumer with no middle tiers taking their cuts. Rare now is the tasting room without good food options, often including meals from a full on-site kitchen. Many other amenities and non-wine experiences are available – a winery I recently visited in Oregon will open this summer with such extras as a game room with pinball, foosball and more to keep the kids busy while the parents taste. To me this all makes sense, and plays into building tourist traffic, which helps all other wine country businesses.

Phase Four – along with bringing visitors to the winery is the challenge of polishing the appeal of wines once they’re out in the marketplace. Attaching stories to wines is nothing new; what is new is the type of stories that are resonating with buyers, especially young buyers, in fraught times. Spare me the made-up marketing fluff about happy campers or red trucks or prom dresses. Forget the heartfelt tale about following your passion – that story may be true, but it is too common to connect. What is working? Stories that connect the wine to the earth, to the hard work of animal husbandry in order to grow grapes organically, to the satisfaction of turning a former wheat field devoid of any life in the soil into a thriving ecosystem both below and above ground.

So as far as boosting wine sales, or the reputation of a particular brand, it’s time to bury what might have worked in the past. High scores? Less and less meaningful, as too many wannabe reviewers are handing them out like Halloween candy. Massive glass bottles? Wasteful, expensive and now a symbol of ego and excess. Exorbitant prices? With tariffs, inflation, stock market flip-flops and political turmoil dominating the news and affecting virtually all products from eggs to automobiles, it challenges credibility to believe that any significant positive changes will come to any winery, let alone an entire wine region, from charging prices well above any established, peer group competitor.

Substack imposes space limits on all posts as there are limits to what can be emailed to subscribers. So I’m cutting back on photos to fit in more reviews.

Amos Rome/Bighorn

Bighorn 2024 Albariño – This is Amos Rome’s label for non-estate wines. This refreshing, all-stainless Albariño from purchased grapes (after a freeze wiped out the estate crop) brings dried straw, crisp apple and lemony herbs into the mix. It’s quite ripe despite relatively low alcohol, and shows lovely texture and length. First class winemaking here. 200 cases; 13%; $32 (Yakima Valley) 92/100

Bighorn 2024 Concrete Sauvignon Blanc – Concrete fermentation does interesting things to Sauvignon Blanc when handled well as it is here. It adds a light minerality, some astringency, and softens any hard acids. This is a straight-ahead, juicy and all-purpose white wine – lightly floral, aromatic, nice texture, medium length… and delicious. 220 cases; 14.1%; $30 (Yakima Valley) 91/100

Amos Rome 2024 Cabernet Franc Rosé – Estate grown, well-balanced and aromatic, with a palate-pleasing toasty frame. Young, juicy and absolutely delightful, this is a great bottle to introduce the estate wines from the most recent vintage. 200 cases; 14.2%; $25 (Lake Chelan) 92/100

Amos Rome 2023 White Pinot Noir – This white wine from a red grape is full-bodied, almost fleshy, with orchard fruit flavors, balanced acids and a firm structure. Aged in neutral oak, it has softened any rough tannins and added a hint of caramel to the finish as flavors unwind. 100 cases; 13.3%; $35 (Lake Chelan) 91/100

Bergström

Bergström 2022 Old Stones Chardonnay – The Old Stones is sappy, sexy and absolutely delicious. The fruits run from citrus to apple to pineapple and beyond, with beautifully balanced acids and a nice touch of new oak. Finished dry, even tart, and loaded with tangy citrus and apple fruit, minerally highlights and a smooth finish. The details and texture are world class. 1412 cases; 13.4%; $55 (Willamette Valley) 95/100

Bergström 2023 Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir – The winery’s Willamette Valley blend is supple and accessible, with scents of bruised berries and racy raspberry and blueberry fruit flavors. It smoothes out through a languid finish, like kayaking down a quiet river. Lively and laced with mocha and sassafras, this is a great choice for drinking through the rest of the decade. 7222 cases; 13.3%; $55 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Bergström 2023 Winery Block Pinot Noir – Threads of coffee, clean earth, salted caramel, milk chocolate, ripe plums and marionberries are laced together in this elegant yet forceful wine. It’s lovely to look at, delightful to sniff and generous on the palate. It gathers strength and focus in the finish, lingering with silty tannins. 276 cases; 13%; $150 (Chehalem Mountains) 95/100

Bergström 2023 Silice Pinot Noir – A pretty wine which captures the magic of the Pinot Noir grape, the classic iron fist in the velvet glove, seductive with suppressed power. Raspberries and cherries, a dash of Asian spice, scents of incense, all leading into drying tannins with grip and a suggestion of charcoal. This runs the table in flavor and shows the compact density that may take years to unwrap. A fabulous cellar candidate which should peak sometime in the 2030s. 1666 cases; 13.1%; $100 (Chehalem Mountains) 95/100

Bergström 2023 Le Pré du Col Vineyard Pinot Noir – Ribbon Ridge wines can baffle non-local writers who blow through the Pacific Northwest and taste hundreds of wines in a couple of days, with no time to ‘listen’ to the wine for more than a ten second sip and spit. Elegant young wines such as this, that dance gracefully as they perform miracles in your mouth, reward extra attention. Weaving together berry, straw, coffee grounds, seashells, fresh asparagus and just-picked chanterelles – this conjures up a stroll through the woods as much as a walk through the vineyard. It surprises and delights, surpassing all expectations. 986 cases; 13.3%; $110 (Ribbon Ridge) 97/100

Bergström 2023 La Spirale Vineyard Pinot Noir – This tiny AVA always brings something extra to the party. Density and detail, a whiff and flavor of seashells, brambly mountain berry jam and a long, resonant finish. As it trails out more spices and barrel highlights pile on – citrus and chocolate, creamy mocha and lemon verbena. The flavors linger for minutes, almost as long as you can resist taking that next sip. And with all that’s happening in your mouth the wine retains a feeling of lightness and airy volume all the way to the end. 1229 cases; 13.4%; $100 (Ribbon Ridge) 97/100

Bergström 2023 Bergström Vineyard Pinot Noir – The sole estate vineyard in the Dundee Hills, this stands apart from the other vineyard designates – more blocky, more dark, more chewy. Black fruits, barrel toast, coffee grounds and hints of graphite are front and center. There’s plenty of backing acid, but on first taste it wants more time to breathe and unpack. Which is why I retaste some wines over 48 hours. Second day, still big and chunky, more power than the 13% abv would suggest. 842 cases; 13%; $150 (Dundee Hills) 95/100

Corollary

Consistent, innovative, clean and striking wines.

Corollary 2021 Cuvée One Extra Brut – Just under two thirds Chardonnay, the remainder a mix of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc from a half dozen vineyards. An instant palate-pleaser, it has a refreshing juiciness that grips the taste buds and tickles them with tart citrus fruits. Meyer lemon, grapefruit and pineapple flavors abound in a round and full-flavored mid-palate. Bring on the oysters! 306 cases; 12.5%; $50 (Willamette Valley) 92/100

Corollary 2021 Cuvée One Rosé Extra Brut – Half Pinot Noir, 38% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Meunier sourced from five vineyards in five AVAs. A stellar blend, copper-hued and given half a percent more dosage than the single vineyard selections, it’s a delicious mix of strawberries, crisp melon, lemon rind and toasted hazelnuts. Flavors are forward and clean, with good concentration through the finish. 194 cases; 12.7%; $60 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Corollary 2021 Momtazi Vineyard Extra Brut Carbonic Rosé – The bottle does not say ‘Carbonic Rosé’ but that is how it is listed on the website. It’s not a cheap, carbonated fizz – it was started with carbonic maceration, nine days on the skins prior to foot-stomping and fermenting in neutral oak. A gorgeous sunset color, with scents and flavors lightly accented with hints of fresh herbs, pepper and caraway under tart cherry fruit. Through the finish delicate hints of fresh herbs and flowers turn up, making a complex rosé with plenty of power and a fine focus. 93 cases; 12.5%; $70 (McMinnville) 92/100

Corollary 2020 Winter's Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc Sparkling Wine – The 30-year-old vines inspire this all-Pinot Blanc selection. It’s full-bodied, crisp and scented with citrus blossoms. Nice texture and power across the palate, gathering focus in a finish of lemon meringue, grapefruit rind and pear skin. Fine craftsmanship as typifies the entire lineup from Corollary. 67 cases; 12.4%; $60 (Dundee Hills) 92/100

Corollary 2020 Namaste Vineyard Blanc de Blancs – Old vine Chardonnay is the base wine, fermented in neutral oak and left on the lees for nine months. This is a steely, fresh wine with appealing minerality. The compact fruit brings crisp green apples front and center, with a tight focus that holds firm through the finish. A fine candidate for cellaring, this has the structure to age a decade or longer. 65 cases; 12.3%; $65 (Van Duzer Corridor) 93/100

Corollary 2020 X-Omni Vineyard Blanc de Blancs – From the first sniff to the last swallow this impresses, with tight bead, complex aromas, a stacked palate and a long finish. Citrus is on full display, and fermentation in neutral oak puts a spare hint of toast framing it. Just under half went through malolactic, cutting out any harsh acidity but leaving plenty of tang to amplify a mineral-drenched foundation. Tasted side-by-side with a comparably-priced Champagne this wine could certainly hold its own, albeit with more fruit power and a little less refinement. 68 cases; 12%; $80 (Eola-Amity Hills) 95/100

Efesté

Efesté 2024 Feral Sauvignon Blanc – Continuing on a winning streak with one of the finest Sauv Blancs from the Northwest, winemaker Mark Fiore again sources Evergreen Vineyard grapes and ferments in a mix of stainless steel and oak puncheons with wild yeasts. The wine is concentrated, sharp and zesty, with vivid flavors of citrus flesh and rind, particularly grapefruit. The vineyard’s typical minerality is also evident, but it is the depth and power of the wine through the finish that most impresses. 560 cases; 13%; $25 (Ancient Lakes) 94/100

Efesté 2023 Penelope Roussanne – Sourced from the Gamache vineyard, this new release is a gentle, easy-drinking, springtime white. Though lighter than many Roussannes, it’s smooth and gently buttery, with a suggestion of mineral from a portion fermented in concrete egg. Light pineapple and melon fruit flavors are dappled with white pepper, resolving into a clean finish with that pat of butter resonating all the way through. 195 cases; 13%; $35 (White Bluffs) 92/100

Efesté 2021 James Vineyard Malbec – I have a long out of production Riedel Malbec glass that fits this wine to a ‘T’. It fills out and rounds up the flavors, pulling together a rich mix of berry and plum and cherry fruits, savory hints of wild herbs and touches of baking spices. The vineyard is new to me, recently planted at the east end of the AVA, and the wine shows the juicy freshness that young vines often display. This is a single vineyard, 100% varietal Malbec – rare in Washington, and most enjoyable. 204 cases; 13.5%; $55 (Wahluke Slope) 93/100

Efesté 2021 Tough Guy Red – A tasty blend of 56% Merlot, 33% Syrah and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is more approachable and immediately enjoyable than the majority of Red Mountain reds, which tend to be hard and tannic at first. With a couple of extra years of bottle age this brings a mix of red and black berries set against a background of clean earth, with finishing accents of black olive and spice. 208 cases; 14%; $60 (Red Mountain) 93/100

Efesté 2021 Upright Merlot – This is 100% Merlot, grown on the winery’s Red Mountain Taylor Mag estate vineyard. It’s a smooth, almost silky wine, with a mix of red fruits – red currant, pomegranate, raspberry – and tea-like tannins. It’s already moving into early maturity, with a sunset hue at the rim and subtle accents of tobacco and creamy coffee that slip in through the finish. A unique and well-structured take on Merlot as a pure varietal wine. Drink up. 220 cases; 13.5%; $60 (Red Mountain) 92/100

Efesté 2021 Jolie Bouche Syrah – Sourced from the winery’s Oldfield vineyard, this pure Syrah strikes a palate-pleasing tone – lightly herbal, sassy, just a bit sharp, with peppery tannins around raspberry fruit. What succeeds best is the overall balance, which incorporates myriad accents of herb and acid and earth along with the tart fruits. 14%; $50 (Yakima Valley) 91/100

Matthews Winery

It’s rare to find understated, minimalist labels such as these – clean and simple yet effective. The Matthews reserve wines are indicated only by an all-small-caps ‘RESERVE’ tucked in at the top, replacing the ‘COLUMBIA VALLEY’ designating the lower-priced tier (although all the wines are Columbia Valley blends). I’d much rather see wineries focus on this sort of simplicity rather than cluttered, over-designed often unreadable labels.

Matthews 2023 Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc – This is consistently one of this state’s finest Sauv Blancs. Not so toasty as to diminish the fruit, no hint of unwanted herbaceousness. It’s bursting with vivid, fresh flavors of citrus and stone fruits, nuanced slices of Meyer lemon, grapefruit and tangerine. The acids lift the palate and add pleasing minerality. Sourced from the Spice Cabinet, Olsen and Culloden vineyards, aged on the skins for a month, and finished in 28% new/72% once-used French oak, this rings every bell for domestic Sauvignon Blanc. 4510 cases; 14.2%; $39 (Columbia Valley) 94/100

Matthews 2023 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc – The reserve is barrel fermented in a variety of formats, then aged in 87% new oak prior to bottling. It’s smoother and toastier than the regular ’23, deftly designed to complement without contradicting the less expensive wine. Both have great appeal, though they hit the palate with distinct differences. The reserve pushes the alcohol up, softens the palate, has a more seamless mouthfeel. Riper fruit flavors fall on orchard fruits and drift into melon. 440 cases; 14.7%; $75 (Columbia Valley) 94/100

Matthews 2022 Columbia Valley Merlot – Mostly Merlot, with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon in the final blend, this sexy, supple, aromatic wine is textbook Washington Merlot. The small addition of Cabernet may have contributed the dark streak of cassis and bumped up the tannins, adding depth and verticality to the broader flavors of Merlot. It coats the palate with black fruits, coffee grounds, graphite and sweet tobacco highlights. Tannins are fully ripened and extend the finish while adding texture all the way through as it gently fades away. 1468 cases; 14.8%; $50 (Columbia Valley) 94/100

Matthews 2022 Reserve Merlot – The reserve is more Right Bank Bordeaux blend than straight-on varietal Merlot, as it includes 14% Cabernet Franc and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged in 100% new French oak, and is intensely aromatic with dark, plush, velvety scents leading into a mouthful of well-knit flavors of black fruits, espresso, pencil lead, tobacco and composted earth. There’s no mistaking the power you’ve unleashed in your glass, yet it carries itself with a kind of restraint as it leads you down through the focused finish. This is right up there with the best in the West. 394 cases; 14.9%; $135 (Columbia Valley) 97/100

Matthews 2022 Columbia Valley Cuvée – This is a right bank-ish, Merlot-dominated Bordeaux blend including 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cab Franc and 5% Malbec. The dark fruits, smooth mouthfeel, and ripe slightly grainy tannins are a thread running through all the Matthews red wines, suggesting both power and pleasure will come with that first sip. This feels front loaded, immediately flavorful with a rich mix of graphite, toast, sandalwood, cherries and tobacco. It falls away gracefully, though with a medium short finish. 1461 cases; 14.8%; $55 (Columbia Valley) 93/100

Matthews 2022 Reserve Cuvée – The blends on the reserves are never formulaic, and change with each new vintage. Here it’s 61% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Malbec – a big change from the 50/40/10 blend of 2021. In the context of the big, dark, bold house style this veers slightly toward elegance, with scents of orange peel accenting a complex weave of cassis, coffee and charred cedar. Tannins are broad and astringent, and somewhat dampen the fruit through the finish. With plenty of aeration it opens up just fine. 465 cases; 15.1%; $145 (Columbia Valley) 95/100

Matthews 2022 Columbia Valley Claret – Claret is a particular tradition at Matthews, blended differently every vintage. This version is heavy (64%) on the Cabernet Sauvignon, finishing with 19% Merlot, 14% Cab Franc and 3% Malbec. It strikes a similar chord to the Cuvée while accenting the strength of Cabernet over the smoothness of Merlot. Dark fruits, graham cracker, coffee grounds and clean earth are in the mix, with ripe, textured tannins rolling across the finish. Another five years of bottle age would be recommended, and this should cellar well for decades. 5083 cases; 14.9%; $55 (Columbia Valley) 95/100

Matthews 2022 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – A blend of fruit from six vineyards scattered around the Columbia Valley, this is 94% Cabernet with a bit of Merlot added. It’s a classy, classic style that captures the vitality, acid, power and tannic ripeness of this state’s Cabs. There’s a focused core of blackberry, black cherry and graphite, leading into trailing tannins with grip and accents of anise, coffee and tobacco. Hard to ask for more at this price, and thoughts of grilled steak or even burgers come through as I write these notes. 7364 cases; 14.9%; $50 (Columbia Valley) 95/100

Matthews 2022 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – A pure varietal expression of Washington’s foremost variety, this mixes fruit from nine vineyards scattered over three AVAs. The fruit is superb – a tightly woven tapestry of black cherry and cassis accented with barrel toast and spice, threads of sandalwood and espresso, leading into a dense finish that holds its focus almost indefinitely. As with virtually all the Matthews reserves this needs time and patience to be displayed fully, as the compact, grainy tannins tend to rule the palate at the moment. Let it breathe. 1842 cases; 14.9%; $135 (Columbia Valley) 97/100

Matthews 2022 Reserve Cabernet Franc – With 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend this isn’t the pure varietal expression I’d hoped would complement the Cabernet Sauvignon, but then again I’m a Cab Franc lover and not a consultant to the winemakers. Close enough for rock ‘n’ roll – it’s a juicy, jammy, delicious bottle of potent red wine. A bit more fruit forward than most of its peers, with red fruits as well as black, a chef’s cabinet of spices, and dusting of coffee grounds as it trails out. The tannins are ripe and polished, with concentration and grip. It’s beautifully balanced start to finish, and is one of my favorites from this excellent flight. 503 cases; 14.9%; $135 (Columbia Valley) 97/100

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