Chatter Creek Winery

A self-described “terroirist” and curmudgeon, Gordon “Gordy” Rawson isn’t your typical winemaker. His personality is reflected in his distinctive single-vineyard wines, his eye-catching labels, and his anything-goes manner of speaking. As a Seattle boy, Gordy would seem ill suited to toil amongst the chardonnay-and-Brie crowd in suburban Woodinville. But he has managed to make the SR 520 commute for many years, which included a stint as the cellar master at Columbia Winery working with David Lake and company. He now makes the daily commute to the new Chatter Creek location along the Woodinville WineTrail North.

Gordy’s portfolio of wines includes pinot gris, viognier, grenache, syrah, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon, from vineyards such as Lonesome Spring Ranch, Clifton Hill, and Alder Ridge. These wines exhibit the true terrior of the different viticulture areas of Washington. Chatter Creek produces about 2,000 cases of wine per year.

Whereas Gordy’s reds have been described using adjectives such as “youthful,” “creamy and rich,” and “full-bodied and well-balanced,” his production of grenache represents a departure and an acknowledgement that tastes have shifted to softer fruit-forward wines. Gordy calls his grenache an excellent “red-white” wine, because it is easy to drink and won’t grab your tongue like some of the merlots and syrahs. Here’s how one reviewer described the Chatter Creek grenache: “A very pretty wine in the glass, light ruby in color, very clear and bright. The nose is full of the aromas of cranberry, fresh bread, and strawberry. Racy acid in the forward palate combines with the flavors of cranberry, raspberry, peach, and a bit of hazelnut, resulting in a well-balanced, classic grenache.” I’m not sure this WineTrail trekker picked up on the aroma of “fresh bread,” but I did pick up a bottle of the grenache to pair with a meal of minestrone soup and “gnarly” artisan bread.

Buon gusto!

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  Chatter Creek Winery was featured in WineTrails of Washington as part of the Woodinville WineTrail North on page 128!