2005 Brian Carter Cellars Tuttorosso

Brian Carter Cellars is in Sunnyside, Washington. It was founded in 2004 by winemaker Brian Carter. Carter has extensive winemaking experience in the Pacific Northwest, and was a winemaker at Paul Thomas Winery. Carter also co-founded Apex Winery. Seattle-area entrepreneur Michael Stevens is managing partner of Brian Carter Cellars. The estate makes a portfolio of wine from grapes sourced in Eastern Washington. Carters’ wines are inspired by European blends. The estate produces a Super Tuscan, a Rhone-style red, Bordeaux style wines based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Viognier and a Port.

Yakima Valley AVA was the first AVA created in Washington State. The valley, a 600,000-acre area in south central Washington, was granted AVA status in 1983. In 1984 Columbia Valley was given AVA status, and Yakima Valley was enclosed within the Columbia Valley AVA. Nevertheless, Yakima Valley remains home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state. There are more than 60 wineries and some 16,000 vineyard acres, and nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. The most frequently planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking here dates to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production plodded along slowly until the early 1980s when numerous modern pioneers started making well-reviewed Yakima Valley wines. Some of the state’s newest, most closely watched appellations, including Red Mountain AVA and Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are contained within Yakima Valley.