Put hand selected clones in nano-planted blocks at higher elevation on Red Mountain, often at high density and sometimes with northern aspects. Use this and a variety of trellising techniques to achieve longer hang times and wines with more intensity, freshness, and non-fruit characteristics. Farm it all with a maniacal level of attention and try and make wines that elevate the notion of what is possible in Washington.
WeatherEye is both a vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA of Washington State, and an estate wine brand utilizing the talents of Vineyard Manager Ryan Johnson, Owner Cameron Myhrvold and Winemaker Todd Alexander. The WeatherEye Estate wines are offered on an allocation basis with three releases per year. If you would like to join the mailing list to receive an offer on these small-production wines, please click here.
Our Hillfighter label wines are available throughout the year and can be found here.
The WINES
The RED RHONES
2021 WeatherEye Estate Grenache
“Looking for a top-quality Grenache from Washington State that will compete on the world stage? Look no further than the 2021 Estate Grenache from Weathereye Vineyards. Fermented with about 30% whole cluster fruit to give it some added body and peppery spice, it sports a medium glistening ruby core with a lighter pink rim. Only about 160 cases were made. Highly recommended.”
– 98 points, Jeremy Young, International Wine Report
2021 WeatherEye Estate
Syrah
“Classic Syrah aromas of blackberries, peppery herbs, blueberries, bouquet garni, and some gamey, meaty notes all emerge from the 2021 Syrah Estate, a rich, medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced Syrah. With ample mid-palate depth, building yet ripe tannins, and a great finish, it’s one of the standouts in the lineup, and while I love it today, I have no doubt it will evolve for 10-15 years if well stored.”
– 97 points, Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com
2021 WeatherEye Estate Mourvèdre
“The 2021 Mourvèdre underwent 15% whole cluster fermentation. Stored in large format used French oak, this offers smoked meats and anise notes alongside black olives and rich dark fruits. This is really dense and delicious wine with plenty of nuance. Very herbal with loganberry, beef drippings and wild blackberry fruit flavors, alongside scorched earth, this is a gorgeous, generous effort that is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2024-2036”
– 97 points, Owen Bargreen
cabernet, tempranillo and the raven
2021 WeatherEye Estate Tempranillo
“Red and blue fruits, lavender, bay leaf, and graphite notes, as well as a certain spicy, meaty character, all emerge from the 2021 Tempranillo Estate, a beautifully textured, medium to full-bodied Tempranillo from Red Mountain. I love its overall balance, and it has well-checked tannins and a gorgeous finish. Drink this beauty over the coming 10-12 years, and I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see it evolve longer. 95 points” – Jeb Dunnuck
2021 WeatherEye Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
“Lastly, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a deep purple/plum hue and has textbook Red Mountain Cabernet notes of red and black currants, spicy wood, savory herbs, and freshly sharpened pencils. A blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc aged in 75% new French oak, it reminds me of a great vintage of Léoville Las Cases with its inward, regal, tannic style. It’s certainly not for the instant gratification crowd, and it’s going to need 4-6 years, if not more, to shed some tannins, but this is clearly loaded with potential. 97+” — Jeb Dunnuck
2021 WeatherEye Estate
The Raven's Share
“The 2021 The Raven’s Share is the Right Bank-themed red from this team, and it’s 36% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot. Leafy herbs, iron, lead pencil shavings, and earthy red and black fruits give this an almost Pomerol-like vibe, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a round, voluptuous mouthfeel and a great finish. All destemmed and still aging in 60% new barrels, this is another brilliant wine that will round into form with just a few years of bottle age.” — 95-97 points, Jeb Dunnuck
the white wines
2022 WeatherEye Estate L'Atomique
“A murky straw/gold, this blend mixes 36% Viognier, 32% Roussanne, 22% Grenache Blanc, 7% Clairette and 3% Marsanne – different from 2021, with much more Grenache Blanc. The grapes were de-stemmed, whole-berry-fermented on skins for three weeks; all free-run, then given 10 months in neutral 600 liter demi-muid, and five more months in stainless steel. This is a splendid wine, deep and packed with flowers, fruits, spices and herbs. There is so much detail in this young wine that picking out specifics is not worth trying – just soak your palate in the magnificent whole. From the first sniff to the last sip this is memorable, innovative and absolutely thrilling.”
– 96 points, Jeb Dunnuck
2022 WeatherEye Estate Clairette
“All varietal brought up in 28% new oak, the 2022 Clairette reveals a lighter gold hue as well as stunning notes of ripe pears, honeysuckle, dried herbs, and toasted almonds, with just a kiss of background minerality. Absolutely stunning on the palate as well, it’s medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered, focused texture, serious depth and concentration, and a great finish. This is world class stuff that brings incredible richness while holding onto that classic Clairette freshness, focus, and purity. Unquestionably, the safe bet is to enjoy bottles over the coming 3-5 years, and given how good it is today, there’s no reason to wait. There were a tiny 52 cases produced.”
– 98 points, Jeb Dunnuck
2022 WeatherEye Estate Marsanne
“Blended with 14% Roussanne and aged in 31% new oak (a portion is in clay jars), the 2022 Marsanne is the biggest, richest white of the trio, revealing a killer bouquet of honeyed tropical fruits, orange marmalade, crushed stone, white flowers, and green almonds. Full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully textured, with a blockbuster-styled, salty finish, this reminds me of a great Hermitage Blanc from the likes of Michel Chapoutier. It too should easily evolve for a decade, although I love it today.”
– 98 points, Jeb Dunnuck
2022 WeatherEye Estate Roussanne
“Another white that will easily compete with the best from the south of France, the 2022 Roussanne is 93% Roussanne and 7% Clairette that spent 15 months in 50% new French oak. Its medium gold hue is followed by a perfumed, medium to full-bodied white that has subtle apricot and poached pear fruits, some spicy, honeyed flower nuances, a round, layered, beautifully textured mouthfeel, and a great finish that has a distinct sense of salty minerality. It’s another powerful yet flawlessly balanced white from this team that readers will love. It should keep for a decade.” – 96 points, Jeb Dunnuck
Hillfighter wines
Introducing our Hillfighter Series wines. For Hillfighter, the emphasis is on the art of blending. Currently, we make one Red and one White sourced from a mixture of the very same grapes and vineyard blocks used to create the WeatherEye Estate flagship wines.
When it comes to building the Hillfighter Series, we allow ourselves more freedom to play with the blends with no predetermined destination, and as such, we expect the wines to tell a different story each year. Experimentation has an important role at WeatherEye, as it allows us to fine-tune our viticultural techniques and helps us to better understand our vineyard and how it interacts with the terroir of Red Mountain. And at the end of the day…we want the results to be delicious! It’s our intention for the Hillfighter wines to be enjoyed anytime – now, or cellar them for additional complexity over the coming years.