From the atlas
Chateau Ste Michelle
Woodinville producer of Columbia Valley wines, with estate vineyards including Cold Creek and a Riesling partnership named Eroica.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Washington State |
| Home | Woodinville |
| Main grapes | Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay and Riesling |
| Estate vineyards | Cold Creek, Horse Heaven and Canoe Ridge Estate |
| Range | Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon and Eroica Riesling |
The Producer
Chateau Ste Michelle works from Woodinville, Washington, with Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling at the centre of the range. The winery also identifies Cold Creek, Horse Heaven and Canoe Ridge Estate as estate vineyards.
Katie Nelson is Vice President of Winemaking, Joel Wright is Red Winemaker, and Taylor Butterfield is White Winemaker. The stated approach is to express Washington vineyard character while respecting grape variety and the individuality of each location. The house combines broad regional wines with named estate vineyard bottlings and the Eroica Riesling partnership.
Place
Columbia Valley appears on the labels of the producer's Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling wines. The designation covers the broad regional side of the range, while Cold Creek, Horse Heaven and Canoe Ridge Estate give the portfolio named estate vineyard addresses.
A regional Columbia Valley label gathers fruit under one wider geographic name. An estate vineyard name narrows the address to a specific property. Chateau Ste Michelle uses both forms across its Washington wines, with Woodinville as the home of the winery.
Story
The predecessor history begins on December 5, 1933, when Prohibition ended and the National Wine Company was founded in Seattle. In 1967, American Wine Growers launched the Ste. Michelle Vineyards brand under the guidance of André Tchelistcheff. The label became Chateau Ste. Michelle in 1976, when the winery opened in Woodinville.
The range later gained a second clear direction. In 1999, Chateau Ste Michelle partnered with German winemaker Ernst Loosen to create Eroica. The partnership brought a Riesling wine into a portfolio already known for Washington red and white wines.
Vineyards And Cellar
Cold Creek is a warm to very warm estate vineyard without a cooling effect from the Columbia River. Its vines have low vigor, small berries and thick skins, with moderate bud break and a relatively early harvest. The old vines grow in weak loamy sand and gravel soils with low water holding capacity. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Riesling are listed among the varieties planted there. Sustainability is described as a priority across the vineyards.
The Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is aged for 24 months in new oak, neutral oak and stainless steel. Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon spends 18 months in mostly neutral oak, with smaller portions of American and French oak. Oak can add flavour and gradual oxygen exposure, while stainless steel contributes no oak flavour and keeps the vessel neutral.
Wines
The Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a broad red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec and other red varieties, presented in an accessible style. Indian Wells is a richer and fuller New World Cabernet, made from Cabernet Sauvignon with Syrah and Merlot. Cold Creek appears as a Cabernet Sauvignon bottling tied to the named estate vineyard, with the documented 2020 wine made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon.
Eroica is the Riesling wine created through the partnership with Ernst Loosen. The documented 2024 bottling is entirely Riesling, aged for ten months in stainless steel, and suitable for drinking young or further ageing. The range therefore moves from broad Columbia Valley reds to a warmer Indian Wells tier, a named Cold Creek bottling and a partnership Riesling.
In The Glass
The Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon carries rich red fruit flavour, with Cabernet character and complexity across the palate. Indian Wells is lush textured and concentrated, marked by blackberry and black cherry. Eroica brings freshness with stone fruit, citrus and floral notes. The red wines move from Washington red fruit to darker blackberry and black cherry, while the Riesling finishes with citrus and flowers.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It is the broad regional red, a Cabernet led blend with smaller portions of Syrah, Malbec and other red varieties. The bottle places the house's Columbia Valley focus before the warmer Indian Wells wine and the Cold Creek estate vineyard bottling, giving the range a clear regional starting point.
Anecdote
In 2021, Katie Nelson was named head winemaker of Chateau Ste Michelle. She now serves as Vice President of Winemaking, with Joel Wright as Red Winemaker and Taylor Butterfield as White Winemaker. The current team therefore carries separate red and white responsibilities within one Woodinville winery, linking the Columbia Valley Cabernet wines and Eroica Riesling to distinct winemaking roles.
Final Word
Chateau Ste Michelle links Woodinville, named estate vineyards and the Eroica Riesling partnership across a Columbia Valley range of red and white wines.
Sources
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/
- https://www.smwe.com/about/history/
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/about-us/history-and-heritage
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/estate-vineyards/cold-creek-vineyard
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/winemaking/philosophy
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/cabernet-sauvignon-columbia-valley
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/indian-wells-cabernet-sauvignon-columbia-valley
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/2024-eroica-riesling/5637767077.p
- https://www.ste-michelle.com/columbia-valley-wines
- https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/vin/chateau-ste-michelle-5687501/