Bradley N.
Yelp
Having recently celebrated their 15th year anniversary of making fine wines in the Walla Walla valley, Forgeron may not belong to the "founding generation" of Washington State vintners - but they ain't no spring chickens, either. In addition to its adolescent-age longevity, Forgeron can also claim a close connection to Burgundy and French winemaking traditions more generally that gives it a distinctive "Washington wines, French roots" profile. If you enjoy wines in the Long Shadows line-up (A Chateau Ste. Michelle project to pair world-class winemakers and Washington State AVAs), then you'll probably like the wines at Forgeron.
While there aren't any Rieslings or Alsatians in the line-up, there are very good white and red Rhone blends, in addition to a series of vineyard-designate Cabernet Sauvignons aged in French oak from prime vineyards (Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, etc.). Forgeron also offers ZInfandels, Primitivos, Barberas, and a rosé of Sangiovese from the Seven Hills vineyard, which gives the winery more of an Italian orientation than one might think, based on the winemaker's French background. The result is a series of wines that sport classic Walla Walla virtues: ripe. vibrant fruit, soft and balanced tannins, integrated oak, and lush, lingering finishes. These aren't cold climate wines, like one might find in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the Sonoma coast, the Santa Rita Hills, or Anderson Valley. And you won't be mistaking them for Willamette Valley reds or whites, either. I'm more inclined to compare them to Paso Robles wines by places like Eberle, and they are made with a lot of cellar aging in oak that brings out ample amounts of vanilla, baking spice, pear (in the case of the Chardonnay), and plum preserves. Tasty wines, lacking a little in minerality and crispness, but far from ordinary. Find the right food pairing, and they will shine.
All in all, you're probably going to like at least 75% of the wines on offer at the tasting room, which is housed in a former blacksmith's shop (hence the name) and is very elegantly appointed with a nice tasting room bar as well as more intimate seating options. The tasting room is close enough to the downtown to walk from major hotels and restaurants, and you could easily combine a stop here with a visit to Seven Hills or Gramercy Cellars, among the many options available in downtown Walla Walla.
I think that the favorites from our June 2016 tasting were the 2013 Primitivo ($35), the 2012 Mourvèdre ($46), and 2013 Barbera ($35), which had 10% Syrah added to the blend. Many Forgeron wines have small additions of other varietals added (Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache), and the newer vintages have an attractive new Fleur-de-lis label that really shows off the wines quite well. While most of the wines are in the $20-30 range, there are some bottlings under $20 that use Columbia Valley fruit rather than local Walla Walla grapes, which tend to be more expensive. It's a nice, well-run operation staffed by friendly folks, and one hopes that more anniversaries and excellent vintages will be in store in the years to come.
