2002 Chester-Kidder
Allen Shoup named this wine in honor of his grandfather, Charles Chester, and his grandmother, Maggie Kidder. He has a purpose in mind; a vision really, and that is to make a wine that says, "this is how good Washington wine can be." Allen selected Gilles Nicault, former winemaker for Woodward Canyon, to bring the vision to fruition.
The 2002 Chester Kidder is a full-bodied, concentrated red wine offering complex aromas of vanilla and cassis layered with dark berry fruit. Well-focused with balanced acidity and supple tannins across a long finish, this is a wine that will continue to improve for years to come.
91 POINTS - WINE & SPIRITS
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2002 |
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Varietal Composition | 47% Merlot
24% Cabernet Sauvignon
19% Syrah
10% Cabernet Franc |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley |
| Acid | 0.55g/100ml |
| PH | 3.74 |
| Aging | Drink now through 2014 |
| Alcohol | 14.30% |
| Wine Style | Red Wine |
| Volume | 750 ml |
2002 CHESTER-KIDDER - 90 POINTS
A 300-case blend of 47% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2002 Chester-Kidder explodes from the glass with spices that are reminiscent of wines made in American oak (though all the oak was French). Its cedary, dark-fruit-laced personality is firm, structured, and boasts loads of exotic spice flavors. This concentrated wine will benefit from cellaring to civilize its tannin. Projected maturity: 2010-2019. |
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2002 CHESTER-KIDDER - 91 POINTS
A sturdy Syrah-Cabernet blend, this requires air to reveal its dark sassafras scent, ample cassis flavors and long, spicy finish. |
Working with low yields and select blocks from some of Washington’s best vineyards – including Boushey, Champoux and Alder Ridge – winemaker Gilles Nicault selected grapes from a diverse collection of Columbia Valley sites to create this rich, multi-dimensional blend.
Gilles Nicault has served as director of winemaking and viticulture since Long Shadows inception in 2003. As resident winemaker overseeing daily operations at Long Shadows' state-of-the-art winery in Walla Walla, Gilles works with a group of celebrated vintners from around the globe. It is his job to ensure that each winemaker's vision is realized in the vineyard and the cellar.
While many winemakers would find this proposition a daunting task, French-born Nicault describes the position as his "dream job." Those who know Gilles best say it is his insatiable curiosity and desire to learn something new every day as well as his winemaking skills that make him uniquely qualified for the position. In addition to executing daily operations at the winery, Gilles is the winemaker for Long Shadows' acclaimed Chester-Kidder, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah blend that carries his signature.
Gilles grew up in southern France and graduated from the University of Avignon with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. He honed his craft in the fabled hillside vineyards and wineries of Cotes Du Rhone, Provence and Champagne. On 1994, already a vintner of rising fame in his homeland, Gilles traveled to Washington State to expand his winemaking skills.
Impressed by Washtington State's vineyards and the opportunity to be part of a growing wine community, he stayed in the Columbia Valley, working for Staton Hills and Hogue Cellars before joining Woodward Canyon in 1996, where he stayed until moving to Long Shadows in June 2003. Sharing Woodward Canyon's passion for world-class wine, Gilles soon found Woodward Canyon's founder Rick Small was his ideal mentor and biggest champion. In 1999, Woodward Canyon named Gilles head of enology and production.
Gilles is married to winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla of Forgeron Cellars, also an acclaimed winemaker. The couple llves in Walla Walla with their two children.
