Secrets of making Three Rivers wine

On my first visit to Three Rivers winery, just after it opened, Mike Januik, who was visiting his friend and fellow winemaker Charlie Hoppes, backed his brand new pickup off the loading dock and fractured an axle.

Other than that, my main recollection is that I thought the three-hole golf course adjacent to the tasting room was perhaps a little over the top, especially for (then) laid-back Walla Walla. These days the winery stands out for more essential reasons — namely the quality and consistency of its wines. Holly Turner, who began as assistant winemaker in 2000 and took over full-time duties in 2002, has established a style distinctly her own. Her new releases, some of which are available only at the winery or to its mailing-list members, are impressive in many ways.

First, there is the range of wines — from white Meritage and chardonnay to the full spectrum of reds to seductive late-harvest dessert wines — all made to the highest standards. Then there is the balance and reliability, that extends across the entire portfolio and through successive vintages. Three Rivers' pricing, especially for the white wines and everyday red blend, is well below many of its peers.

But best of all, Turner's work expresses exactly those qualities I value most in all wines, and showcases the reasons I have long believed will cause Washington ultimately to be recognized as this country's leading fine-wine region.

Turner is one of a small number of winemakers who seem to have a built-in gift for achieving balance and complexity. "For me it's all about balance," she explains. "I don't want too much wood or alcohol; I want everything to flow on the palate. My wine should be juicy in the mouth but not too toasty, with no burn. Everything I do with wine is based on tasting and balance."

What exactly does this mean, balance? It's a difficult concept to explain, but it can be tasted readily enough. Pop the cork on a bottle of Three Rivers 2005 White Meritage ($19). This Bordeaux blanc-style blend — roughly two thirds sauvignon blanc, the rest semillon — is immaculately fruity, with a lovely mix of pear, lime, citrus and apple. The aromas are lively and fresh, and the flavors follow right along. The mix of fruit is such that individual flavors can be picked out, but they work together harmoniously. The wine has been aged in French oak, but is not oaky. The acids are natural and proportionate, and there are no rough edges and no hint of bitterness in the finish. Everything runs together precisely, like the purr of a fine motor car. That's balance.

"I like to think I'm really just the keeper of the grapes until I get the wine to the bottle," says Turner. "So much happens in the bottle. If you can put it in there at peak flavor and freshness, it can have a nice little life."

Three Rivers offers up a generous smorgasbord of wines. I'm often wary of winemakers who want to make a little bit of everything, because they can become jacks of all grapes, masters of none. But Turner cajoles the most delicate and beautiful aromas from her wines, be they expressions of chardonnay or syrah, grenache or gewürztraminer. Aroma is the first thing that gets hammered when grapes are picked too ripe, or wines are over-extracted, or alcohol levels are too high, or new barrels are used as primary flavoring agents rather than delicate seasonings.

The other end of the flavor rainbow is the finish of the wine. How long does it linger in your throat after you have swallowed? Is it smooth and silky or rough? Are the tannins ripe and polished, or green and harsh?

Even in the just-released Three Rivers 2004 River's Red, $13, an every-day mutt blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and grenache, the flavors are full and complex, firm and balanced. The wine has good length and the fruit shows no vegetal or unpleasant earthiness.

Step up to the more limited, single grape and vineyard-designated bottlings, and you can't help but be impressed with the extraordinary finesse that Turner displays. Among this month's releases are two unusual wines that really will turn heads. Three Rivers 2005 Grenache, $25, from Clifton vineyard (Wahluke Slope) grapes, seduces with spicy cranberry, pie-cherry and rose-petal scents. There is a bit of a tart edge and a hint of musky earthiness on the palate, the flavors delicate but persistent; almost French in style.

Three Rivers 2004 "Chelle Den Millie Vineyard" Cabernet Franc, $39, from Dennis Pleasant's vineyard just north of Prosser, is that rare creature, a pure cab franc with perfectly ripened fruit, nuanced aromas, bright and clean fruit, and polished, silky tannins. If you like the red wines of Chinon, in the Loire Valley of France, you will find here their Washington equivalent.

Three Rivers winery is also offering sets of older wines, sold as three-, four-, five- and six-year verticals. The opportunity to taste successive vintages of their merlots, syrahs or cabernets is both a pleasure and a lesson in how these wines age. There also are a small number of six-year vertical sets of Champoux vineyard cabernet, Boushey vineyard syrah and the winery's Red Meritage.

Three Rivers is located just off Highway 12 a few miles west of Walla Walla. The tasting room (509-526-9463) is open seven days a week, and offers free tastings of the current Columbia valley releases. Limited-edition and reserve wines may also be tasted for a modest fee.

Paul Gregutt is the author of "Northwest Wines." His column

appears weekly in the Wine section.

He can be reached by e-mail

at wine@seattletimes.com.