2015 Gard Vintners "Freyja" Lawrence Vineyards Columbia Valley 750 ml

WA Hometown Hero Aryn Morell Blows Away the Competition

Since we were first introduced to Aryn Morell in 2007, he’s been recognized as one of the most brilliant young winemakers in the United States. His consultancy stints at Stags Leap, Phelps, Quintessa, Chappellet, and Vineyard 29 caught the eye of Gård Vintners in Washington’s Columbia Valley AVA; they recruited him aggressively to come aboard as head winemaker in 2011. Morell, a native of western Washington, has gone on record as saying he believes that grapes from the Evergreen State can rival the best in class from Napa Valley, where he burnished his resume.

With the 2015 Gård “Freyja,” Morell has proved his point. A spectacularly lush blend of Roussanne and Viognier sourced from the south-facing slopes of the Columbia Valley hills, this bottle earned top honors as Wine Spectator’s #1 under-$15 white this year. Here’s how he did it.

The heat in Washington in 2015 shattered records, pushing winemakers to their limit. In harvests like this one, vintners who can ride the razor’s edge of ripeness can produce some truly sublime wines. Washington’s warmth — as Stephen Tanzer has astutely pointed out in his vintage reports — has run against received wisdom and actually served to highlight terroir, with aromatic complexity and soil character shining through even more than in cold years. Morell honed his craft in 2013 and 2014, some of the hottest years on the books before 2015, enabling him to ramp up and create something of a miracle.

“Budbreak was weeks early,” he told us. “Blooms were weeks early. Veraison was weeks early. Deviations sometimes scare you as a vintner, but not this vintage. The quality of the grapes was fantastic. Thanks to our exacting vinicultural practices, we came away with acids that were anything but flabby, with a finished pH clocking in 3.37.”

Three factors contributed overwhelmingly to his success. First, the Lawrence Vineyards’ soil is blessed with a layer of silt loam that descends 18-24 inches before hitting a base of fractured basalt, making for pitch-perfect draining conditions. The drainage and the Lawrences’ drip irrigation system give Morell complete control over the water intake of the vines. Second, he is a master of strategic canopy management, enabling him to modulate the speed of ripening and prevent desiccation. Lastly, Morell picks in waves, not delaying for physiological maturity but instead going by ideal flavor profile based on the season, arguing for picking way earlier than many winemakers. The results speak for themselves.

The 2015 Gård “Freyja” is 65% racy golden Roussanne, 35% crisp Viognier. Fermented in 100% stainless steel. Brilliant pale-gold in color, infused with a mouthwatering blend of white peach, nectarine, and beeswax. Ultra-rich, dense, and weighty, packed with apricot, lychee, and honeysuckle — despite all the opulence, finishing with excellent vibrancy and persistence.

$14/bottle ($84 per 6-pack). Wine Spectator’s #1 pick for the price. A tiny 336 cases produced. Will you find a more luscious, complex white wine for under $15? Unlikely. Shipping included on all orders.