Rattlesnake Hills Appellation

 Located above the valley floor at 1600 feet, Elephant Mountain Vineyard is positioned at the western end of the Yakima Valley, near the city of Yakima.  Soils are a mixture of fine to heavier silt, loam, and alluvial gravel resulting from the great Missoula floods.  A walk through the vineyard reveals small quartzite stones of igneous origin.

 

The vineyard was established in 1998 by Joe and Tom Hattrup.  Their background as orchardists provided a strong foundation for the transition to becoming grape growers, and establishing what today is considered one of the Yakima Valley's finest younger vineyards.  Elephants Mountain's high elevation provides excellent protection from frost damage, helping to extend the growing season late into the fall.  The Elephant Mountain Syrah embodies a classic structure.  The grapes show flavors of  currents, and black raspberry.  They hint of dark chocolate, and roasted coffee.  The higher elevation here contributes to greater hang-time while the summer's sun, sometimes intense at 1600 feet, increases skin thickness, thereby adding structural tannins. 

  The Hattrups' Sugarloaf Vineyard is located lower down on the Missoula flood plain, closer to the valley floor.  The soils are similar, but rockier, with more cobbles and gravel.  Sugarloaf is young, but shows great promise. We are currently sourcing Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Mourvedre from Elephant Mountain.  In 2009 we will source some of the first blocks of Tempranillo and Grenache from Sugarloaf, as well as a few small lots of Clone 99 Tablas Creek and Phelps clone Syrah. 

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Lower County Line Road

Dick Boushey owner & grower

Bob, Mike and Jeff Andrews   Growers & Owners

 

Steven Peterson Managing Partner

Dick Boushey Vineyard Manager

 

Jarrod Boyle  Manager & Winemaker

Jose Luis Yanez   Vineyard Foreman 

 

Patricia Obrien  & George Schneider

Growers & Owners

 

After modeling our site's degree days for a year, in May of  2008 we planted test grape rows here at the farm looking for a red wine grape that will ripen dependably on this sunny hilltop.  We've planted Pinot Noir Precoce, Garanoir, and and Agria clones.  And as a fans of Whidbey Island's lovely white wine Siegerrebe grapes, we have a row planted to make sure this varietal appreciates our soil and exposure.  Over the next few years we will make our selections and plant more grapes to give us some estate wines to add to the beautiful Eastern Washington varietals we currently use.

 

David Ott & Diane Kaufman

Whidbey Island, Puget Sound Appellation