Why it matters
The producer
Jesús Martínez Bujanda leads Valdemar Estates, founded in 2019 in Walla Walla, Washington. Marie-Eve Gilla is Director of Viticulture and Winemaking. She studied viticulture in Burgundy and worked at Forgeron Cellars from 2001 to 2018 as a winemaker, part owner and managing partner.
The winery has one of the few indoor crush pads in the Walla Walla region. It puts grape reception and processing under cover during harvest. The range divides into a red wine from Cabernet Sauvignon and a white wine from Chardonnay, while the winemaking philosophy emphasizes fresh, textured, balanced and vibrant wines.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Walla Walla locates the winery, while Columbia Valley names the appellation on the wines. The label separates cellar location from wine origin: Walla Walla for Valdemar Estates, Columbia Valley for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range's two bottles divide by colour, grape and vintage. Entre Nosotros Cabernet Sauvignon is the red Columbia Valley wine from 2019. Its aromas show blackberry, plum and roasted dark chocolate. The palate carries powerful dark fruit with a savory note of roasted coffee and tannin.
Valdemar Estates Columbia Valley Chardonnay is the white Columbia Valley wine from 2021. Chardonnay is a white grape, and white winemaking generally draws little tannin from grape skins, so the Chardonnay occupies a less tannic category than Cabernet Sauvignon.