Brian Carter Cellars was among the first wineries to establish a tasting room at the rejuvenated Vancouver Waterfront promenade. Before, we would have to travel to Prosper or Woodinville (Seattle) to try their wines.
Brian Carter Cellars Story
Brian Carter, the founder, came into the wine scene of Washington in 1980 when there were only 16 wineries. For Brian, it was both passion and science.
He studied microbiology at Oregon State University and enology at California Davis School. After a stint at some esteemed Californian wineries, Brian moved to Washington and became a winemaker for Paul Thomas winery.
Early success and many awards for the wines earned Brian a reputation and jump-started his career as a consulting winemaker for a series of young wineries, including McCrea Cellars, Hedges Family Cellars, Silver Lake, and a few others.
In 1997, Brian released small production wine under his own label, “Solesce.” The wine quickly sold out, and the time for Brian Carter Cellars had arrived.
In 2006, Brian released a line of blended wines, including Oriana, Tuttorosso, Byzance, and Le Coursier (formerly L’Etalon). With it, Brian fully embraced the European tradition of winemaking based on blending complementary grapes – the foundation and a secret of some of the best wines in the world. Brian Carter Cellars became the first winery in Washington dedicated exclusively to producing blends.
Vineyards
Brian Carter Cellars sources the grapes for his wines from some of the best vineyards of Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain, Yakima, and Columbia AVAs.
Over the decades, Brian developed close relationships with growers, allowing him to walk the vineyards and pick the perfect fruit for his wines.
Brian Carter Wines
As we mentioned before, Brian committed to the idea that the secret of great wine is in the art of blending.
The tasting flight offers a wide range of wines, and we had favorites in each category.
We started with flagship white – 2018 Orianna – almost even blend of Viognier and Roussanne and 10% Riesling. This “North meets South of France” blend was quite aromatic with notes of apple candy and white flowers and an almost off-dry palate with nectarine, apricot, and Golden Delicious apple flavors.
2020 Abracadabra Rosé, a Sangiovese-based blend, had a refreshing cherry-strawberry and red apple profile. Sangiovese, a leading Italian varietal, is a challenging grape to grow in Washington state and seldom results in impressive wines. Yet, Brian created an excellent Sangiovese-based Rosé by balancing it with other grapes.
2015 Solesce is a Bordeaux blend and a flagship red of Brian Cellars.
It’s 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16 % Merlot, 11% Petite Verdot, and a dash of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Brian used almost all permitted grapes of Bordeaux of France.
2015 Solesce had some surprising aroma and, along with expected cherry and vanilla, had an unexpected watermelon. On the palate, it was dominated by dried cherry and coffee.
We found it a food-friendly wine that went well with the dishes we ordered.
Thanks to Vancouver Waterfront Promenade, we have a chance now to go wine swinging without traveling for hours to the wineries. Keep following us for more professional non-sponsored wineries and restaurant reviews of Vancouver, Washington, and beyond.
