Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plums, cherries, cloves, dried herbs and spices on the nose. It’s full-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Plush and rounded with sweet spices on a supple finish. 60% merlot, 39% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.
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Wine Enthusiast
Merlot makes up 60% of this wine, with the balance Cabernet Franc (39%) and a pinch of Petit Verdot. It's locked up out of the gate, with aromas of dusty earth, raspberry and orange peel. Smooth, velvety flavors follow. It's made in a reserved style, showing lots of class and sophistication.
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Wine Spectator
Lithe and refined, with expressive blueberry and black cherry flavors laced with bitter mocha, tobacco and spice notes, finishing with fine-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Drink now through 2028.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Ample black cherries, mulberries, and leafy herb notes emerge from the 2017 Uriah, and it’s medium to full-bodied, ripe, balanced, and textured. It has a more up-front, also evolved style and picks up more spice and sandalwood notes with time in the glass. It has good structure as well, and I’d opt for enjoying bottles any time over the coming 7-8 years. This cuvée is based on Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 60% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Uriah has a dark ruby core with a lighter ruby edge and offers aromas of dusty cherry skin, black plum, crème de cassis and hints of dusty leather. Medium to full-bodied, sensations of juicy plum compote, blackberry skin and bitter dark chocolate sway across the palate with elements of cedar and dried tobacco before showing dusty, fine-grained tannins that linger onto the finish. The wine rested for 18 months in French oak, 25% new. Give it a try. Only 3,600 bottles were produced.
Spring Valley Vineyard is located just outside of Walla Walla, amid the scenic wheat fields of southeastern Washington. The family-owned land dates back to the late 1880’s when original owner Uriah Corkrum started farming wheat in the area. In 1993, Shari Derby, granddaughter of Uriah and husband Dean Derby planted the first grapes at Spring Valley. The first vintage of Estate grown, and bottled Spring Valley Vineyard wines were produced with the 1999 vintage. In 2007, 66 acres of new vineyards were planted & now consist of 111 acres of grapevines including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.
Spring Valley was built on the strong foundation of grit, authenticity, hard work, love for the land, and love for family. The names given to the Spring Valley Vineyard Estate wines are in tribute to the family members who struggled and succeeded in farming in the same land for over 150 years. True to the family’s vision, the Spring Valley Vineyard and wheat fields are family-farmed this day to the 6th Generation. Katherine Derby, the granddaughter of Spring Valley vineyard owners Dean and Shari Derby and great-great-granddaughter of Spring Valley Founder Uriah Corkrum is carrying on the family’s legacy with leading winemaking operations – 30 years after planting the first vines.