WALLA WALLA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While the menu at last night’s White House state dinner honoring French President Francois Hollande was decidedly American, one Old World winemaker can take credit for producing a New World wine selected to satisfy a distinguished list of bon vivants.
Long Shadows’ 2009 Chester-Kidder, a Columbia Valley red wine crafted by French-born winemaker Gilles Nicault, became the fourth Long Shadows wine to find its way to the White House in the last seven years.
Nicault, who began making wine in Washington State in 2003 shortly after completing his study in enology at the University of Avignon, is the director of winemaking and viticulture for Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Wash.
Previous Long Shadows wines to be featured at the White House include the 2008 Poet’s Leap Botrytis Riesling, served to China’s President Hu Jintao in January 2011; the 2004 Pedestal Merlot served to French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House residence in March 2010; and the 2004 Pedestal Merlot, served at a holiday dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House executive residence in December 2007.
The 2009 Chester Kidder offers black cherry and cocoa aromas and vibrant flavors of blackberry, licorice and cassis. Hints of graphite and a subtle earthiness provide layers of complexity. It is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah, 17% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Only 989 cases were produced.
Founded by Washington wine visionary Allen Shoup, Long Shadows is a collection of small production wineries comprised of internationally acclaimed winemakers from the major wine regions of the world. Each winemaker is an owner-partner in a single, unique wine crafted to showcase the viticultural excellence of Washington State’s Columbia Valley. Nicault is the winemaker for Chester-Kidder. For more information on Chester Kidder or Long Shadows, visit the winery’s web site at longshadows.com or facebook.com/LongShadows.
