Stillwater Creek Vineyard - Royal Slope AVA

Many wineries produce Reserve wines annually, but not Pondera! We only produces reserves when winemaker Shane Howard decides a wine is truly worthy of that special designation and our 2016 RSV Cabernet Franc is definately one of those wines.  It’s so smooth and elegant, you won’t want to set your glass down.

The color is a dazzling deep ruby red and the nose greets you with an explosion of brambleberry, black currant, violet and sweet caramelized wood.  The first sip is laden with complex back fruit flavors leading to a lingering finish of dark plum sauce, vibrant blueberry, acai berry, dark cocoa and soft anice.  Drink now and immensely enjoy, or cellar for 2 to 8 years.

Sagemoor Vineyard _ 56% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot

The fruit for this Cabernet Franc focused red blend comes from the highly regarded Sagemoor Vineyard located in one of Washington’s newest AVAs, White Bluffs. It’s a very well-rounded wine, sleek and smooth with a deep garnet color and aromas of ripe black cherry, spicy toasted wood and hints of blueberry.  It greets you with lush ripe cherry and abundant cassis, leading to plump blackberry and mature Italian plums and finishes with dense opulent fruit, toasted wood and vanilla that lingers on your palate for a delightful, smooth finish.
GOLD medal - Seattle Wine Awards

A single varietal Petit Verdot is a rare find in Washington State and it’s even more special to find a reserve wine, which only happens in the most perfect of growing years.
The color is a dense inky black plumb, with a clear burgundy rim with a nose that’s chocked full of abundant black fruits and undertones of molasses. As it opens up you’ll notice fragrant scents of soft violet and a touch of leather.  The first sip is saturated with pronounced ripe blackberry, black cherry and plum, followed in the mid-palate by blueberry, huckleberry and a hint of dark cocoa.  It finishes with mature Marion berry, sweet vanillin, black licorice and fleck of black pepper.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec

SVS is an acronym for Pondera’s terroir focused single vineyard series.  All the fruit for this Bordeaux style blend comes from the highly regarded Stillwater Creek Vineyard located in the Royal Slope AVA of Washington State. The color is deep ruby red and the nose is chalked full of dark fruit aromas, letting you know you are in for an special treat.  The first sip will fill your mouth with rich black fruits that lead to fleshy boysenberry, cassis, semisweet chocolate shavings and subtle notes of leather and graphite.  All the flavors come together gracefully and harmoniously to create the perfect blend.

Our Entourage label was developed as a tribute to the entourage of family, friends, volunteers and club members that have supported us on our journey to a successful winery. The name also designates the entourage of traditional Bordeaux varietalsthat join together to make up this proprietary Bordeaux style red blend.

GOLD - 91Pts. Seattle Wine Awards

A beautiful dark burgundy with powerful aromas of black fruits, cocoa, and warm vanillin.  The front palate has abundant black cherry and ripe blackberry leading to black plum, huckleberry and a long, luscious finish of black currant, fig jam, dark chocolate and a hint of spicy sweet cedar shavings.

GOLD - 91pts. Seattle Wine Awards

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Discovery Vineyard unfolds with alluring juicy plum and black raspberry aromas, complemented by dark cherry, hints of blackberry jus and soft herbal notes within a robust and generously framed profile. This medium to full-bodied wine presents a fresh palate and is succulently ripe, showcasing complexity throughout. The Cabernet concludes with a long, food-friendly finish. It was aged for 36 months in French oak barrels.

90+ Pts. Wine Advocate

90% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache
The color is a deep black plum with a nose of ripe red berries, soft violet notes and hints of black pepper.  The front palate starts out with plum and red raspberry, followed by black current, huckleberry and warm spices, finishing with abundant black fruits, chocolate nibs and faint anise.

The 2018 LTD - Livin' the Dream, a blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot sourced from the Sagemoor vineyard, boasts a robust profile. The nose is characterized by rich red and black fruit tones complemented by subtle herbal notes and dusty red flowers. Medium to full-bodied, the wine reveals a balanced palate with fine-grained tannins suitable for food pairing and potential aging of five to six years. It was aged for 30 months in French oak barrels and then aged a further 27 months in bottle. This is fantastic for the price. Give it a try.  90 Pts. Wine Advocate — 90Pts.Seattle Wine awards

A bold, beautiful and intense Bordeaux style blend showcasing the unique and exquisite Stillwater Creek Vineyard. The nose is extremely rich and aromatic with scents of ripe red fruit and hints of black pepper, clove and violet. Expect flavors of cocoa, dark cherry, currants, and dried herbs. The mouth feel leads with creamy, silky dark fruit, but finishes with subtle dry tannins that remind you that this is a big, hand-crafted wine with just enough structure to make it cellar worthy too.
91 Pts. - The Wine Panel

68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot

Pondera SVS (Single Vineyard Series) Bordeaux style blend is a refined and polished wine produced from Stillwater Creek Vineyard’s premium fruit. The color is a deep garnet and the alluring nose will fill your senses with fully developed opulent dark fruit, candied molasses and hints of warm vanillin. The scent alone invites you to take your first sip where you’ll get flavors of lush cassis, red cherry and boysenberry followed by black plum and acai berry leading to a long, lingering finish of bramble berry, huckleberry, dark cocoa and hints of sweet tobacco.  91Pts.

95% Syrah – Co-fermented with 5% Viognier
This riveting vibrant Syrah will hit your taste buds every way but Sunday!  The flavors on the palate exceed your expectations of Syrah with big, bold, super ripe flavors and subtle very fine tannins.  Expect notes of dark chocolate, blackberry, and espresso, with a polished, silky texture that still has enough structure to earn the respect of the critics. Drink now and thoroughly enjoy or cellar 3 to 10 years.
91 Points - The Wine Panel

100% Syrah from the Discovery Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills AVA
This is our first Syrah using fruit from the highly acclaimed Discovery Vineyard and it’s just what you’d expect from our winemaker — a smooth, perfectly balanced, fruit driven, multi-dimensional wine. The color is a dark abyss of garnet with a clear rim of crimson with aromatics of dark berries, anise, dark cocoa, and a hint of lavender. The first sip is notable and smooth, coating the mouth with an array of dark fruits, luscious cassis, and hints of black licorice. It leaves you with flavors of fleshy black plum, toasty oak, subtle bacon fat and soft white pepper, making an elegant and voluptuous finish.

Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Royal Slope AVA
61% Grenache, 24% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah
Our GSM is made in the elegant style of a premier southern Rhone wine. It’s a showstopper chocked full of layered ripe fruit with pleasant spicy notes showing through. The color is a shimmering ruby and the nose is ladened with scents of dark and red fruit, warm baking spices, black pepper and hints lavender and sweet toasted wood.

Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Royal Slope

61% Cabernet, 20% Malbec, 14% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot

Winemaker Shane Howard has really put his heart and soul into this vintage of Stiletto.  The quality, the fruit extraction, bold flavors and balance, makes this one of his finest.  This bold, lush beauty will tempt you to take a sip with its deep ruby color, copious legs and aromas of rich ripe fruit.  Mid-palate expect flavors of ripe blueberry, Marion berry with a hint of graphite, leading to dark chocolate, black cherry and warm spiced vanilla and a long, lingering finish.  Enjoy now or cellar 2 to 9 years.

Double Gold - Best of Class - 2023 Cascadia Wine Competition

Dineen Vineyard, Columbia Valley

This is a true example of a perfectly structured wine. It’s color is a dense, dark blueish burgundy with aromas of soft violent, cherry, raspberry, spicy wood and slight pencil shavings. The front palate bursts with black current, red and black raspberry, followed by bright blueberry and luscious ripe cherry. It gracefully finishes with black plum and hints of black licorice, dark cocoa and hints spicy wood.

GOLD - 94 Points - The Seattle Wine Awards

There is nothing shy about this Washington Malbec, it's unapologetic with its dark black fruit flavors and rich texture. Expect notes of blueberry and blackberry, and a mouth filling texture that is bold and creamy. The wine is closer to an Argentinian version of this varietal than one from Southern France, with an abundantly juicy and bold character!
92 Points – The Wine Panel

Our Merlot is elegant, sleek and smooth with abundant fruit, silky tannins and pleasing acids. Aromas of ripe dark berry essence, soft vanilla and dusty cocoa invite you to take your first sip. Expect flavors of mature plum, blackberry, black raspberry and a long satisfying finish of blueberry pie, sweet cherry and whispers of dark chocolate, so tantalizing that it makes you want to just keep sipping and savoring.

GOLD - 92pts.  Seattle Wine Awards