Another California winery has gone knocking on Washingtonās door, following recent purchases of established brands by E. & J. Gallo and Foley Family Wines, and a joint venture between Charles & Charles and Trinchero Napa Valley. Cakebread Cellars, a Napa Valley stalwart for four decades, is launching Mullan Road, a wine made with grapes purchased from Walla Wallaās Seven Hills vineyard.
At an informal tasting of 2012 barrel samples from over two dozen wineries that purchase Seven Hills fruit, Wine Enthusiast chatted with Dennis Cakebread, vice president of sales and marketing, and Aryn Morell, Cakebread Cellars winemaker. The first Mullan Road wineāa Bordeaux-style blendāis being made at Artifex Wine Company, a custom crush facility in Walla Walla.
Cakebread expressed great enthusiasm for the new project, the first step in what could evolve into a full-fledged winery. Working in the new territory surrounded by the likes of Gary and Chris Figgins (Leonetti Cellar), Norm McKibben (Pepper Bridge) and Marty Clubb (LāEcole No 41) has been inspirational, he says. āItās nice working in such a collegial environment,ā says Cakebread.
He also noted that Cakebread Cellarsās production had more or less topped out in 2005āa fortuitous time to halt expansion, given the struggles many wineries had faced in the recent economic downturn. But their current winning streak may indeed continue. The 2012 vintage was an exceptional one in Walla Walla Valley. The components that may eventually comprise the 2012 Mullan Road are already showing deep fruit flavors and toasty highlights from barrel aging.
Yet one question still remains: What inspired the name?
As a self-described āhistory buff,ā Cakebread wanted to honor U.S. Army Lieutenant John Mullan. In 1859ā1860, Mullan commanded a group of soldiers, surveyors and engineers to build a wagon road from Fort Benton, Montana to Fort Walla Walla.