FEATURE | skagit crest blackberry bushes, but located on about a 300-foot-high slope. “It was the great drainage, with great southwest exposure that made me want to buy that piece,” Chuck said. Beyond that, spectacular sunset views of the valley and nearby Anacortes and the San Juan Islands were an added bonus.” It took the Jacksons two years to clear and develop the property, which now includes their home. The first vineyards were planted in 2011. Initially there were six acres of wine grapes but that has since been pared to what the Jacksons said they feel is a more manageable three. A WESTSIDE VINEYARD WITH A FEW SURPRISES The choice of varieties to plant in the Puget Sound AVA comes with its own set of climatic limitations; potentially too-cool summers, excessive rain, and in 2020, the threat of smoke from fires outside the state. For Chuck, planting Pinot Noir was a natural choice, but his choice of white wine grapes could be considered unconventional for the Puget Sound. “What you normally find (grown) in the Puget Sound region is Madeleine Angevine and Siegerrebe,” he says. “And as much as they make wonderful wine, most people are not familiar with them. So the varieties we ended up planting were the ones I always enjoyed as a wine drinker and people would also recognize their names. “What we did to be successful at that was to choose the earliest ripening clones we could find. (And we) chose plants that were grafted to root stock that were also shown through research at WSU to advance earlier ripening.” With just enough heating units at their location, Skagit Crest is able to grow Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc on
half of their vineyard. The other half includes four clones of Pinot Noir: Précoce, Dijon 114 and 777, and Pommard. Chuck notes that a few other Pinot Noir clones may be in the offing, along with Grüner Veltliner, an Austrian variety that’s always intrigued him. The Jacksons opened up their tasting room in downtown LaConner in 2017. Its cozy, waterfront location is a perfect stop for those strolling along the town’s Swinomish Channel. While Chuck gets credit for much of the technical composition that goes into winemaking, he’s quick to acknowledge Donna’s contributions to the finished product. “She’s invaluable as a check on me because she’s more keyed into what people like.” That even applies to the Pinot Noir juice she makes for kids to sample while their parents visit the tasting room. Skagit Crest’s tasting menu currently features each of the estate-grown white varietals, plus a blend of all four bottled as “Chuckanut White.” Red wines include their flagship wine, Pinot Noir, produced both as a standalone varietal and in a Rosé style; and a red blend, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from vineyards in Eastern Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills and Yakima Valley Appellations. 2020 was a particularly good year for Skagit Crest, which produces 500-600 cases annually, having earned four golds and a double gold medal from the Seattle Wine Awards competition. And then there’s that extra-special, Double Platinum-worthy 2017 Pinot Noir. Chuck recalls that it wasn’t a particularly outstanding vintage, but there were decent heat units, the weather held through harvest and the grapes had excellent pH and brix levels. “Blending all four (Pinot Noir) clones gave us just the right balance,” he says. “It was
SKAGIT CREST VINEYARD & WINERY Vineyard: Located in Sedro-Woolley and available for private tastings by appointment only Tasting Room: 105 North First Street, Suite 1 LaConner, WA 98257 Hours: Noon to 5 pm, Saturday and Sunday (360) 333-9819, www.skagitcrest.com
essentially a ‘hands-off’ year and it turned out to be magic.” Magic? Good fortune? The saying, “Luck is the residue of design,” is probably more appropriate for Chuck Jackson’s wines. Factor in decades of experience, a beautiful vineyard location and good-old fashioned stick-toitiveness, and the end result is a retirement gig that’s paying much-deserved dividends with award-winning wines.
Winter 2020 • Wine Press Northwest
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