The 7 Best Wines From Washington State to Drink Now in 2026

We recently tasted this stunning Chardonnay over lunch with husband-and-wife winemaking team Dan Wampfler and Amy Alvarez-Wampfler. They only made 1,807 cases of this 100 percent Chardonnay with grapes sourced from the Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Gorge, Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley, and Wahluke Slope. It has enticing aromas of citrus blossom, mandarin pith, and fragrant white flowers with flavors of white peach, tangerine zest, and lemon curd supported by a sturdy backbone of minerality and salinity. If you have a bit of time, be sure to make reservations to stay over in their beautifully restored farmstead cottages.

Winemakers at Matthews revealed that the 2023 vintage and harvest was under high pressure for botrytis, which resulted in very low yields of excellent fruit. The team chose to use 65 percent cigar shaped barrels to increase the lees surface-area-to-wine ratio. Because of this they did less battonage—lees stirring—so the wine would preserve its elegance, tension, and a vivacious character rather than become fat and flabby. Aromas of honeysuckle, lemon zest, and matcha draw you into the glass for flavors of orange pith, crushed chalk, and marzipan.

We were lucky enough to have lunch with actor Kyle Maclachlan on a recent trip to Washington State. He told us that he returned home to Washington to make wine and named his winery Pursued by Bear because Shakespeare’s stage direction in A Winter’s Tale calls for a bear to appear on stage and for the subsequent line “I am gone for ever. (sic) Exit, pursued by a bear.” He’s a great fan of Washington Cabernet Sauvignon but he’s a real lover of the state’s Syrah as well. We couldn’t agree more; his 2022 Baby Bear Syrah is delightful and has aromas of blueberry, black plum, crushed violet petals, and black raspberry. It is big and juicy but restrained at the same time with flavors of black cherry, black olive tapenade, and blackberry.

Reynvaan Family Vineyards began with the planting of the In the Rocks Vineyard in Milton-Freewater in 2005. The vineyard plot is situated on an ancient alluvial fan of the Walla Walla River and is known for the complexity and minerality it imparts on the grapes grown here. Today winemaker Matt Reynvaan runs his family-owned-and-operated winery and specializes in wines made from Rhône varietals. This wonderful Syrah is a blend of 94 percent Syrah and 6 percent Viognier to add a bit of lightness. It has aromas of plum, licorice, and blackberry that transition to full bodied flavors of cassis, blueberry, violet petals, and raspberry that are supported by bold minerality and salinity.

We recently sat down with Josh McDaniels, CEO and director of winemaking and he waxed poetically about how the lateness of the 2022 season extended the ripening of this fantastic Merlot, a traditionally early ripening grape. McDaniels is the inaugural winemaker and has worked alongside former NFL star Drew Bledsoe and his wife Maura for quite a few years. A blend of 92 percent Merlot and 8 percent Cabernet Franc, this beauty spent 16 months in 60 percent new French oak and 500-gallon oval barrels. It has aromas of espresso, mocha, vanilla, raspberry, and black plum that transition to full on fruit flavors of black raspberry, caramelized orange peel, and blueberry, with bold but soft tannins and a touch of cherry vanilla in the finish.

Winemaker Chris Figgins has crafted some of our favorite Washington Cabernet Sauvignons for a long time and this one is no exception. His parents Gary and Nancy Figgins opened Leonetti in 1977 and named it to honor their grandparents Rosa and Francesco who immigrated from Serra Pedace, Calabria, in Italy in 1906. Chris officially took over winemaking responsibilities in 2001 and since that time he has achieved well-deserved recognition and awards from a variety of wine critics including ourselves. His 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 94 percent Cab and 6 percent Malbec. It has integrated aromas of dark cherry, black plum, and a touch of vanilla as a top note. It is full bodied and bold with flavors of black cherry, plum, black raspberry, and red currant.

Founded in 1983 by Baker and Jean Ferguson L’Ecole 41 is one of Washington’s oldest family-owned and family-run wineries. Their daughter Megan and her husband, winemaker Marty Clubb, joined the family business in 1989 and have been active in local wine associations as well as the statewide Washington Wine Institute. Their Pepper Bridge Vineyard Apogee is a Bordeaux-style blend and has aromas of black cherry, red raspberry, tobacco leaf, and crushed violet petals with silky tannins and flavors of blueberry, mocha, and cinnamon.