Christian LeSommer
of Chateau Y'Quem, LaTour,
Domaines Rothschild
Makes Washington State Bordeaux

Arguably the best winemaker in Bordeaux
makes wine for one Washington winery:
Chateau Rollat

Chateau Rollat, based in Walla Walla, Washington, is the effort of Bowin Lindgren and his famous consulting winemaker, Christian LeSommer. The wines are like none other from Walla Walla. LaSommer's unparalleled experience and unique winemaking result in wines much more Bordeaux than New World - approachable now, yet promising a profound experience with cellaring.

We at Avalon are as excited as we have ever been at the first release of a Washington winery, and passionately recommend our clients who collect and appreciate Bordeaux consider adding the Chateau Rollat wines to their cellars.

Christian LeSommer (at right above) is one of the most famous winemakers in the world, and the mere mention of his name elicits attention and deep respect from wine industry members at the most exalted level. Among the wineries listed on LeSommer's résumé are Chateau d'Yquem and Chateau LaTour, where he was general manager and wine master for more than a decade. He is now the consulting manager for Domaines des Barons de Rothschild.

Bowin Lindgren, owner of Chateau Rollat and an admirer of the wines made by Christian LeSommer, invited him to consult on Lindgren's fledgling Chateau Rollat. LeSommer consented, and has described the wines he intends to make as "the best possible expression of ripe Walla Walla fruit" (Seattle Times).

Chateau Rollat
"Edouard"
Cabernet Sauvignon 05
$64.95/$58.45

Avalon Tasting Notes: A concentrated nose of cassis, black plum, soil, smoke, violets, and spicy herbs. The lush palate offers up beautifully dense black fruits, with attractive sweetness and awesome length. This is a wine for cellaring--the structure begs for it. Put into a line-up of 20 Walla Walla Cabs or Cab blends, you could pick this wine out virtually every time because of its distinct earth, herb, and oak component. Those who invest in the 05 Edouard will be very happy in 10 years.

Winery Tasting Notes: "Rollat's still more substantial sibling is the 2005 'Edouard' Cabernet Sauvignon ($62).... All Chateau Rollat wines are being made at Va Piano for the moment, though a dedicated winery is in the planning stages. The Edouard, in French terms, is a vin de garde — a wine to put away for some years. "I hope it will be a giant among wines," says the winemaker. Based on my first impressions (dark, smoky, nuances of bark, soil, subtle layers of earth and barrel), I believe it will." - Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times

Steven Tanzer says: "Bright ruby-red. Aromas of black cherry and herbs, with a brooding soil pungency and very suave use of oak. Richer, denser and more energetic than the regular bottling. This one boasts greater sweetness of fruit but it also has terrific acidity and comes across as tightly wound today. Finishes very long, with a succulence achieved by only a handful of Washington State Cabernets. These two wines are made entirely from Walla Walla fruit, from the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards. 92(+?) points"

Chateau Rollat
"Rollat"
Cabernet Sauvignon 05
$39.95/$35.96

Avalon Tasting Notes: Aromas of dark berries and black currants mingle with herb-infused mocha and eucalyptus. The tannic backbone is matched by full black plum, black currant, and black cherry flavors. Like its big brother Edoaurd, it requires patience to coax out the best of the Rollat.

Paul Gregutt says: The "2005 'Rollat' Cabernet Sauvignon, presents supple, ripe and sweet fruit on a bed of fine tannins. The word that kept cropping up as I tasted the wine was "polished." It has a sophisticated finesse that moves the beautiful fruit flavors into a more elegant dimension than all but a handful of Washington wines. The Rollat is available by the glass at the Waterfront, the Herbfarm and the Barking Frog..." - Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times

More About Chateau Rollat

Chateau Rollat is named for Bowin's great grandfather, Edouard Rollat, one of the foremost wine authorities in New York at the turn of the 20th century. He was the Sommelier at Cafe Martin, one of New York City's finest restaurants at the time, and became a wine broker at the Vendome wine house after Prohibition. Bowin's family rejoins the wine industry after two generations.

Edouard Rollat, strikingly tall, Sommelier at Cafe Martin

Edouard Rollat was one of the most influential members of the NYC wine community for most of the first half of the 20th century. Arriving in the early 1900's, he quickly used the skills learned at his family's winery in France to become Sommelier at Cafe Martin. When Prohibition ended that career, he continued to educate and consult on wine. After Prohibition, he worked for Vendome, a wine brokerage and consulting company based in NYC. Read more about Edouard, his wife Sophie, and his career on Avalon's website.

Highly Recommended

Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon 05
$39.83/$44.25

Avalon Notes: There’s no need for a decanter. The Abeja Cab 05 shows off its big aromas of black fruit, espresso, milk chocolate, graham, and violet-infused smoke that carries through. Very supple and expressive Cabernet fruit, with a ripe black cherry and cassis core, and a little bubble of cherry candy that bursts just before the finish. Hints of graphite unite with perfectly-integrated toast and lingering, sweet black fruit.

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