Champoux Vineyard

Horse Heaven Hills, USA

Andrew Will Winery's single-vineyard red blend from the Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, one of Washington's most storied vineyard addresses. Chris Camarda of Andrew Will was among the first Washington winemakers to focus on single-vineyard expression; the Champoux bottling demonstrates the Horse Heaven Hills' capacity for structured, age-worthy reds with a particular dark fruit weight and wind-cooled aromatic lift. The Champoux family's vineyard has supplied some of Washington's most respected labels.

Pairing intelligence

• main: Dungeness crab has extraordinary sweetness that calls for a wine with weight without oak domination. Sémillon's lanolin texture mirrors the crab's richness; lemon citrus and avocado's fat richness are handled by the wine's acid balance.
• cheese: Aged clothbound Cheddar and structured Cabernet Sauvignon is a British-French classical pairing transposed to the Pacific Northwest. The wine's tobacco and cassis bridge with the aged cheese's crystalline protein structures and walnut-butterscotch depth. Tannin binds to aged cheese protein — softening the grip. Quince paste's acidity-sweetness contrast provides a palate-refreshing bridge between cheese and wine.
• starter: The wine's structured backbone and dark fruit character frames the umami richness of the tartare while Dijon and capers echo the wine's inherent acidity.
• fish course: Bisque's cream-rich structure and the lobster's oceanic sweetness find a partner in aged Semillon's lanolin weight and citrus backbone. The honeyed character of Walla Walla Semillon complements the cognac reduction.
• amuse: The Champoux vineyard's structured Cabernet with its cassis and graphite character finds a compelling amuse in smoked beef tartare; truffle amplifies the wine's earth while Parmesan crisp echoes its mineral depth.