Doubleback

Drew Bledsoe founded Doubleback in 2007 following a career as a quarterback in the National Football League. A native of Walla Walla, Bledsoe returned to his hometown with the intention of producing estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon. The name refers to his decision to double back to his origins in eastern Washington. The winery is owned and operated by Drew and Maura Bledsoe, and they opened a dedicated production facility and tasting room on the southern edge of the Walla Walla Valley in 2018. The estate is part of a larger family of labels that includes Bledsoe Family Winery and the Bledsoe McDaniels project.

The estate sources fruit from five distinct estate vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, which are McQueen, Bob Healy, Flying B, Lefore, and Schafer. McQueen Vineyard serves as the backbone of the production and is situated at a high elevation on a ridge with wind blown glacial loess over fractured basalt. The Bob Healy site, named for Maura Bledsoe's father, is a warmer vineyard that contributes ripe fruit to the blends. The Lefore Vineyard provides a different profile with its rocky cobblestone soils on the valley floor, while the Schafer Vineyard is located in the cooler foothills of the Blue Mountains. Josh McDaniels has directed winemaking since 2015, having joined the team earlier as an intern under the mentorship of Chris Figgins of Leonetti Cellar. The winemaking process involves small lot fermentations in concrete tulips, stainless steel, and oak tanks to preserve the specific character of each vineyard block.

The flagship wine is the Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon, which typically incorporates small percentages of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec to enhance the complexity of the final blend. The estate also produces the Doubleback Estate Reserve and the Flying B Cabernet Sauvignon. The producer received significant recognition early in its history when its debut 2007 vintage was ranked number 53 on the Wine Spectator Top 100 list. The flagship Cabernet is usually aged for approximately 22 months in French oak barrels, with the percentage of new oak adjusted annually to balance the fruit intensity. The winery is recognized for its focus on structured, age worthy red wines that emphasize the diverse microclimates and soil series found within the Walla Walla Valley. Wines are primarily available through an allocation mailing list, reflecting the limited production volume of the estate.