{"id":112,"name":"Cougar Crest Estate Winery","image_url":"https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOMucPR65c2PFaFP7o8Ssr2NI675Bii8tCRmhk-=w408-h271-k-no","district":"West","hours":"Monday – Thursday 12 pm – 5 pm \nFriday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm","hours_type":"limited","dog_friendly":true,"red_wine":true,"white_wine":true,"bubbles":true,"brewery":false,"woman_owned":true,"year_established":2001,"winemaker":"Debbie Hansen","website":"http://www.cougarcrestwinery.com/","phone":"+1 509-529-5980","address":"50 Frenchtown Rd, Walla Walla, WA 99362, United States","description":"Deborah and David Hansen’s Cougar Crest tends four estate vineyards on varied soils; their Syrah from Noble Rock sings with savory, gamey notes, reflecting river rocks and the Hansens’ stewardship","lat":46.0469335,"lng":-118.4902832,"appt_url":null,"walk_in":false,"tasting_fee":"$20 per person waived with bottle purchase","explorer_tags":["dog"],"profile":"# Cougar Crest Estate Winery — Knowledge Profile\n\n## Founding Story\n\nCougar Crest Estate Winery was established in 2001 by husband and wife Deborah and David Hansen. The winery is located in the Walla Walla Valley of Washington State, a region the Hansens regard as the premier place in Washington to grow wine grapes. From the outset, their vision centered on estate winemaking — a legally defined designation in Washington State that requires the winery to serve as steward of both the land and the production facility. This commitment to estate growing reflects a core philosophy of quality control from vine to bottle, and positions Cougar Crest as a self-described premier wine producer in the region. Innovation in winemaking has been cited as a continuous driving force behind the winery's identity since its founding.\n\n## Winemaker\n\nDeborah Hansen (also listed as Debbie Hansen) serves as the winemaker at Cougar Crest. She is one half of the founding couple alongside her husband David Hansen. Visitor testimonials on the winery's website note that tasting room staff frequently highlight that she has been winning awards since the winery's earliest days, underscoring a consistent track record of critical recognition. No formal academic background or prior career details are provided in the available text.\n\n## Vineyard Sources\n\nCougar Crest owns four estate vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, all of which are estate-designated sources for the winery's portfolio.\n\n**Cougar Hills** is situated in the western part of the Walla Walla Valley AVA, described as being a short distance from the site of the original Seven Hills Vineyard planted in the 1970s — the planting that is credited with beginning Walla Walla's legacy of quality viticulture.\n\n**Noble Rock** is located in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA, a sub-appellation of the Walla Walla Valley distinguished by its ubiquitous river rock that saturates the soil profile from the surface down well below the vine root zone. The winery notes that Syrah grown from this vineyard exhibits the savory, gamey characteristics for which this AVA has become known.\n\n**Rock Bottom** is located in the western portion of the Walla Walla Valley AVA, approximately a quarter mile north of Cougar Hills Vineyard on relatively flat ground. Its soils are sandy loam with a gravelly, rocky base that appears at the surface in places. This faster-draining soil dries out more quickly than Cougar Hills, requiring more intensive irrigation monitoring but yielding highly concentrated fruit. The area receives only eight to ten inches of rainfall annually, which the winery views as ideal for controlling vine water availability and maximizing grape quality. Rock Bottom is planted to multiple varieties and contributes fruit to all of Cougar Crest's core portfolio wines.\n\nA fourth vineyard is referenced in the navigation structure but specific details were not present in the scraped content.\n\n## Signature Wines\n\nCougar Crest produces an extensive, all-estate portfolio spanning both red and white varieties. Named wines and bottlings referenced across the website include: **Viognier**, **Albariño**, **Chardonnay**, **Riesling**, **Rosé**, **Determination** (a red blend), **Merlot**, **Cabernet Franc**, **Cabernet Sauvignon**, **Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon**, **Malbec**, **Syrah** (including a **Block 11 Syrah**), **Syrillo**, **Reserve Syrah**, **Anniversary Cuvée**, **Tempranillo**, **Petit Verdot**, **Vinho Campo**, **Encore**, and a **Port**. The **Dedication** series (referenced in visitor reviews as \"Dedication 4\" and \"Dedication 5\") appears to be a notable red blend that has earned a Wine Spectator 90-point score. The **Syrillo** is a distinctive named bottling suggesting a Syrah-based or Syrah-influenced blend. The winery's Noble Rock Syrah is specifically called out for its savory and gamey character, a hallmark of the Rocks District AVA.\n\n## Tasting Notes\n\nThe Noble Rock Syrah is described as exhibiting savory and gamey characteristics consistent with the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA. No additional formal tasting notes were present in the scraped text, though visitor reviews describe the winery's wines broadly as \"outstanding\" and \"world class.\"\n\n## Wine Club\n\nCougar Crest operates a wine club that provides members with special discounts on all online purchases as well as purchases made at any of the winery's three tasting room locations. Membership is described as free to join. No tier names, shipment frequencies, or specific allocation details were listed in the available content.\n\n## Tasting Room\n\nCougar Crest operates three tasting rooms located in Walla Walla, Woodinville, and Spokane, Washington. Visitor reviews describe the experience as generous in pour size, knowledgeable and entertaining in service, and notable for its ambience — one reviewer specifically mentioned a wall of pictures as a memorable feature of the space. Staff are described as well-informed about the winery's history and awards.\n\n## Accolades\n\nThe winery has received numerous awards for its varietal wines, though specific award names and vintages are not detailed in the scraped text. A visitor review references a **Wine Spectator 90-point score** for the Dedication 4 Red Blend. Tasting room staff are noted to emphasize that Deborah Hansen has been winning awards since the winery opened in 2001.\n\n## Winery Character\n\nCougar Crest's defining identity rests on its strict adherence to estate winemaking — all wines are grown on Cougar Crest-owned vineyards, giving the winery full control over viticulture and fruit quality. The winery's ownership of vineyards in two distinct AVAs (the Walla Walla Valley AVA and the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA) allows for terroir-driven differentiation across its portfolio, most notably in its Syrah program. The founding couple's dual role as owners and winemakers, combined with a multi-city tasting room presence spanning eastern and western Washington, positions Cougar Crest as both a regionally rooted and broadly accessible Walla Walla producer. The breadth of the portfolio — encompassing Bordeaux varieties, Rhône varieties, Iberian grapes such as Albariño and Tempranillo, and even a Port-style wine — reflects a spirit of winemaking innovation that the winery explicitly claims as a pillar of its character.","somm_notes":[{"title":"Patti's notes on Cougar Crest","content":"This is the perfect stop if you're looking for quality wines at a great value."}],"wines":[{"name":"Cat's Away Rosé","vintage":"2022","variety":"Rosé","price":"$24"},{"name":"Estate Grown Albariño","vintage":"2022","variety":"Albariño","price":"$28"},{"name":"Estate Grown Viognier","vintage":"2022","variety":"Viognier","price":"$28"},{"name":"Estate Grown Chardonnay","vintage":"2021","variety":"Chardonnay","price":"$28"},{"name":"Estate Grown Riesling","vintage":"2021","variety":"Riesling","price":"$28"},{"name":"Centennial Cuvée","vintage":"2020","variety":"Red 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3.8/5 (119 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (43 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Cougar Hills Vineyard Block Eleven Syrah","vintage":null,"score":92,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.2/5 (29 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate Cabernet Sauvignon","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (605 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate Cabernet Franc","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (310 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate Tempranillo","vintage":null,"score":91,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.1/5 (64 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate Anniversary Cuvée Red","vintage":null,"score":90,"source":"Vivino","critic":null,"tasting_note":"Vivino community: 4.0/5 (373 ratings)"},{"wine_name":"Estate 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