Gilles Nicault

The Climb

Technical grounding came from University of Avignon, where Gilles Nicault studied before moving into Washington State’s agricultural rhythm. The first professional step was an internship at Staton Hills Winery in Yakima Valley, Washington (1994), followed by winemaker roles at Woodward Canyon in Washington State (1996–1998) and Hogue Cellars in Washington State (1998). Taken together, those jobs built the practical fluency required to work fruit through a season and into bottle. Today, Gilles Nicault is Founding Winemaker and director of winemaking and viticulture of Long Shadows Vintners (since 2002). The scope matters: he has stayed with the project from its early days, shaping both the wines and the process by which they are made.

Today

Since 2002, Nicault has served as Director of Winemaking and Viticulture at Long Shadows Vintners in Washington State, and that responsibility continues in Walla Walla. The role is broad by design. He makes the wines for the project and works alongside partner winemakers to turn their ideas into bottles that still carry the Long Shadows house style. That gives the portfolio a clear internal logic: each wine reflects its source, while Nicault keeps the whole collection aligned. Washington’s geography stays central to how he frames the work. “I just love the diversity between the oceans and the mountains and the quality of the growing season,” he has said, a plain description of the conditions that shape the fruit. The point is less romance than range: a region defined by contrast, and by the patience needed to read it well. Chester-Kidder is among the wines associated with him and was served at a White House state dinner for French President Francois Hollande. Côté Nicault is his personal project, a wine that carries his name more directly within the broader Long Shadows portfolio.

Signature

Gilles Nicault's signature wines include Chester-Kidder, Cote Nicault, Shoup, Julia's Dazzle, and Poet's Leap Riesling. Together they show the span of his work: different styles, different registers, held together by the same disciplined approach.

In Their Words “I just love the diversity between the oceans and the mountains and the quality of the growing season.”

Recognition

Gilles Nicault's honors include Winemaker of the Year (2016).