What Doubleback does

Doubleback is a family-owned, estate-focused winery located on the southern edge of the Walla Walla Valley AVA in Washington State. Founded in 2007-2008 by former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe and his wife Maura Bledsoe, the winery produces a deliberately narrow portfolio of three premium wines: a flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, an Estate Reserve blend, and a Merlot. All fruit is sourced from five certified-sustainable estate vineyards (McQueen, Bob Healy, LeFore, Flying B, Schafer) totaling 84.7 planted acres, which together support an annual production of roughly 2,200-3,400+ cases depending on vintage.

The business operates an exclusive direct-to-consumer allocation model: prospective customers join a waitlist and, once accepted, are placed into tiered membership levels (General Allocation 6-11 bottles, VIP 12+ bottles, VIP Collector 36+ bottles annually) that grant access to purchase limited releases during designated windows. The winery also generates ancillary revenue through $75-per-person private tasting experiences at the estate, which are waived with a bottle purchase. Distribution is intentionally restricted to DTC, with no retail or third-party wholesale channel.

Operationally, Doubleback completed a new production facility in 2018, brought vineyard management in-house in 2019, and has progressively expanded its estate footprint through 2021 with the addition of the Schafer vineyard. The company's competitive position rests on irreplaceable estate land in a prestigious AVA, a scarcity-driven allocation model, sustained critical recognition (including a Wine Spectator Top 100 placement for its inaugural 2008 vintage), and the leadership of CEO & Director of Winemaking Josh McDaniels, who trained under Chris Figgins at Leonetti Cellar.

Name

Doubleback

Legal name

Doubleback

Website

https://doubleback.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Doubleback is a family-owned, estate-focused winery in the Walla Walla Valley producing premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Reserve, and Merlot from five sustainably certified vineyards, sold exclusively through a tiered direct-to-consumer allocation waitlist to wine collectors and enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Estate winery
• Cabernet sauvignon
• Wine allocation
• Sustainable viticulture
• Walla walla wine

Headquarters

HQ city

Walla Walla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Wine Allocation Sales: Wines are sold exclusively through an allocated waitlist system. Members join at different tiers (VIP Collector 36+ btls, VIP 12+ btls, General 6-11 btls) and receive access to purchase limited release wines during designated allocation periods.
2. Private Tastings: The winery offers private wine tastings by reservation at $75 per person, waived with a bottle purchase. This provides additional revenue from visitors to the Walla Walla estate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Doubleback is a family-owned estate winery in the Walla Walla Valley that produces and sells limited-release Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Reserve, and Merlot from five sustainably certified estate vineyards. Wines are sold exclusively through a tiered allocation membership program (VIP Collector 36+ bottles, VIP 12+ bottles, General 6–11 bottles) with designated annual release periods.

Product overview

Doubleback is a small, family-owned estate winery in Walla Walla, WA founded by former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe in 2008. The winery focuses on crafting world-class Cabernet Sauvignon from five estate vineyards (McQueen, Bob Healy, LeFore, Flying B, and Schafer) in the Walla Walla Valley. Their product portfolio consists of three core wine products: Cabernet Sauvignon (flagship), Estate Reserve (premium blend), and Merlot, all offered exclusively through an allocation membership program with tiered access levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cabernet Sauvignon The flagship single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Doubleback, crafted from estate-grown fruit in the Walla Walla Valley. The 2023 vintage is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon with 3,395 cases produced, aged 22 months in French oak barrels. Available exclusively to allocation members.
• Estate Reserve A premium estate-focused blend showcasing the best barrels from Doubleback's estate vineyards. The 2023 vintage is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot, with 682 cases produced. Available exclusively to allocation members.
• Merlot An estate-grown Merlot, predominantly from the Schafer site, blended with Cabernet Franc. The 2023 vintage is 91% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, with 659 cases produced. Available exclusively to allocation members.
• Allocation Membership A tiered membership program offering exclusive access to purchase Doubleback wines on an allocated basis. Three tiers: VIP Collector (36+ bottles annually, full access to all wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Reserve, Merlot, and Chardonnay), VIP Allocation (12+ bottles annually, access to all wines), and General Allocation (6–11 bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon per allocation period). Allocation releases occur January–April.
• Private Tastings Private wine tastings hosted by reservation only at the Walla Walla estate facility (Wednesday–Saturday). Priced at $75 per person, with the fee waived upon a bottle purchase. Hospitality team responds within 48 hours of reservation requests.

Quantifiable outcome

• First vintage (2008) earned Wine Spectator Top 100 recognition
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Quilceda Creek Vintners: Highly acclaimed Washington State producer widely regarded as the state's benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon, distributed via mailing list to collectors. Directly comparable as a Washington Cabernet-focused allocation peer with a multi-generational premium brand.
• Betz Family Winery: Family-owned Washington estate winery producing limited-release Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends via mailing list and DTC. Comparable as a small, estate-focused premium Cabernet producer with strong critical reputation.
• Leonetti Cellar: Iconic Walla Walla Valley winery with limited-production, mailing-list-driven Cabernet, Merlot, and Bordeaux-style blends. Closest comparable peer given shared Walla Walla terroir, allocation model, and the Chris Figgins mentorship that trained Doubleback's winemaker.
• L'Ecole No 41: Historic Walla Walla Valley estate winery focusing on premium Bordeaux varietals with established DTC and tasting-room business. Comparable through shared AVA, estate-grower model, and family/legacy identity.
• Andrew Will Winery: Washington boutique winery focused on estate and vineyard-designate Cabernet, Merlot, and Bordeaux blends sold primarily via allocation and tasting room. Comparable as a premium, terroir-driven Washington estate with small-lot mailing-list distribution.
• Spring Valley Vineyard: Walla Walla Valley estate winery producing limited-release Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah through mailing-list and tasting room channels. Comparable on estate-only sourcing, Bordeaux-varietal focus, and small-scale premium positioning in the same AVA.
• Woodward Canyon Winery: Walla Walla Valley family-owned estate winery renowned for premium Cabernet Sauvignon with strong mailing-list and DTC sales. Highly comparable in terroir, vintage-led portfolio, and family-founder DNA.
• Figgins Family Wine Estates: Estate Walla Walla Valley producer of premium Bordeaux-style and Syrah wines under allocated mailing-list sales. Comparable on terroir, estate-focus, and direct mentorship lineage with Doubleback's CEO/Winemaker Josh McDaniels.
• Cayuse Vineyards: Boutique, estate-focused Walla Walla Valley winery producing premium, allocated, biodynamically-farmed wines (notably Cabernet and Syrah). Directly comparable to Doubleback in estate-only philosophy, scarcity-driven allocation model, and premium Washington positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Château Ste. Michelle: Washington State's largest and most established winery with broad national distribution across Cabernet, Chardonnay, and Merlot. Provides relevant benchmarking for the Washington premium Cabernet category and showcases the scale gap a boutique estate like Doubleback maintains by staying out of wholesale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/doublebackwinery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doubleback

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Doubleback