Woodward Canyon Estate Red 2003
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Parker
Robert
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With such low yields, the resulting wine is deeply concentrated with black fruits and cassis. The warmer vintage of 2003 gave deep complex flavors of fruit from perfect physiological ripeness. The nose while slightly restrained at first develops greatly in the glass. Spice and vanilla from new oak integrate beautifully with cabernet franc-merlot dominated fruit. The texture, while firm initially, transitions to complex suppleness; the finish is rich, layered and long. With proper cellaring, this wine should age for ten years from vintage.
These wines showcase fruit from Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard. The blend changes every year and typically consists of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot. These wines age 8+ years from vintage.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2003 Estate Red Wine is composed of 44% Cabernet Franc, 41% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot. It was fermented with native yeasts and was aged in 100% new oak. The product of the warmest vintage on record for Walla Walla, the wine is dark ruby-colored and offers up an excellent nose of toasty black currants, blackberry, spice box, and fresh herbs. This is followed by a firm, layered, well-balanced wine which is built to last. There is moderate, ripe tannin leading to a long, pure finish. Give this Saint-Emilion look-alike 5-7 years of additional bottle age and drink it through 2035.
Other Vintages
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Robert
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The winery has consistently produced premium, age-worthy, award-winning Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots as well as Chardonnays. From the outset, Rick determined that quality would take precedence over quantity.
Consequently, Woodward Canyon has remained small. Woodward Canyon is located in Lowden in the Walla Walla Valley appellation. The tasting room is a restored 1870's farmhouse.
Woodward Canyon is a founding member of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and VINEA, the Walla Walla Valley Winegrowers' Sustainable Trust.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.