Winemaker Notes
This stunning vineyard sits on a south-facing wind-swept slope high above the Columbia River. The vines are planted in soils of flood deposits that are more than 10,000 years old. Complex and elegant wine with focused flavors and silky elegant tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A mix of ripe plum and black cherry on the nose. Full-bodied with soft tannins. Sweet black fruit and tobacco leaf on the palate. Simple and pleasantly rich. Sustainable.
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Wine Spectator
Elegantly structured and fleshy in texture, with polished black cherry, mocha and savory dried herb flavors that glide on the long finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
The aromas provide immediate appeal, with notes of blackberry, coffee, graphite, baking spices and dried herbs. Chocolate and cherry flavors follow, showing a lot of polish. It mixes equal parts fruit and barrel
Washington produces so many exciting wines, and that definitely includes Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. With over 10,000 acres under vine, Cabernet Sauvignon is now the most widely-grown varietal in the state. Terrific examples hail from sub-appellations like Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla Valley. One of the fascinations of these Columbia Valley Cabs is that they so often seem to have one foot in the New World and one in the Old. Representing the former are characteristics like the ripe, forward fruit that results from long sunny days during the growing season (up to two hours longer than in much of California). Old World similarities include an undeniable brightness from acidity, as well as notes of herbs, graphite and a dusty, sometimes gravelly minerality.
Whether you’re looking for a budget bottle for everyday enjoyment, or a stellar, world-class wine with tremendous aging potential, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines can deliver the goods! Among the many fine options are bottles from Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle, L’ecole #41, Quilceda Creek and Leonetti.