Winemaker Notes
Classic Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics combine with mulberry, creamy boysenberry, and vanilla in a wine that isn't as dark and tannic as 2005, but has every bit as much personality. We are very happy with this Cabernet Sauvignon, and while it is drinking really well even in its youth, we look forward to enjoying it for years to come.
The music on this one was simple. To me, the wine has many different layers and nuances that need a classic album, filled with subtlety and detail, like Pink Floyd's The Wall. Their signature flying pigs at their concerts make me think of the "pig plate" at Higgins Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. For lighter fare, I would pair this wine with a ginger-beef salad or a grilled pork chop with a root-vegetable gratin. Never underestimate the power of the root vegetable, which pigs love too!
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Abeja is located on a century-old farmstead in the breathtaking foothills of the Blue Mountains, four miles east of Walla Walla Washington. Once seriously dilapidated, all of the original farm buildings have been carefully restored with an emphasis on craftsmanship and longevity. Creative use of salvaged materials adds interest and sets the stage for renewed purpose in these old buildings, which now house our winery and our inn guests.
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.