Winemaker Notes
Appealing aromas of crushed cherries with hints of lightly roasted coffee, vanillin, cloves, and a tinge of mint play on the nose and continue to unfold on a broadpalate where further layers of savory olive and black walnut develop. The generous structure is elegantly woven with pleasant acidity and velvet-like tannins as ample dark fruits continue to deliver a persistent finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Boysenberry and lilac aromas were a nice start, but a minty note took me back to my first mind-blowing experience with the eucalyptus of an old Heitz Cellar Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Freshly pulled espresso shots and Bing cherries mix it up on the smooth palate with notes of dark chocolate and thyme.
Cellar Selection -
Decanter
This Cabernet bottling, sourced from throughout the Columbia Valley, contains 18% Merlot. The two varieties come together with just a whisper of Petit Verdot to craft a delicious, savoury Washington Cabernet—aromas of pencil lead, bramble fruits and leather finish with a kiss of wintergreen. The palate is soft and flashes elegance with ample structure and a richness that retains its fresh fruit character. Bramble berries, black plums and mocha dust are met with sage, white pepper and bay leaf. The finish flashes crushed slate, graphite and a mineral undertone.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Blackcurrants, smoky oak, tobacco, and damp earth notes all emerge from the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, a pure, medium to full-bodied, concentrated 2020 that comes across like a terrific Saint-Estèphe.
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James Suckling
A focused cabernet with dark chocolate, blackberries, walnuts, dried herbs, violets and iodine on the nose. It’s medium- to full-bodied with sleek, fine-grained tannins and a savory, mineral edge. Balanced and linear. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with a splash of Merlot and a kiss of Petit Verdot, the 2020 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is dark red-fruited with a juicy core of ripe fresh fruit aromas that sway with bitter dark chocolate, hints of oak and spiced red and purple flowers. Medium to full-bodied, it has a tannic mouthfeel that will benefit from additional time in the bottle and will have no challenges aging for another decade.
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Wine Spectator
Refined and handsomely structured, with appealing black currant, savory herb and espresso flavors that finish with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029. 4,905 cases made.
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.