Winemaker Notes
The fragrance of crushed boysenberries opens on the nose with complexities of vanilla bean, and tobacco leaf. The palate is expressive and well-structured with velvety tannins and satisfying acidity. A mouthwatering entry of pomegranate glides into savory undertones of black olive and sage as sophisticated layers of ripe fruit come together and persist throughout a long, mouth-filling finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Earthy blackberry and espresso aromas strike first, with bursts of cherry blossoms, straw, thyme and saline following in rapid succession. Those scents tempt you to sit with the wine for a few minutes before tasting. A sweet baked good flavor similar to a blackberry tart dominates the palate. Lesser notes of Bergamot tea and cedar are equally enjoyable. The wine's imposing tannic structure and noticeable acidity suggest you can enjoy it until 2040, perhaps longer.
Cellar Selection -
Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Heather Hill is dusty and floral, opening with a whiff of crushed stone, exotic spice, dried violets, and currants. Decidedly savory, it sweeps across the palate with soft textures and medium-bodied weight, as hints of lavender pastille and tart blackberry fruit swirl throughout. This finishes with a pleasantly bitter sensation while finishing long and structured with a balance that will promote extended cellaring.
Rating: 93+ -
James Suckling
This full-bodied red shows black and red currants, olives and dried herbs on the nose. It’s savory and compact, with firm yet sleek tannins. Excellent length. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Heather Hill is a refined, age-worthy vineyard-designate with impressive structure and dusty tannins that also shows a hint of earth, dried herb, and leather. Quiet red fruit continues on the midpalate, a mix of cassis and black cherry, finishing in balanced acidity. Enjoy over the next 10-12 years.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.