Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Two Blondes Vineyard opens in herbal aromas of thyme and is lovely in its youth, though thoroughly age-worthy too. Bright in acidity, with resolved tannins, the impact of the oak is subtle and supportive, adding a lightness of baking spice to the tangy red fruit and cacao nib flavors at its medium-bodied core. Drink now through 2040.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Matured for 22 months in 25% new French oak, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Two Blondes has pure, inviting scents of cassis, blueberry, warm chocolate, salami, thyme and lavender, and its new oak is already well integrated. The full-bodied palate is elegantly styled with graphite-laced flavors, fine-grained tannins, mouthwatering acidity and a long finish. It will benefit from time in a decanter.
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.
As the first recognized wine-growing region in the Pacific Northwest, Yakima Valley is centrally located within Washington’s vast Columbia Valley. The region also includes Washington’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines, Otis Vineyard, planted in 1957, and Harrison Hill Vineyard, planted in 1963. Yakima Valley contains three smaller sub-regions: Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, and Snipes Mountain and is ideal for both red and white wine production. In fact, Yakima Valley is Washington’s most diverse region, boasting more than 40 different grape varieties over about one hundred miles.
The cooler parts of the valley are home to almost half of the Chardonnay and Riesling produced in the state! Both are made in a wide range of styles depending on the conditions of the vineyard site.
But its warmer locations yield a large proportion of Washington’s best Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The finest Yakima Valley reds are jam-packed full of red cherry, currant, raspberry or blackberry fruit, as well as cocoa, herb, spice and savory notes, and exhibit a supple texture, great body, focus and length.