Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
We started the tasting with his 2012s from barrel, and this appears to be a fantastic vintage here. The Merlot-dominated 2012 Two Blondes Vineyard, offers a ripe, plush feel with ample black currants, chocolate, licorice and hints of spice flowing to a full-bodied profile on the palate. Incorporating 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc, I think it will be approachable on release, but it should evolve gracefully for 12-15 years. Range: 92-94
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Wine Spectator
Supple, expressive and focused, with a core of juicy blackberry, currant and apricot pushing through a veil of peppery, earthy, savory notes. Finishes with a sleek texture and refreshing balance. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2016 through 2022.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of consommé and cassis lead in this blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Two Blondes is always a blue-fruited beast and in 2012 it doesn’t disappoint, the finish recalling malbec in its piney, purplish hue.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2012 Andrew Will Two Blondes Vineyard Red Wine—a blend of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc—shows the gentle side that Bordeaux grape blends can bring to the table. The wine exhibits plenty of lovely red fruits and a smooth palate presence. The soft finish pairs it nicely with roast pork. Drinks well now. (Tasted: October 10, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
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.