Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Slightly darker in color than the 2012, the 2013 Two Blondes Vineyard has terrific Cabernet notes of black currants, black cherries, coffee bean, tobacco leaf and spring flowers. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated and structured, with building, fine tannin on the finish, this beauty is approachable today, but will cruise in the cellar for 15+ years.
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James Suckling
Plenty of ripe plums and some violet-like floras. The palate has a very smooth flowing mouthfeel, carrying the riper plums easy and long. Elegant with deep flavors on offer. A blend of 44% merlot, 34% cabernet sauvignon and 22% cabernet franc. Drink now.
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Wine Spectator
Plush and generous, with lightly prickly tannins dancing around a supple core of ripe cherry, blueberry and spice. Finishes with a nice cut of acidity. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2023. 1,017 cases made.
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.