Winemaker Notes
The 2015 Andrew Will Winery Two Blondes Vineyard is characterized by a great fruit profile while maintaining excellent structure and focus.
Blend: 33% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2015 Two Blondes Vineyard is superb, wafting from the glass with a rich bouquet of blackberries, mulberries, minty cassis and dried flowers, with only subtle hints of the dark chocolate and spice that I suspect will become more pronounced with bottle age. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and generous, with a lavish core of ripe, succulent fruit framed by fine-grained tannins, concluding with a long, tangy finish. This is a giving, sun-kissed rendition of Two Blondes that avoids any of the aggressive structure found in some of the state's 2015 Bordeaux blends, and it will likely drink well with only three or four years of bottle age. The 2015 is a blend of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc and 17% Malbec.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Also deeply colored, the inky colored 2015 Two Blondes Vineyard is another truly gorgeous wine from this estate. Crème de cassis, blueberries, violets, crushed rocks and chocolate all give way to a full-bodied, concentrated, rich, opulent 2015 that still holds onto a classic, structured style. It's the finest version of this cuvee I've tasted.
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.