Winemaker Notes
Blend: 58% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Elegant with a dusty floral and oaky essence, the 2019 Two Blondes Vineyard is plummy in nature with aromas of red cherry skin and black raspberry and hints of popcorn kernel and vanilla that waft from the glass. Full-bodied, precise and focused, the wine shows nuances of baking spices on the palate along with a balanced structure of succulent tannins and energetic acidity. Concluding with a long, lingering finish, this fantastic wine continues to evolve in the mouth with persistent flavors of sweet oak and ripe, fleshy red and black fruit essence. Bravo—I'm not spitting a single drop.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Two Blondes Vineyard comes from a site in the Yakima Valley and checks in as 58% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Malbec. It shows a cooler vibe in its black and blue fruits as well as more green tobacco, cedar, chocolate, and floral aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has nicely integrated acidity, terrific purity, and a great finish.
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.