Avennia Sestina 2013
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
Product Details
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The most structured and backward of Chris's 2013s, the Cabernet Sauvignon dominated 2013 Sestina offers lots of minerality and crushed rock nuances to go with notes of wood smoke, lead pencil shavings, spice and crisp black fruits. It has a great mid-palate and good texture, but patience will be required. Give it 5-6 years and it should impress over the following decade or more. Range: 92-94+
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2013 Sestina is another mature wine based on 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc raised in the standard 70% new barrels. It reminds me of the 2010 and has evolved yet impressive aromatics of blackcurrants, dried herbs, sandalwood, and dried bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied and nicely balanced, with quality tannins, it’s drinking nicely today and is probably best enjoyed over the coming 10-12 years, although it’s not going to fall off a cliff after that.
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Wine Enthusiast
More brains than brawn, the focus on this understated Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend is on old vines, with fruit coming mostly from early '70s and '80s Dionysus, Bacchus and Red Willow vineyard plantings. The earth, black cherry, peppercorn, currant and dried herb aromas start out tightly coiled. The flavors have laser-focused purity and a compelling sense of balance, with plenty of subtleties. It's all about nuance.
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Wine Spectator
Firm in texture, with a taut grip of tannins underlining a sharply focused beam of blackberry and currant flavors, persisting against tar and mocha notes into a vibrant finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2017 through 2021.
Other Vintages
2017-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling
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Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Robert
Parker
Avennia is inspired by the Roman name for the city of Avignon, and signifies for us the heart of Old World winemaking. The wines are designed to tease rather than flaunt; pique interest, not beg for attention. They stand for elegance, delicacy, purity. The wines are made to enhance conversation, not dominate it, and will be a welcome guest at the table.
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.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.