Winemaker Notes
Blend: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille showed beautifully. Coming mostly from Red Mountain (which I think excelled in 2017), it has beautiful cassis and black cherry fruit as well as notes of violets, spring flowers, and graphite. It’s tight, medium to full-bodied, and structured on the palate, and in need of 4-5 years of bottle age. Rating: 95+
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James Suckling
This is a complex and subtle red with chocolate, spice and walnut aromas and flavors. Medium-to full-bodied. Tile and iron undertones. Juicy and flavorful on the finish. A beautiful, balanced red. Very fine, polished tannins. Subtle and friendly. Regional blend that shows the story of the vintage. A blend of 90% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot and 4% merlot. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Oak-driven with sweet baking spices, dark cherry and freshness of fruit, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille offers bright floral aromas with notions of black plum reduction. Medium to full-bodied, the wine shows high-toned floral expressions with a firm tannic edge and a delightful mineral tension before concluding with a rich, expressive finish. It's delightful now, and I recommend drinking this one on the younger side.
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Wine Enthusiast
The fruit is primary at present, with notes of whole berry, blue fruit, cherry and dried herb, along with bittersweet chocolate. Focused, intensely flavorful black cherry notes follow on the palate. It's a complete stunner, winning on charm and grace rather than sheer power. The balance is impressive. Best from 2025 to 2032.
Washington produces so many exciting wines, and that definitely includes Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. With over 10,000 acres under vine, Cabernet Sauvignon is now the most widely-grown varietal in the state. Terrific examples hail from sub-appellations like Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla Valley. One of the fascinations of these Columbia Valley Cabs is that they so often seem to have one foot in the New World and one in the Old. Representing the former are characteristics like the ripe, forward fruit that results from long sunny days during the growing season (up to two hours longer than in much of California). Old World similarities include an undeniable brightness from acidity, as well as notes of herbs, graphite and a dusty, sometimes gravelly minerality.
Whether you’re looking for a budget bottle for everyday enjoyment, or a stellar, world-class wine with tremendous aging potential, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines can deliver the goods! Among the many fine options are bottles from Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle, L’ecole #41, Quilceda Creek and Leonetti.