Winemaker Notes
Dark, rich and full-bodied, this wine has aromatics of black plum and anise. Black fruit and jasmine are layered with flavors of red apple and blackberry that cling to the palate with persistent tannins. The finish lingers with cigar box aromas, dried cranberry and sweet oak.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Black plum and blackcurrant fruit on the nose combined with cloves, spice box and tobacco. It’s full-bodied with a firm and focused tannin frame that’s well integrated with the dark and spicy fruit. Long.
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Wine Enthusiast
Fragrances of blackberries, rose petals and vanilla ice cream strike first in this wine, followed by a meaty aroma similar to pan-seared T-bone steak. It’s quite a combination. Black cherry and black tea flavors, with a trace of oats, glide across the palate
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.