Winemaker Notes
Blend: 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
As it approaches the age of 12, the 2006 Bel Canto is drinking very well, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of minty cassis, cigar box, rich soil and candied peel. On the palate, it's rich, medium-bodied and supple, with a lavish attack, velvety tannins and ripe core of fruit. Structurally open-knit and giving, now's a great time to drink it, but it should cruise along gracefully for another decade. Considering this wine was produced only three years after Cadence's Cara Mia Vineyard was planted, it's immensely impressive.
-
Wine Enthusiast
The complement to the Camerata from Cadence, this estate-grown blend is 52% Cab Franc and 48% Merlot. There’s a juicy core that is delightful, with ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit. Both of the Cara Mia wines see 50% new oak for a full 18 months, and at this early age this shows as aliquorous, almost bourbony aftertaste. The aromatics display dark notes of smoke and coffee, along with some mocha and cracker.
-
Wine Spectator
Velvety, focused and lively, with rose petal–accented cherry and raspberry flavors. Finishes with a silky feel and real generosity. Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Drink now through 2013. 615 cases made.
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 coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.