Winemaker Notes
This wine is a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Christophe Baron has mentioned that the Cabernet Sauvignon has been added to create the backbone of the wine. The wine was aged for 8 months in 30% new French oak prior to bottling.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Flying Pig checks in as 45% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. Beautiful, classic Cabernet Franc notes of red and black currants, cedarwood, forest floor, leafy herbs, and rose petals gives way to a medium to full-bodied, silky, elegant blend offering terrific tannins as well as outstanding length. In the same league as the 2016, this brilliant wine will stand up to any Cabernet Franc blend out there. It can be drunk today or cellared for 15-20 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Flying Pig is a blend of 45% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and begins with classic notions of roasted red bell pepper, juicy dark cherry and dusty plum with elements of roasted sage, dried herbs and baked earth. Medium to full-bodied, the wine offers a balanced structure with lifting tannins that sway with a dusty mineral tension in the mouth. The wine concludes with a long, lingering and silky finish that will continue to be food-friendly and provide pleasure for years to come. For any Cabernet Franc lover, you'll want to put this on your radar. The sine rested for 19 months in approximately 33% new French barrels.
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James Suckling
Blackberry, black-cherry, tar, tobacco, clove and thyme aromas. It’s full-bodied with sleek, velvety tannins. Focused and fresh with a deliciously herbed and spiced core. 45% cabernet franc, 44% merlot and 11% cabernet sauvignon. Drink now or hold.
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.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.