Winemaker Notes
A lot of the full-bodied Cabs out there are either full of themselves or just full of it. Not Chateau Smith. It stays true to the old-world winemaking style from Bordeaux and honest to everyone who drinks it. And while we don’t actually have a chateau…this award-winning dry Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% the real deal.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
An excellent effort, with very attractive, curranty aromas. Vibrant, peppery blackberry and sour cherry fruit with a smoky finish.
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.