Winemaker Notes
Blend: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Smooth and polished, with a pleasant cocoa nib note adding interest to the dark berry, currant and gentle herb flavors. Shows depth and distinction. Best from 2013 through 2018. 4,000 cases made.
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Wine & Spirits
Scents of India ink and evergreen relax with air into scents of cedar, carob and black cherry. On the palate it remains dense and tightly woven, with a grainy texture that seems textbook Horse Heaven Hills. It needs time, but it is a great buy to set against a steak.
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.