Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Also beautifully complex and slightly more focused, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance a mix of Merlot, Syrah and Malbec. Coming from vines planted in 1991 and located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, close to the Columbia River, it delivers notions of red and black fruits, spice box, flowers and background herbs along with a medium-bodied, richly textured mouthfeel that carries solid depth and ripe tannin. More forward and approachable than the Cold Creek Vineyard, it should drink nicely over the coming 4-5 years. Drink now-2018.
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Wine Enthusiast
This 95% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance of Merlot, Syrah and Malbec, is immediately accessible with notes of char, roasted coffee bean and cherry. The palate is rich, chocolaty and seamlessly stitched together.
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Wine Spectator
Supple and distinctive, with meaty overtones to the core of rich currant and coffee flavors, lingering on the polished 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.