Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A classy, elegant effort that has upside potential, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Ethos is a beautifully done 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that comes mostly from the Cold Creek Vineyard. Aged 22 months in 69% new French oak, it’s a richly textured, medium to full-bodied 2010 that has classy black raspberry, creme de cassis, tobacco, spice and hints of chocolate as well as an elegant, pure feel on the palate.
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Wine Enthusiast
The best Ethos Cabernet yet, this 100% varietal wine is sourced from 40-year-old vines at the Cold Creek vineyards. Dark, rich, juicy and dense with black fruits, this powerhouse wine brings blackberry and cassis into focus with layers of cinnamon-dusted dark chocolate.
Editors' Choice
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Wine Spectator
Firm and chewy, presenting a pulsing core of black cherry, guava and spice flavors that push through the layer of tannins to the focused, expressive 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.