Winemaker Notes
Showcasing a classic layering of red and dark fruits, the 2020 D2 is built upon a softer, approachable structure and style that allow for this wine to be so reliable to be enjoyed in its youth. Whiffs of dried cranberry, black cherry, vanilla bean, and lavender flower flow into a palate filled with flavors reminiscent of milk chocolate, green peppercorn, and fresh ground nutmeg. Many of the state’s most heralded sites provide pure fruit and savory characteristics here, with toasty oak influence deftly supporting in the background.
Pair with butternut squash risotto with black truffles.
Blend: 61% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The more Merlot-dominated 2020 D2 offers a vivid purple/ruby hue as well as beautiful notes of ripe black cherries, tobacco leaf, sandalwood, and spring flowers. I love its purity, and it has terrific mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and a great finish. The blend is 61% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 60% new oak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2020 D2 Proprietary Red Wine was made from 61% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The nose is as brilliant as always, with focused, dark red fruits, hints of black cherry skin and oak essence that sways out of the glass. Full-bodied and mineral tensioned, the palate offers fine-grained tannins with succulent healthy fruit flavors before ending with a fresh, food-friendly finish. At these prices, buy the entire case. About 108,000 bottles were filled after the wine rested in 68% new French oak for 20 months. Bravo!
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James Suckling
Ripe and fruity nose of mulberries and blueberries with violets and candied orange peel. Medium-bodied, vibrant and succulent, with crunchy tannins and an expressive, flavorful finish.
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Wine Spectator
Well-framed and precise, with handsomely layered blackberry, tobacco and black olive flavors that build tension toward medium-grained tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030.
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.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.