Winemaker Notes
2016 D2, the 25th vintage of this remarkable cuvee, leaps from the glass with an impressive and inviting abundance of fruit aromas, including pomegranate, fresh blueberry and currant. Restrained oak influence enrobes the fruit, adding essences of cocoa nibs and cherry cordial. Dense and vibrant on the palate, with a pure fruit core, this wine offers elegant tannin and remarkable integration. Incredibly balanced barrel influence and Cabernet presence support an extended finish.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2016 D2 is mostly Merlot but includes 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and a splash of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. It has a Bordeaux-like bouquet of tobacco, earth, lead pencil, and graphite, with plenty of ripe dark fruit. Rounded, medium to full-bodied, and textured, it’s a terrific second wine to drink over the coming 10-15 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 D2 Proprietary Red Wine is a blend of 59% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The nose displays a lush and dense core with dusty currant, plum and black raspberry sprinkled with a rocky minerality. The wine is medium to full-bodied on the palate, with deep concentration and focused balance, delivering complexity through the mid-palate and ending with a long, concentrated finish. 15,000 cases produced. Rating: 92+
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Wine & Spirits
About two-thirds merlot and one-third cabernet sauvignon, this blend starts out heady and broad, with scents of red berries laced with fine-cut tobacco. Its juicy red-cherry core feels airy, even a bit transparent, with plenty of firm tannins and cedar notes to keep it grounded.
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Wine Spectator
Tightly wound and a bit brooding, with currant, cigar box and stony mineral accents that persist toward broad-shouldered tannins. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Best from 2020 through 2026.
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.