Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Figgins 2012 Estate Red Wine is flat-out knockout stuff. Layered, gorgeously concentrated, full-bodied, and balanced, this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend gives up sensational notes of cassis, black raspberry toasted bread and sweet spice on the nose. Ultra-pure, elegant and silky, it has the texture to drink nicely today, yet will age effortlessly for two decades or more. Coming from the higher elevation, eastern edge of Walla Walla (1500-1750 feet above sea level), it spent 22 months in 70% new French oak and 30% in once used barrels. This is one of the top Cabernets coming out of Washington and readers should not miss it.
Rating: 96+ -
Wine Enthusiast
Closed-up at present, this aromatic brooder has notes of red and black fruit, scorched earth and herbs, along with a floral top note. It has a mountain-fruit profile of firm, chewy tannins, tart acids and dense flavors. Time in the cellar is required to fully appreciate it. Let it be until at least 2020 but it should have a good 15 years beyond that.
-
Wine Spectator
Taut, focused, generous and distinctive, splaying out plum, currant, espresso and spice flavors against nippy tannins. Comes into sharp focus as the meaty, complex finish lingers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2017 through 2022.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Time, patience and love are three very cool things to combine and the 2012 Figgins Estate Red is a red wine commands real attention. So rich and so very young, this one doesn't need a lot of time to reveal itself, but it does need some. Of course, the impatient can pop the cork now and find great pleasure nonetheless. Deep ruby color; powerful youthful black fruit and dusty earth in the nose, some savory, for sure; rich and full on the bodied with fine stand-up and sweet tannins; dry, medium acidity, well balanced; bold, young black fruit and chewy earth in the flavors; long in the finish. (Tasted: February 23, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine & Spirits
Massive and powerful, the 2012 Figgins estate wine is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and merlot. It has a tawny scent of kid leather and cured tobacco, with earthy, figgy fruit lavished with oak. Cellar it to let all these elements integrate.
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.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.