Winemaker Notes
The 2014 Estate Red Wine is a true representation of Figgins Estate Vineyard in its prime. Now entering the vineyard’s 15th leaf, this vintage really shows the site’s ability to produce world-class fruit. The wine is deeply colored and bursts from the glass with baking spices, pan-reduced brambles, blueberry, and dried fig. It is delightfully fresh with a deep current of ripe fruit that runs the course of the palate. The ultra-fine tannins provide for a long and smooth finish. The fruit is all from Figgins Estate Vineyard which is planted to several clones each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Chris makes a single Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated red that’s brought up all in small new and used barrels. The 2014 Estate Red Wine is a blockbuster that comes from estate vineyards in Walla Walla and incorporates a splash of Merlot and Petit Verdot. Cassis, blackcurrant, roasted herbs, graphite and scorched earth all give way to a full-bodied, structured, impressively balanced red that has polished tannin (and lots of them), a core of sweet fruit and a great finish. Give it a few years of bottle age and drink over the following 10-15+ years.
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James Suckling
Impressive ripeness and freshness with violets, black olives and tarry notes across ripe plum and blackberry fruits. Sinewy tannins that deliver sleek power and carry ripe red- and black-fruit flavors long and even. Blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Merlot all coming from a single vineyard site. It's wound up tightly at present, with aromas of herb, dark fruit, spice and earth. The palate is big and bold, with rich fruit flavors and a firm lick of tannins. Best from 2024–2030.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Tightly focused and densely structured, with black currant aromas and concentrated espresso, olive and spice flavors, finishing with firm tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best after 2019.
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.