Winemaker Notes
The 2020 Protagonist has a dense ruby core with violet hues coming through along with aromas of black cherries, wet stone, sandalwood & baking spices.
The texture is supple with velvety, soft tannins.
Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Deeply, lusciously fruity, this wine oozes strawberries, blueberries and black cherries on a structure of polished, fine-grained tannins. Generous oak spices help frame the super-ripe flavors that swell on the palate and linger in the finish.
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Wine Spectator
Brooding at the core but generous and expressive, with blackberry, toasty mocha and herb tea flavors that build toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2032. 2,022 cases made.
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Wine Enthusiast
89% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the rest split between Syrah and Petit Verdot, the Protagonist’s sweet blueberry tart and earthy oregano aromas are accompanied by bursts of graphite and wet slate. Medium-bodied with silky tannins and crisp acidity, flavors like black cherries and black tea with demerara sugar coat the palate.
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.