Winemaker Notes
The 2018 J. Bookwalter Suspense is amazing. Dark red, garnet in appearance. Aromas of rose petals, ripe raspberry, plum, cherry. The palate is bright acidity, violets, raspberry, cherry, sweet roasted red pepper. Ripe red fruit finish that is plush and lingering.
Pair this wine along with roasted turkey with cranberry sauce, spiced lentil stew, pork belly tacos, butter herbed mushrooms with red pepper flakes, and soft-ripen cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 83% Cabernet Franc and 27% Merlot, the 2018 Cabernet Franc Suspense has brambly red and dark, almost blue fruits as well as notes of sappy herbs, flowers, and earth. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it's nicely textured and has a rather narrow mouthfeel, beautiful purity, and ripe tannins. Opening up nicely with time in the glass, it’s certainly a textbook Cabernet Franc that should evolve for 10-15 years.
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James Suckling
A medium-bodied red with currants, dried herbs, violets, lemon zest and licorice on the nose. Perfumed and savory with some earthy undertones. Silky tannins and bright acidity lead to a juicy finish. 83% cabernet franc and 17% merlot. Drink now.
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Wine Enthusiast
Cabernet Franc makes up 83% of this wine, with the rest Merlot. Char, whole green pepper, green herb and black cherry aromas lead to full bodied, palate coating, rich fruit flavors. Polished tannins back it up. It shows the variety's more savory side while still bringing heft.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
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.