Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Barrel aromas are at the fore initially, with notes of roasted coffee bean, vanilla, chocolate and char in front of plum and cherry. Plump, juicy fruit and barrel flavors follow, with the tannins providing a pleasing squeeze. Give it additional time in the bottle or decant to see it at its best. Best after 2024.
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Wine Spectator
Svelte and well-defined, with currant, black olive and stony mineral accents that build toward fine-grained tannins.
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.