Winemaker Notes
Blend: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blackcurrants, bark, dried spices, walnuts and cigar box on the nose, followed by a full-bodied, concentrated palate, framed by firm, fine tannins. Lovely balance and persistency to this. Light toasty character on the long finish. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 10% malbec and 4% cabernet franc. Drink from 2028.
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Vinous
The 2022 Apogee Pepper Bridge Vineyard tempts the senses with notes of blueberry sauce and molten chocolate lifted by dried violets and stone dust. It is soothingly round and spry, with crisp acidity and cool-toned wild berry fruits splashing across the palate. Nuances of tart blackberry mix with rosemary and sour citrus as the 2022 finishes long, full of tension yet only gently tannic. This is a gorgeous vintage for Apogee, a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc.
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Wine Enthusiast
A sweet, ripe blackberry pastille aroma joins forces with a dusty mineral note similar to the white dust that coats driveway gravel. Blackberries dominate the palate, as well, joined by bursts of black licorice and thyme. Apogee offers a rare combination of dazzling acidity and grippy tannins that will make you think about laying down a few bottles for posterity. Enjoy from 2027 to 2042.
Cellar Selection
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.