Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Rich and ripe, packed with beautiful currant and berry flavors, framed with superfine tannins that let the fruit and subtly spicy overtones linger effortlessly on the long finish.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is the winery's first nonreserve Cabernet from 100% Walla Walla fruit. It’s a subtle style shift: more floral qualities, more finesse, a mix of red fruits and a light hint of bell pepper. Tannins are soft but substantial; in the mouth, flavors extend and include interesting herb and leaf nuances. The core of ripe fruit is there and firmly in place; the tannins are showing a bit of stem right now and the oak is hiding.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The rich, highly expressive aromas of the 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley burst from the glass with cassis, spiced oak, jammy blackberries, candied plums, smoke, grilled toast, and juniper berries. Medium to full-bodied, it coats the taster's palate with Italian Roma tomatoes, red cherries, assorted dark fruits, and countless spices. This lush wine, a blend of 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.4% Merlot, and 2.1% Petit Verdot, is dense, concentrated, and reveals loads of tannin in its finish.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.