Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2012 Walla Walla Reserve is an incredible wine that could rival the 2010 down the road. A blockbuster blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot, it’s overflowing with notions of cassis, plum, licorice, toasted spice and asphalt-like aromas and flavors. Big, inky, massively concentrated and structured, with a serious lashing of tannin, it pushes on the ripeness scale, yet stays lively, pure and focused, with killer length on the finish. Aged 22 months in new and once used French oak barrels and puncheons, it will be approachable in 3-4 years, and keep for three decades.
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Vinous
Black raspberries and pine resin give way to underbrush and sage as the 2012 Red Wine Reserve blossoms in the glass. This is in a beautiful place, just entering its drinking window, with a massive wave of rich red fruits and savory spices that cascade across the palate. The 2012 finishes chewy and long, yet its tannins have mellowed, making for a slightly grippy yet still-fresh expression. If sitting on more than one bottle, the 2012 is certainly worth checking today; yet, with that said, there's no rush. I can't help but be swept off my feet by this utterly classic Red Wine Reserve.
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Wine Enthusiast
Just over 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Malbec (10%), Petit Verdot (8%) and Merlot, this wine offers brooding but well-delineated aromas and flavors of blackberry, dried flowers, black tea, herbs, earth, barrel spices and light meaty notes. It’s packed tightly with firm tannins and also shows great length. Drink 2022– 2028. Cellar Selection.
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Wine Spectator
A swarm of fine tannins swirls around a sleek core of peppery black cherry and plum flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Best from 2017 through 2024.
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.