Winemaker Notes
One of the finest Feather bottlings to date, this is a sophisticated wine, opaque in color with enticing aromas and flavors. Dark earth and oak spice are woven throughout a generous core of black fruit. On the palate, blackberry jam and graphite mingle beautifully with an underlining richness that lifts the wine's overall impression and provides a lush and textured finish.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Instantly impressive, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather opens to silky, fresh and fleshy dark red and black fruit tones with picturesque rich and ripe notions that sashay out of the glass with elegance, power and precision. Medium to full-bodied, the Cabernet shows incredible depth and breadth with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins. This will have no trouble aging past its 20th birthday. World-class and devastatingly beautiful, the wine continues to somersault across the ever-evolving finish, and it will undoubtedly be well received upon its release in the fall later this year. Mark your calendar now, and run, don’t walk to add this to your cellar. Just under 48,000 bottles were filled after the wine rested for 22 months in all French oak, 90% first fill.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Blackcurrants, chalky minerality, and subtle floral notes all emerge from the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather, which is made by Randy Dunn and sourced from the Weinbau, Dionysus, Bacchus, Sagemoor, and The Benches vineyards. With medium to full-bodied richness as well as fine tannins, it’s a more elegant, streamlined Cabernet than past vintages yet shines for its purity and balance. It’s beautifully done and should have two decades of longevity.
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Wine Enthusiast
What a classic Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine's aromas begin with black currants and meat on a grill, then end with notes of cigar box, graphite and leather. Flavors like black cherry and mocha latte coat the palate. The Feather combines mouthwatering acidity with husky tannins. Enjoy 2024–2039. Cellar Selection
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James Suckling
Notes of ripe blackcurrants, cherry chocolate, mocha, crushed walnuts and stones. Medium- to full-bodied with a meaty structure and a dense array of velvety tannins expanding on the palate, carrying the dark fruit through the lingering, chocolatey finish. Very attractive and well made.
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Vinous
The 2020 Feather, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is vibrant in the glass, with a gorgeous and perfumed blend of bright cherries, sage and exotic spice. It coasts across the palate, energetic and sleek, with silky textures and polished red berry fruits. Tactile mineral tones mingle with edgy tannins, yet the mouth is left watering for more. This finishes lightly structured, with a pleasant bitter twang.
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Wine Spectator
Generous and expressive, with polished flavors of black cherry, mocha, dusty herbs and dusky spices that build richness toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030. 4,277 cases made.
Long Shadows Vintners is a collection of seven ultra-premium wines, each built on the unique expertise of some of the world's most highly-regarded winemakers to showcase the viticultural quality and caliber of Washington State's Columbia Valley.
Founded by Washington wine visionary Allen Shoup in 2002, Long Shadows is the continuation of Allen's ongoing ambition to bring international recognition to the Columbia Valley. His idea for Long Shadows was as simple as it was complex. Recruit seven internationally acclaimed winemakers; give each access to Washington State's best grapes; and outfit a winery to the vintner’s exacting cellar specifications. The result, in effect, is seven stand-alone wineries, under one roof.
Since the beginning, Long Shadows' director of winemaking and viticulture Gilles Nicault, has overseen the operations of the winery and worked closely with the vintners to bring each winemaker's vision to completion. Internationally renowned winemakers Randy Dunn (Feather Cabernet Sauvignon); John Duval (Sequel Syrah); Philippe Melka (Pirouette Red Wine); and Michel Rolland (Pedestal Merlot) are active partners in their respective wines. Gilles now crafts Poet’s Leap Riesling and Saggi (Sangiovese/Cabernet Sauvignon) in styles that remain true to their original winemakers, Armin Diel and Giovanni Folonari respectively. Gilles crafts Chester-Kidder, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah blend, independently.
Gilles works closely with the state's top growers to execute a diverse winemaking protocol at Long Shadows' state-of-the-art facility in Walla Walla to produce wines of exceptional quality, true to the Columbia Valley's terroir.
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.