Winemaker Notes
The 2022 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon is a richly textured, elegantly structured wine. Aromas of black cherry, sweet spice, nutmeg, and earthy undertones lead to a concentrated palate of dark fruit flavors. Silky tannins provide a refined framework, balancing the wine's plush mid-palate and sophisticated finish. The wine reveals even greater complexity as it opens, hinting at its potential for graceful aging.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of ripe blackcurrants, cherry chocolate, mocha, crushed walnuts and wet earth. Full-bodied with a wide, meaty structure, it offers dense, velvety tannins and a deep core of fruit. Long and encompassing.
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Wine Enthusiast
Feather is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and 100% compelling. The wine opens with aromas of black cherries, leather, macadamia nuts coated in dark chocolate and a trace of horehound candy. Feather's texture is graceful and elegant, with flavors of cassis, black pepper and caraway seeds gliding across the palate. The wine spent nearly two years in French oak, 85% of which was new. Its imposing tannic structure and surprisingly lively acidity are a winning combination that you can expect to enjoy for another two decades.
Cellar Selection -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 100% varietal 2022 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon is densely concentrated in full-bodied black fruit, lavender aromatics, and an enduring richness of dark chocolate. Silky, supple tannins provide a refined texture that leads to a peppery finish of oak, saddle leather, and clove. This shows cellaring potential of 20-25 years.
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Vinous
The 2022 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon is an elegant effort with a perfumed blend of dusty violet flowers and sweet spice complementing black cherries. Silken textures are contrasted by a wave of tart red and black fruits, while a sweet herbal air informs the close. Gently tannic yet a bit shorter than anticipated, it leaves a resonance of lavender pastille to taper off.
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.