Winemaker Notes
At the winery, the handpicked fruit was destemmed and placed into small fermentors where they were punched down two or three times a day during fermentation to gently extract color and tannin. Once the optimal level of tannin was extracted, the wine was drained and the skins gently pressed. The wine was then racked to barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation and 24 months of aging in French and American oak. Blend: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Here is a well-built, Bordeaux-style blend based largely upon Cabernet Sauvignon, with 12% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot filling it out. Firm, dark and muscular, this mixes tart black fruit flavors with streaks of licorice and peppery herbs.
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.