Winemaker Notes
The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is balanced, soft and approachable. With flavors of blackberry, toffee and subtle spice notes this wine has silky tannins and a lasting finish.
Pair with BBQ ribs, grilled steak or a decadent chocolate cake.
Blend: Blend 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of black currant, cedar, toast, spice, plum, green pepper and cherry lead to dense, tightly backed red and black fruit flavors. It has a lovely sense of freshness, balance, and length—a whole lot of wine for the money.
Best Buy
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.