Winemaker Notes
A concentrated, full-bodied wine with dark fruit aromas and flavorful layers of black cherry, wild blackberry, and fresh plum on the palate. Refined tannins give the wine its silky texture, with dark fruit flavors stretching across a long, rich finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of sweet cherries and baked blueberries lead to a suave and velvety palate that’s rich in berries, cherries, cinnamon and mint flavors. Blended with 4% merlot and 1% malbec.
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Wine Enthusiast
Aged in a combination of French and American oak, this full-bodied wine’s aromas are a mix of cherries and blackberries, with a wisp of roasted pumpkin seeds. The wine is nicely balanced, with velvety tannins and flavors of Bing cherries, nutmeg, orange and coffee.
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Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is dusty and red-fruited, with hints of rose and cedar spice box lifting dried cherries and strawberries. Silken textures are offset by a core of tart wild berry fruits, as fine tannins amass toward the close. The 2021 tapers off with staining length and concentration, leaving a bitter licorice tinge and a pleasantly chewy sensation.
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.