Winemaker Notes
Blend: 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 9% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon each make up a third of this blend, with the balance merlot, malbec and petit verdot. It not only shows the warmth of the vintage, but the mass of tannins a warm vintage will bestow upon Bordeaux varieties in Walla Walla. This wine, drawn from Seven Hills, Octave and Pepper Bridge vineyards, among others, has remarkable concentration, driven by dark plummy fruit and dense tannins. Unleash its unremitting intensity on a dry-aged steak.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Trine is a blend of 37% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 9% Malbec and the balance Petit Verdot. It has impressive notes of cassis, black raspberries, baking spice and a touch of leafy herbs and flowers (no doubt from the high percentage of Cabernet Franc). These carry to a medium to full-bodied, elegant red that has good acidity and a clean finish. Drink this lively and downright pretty 2014 over the coming decade.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is a blend of Cabernet Franc (37%), Cabernet Sauvignon (34%), Merlot (15%), Malbec (9%) and Petit Verdot. Its aromas are still locked up, including its cinnamon, cedar and nutmeg notes and its brooding dark fruit. The palate packs a mouthful of black fruit flavors that show the ripeness of the vintage yet retain a sense of balance.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.