Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Bellamy is more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated yet includes 15% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc that will see 22 months in 60% new barrels. Cassis, currants, leafy herbs, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and this puppy is full-bodied, layered, and concentrated, with a deep, rich mouthfeel. I love its tannins, and this is going to shine for at least two decades.
Range: 96-98 -
James Suckling
A rich, dark and flavorful red showing an array of black berries, iodine, tea leaves and olives on the nose. It’s full-bodied, firm and focused, with broad tannins that envelop the wine.
-
Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Bellamy is spicy, displaying an intense blend of savory herbs, curry leaf and black currant. It soothes with its ripe red and black fruits and vibrant acidity, while a saline mineral tinge adds contrast and inner violet tones cascade throughout. Long and staining with a sweet licorice and hard candy resonance, the 2021 tapers off structured yet amazingly fresh.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.