Winemaker Notes
The 2018 Artz Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon displays dense black fruit with layered minerality. Dark cherry and favors of espresso, cocoa powder and sandalwood give this wine a robust mouthfeel. Truly a terroir driven wine with refined tannins, this beast is big and brawny, yet beautifully balanced.
Blend: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Syrah, 2% Malbec
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
The aromas are fruit forward, with notes of blackberry, black currant and boysenberry, followed by char, herb and tar. The flavors explode on the palate, bringing plushness and richness but also balance. Firm, slightly astringent tannins back it up.
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.