Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Dark and supple, brimming with black cherry, mint and spice flavors, lingering on the refined finish. Shows intensity and charm. Drink now through 2018. 757 cases made.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The three Cabernet Sauvignon offerings begin with the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley which contains small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Notes of balsam wood, tobacco, spice box, violets, rose petal, black currant, and blackberry compose the bouquet of this already complex, savory, nicely proportioned Cabernet blend. Plush on the palate where hints of licorice and espresso emerge, it has layers of flavor and a lengthy, pure finish. There is enough structure for 2-3 years of further evolution and it will deliver peak drinking from 2013 to 2023.
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.