Winemaker Notes
Blend: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines, which has been made since 1981, comes from a mix of Sagemoor, Weinbau, Champoux, and the Woodward Canyon Vineyards and was brought up in 100% new French oak. It has a beautiful perfume of cassis and mulberry fruit as well as notes of new leather, lead pencil shavings, exotic flowers, and spice. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate and shows the ripe, supple, seamless style of the vintage nicely.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made with 4% each of Malbec and Petit Verdot, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines is lush and rich and exudes power and finesse without being overdone. Gobs of dark red and black fruit tones sway with delightful complexity, dried herbs and oak essence from the 100% new French oak barrels. Full-bodied, the wine is precise, focused and impeccably balanced with a long textured finish that begs me back for another sip.
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James Suckling
A black-fruited nose with notes of bark, bramble and charcoal. Full-bodied with fine, tight tannins. Vanilla and cedar coat the palate with a milk-chocolate finish. Very good concentration with sleek balance.
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Wine Enthusiast
This wine is made in a ripe, luscious style. Aromas of bittersweet chocolate, dried cherry, licorice, baking spice and blackberry are followed by full-bodied flavors. Polished tannins support it all. Fruit and barrel intertwine throughout. The finish lingers. It shows a lot of richness and class. Best after 2028. Cellar Selection
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.