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2009
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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2019 and 2023 (based on 3 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.2 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 33 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by jdjjadair on 7/2/2023 & rated 90 points: Excellent; wish she was still making wine. Plenty of tannins left to age another 5ish years +-. Solid Cab forward wine that has become very well balanced. No need to wait any further to drink unless you want to but drinking excellently now. (193 views) | | | Tasted by robmillis on 10/18/2022 & rated 94 points: So, so, so good. Velvety dark berry, leather, maybe a touch of chickory(?). Perfect for red meat, grilled chicken, root vegetables — anything richly flavorful. The only problem is that 15% ABV means I can’t drink this all night.
Perfect right now. (370 views) | | | Tasted by robmillis on 9/23/2022 & rated 92 points: Needs time and probably filtering but worth it. Bold with lots of impact from tannins. High alcohol content but still smooth. Amazing QPR.
A little much the first night (87); perfect the second night (93). (327 views) | | | Tasted by SpoochMan on 11/26/2021 & rated 91 points: Drank this, along with an '09 Rockwell Brown, at the Trenholmes'. This was drinking very nicely and was quite enjoyable both without food and with food. Was definitely eclipsed by the Rockwell Brown, though, which had greater depth and beautiful herbal notes. (428 views) | | | Tasted by RWG on 10/12/2020 & rated 88 points: crowd pleaser, fun unique wine we don't drink often. (745 views) | | | Tasted by Dr_Bob on 10/11/2020 & rated 90 points: Great bottle, aging well. Full rich, long finish. Friends thought it was a much more expensive bottle.
Bought 4 years ago, cellared at 54 since. Decant - tasted after 1-3 hours (593 views) | | | Tasted by harrygonzo on 4/21/2020 & rated 90 points: strong alcohol nose...nice color...good legs..coffee flavors...and a great label...if i knew nothing about this wine and saw the label it would be in the cart if the price was right which it was with the Seattle wine whisperer . (675 views) | | | Tasted by robmillis on 2/23/2020 & rated 91 points: Love this. Part of my high score is simple QPR. Perfect daily drinker, versatile go-to, straightforwardly beautiful. A little dryer than a lot of the easy fall-backs in the $20 range, but without sacrificing fruit or texture. (863 views) | | | Tasted by SpoochMan on 2/2/2020 & rated 92 points: Super Bowl party. This bottle drank extremely well and had more weight to it than I remember the previous bottle having. Tremendous value at under $20 from Garagiste. (627 views) | | | Tasted by Aparritz on 10/7/2019 & rated 91 points: Sweet tobacco and dark fruits it is. Nicely aged Washington cab blend that’s as good as ready to drink now as it’ll ever be. Nice find from garagiste. (648 views) | | | Tasted by SpoochMan on 10/7/2019 & rated 91 points: Opened for dinner for Mike. No detailed notes, but this was very solid. Medium weight, well balanced, and food friendly. (682 views) | | | Tasted by fats1976 on 2/3/2019 & rated 90 points: Very drinkable fruit forward blend. (939 views) | | | Tasted by wineoracle on 1/24/2019 & rated 89 points: Deep purple. Scents of cherries, dark fruits, and a hint of menthol. Well integrated tannins and fruit on the palate with a decent finish (776 views) | | | Tasted by SMHalps on 12/23/2018 & rated 87 points: Opened, but not decanted for over 30 minutes before drinking. Had this as a wild card in a Syrah and Syrah blend tasting with my wine group. To be fair, the entire group liked this more than I did. Given Garagiste's write up, and my usual enjoyment of WA Cabs, I was disappointed. But, it was a good deal for the price. (891 views) | | | Tasted by davidspieker on 12/5/2018 & rated 88 points: Dark red color. Mentholated dark fruit aromas. Ripe cherry and blackberry flavors with a little heat and acidity on a shortish finish. (774 views) | | | Tasted by Portland Seth on 8/28/2018 & rated 91 points: Sweet tobacco, black plum and vanilla nose. Raspberry tea, cassis, cinnamon and some chalk dust flavors. Clearly moden shaped bottle and style. Highly extractive and fruit forward with substantial oak. Ripe tannins offer some counter ballance but not quite enough. Needs more black fruit notes and some mushroom umami in my opinion, slightly cloying in its sweetness (1113 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Cabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.Washington Washington Wine Commission | Credit to Washingtonwine.org for this article
Washington Wine
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Wineries
With 30,000+ acres planted, the state has ideal geography and conditions for growing premium vinifera wine grapes. Primarily grown on their own root stocks, the vines produce grapes of consistent quality, resulting in strong vintages year after year. While its focus is on Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the region also produces a wide range of other spectacular whites and reds.
Growers
Winemakers from all over the world have chosen to establish themselves in Washington, where they can create wines reflecting this region's unique characteristics. Their hand-crafted wines are receiving wide acclaim from critics regionally, nationally and internationally for their consistently high quality. Many of them have received scores of 90 and above from the major wine media. Overall this is a higher percentage than other leading wine regions.
Regions
As the state's fourth largest fruit crop, the Washington wine industry is an important contributor to the long-term preservation of Washington agriculture. The industry is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and conservation of water resources.
Washington State is a premium wine producing region located in the northwest corner of the United States. Although a relatively young wine industry, it is now the nation's second largest wine producer and is ranked among the world's top wine regions. Washington wines are found nationally in all 50 states and internationally in more than 40 countries.
Varieties
Washington produces more than 20 wine grape varieties - a ratio of 56 percent white to 44 percent red. As the industry matures and experiments, it finds many grape varieties that thrive throughout Washington's microclimates. There are more than 16,000 vineyard acres of red wine varieties statewide.
History & Vintages
Washington's wine future is limitless. As consumers discover the quality of Washington wines, demand continues to grow nationally and internationally. New acreage and wine varietals are being planted and new wineries are opening at a remarkable pace. Washington State is recognized as a premium viticultural region around the world.
State Facts
Washington's wine industry generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. It employs more than 14,000 people, directly and indirectly, with projections to add nearly 2,000 more jobs by 2006. In terms of tax revenues accrued to the state and federal government, wine grapes are among the highest tax generators of any agricultural crops. Furthermore, Washington wine tourism attracts nearly two million visitors annually contributing to the positive growth of local and regional economies.
Washington State - the perfect climate for wine = ideal growing conditions, quality wines, business innovation, lifestyle, and social responsibility. All are key elements of this world-class wine industry.
Vintages
"2008 and even more so 2010 and 2011 were cool, even cold vintages (think: 2002 in the Barossa) without the extreme ripeness, extract and higher alcohol that had become the norm in the state’s post 1995 world. 2008 was manageable but the duo of 2010/2011 nearly caused a “great depression” in Washington State." - Jon RimmermanColumbia Valley Columbia Cascade Winery Association
The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. The Cascade Range forms its western boundary with the Palouse regions bordering the area to the east. To the north, the Okanogan National Forest forms a border with the AVA and Canada. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia valley stretches between the 46th parallel and 47th parallel which puts it in line with the well known French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The northern latitude gives the areas two more hours of additional daylight during the summer growing season than wine regions of California receive. The volcanic and sandy loam soil of the valley offers good drainage and is poor in nutrients, ideal in forcing the vine to concentrate its resources into the grape clusters.Columbia Valley Columbia Valley Winery Association |
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