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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2009 and 2013 (based on 8 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 84.4 pts. and median of 85 pts. in 41 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Georgeehesse on 9/28/2016 & rated 96 points: Absolutely amazing (2423 views) | | | Tasted by BrettMansdorf on 5/12/2013 & rated 80 points: Great bouquet... Flat on the tongue though... Hints of certain items, but very unpronounced.
Perhaps a year or two more... (4434 views) | | | Tasted by CAHITX on 10/22/2012 & rated 79 points: Almost non-descript nose, decent bottle, not sure if it's near its end or just an average bottle of wine. (5169 views) | | | Tasted by The Drunken Cyclist on 10/8/2011 & rated 83 points: Popped and poured through a Vinturi. Was hoping for more. Some black fruit, but utterly lacking in complexity or depth. Got this as a gift, so I guess I should not complain. Meh. (5695 views) | | | Tasted by Paul_Stagg on 7/5/2011 & rated 79 points: Very dark purple color. Nose is blackberry jam, oak, some vanilla, some licorice.
Attack is black fruit, then more oak (too much for me), licorice. Dry. Chewy tannins. Watery mouthfeel - much lighter texture than expected. Very short finish. Not bad, but not all that great. Very basic.
13.5% AVB
2/5 (5885 views) | | | Tasted by Zerosomething on 3/25/2011 & rated 90 points: 2005 was good. Licorice flavor in correct proportion but any more complexity than that. Smooth (4330 views) | | | Tasted by Sleepy Dave on 8/8/2010: Quite good cab character of tobacco leaf, cigar box, slight rubbery and blackberry aromas. Med body, fresh wood and blackberry with hint of spicines and mineral that end with soft, juicy finish. A friendly, straighforward wine. Buy - No (3087 views) | | | Tasted by dje69 on 2/14/2010 & rated 85 points: Over oaked, average at best. (2760 views) | | | Tasted by rjhilgers@gmail.com on 12/25/2009 & rated 78 points: This one is an oak monster. It's oak on the nose and oak on the tongue, without much room for anything else. If you're really paying attention, you can taste some of the bold fruit of a Washington wine, but it's unbalanced enough by the oak that the fruit has to struggle mightily to get through. Also, it's very watered down. Literally, it feels like they made the wine, realized they didn't have enough output and then added water to help make up the difference. Now, I'm not naive, I know that adding water to wine is a pretty standard practice, and the water in this wine could partly be due to grapes that took on too much water as they grew, but I've never actually tasted and felt the water in wine. It felt almost like pouring a glass of wine and then adding a couple tablespoons of water to the glass and stirring. (3182 views) | | | Tasted by hiker_guy on 11/23/2009: Best bottle I could find given where I am and walmart had the largest selection in the area. Not at all a bad bottle and it went well with steaks off the grill. Always a reliable standby when all else is obviously not good and from California low end labels. (2888 views) | | | Tasted by nick_pivonka on 10/28/2009 & rated 80 points: Almost no fruit. Some tannin, softened with decanting. Wouldn't buy again. I'm used to better offierings from this winery. (2963 views) | | | Tasted by nvexplorer on 7/16/2009 & rated 89 points: Black fruit, small spice, great balance, soft tannins, muted oak. Great pairing with grilled t-bones. (3284 views) | | | Tasted by Capt M on 5/21/2009 & rated 89 points: Deep purple red with basically no transparency, or almost none. Wonderful nose of floral bouquet, fresh strawberry garden, and strawberry twizzlers and licorice. Solid wine right from entrance, very dynamic and new world, very similar to Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, showing wild and red cherries, dry mouthfeel, green, red and yellow bell pepper, the right consistency, the right complexity, the right character -no doubt. Gorgeous, explosive finish, cherry pie, licorice, almost creme de cassis, dry, and looooong. This wine can cellar for another one or two years. Strawberry candy for sure on that finish. I'm writing this notes as the wine has been opened for at least two hours. (3305 views) | | | Tasted by Tuffdawg on 3/15/2009 & rated 85 points: Allowed to breathe for 2 hours before tasting. The nose to me is dominated by oak with some dark fruit, black cherry. No mid-palate to speak of but a nice creamy like finish. Had this with a NY Strip steak which went fairly well together. This wine would definately benefit from a few hours of decanting. OK effort. (3420 views) | | | Tasted by RJurman on 2/10/2009 & rated 84 points: Nice color and not bad for $13.00 but nothing special either. Forgettable. (3638 views) | | | Tasted by Phoenix14 on 2/7/2009 & rated 77 points: Inky purple in color, some garnett. Dried black fruit on the nose, but faint. Mild Oak. Some pepper and spice notes.
Moderate tannins. Initially this was peppery with some spice. Opened up nicely after about 30 minutes in the glass. (3589 views) | | | Tasted by Phoenix14 on 2/6/2009 & rated 79 points: I was very disappointed with this wine. Lots of earth and smoke, stones, and burnt aromas. Very out of balance, almost no fruit. Decanting helped a bit. (3597 views) | | | Tasted by tarheel17 on 2/3/2009 & rated 86 points: Cookie Decorating and wine (My house): Nose is very carmelized and vanilla, with just a touch of greenness. Thick mouthfeel, but touched by obvious alcohol. If not for the alcohol, would be a great buy. certainly holds its own for bottle #5 of the night, though... (3964 views) | | | Tasted by John on 12/20/2008 & rated 78 points: nothing special (3871 views) | | | Tasted by eldiabloazul on 11/8/2008 & rated 84 points: Enjoyed it with dinner. Respectable wine. Nothing fancy. Good fruit. (3749 views) | | | Tasted by wineward on 10/26/2008 & rated 80 points: Lavender and leather aromas. Soft cherry and some bark. Simple flavors. Short finish. Barely good. (3736 views) | | | Tasted by daver852 on 10/23/2008 & rated 88 points: Wine is dark and beautiful in the glass. Sweet, oaky nose. Still very tannic, not ready to drink, but shows promise of developing into something fine in 2 - 4 years. If drinking now, would decant and allow to sit for at least two hours. (3842 views) | | | Tasted by jonb72 on 8/20/2008 & rated 87 points: great value (3781 views) | | | Tasted by Omar Khayyam on 6/13/2007 & rated 82 points: good value for money. (4096 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Chateau Ste. Michelle Producer websiteCabernet 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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