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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2011 and 2015 (based on 6 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 60 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by gwarnken on 1/1/2023 & rated 90 points: A beautifully aged Cab Sauv/Cab Franc red blend. Still has a beautiful garnet color, with aromas of red fruit and tobacco. On the palate, you notice fine grain tannins with a velvety finish. Being an aged wine, it has a remarkable taste with notes of red fruits. (470 views) | | | Tasted by gcarl on 2/17/2020 & rated 92 points: Prominent red fruit on the nose and palate, beautiful color which belied its' age. Velvety on the palate. My last one (1270 views) | | | Tasted by norsktorsk on 3/10/2016 & rated 92 points: very nice. (2504 views) | | | Tasted by gcarl on 8/9/2015 & rated 91 points: No change from my 7/14/13 notes other than it did not get decanted when opened 2+ hours before tasting event. Still a very nice wine, very smooth on the palate. (2618 views) | | | Tasted by jhemming on 3/29/2015 & rated 89 points: Dark red fruits, dried tobacco and touch of green. Minimal fine tannins. Acidity moves it along. A bit disjointed in mid pal with touch of heat, but pretty good. Not sure if it will continue to improve but has plenty of life left. (2891 views) | | | Tasted by njAndrew on 1/25/2015: This held up well. Dark fruit soft tannins but still nice structure. Very smooth and enjoyable. (2884 views) | | | Tasted by arthrovine on 11/22/2013: Wow. Different experience than previous.
This bottle was sappy raspberry jam, cloyingly sweet. Disjointed heat.
Not good. Not flawed. (3545 views) | | | Tasted by gcarl on 7/14/2013 & rated 91 points: Wonderful nose of bright fruit w/a touch of funk on P&P thru Vinturi then re-bottled 2 hours before blind tasting. Still nice fruit on the palate. Tannins are almost non-existent and was a delight to drink. Alas, only 3 more bottles (2419 views) | | | Tasted by Bumbanian on 4/17/2013 & rated 89 points: Lovely, fruity, and slightly sweet. No detailed notes, but drinking well right now. (2269 views) | | | Tasted by BrunelloBob on 3/27/2013 & rated 90 points: Red raspberry, not a lot of tannin. Wonderfully smooth, great mouth feel. Had me thinking "merlot" more than cab sauv, though I got the cab franc. If I had more, I'd drink it now. (2213 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 1/28/2013 & rated 90 points: Another excellent bottle of Soos Creek. Fruit was every so slightly faded in this bottle. A plus for some, but not for me. Still, terrific! (2521 views) | | | Tasted by RichardP on 12/20/2012 & rated 91 points: The Cabernet Franc is obvious in this. Raspberry and cherry, a little anise, rich and smooth with no noticeable oak and little or no tannin at this point. Improved with some air. (1896 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 11/4/2012 & rated 92 points: C: Dark ruby
N: Cherry, spice box, hint of tobacco
P: Wow! Explosive red fruits on the palate. Red currants. Strawberries. Tart cherry. Bramble. Hint of smoke and tobacco. Mouth watering acidity.
D: Very long
Beautiful wine. Perfectly integrated tannins. A real joy to drink. (1660 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 10/15/2012 & rated 91 points: Another terrific bottle. Again, explosive fruit with plenty of acidity. No formal notes taken with this bottle. (1529 views) | | | Tasted by RDHudak on 10/4/2012 flawed bottle: Slightly corked. Dang...... (1675 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 9/16/2012 & rated 92 points: This wine is definitely hitting a sweet spot now. Beautifully balanced with explosive fruit with plenty of acid. Just enough oak treatment to smooth all the rough edges. and give some nice bramble, tobacco and vanilla notes. Fantastic wine! (1778 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 9/1/2012 & rated 93 points: Still going strong. Just sings with some air!
Edit: Raised to 93 points. This bottle just has that extra 'umpf". So brambly and fruity. Everything is so balanced, yet intense. This is a fantastic bottle! (1560 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 8/7/2012 & rated 91 points: Consistent results. Terrific bottle of wine. (1546 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 7/20/2012 & rated 91 points: Tasted with consistent results. (1515 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 7/7/2012 & rated 91 points: Consistent results with the bottle two days ago. (1258 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 7/5/2012 & rated 91 points: C: dark ruby
N: Black and red fruits, brambly, spice, smoke
P: currants, black cherry, spice, tobacco
F: medium
Delicious wine, but a little hot. Benefits with a couple hours of air. A little more acidity than I prefer in a red, but acceptable. Drinking well at this time. (1581 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 6/30/2012: No notes taken, but another terrific bottle! (1210 views) | | | Tasted by BuffaloLou on 6/1/2012 & rated 91 points: No notes taken, but a delicious bottle. Lots of complex fruits. (1429 views) | | | Tasted by merryberry on 4/14/2012 & rated 91 points: Dark ruby. Blueberry, plum, bramble, earth, and spice nose. Medium to full bodied, nicely spiced cranberries, nutmeg, dark cherries, well integrated tannins, good acid, black olives, tobacco, a bit of heat, and a medium to long finish. This was nice on day 1 and even better on day 2. (1676 views) | | | Tasted by Dannyfu on 1/6/2012 & rated 88 points: Lots of dark fruit on the nose and taste. A bit short on length and not much complexity. Very good but not great. (1999 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2008, IWC Issue #141
(Soos Creek Wine Cellars Red Wine Artist Series #6 Columbia Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Soos Creek Producer website2006 Soos Creek Artist Series"7 of our 12 vineyards are on the list of the top 10 Washington State vineyards as ranked by Andy Perdue of the Wine Press Northwest magazine: Champoux - #1, Ciel du Cheval - #2, Boushey - #4, Klipsun - #8 and Sagemoor, which includes Bacchus, Dionysus and Weinbau - #9."
"The most important factor in making great wine is the terroir of the vineyard and one of the primary elements of terroir is the soil. The history of the vineyard soils in the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington is a fascinating one. They are the effects of the Ice Age floods that occurred 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. The below story is summarized from an article by Andy Perdue in the Fall, 2005 issue of the Wine Press Northwest magazine."
"At the end of the Ice Age, part of the Cordilleran ice sheet crept south down into Idaho. This lobe of glacial ice blocked the Clark Fork River creating Glacial Lake Missoula that covered western Montana. Eventually, this ice dam failed setting loose a 500-foot-high wall of water that swept southwest across Eastern Washington at 60 mph. These floods were equal to 10 times the instantaneous flows of all the rivers in the world combined. After this first dam broke, the glacier continued its march south, repeating the entire process of temporarily blocking up the river then bursting to flood Eastern Washington another 80 to 100 times every 50 to 75 years. Each time, more gravel, sand and silt was washed south, shaping Washington's wine country. Since the end of the Ice Age, wind has continued to shape the landscapes of the Columbia Valley by adding a top layer of sand and silt to create the perfect terroir for premium wine grapes."
"Champoux is in the Horse Heaven Hills appellation and may be the best vineyard for Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington State. We began our association with this vineyard in 1989 – the year we started our winery and the year Paul Champoux became the vineyard manager..."
"Ciel du Cheval is also recognized as one of the very best vineyards in Washington State for Bordeaux grape varieties. Owned by Jim Holmes and managed by Ryan Johnson, it is in the tiny but highly acclaimed Red Mountain appellation..."
"Dineen is the closest vineyard to our winery, located in the town of Zillah and lies within the new Rattlesnake Hills appellation. It sits on top of a large hill that is cool enough to allow for slow but complete ripening. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc wines have good fruit intensity, are dark in color, with adequate acid and tannin." -WineryRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.USAAmerican 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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