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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.7 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 57 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by DaneM on 7/3/2023: 1.5L - The nose is excellent with dusty earth, tobacco and dark fruit. The fruit starts muted but opens up after an hour, then slowly fades. Drink now and enjoy. (159 views) | | | Tasted by DaneM on 1/30/2022: Very pleasant and enjoyable. Probably just past peak, pop n pour great for two hours then fades. (257 views) | | | Tasted by Larry&Ron on 11/18/2020: Removed - can’t locate (536 views) | | | Tasted by bjecjohnson on 5/28/2016 & rated 92 points: Very nice wine with a subtle cedar, spiciness complementing the ripe red fruit on the nose. Paired extremely well with grilled ribeye. (2070 views) | | | Tasted by Tomportwine on 12/26/2014 & rated 88 points: good well balanced, not complex (2855 views) | | | Tasted by peeno on 1/17/2014 & rated 88 points: Spicy, licorice, mild heat but much smoother finish than the previous bottle. Served through an aerator may have opened it up. (3641 views) | | | Tasted by peeno on 12/23/2013 & rated 87 points: Licorice, a little heat with slightly sour finish. (3545 views) | | | Tasted by memphishusky on 11/11/2013: Drinking really well. (3472 views) | | | Tasted by Klaas and Sholine on 11/4/2013 & rated 94 points: Tannins softened, silky good, cherry and prune (2426 views) | | | Tasted by RGCM Gananda on 9/20/2013 & rated 90 points: Black cherry and smoke on the nose. Full bodied, but very smooth and round after being open for an hour and a half. Black cherry and raspberry note on the mid-palette, finishing with a hint of red fruit. Good, but not great complexity. Still has very solid fruit quality five years in. Has the structure to improve over the next year of two. A very solid value and a nice wine. (1668 views) | | | Tasted by tantal on 11/7/2012: Very nice, with soft friut a slightly creamy middle, and smooth finish. Buy more when I can. (2262 views) | | | Tasted by MWZ on 8/5/2012 & rated 89 points: Wonderful. Good structure, Subtle finish. Great QPR (2499 views) | | | Tasted by jcbrand on 5/20/2012 & rated 89 points: Good balance, soft fruit. (2878 views) | | | Tasted by IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot on 5/1/2012: Very oaky, just like last time. (2929 views) | | | Tasted by rscarcelle on 4/30/2012 & rated 88 points: good wine for the price, nice finish (2637 views) | | | Tasted by Bronco95 on 4/15/2012 & rated 84 points: No fruit upfront. Rating in wine spectator is way off. (1973 views) | | | Tasted by forcumba on 3/31/2012 & rated 89 points: Good wine drinking well now. With Vinturi. Lots of wood and leather on the nose with a fair bit of alcohol. Mellows out with a little time, dark cherry on the palate, pretty full body and a dry long finish. (1984 views) | | | Tasted by bzukaitis on 2/24/2012: Good WA Cab. (2221 views) | | | Tasted by BrandrB on 12/17/2011 & rated 90 points: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Very dark and dense red-purple color. Dark red berries and spice aromas. Full-bodied palate showing ripe flavors of blackberry, cherry, and smoky spices. Very well balanced. Beautiful long earthy/dusty finish. A well constructed wine and my favorite from Novelty Hill. A relatively good value too. Superb! (2425 views) | | | Tasted by IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot on 12/7/2011 & rated 86 points: Tasty Cab, good QPR, but a bit too much oak on this. Decant for at least 30-60 minutes, let the wood blow off a bit. (2864 views) | | | Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 11/11/2011 & rated 84 points: Washington State Tasting (The Wine Club, Santa Clara, California): Dark purple red violet color; high pitched, olive, tart black fruit, prune nose; odd, ripe but dull, tart black fruit, olive palate with almost no acidity; medium finish (2525 views) | | | Tasted by La Cave d'Argent on 10/19/2011 & rated 88 points: This opaque crimson wine (a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc) was splash-decanted and serially tasted over three hours. The nose opens over the first hour to show moderately intense aromas of cassis, licorice and exotic spices. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidity, medium sweet tannins and well-integrated alcohol (which is listed as 14.4%). Unfortunately, the middle palate thins a bit and the resurrected finish is a bit terse. There is a lot to like about this wine, and it is certainly enjoyable now. It falls short of the mark, however, based upon the middle and the end. Perhaps these deficiencies will be mitigated with a bit of cellaring, but I would not necessarily buy this wine with the intent of cellaring (as it is enjoyable now and is reasonably priced). Drink now-12/18. (3106 views) | | | Tasted by PBM on 10/16/2011: This is very good stuff. I love the nose of cedar/cigar box (depending on what your cigar box is made of I suppose) and it's an easy drinking wine. Still some tannins, nice finish, and basically just makes me want more. I intended on just one glass tonight but I see more in my future. If this is representative of a good QPR WA cab I'm going to be expanding my experience with that region. (3301 views) | | | Tasted by vegasoenophile on 9/24/2011 & rated 89 points: This has a nice, pretty nose. Loads of flavor with raspberry, cherry, blackberry and sage with some mineral. It has a nice mouthfeel and structure and is rich and velvety. Finishes on a hint of smoke. Lingers. (2342 views) | | | Tasted by vegasoenophile on 9/10/2011 & rated 89 points: Red licorice candy on the nose along with oak, cherry and currant. On the palate, it's bright and expressive with lots of raspberry, cherry, blackberry and finishing with a hint of smoke. Nicely structured, rich and dense. (3104 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, November/December 2011, IWC Issue #159
(Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (11/11/2011)
(Novelty Hill Winery Cabernet Sauvignon) Dark purple red violet color; high pitched, olive, tart black fruit, prune nose; odd, ripe but dull, tart black fruit, olive palate with almost no acidity; medium finish 84 points | By Sean Sullivan
Washington Wine Report (5/10/2011)
(Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley) Pleasingly aromatic with toast, spice, butterscotch, herbal notes, and red and black fruit. The palate is big and intensely flavorful. A thoroughly delicious, rich wine with a lingering finish. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Stillwater Creek, Alder Ridge, Weinbau and Chandler’s Reach vineyards. 14.4% alcohol. 4,846 cases produced. **** 1/2 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and RJonWine.com and Washington Wine Report. (manage subscription channels) |
| 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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