Vinous

• By Stephen Tanzer
  November/December 2010, IWC Issue #153 (link)

  (Waters Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley) Subscribe to see review text.

Washington Wine Report

• By Sean Sullivan
  12/20/2011 (link) **** points

  (Waters Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley) Abundant savory notes on a wine with whiffs of iodine, olives, and mineral. The palate is restrained with tart red fruit flavors and an acid etched finish. While the 2008 Cabernet will have more commercial appeal, this is the wine to put alongside your dinner. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Cold Creek and Pepper Bridge vineyards. Aged two years in French oak (35% new). 14.5% alcohol. 359 cases produced.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  9/3/2010 (link)

  (CABERNET WATERS) UPDATE: Holiday Hours Garagiste is open for normal hours today and tomorrow (11-3) – we are closed on Sunday and Monday in observance of the holiday. Have a great weekend everyone! - Jon Rimmerman *********************** Waters Dear Friends, Waters is on a roll...but we already knew that. One of their wines was just rated #4 in the state by Seattle Met (including Quilceda et al) and their northern style has struck a chord with many aficionados tired of extreme domestic winemaking or “pillow” winemaking that renders a wine somewhere between Fluff and a Jolly Rancher. At Waters you have none of that. What you do have is wine that tastes like wine – lightly vinified with a deft and caring touch that opens and morphs with time and air rather than falls apart due to an over-indulgence in technology and additions. While certainly no shrinking violets, despite their broad size, all of the Waters wines have a regal sense to them that stresses fruit and harmony first and impact second. With the 2007 Cabernet, that philosophy delivers a quasi-exotic wine with a certain domestic restraint that still coats the plate with a delineated ripeness and confident swagger – a Washington smoking jacket swagger if you will. Instead of caramel as the first impression, the taster is greeted by a blast of pure red berry fruit and a background ration of tannin, spice and silky grit – an oxymoron perhaps but not in this wine. After 4-6 hours of air, the flavors deepen and expand with currant, plum and decided touch of citrus that adds an admirable lift to this full-toned wine – perfect as an accompaniment to my grilled NY strip. In a world of ever increasing Cabernet prices, this small production wine (350+ cases) will be a welcome addition to any cellar as it delivers an experience deserving of its tariff and then some: http://waterswinery.com/wines/2007_columbia_valley_cabernet-sauvignon As far as the the Twenty-One Grams is concerned, the wine has become one of the toughest to obtain in Washington - as close to a “cult” wine as we have. A collaboration between Waters and Gramercy Cellars with only 100 or so cases produced, the 2007 version is, well, from 2007 and it’s already completely sold out at the winery (only a few 6-packs go to retail in the US). From mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, I would have no problem putting this wine up against some of the behemoths from Napa but it still shows a northern restraint that sets Washington’s terroir and overall climate apart from the Golden State. A luxurious experience that combines a certain sense of old and new, this wine slathers the palate with simply delicious and nearly black Cabernet-based fruit with pockets and nuances that need to be experienced rather than written about. A wine that will wow your dinner guests, regardless of predilection. From the winery: “The object of 21 Grams is exquisite balance, long length, intensity and complexity - the true components of quality. Firm acidity and moderate alcohol are the prime directives for our wines, favoring elegance over brute power.” Enough said. Both wines are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as forward-thinking, soulful examples that stress vibrancy and purity over showmanship. This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance: 2007 Waters Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley) - 2007 Twenty-One Grams (Walla Walla) - EXTREMELY LIMITED (despite what your price search uncovers, this wine has never been and is not available for $102.44) Please give us your maximum number up to 24 x Cabernet and 3 x Twenty One Grams and we will allocate accordingly To order: niki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to arrive in a few weeks (please check OARS for local pick up after September 15th). It will ship during the Fall shipping season. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.