Owen Roe DuBrul Vineyard Vertical Tasting

I've been building this vertical of every vintage of Owen Roe Winery's DuBrul Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon since 2007. I was able to source vintages from auction and retail websites, or directly from the winery via their awesome wine club. What was supposed to be a 10-year vertical somehow turned into 16...how the time flies!

• 2011 Owen Roe Chardonnay DuBrul Vineyard 85 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Had first as a palate primer. Probably past it's prime, this was surprisingly funky. Not drinking like a Chardonnay at all...more like Roussanne. Quite creamy, lots of funk, buttery oak, pear fruit. Interesting wine!

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• 1999 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  The first vintage of DuBrul Vineyard Cab released by Owen Roe. Showing it's age...quite a bit of bricking, and smells like you'd expect an older wine to smell. Much less fruit, but still hanging in there. Flavors of mushroom, loam, cranberry, black tea and cherry. Past it's prime for sure, but still tasty and fun to drink.

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• 2000 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Amazing transition from the 1999...this one is ALL about the fruit, and not showing it's age at all! Huge red and black fruit flavors: Cassis, black cherry & raspberry. Black tea, light wood, and tobacco flavors as well. This one is up there close to my wine of the night. Still very lush and alive.

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• 2001 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Another great wine, although showing more tannin than I expected for the age. Earth, red berry fruit, saddle leather, and a zip of acidity. Still drinking well, but on the downward side.

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• 2002 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Wow, what a fruit bomb! Gobs of cherry fruit showing from this hot vintage wine. Started to get a bit overwhelmingly sweet once it had a couple hours of air under it's belt. Past it's prime, but was a crowd favorite for the lush fruit alone.

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• 2003 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Another crowd favorite and certainly near the top for me. Again, big masses of lush black fruit, silky texture, and sweet dark chocolate on the finish. Touches of wood and earth as well. Drinking spectacularly right now.

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• 2004 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 95 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Popped 2 bottles of this, as it was the crowd's 2nd favorite of the night (mine as well). Both bottles knocked my socks off (SOCKS! -Kaz) with the lush fruit and full body. Black cherry, currant/cassis, this is like drinking silk. Amazingly fresh and absolutely delicious! Still has lots of life left, despite the CT drinking window. I'd say this is a 20-year wine, easy.

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• 2005 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 96 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Wine of the Night! Another vintage that I opened 2 bottles for, due to the overwhelming love from all guests. Both bottles were absolutely stunning! Lush, silky, full-bodied, long finish...this wine has it all. Big cassis fruit, touches of black tea, oak, vanilla, and baking spices. Lonnnng finish of dark chocolate that matched our dark chocolate brownies. Can't say enough good things about this wine! It's at prime drinking right now, and is another 20+ year wine, in my opinion.

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• 2006 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Another winner...seems like 2002-2006 were the most-liked vintages of the tasting. Similar flavors to the 2004 and 2005, but lacking that extra "something" that made those two stand a hair above the rest. Black currant, cherry, tobacco and earth. Another long chocolatey finish here too. Drink now - 2022+.

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• 2007 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard Flawed

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Arrgh! Out of 19 bottles I opened for this tasting, only 1 was flawed: 2007. Corked! Not horribly so, but certainly noticeable to most tasters and undrinkable to me. We noted that it was flawed and asked everyone to taste it and tell us how. Most got it right: Flat flavors, hints of wet newspaper/damp basement. Very bummed I didn't have a backup bottle for this vintage!

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• 2008 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Similar to the 2006, but a touch leaner (cooler vintage I think). Quite delicious and a bit more acid and tannin. Red currant, cherry, tobacco, and spice. Drinking very well, but has a ton of upside still. This could have the stuffing to push past 2030.

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• 2009 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Very similar to the 2004, flavor-wise. Black currant fruit, gobs of chocolate, less acid and tannin than the 2008. Drinking very well, but I don't think it's potential will match that of the 2008. Drink now - 2023.

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• 2010 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Another 20+ year wine candidate. Very similar to 2008 in structure and fruit. Red currant, red cherry, great acid/tannin structure. Slightly leaner in terms of fruit than the earlier vintages.

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• 2011 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Out of 16 vintages, this and the 1999 were the only bottles not finished (well, the corked 2007 too). Much leaner and more acidic than any other vintage (coolest in recent memory?) this one just wasn't as enjoyable as the others. More on the cranberry fruit side, with black tea, leather and earth. Hard to call the drinking window on this one.

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• 2012 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Decanted 2 1/2 hours. When first opened, this had some VA. The decant helped blow it off before we consumed it. Cassis, spices, dark chocolate, espresso/mocha on the finish. Drink now - 2030.

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• 2013 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Decanted 3 hours. Showing it's youth for sure. Big fruit, tannins, nice acidity. Loads of black cherry, cassis, baking spices, oak and vanilla. Better with food at this point. Drink 2018-2030+.

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• 2014 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon DuBrul Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  Decanted 3 hours. Another infant! Even with the decant, this was still just a baby...lots of fruit, lots of tannin, hard to get past all of that fruit to taste the secondary flavors. Black cherry, currant and vanilla, with an espresso finish. My palate may have been shot by this point too...drink 2020-2035.

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Thanks to everyone who shared this experience with me...it was so much fun!