Vinous

• By Stephen Tanzer
  Focus on Washington: Hot Times in the Desert (Nov 2016), 11/1/2016 (link)

  (Cadence Winery Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard Washington) Subscribe to see review text.

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Our Old Friend Cadence, 3/29/2017

  (Cadence Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard) Hello friends. There’s nothing quite like a reunion. Seeing an old friend again, no matter how sporadically, can be a special occasion filled with fun, excitement, and remembrance. With a true friend, it can be as if no time has passed at all—you pick up right where you left off. You know who they are, and they know you. There are few things as reassuring in life as an old friends and the consistently wonderful times you can have together. Here at Full Pull, that’s pretty much how we feel about Cadence. We have been offering these wines in one way or another since 2009—and have always loved the style, grace, and power of Ben Smith’s winemaking. Vintage after vintage, Ben is consistent. He has a house style, Red Mountain vineyards that he sources from regularly, and a way with Bordeaux blends that is truly rare. It finally feels as if the rest of the world has caught up to what our list members have known for a while now—Cadence is the real deal. We’ve included this lil’ excerpt from Stephen Tanzer in previous offers, but if it’s new to you, take note: In recent vintages, Ben Smith has taken his Cadence wines to the top echelon in Washington. And with the vines he and his wife Gaye McNutt planted in their Cara Mia vineyard in 2004 on the verge of entering their teen years, the best is yet to come. The Cadence wines always had energy, but recent vintages have brought denser, sweeter wines with any loss of vibrancy. Smith is routinely an early picker, and he noted that the harvest of 2013, the second warmest vintage to that point behind 2003, was a bit rushed for him, as he wanted to bring in the fruit before potential alcohol levels skyrocketed. Still, he emphasized, the 2013s “exhibit drive and thrust that can only be compared to 2011, but with richer, more forward fruit than that of 2012.” He went on: "The ‘13s have the structure and acidity to appeal to the Euro crowd. The ‘13s, along with the ‘11s, are my favorite vintages of the past ten years.” Today we’ve got a stellar lineup of red beauties for you. Two new vintages of some of our old favorites grace this page—along with two bonus reoffers from earlier this year. Normally Camerata has a very high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2013 it still makes up the preponderance of the blend, but only barely, at 40% (the remainder is 30% Franc and 20% Merlot and 10% PV). Side note: that probably means there was a healthy chunk of Cara Mia Cabernet Sauvignon in the 2013 Coda, which helps explain why that particular wine was so damned good. This version of Camerata still possesses plenty of Cabernet character, with cassis and black plum fruit overlain with a lovely minty-fresh eucalyptus topnote. Graphitic minerality and star anise spice emerge with time and air, only upping the ante of complexity. This is exotic, elegant, and clearly structured for long-term evolution. Wine Advocate: Copyrighted material withheld.