2014 Soos Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Terrible Beauty

• By Stephen Tanzer
  Washington: Various Shades of Hot (Oct 2017), 10/1/2017, (See more on Vinous...)

  (Soos Creek Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Terrible Beauty Washington Red) Login and sign up and see review text.

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Left and Right, 9/17/2018

  (Soos Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Terrible Beauty) Hello friends. For almost as long as Full Pull has been writing about wine, we’ve considered Soos Creek to be responsible for some of Washington’s greatest value bottlings. The man in charge, Dave Larsen, is one of the great success stories of the Boeing Winemaking Club. He began making wine in 1987 and quickly moved from amateur to commercial winemaking in 1989. He kept both gigs (Boeing and Soos Creek) until 2004, when he retired from Boeing to pursue winemaking full time. We view Soos Creek as a holistic representation of what Washington’s burgeoning wine scene is all about. Much of Soos Creek’s success comes from its honest and passionate approach to fruit. From the sourcing to winemaking, presenting and showcasing beautiful fruit has always been Dave’s focus. Despite 30 years in the business, Soos Creek is still very much a boutique winery, with thoughtful, limited production (still under 2,000 cases) that always leads to fairly high demand. Luckily, we have a long history and friendship with Dave; luckier still, our list members have long supported his wines. The reciprocity between both camps allows us to offer deals like this:We’re able to access this bottling—according to Dave, it’s his favorite vintage of this wine ever—at a substantial discount. For list members whose usual buying ceiling is $20, this is a wine to consider a splurge on. Those extra five bucks get you a wine that drinks every bit like its $35 release price. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the grapes come from Soos Creek’s usual suspect vineyards: Champoux, Dinnen, Elephant Mountain, Klipsun, and Weinbau. Aged in 30% new French oak, this left bank-inspired blend fits the bill as a four-corners Cab, with fruit (berries and cassis), earth (dirt and graphite), savory/herbal (anise and leafy herbs), and barrel (toasted spice and vanilla) notes in fine balance. On the palate, it’s full of the kind of acidity and firm tannic structure that hint at a decade plus of ageing potential. Vinous: Copyrighted material withheld.