2014 Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines

JebDunnuck.com

• By Jeb Dunnuck
  Latest Releases from Washington State, 4/5/2018, (See more on JebDunnuck.com...)

  (Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines) Login and sign up and see review text.

JamesSuckling.com

• By James Suckling
  3/18/2018, (See more on JamesSuckling.com...)

  (Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Washington State Old Vine, United States) Login and sign up and see review text.

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

  (Woodward Canyon Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines Washington Red) Login and sign up and see review text.

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Peak Cabernet Season, 1/8/2018

  (Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon) Hello friends. While the solstice hit just under a month ago—and apparently the world is gaining light every single day—we know all too well that there are many more months of cold in front of us. But rather than focusing on the unabating gloom of winter, I (an eternal optimist) like to celebrate this time as peak Cabernet season. December is all about sparkling. And once March hits, no matter the temperature, I’m dreaming about rosé. January and February are the optimal months for indulging in dark-fruited, full-bodied Washington Cabernet. What better way to celebrate peak Cabernet season than a vintage lauded as one of the best for the grape in recent memory? 2014 proved hot, the hottest vintage on record until the following year, and heat-loving Cabernet happily soaked up the sun. The wines produced have proved robust and structured, with wonderful varietal typicity. Today, we have two prime examples for you. Woodward Canyon was there in the beginning. As the second winery in the Walla Walla Valley, the winery served as an instrumental player in obtaining AVA status for the region. So, when Woodward Canyon labels something as “Old Vines,” you know it’s old. This bottle is sourced completely from vines planted in the early 1970s—the Cabernet from blocks of Champoux (Horse Heaven Hills) and Sagemoor (Columbia Valley). The 4% of Petit Verdot comes from Woodward Canyon’s Estate Vineyard (Walla Walla). Wine Enthusiast: Copyrighted material withheld. To give some context, out of the 269 Cabernets Sean reviewed in 2017, this is the very strongest review he gave (tied with 2014 Quilceda Creek Cab and 2013 Long Shadows Feather). But it goes even further—Sean has reviewed a total of 836 Cabs for Wine Enthusiast in his entire tenure. Only three have received stronger reviews than this bottling, all 95pts: 2012 Quilceda Creek Cab, 2012 Gramercy Reserve Cab, 2012 Betz Pere de Famille. It is clear that by Sean’s standards—standards that we regard pretty highly around Full Pull—the 2014 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon is just about as good as it gets when it comes to Washington Cabernet.