This Week's Must-Try Wines
Horsepower Vineyards
High Contrast Vineyard Syrah 2019
The 2019 Syrah High Contrast Vineyard is hauntingly dark and herbal in the glass, with masses of crushed rock and citrus-tinged blackberries forming its alluring bouquet. This is soft-textured yet vividly fruit-focused, with licorice-tinged black currant mixing with salty minerals and a hint of mint that lights up the palate. Brilliant acidity adds a lovely energy here, as nuances of sage and rosemary resonate on through the lightly structured finale. I love the contrasting mix of savory tension and sweet fruit that keeps me guessing at each tilt of the glass. The High Contrast Vineyard was planted in 2013 in soils that contain a higher percentage of sandy loam to rocks. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
DeLille Cellars
Four Flags Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
The 2019 Four Flags impresses with a mix of wild blueberry, cooling smoke and rubbed sage. It soothes with its silky textures and ripe red and blue fruits, as a pleasant inner sweetness resonates, nicely complemented by zesty acidity. This finishes remarkably fresh with subtly grippy tannins that linger. The 2019 mixes vivid fruit, energy and power in a way that I find wildly appealing. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
Andrew Will
Two Blondes Vineyard Merlot Blend 2017
The 2018 Red Wine Two Blondes is intense, blasting up with a seductive Merlot-centric bouquet of wild blueberries, lavender and sweet smoke before nuances of wet stone and baking spice emerge in the glass. This is a total darling, silky-smooth and elegant, with generous ripe red and blue fruits contrasted by saline-tinged acidity and the slightest tug of sour citrus. It finishes incredibly long and like a basket full of wild berries, staining the palate while also leaving it with an unbelievably fresh impression. There's a balanced structure here, but also enough fruit to nearly mask the tannins at this young stage. Total beauty. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
L'Ecole No. 41
Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Dark masses of black raspberries, currants, crushed ashen stone and hints of dusty spice box waft up from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley. It's supremely elegant, with vibrant acids, enlivening the tart wild berry fruits within. This tapers off structured with grippy tannins, and a core of primary concentration that will promise a long and steady elevation. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
Figgins
Figlia Walla Walla Valley Red Blend 2020
The 2020 Figlia is dusty and perfumed, with high-toned crushed raspberries and roses forming its dramatic bouquet. It splashes across the palate with creamy textures propelled by bright acidity while showing pretty ripe red fruits and inner florals. The 2020 leaves a pleasant tension and staining of concentration, yet finishes zesty and fresh. Figlia is Chris Figgins’ second wine. It's 60% Merlot and 40% Petit Verdot. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
Cayuse Vineyards
Flying Pig Cabernet Franc Blend 2019
The 2019 Flying Pig bursts from the glass with a bouquet of spiced citrus rinds giving way to dusty rose, wild blueberries and wet stone. This is silky-smooth with medium-bodied weight and vividly ripe wild berry fruits complemented by rosemary and olive nuances. Residual acidity keeps the mouth watering through the dramatic finale, as notes of licorice and peppery herbal tones resonate throughout. The combination of 45% Cabernet Franc and 44% Merlot really works wonders here, showing the best traits of both varieties, nicely offset by an 11% dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023 — 2 years ago
Long Shadows Vintners
Poet's Leap Columbia Valley Riesling 2021
The 2021 Riesling Poet's Leap is decidedly green in character, wafting up with notes of lychee, lime zest and crushed green apple. This flows across the palate with grace, displaying a pleasant inner sweetness, as tropical citrus and saline-minerals add a lovely tension throughout. This tapers off with young mango notes accentuated by a salty flourish through the long and crisply refreshing finale. The 2021 is so balanced and refined, just 12.5% alcohol, and at just under one gram of residual sugar per liter. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
Leonetti Cellar
Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
The 2020 Merlot opens with a mentholated freshness, as crushed blueberries and dusty rose give way to hints of sweet baking spice. This is like pure silk on the palate. Elegant and plush in feel, with sweet red fruits offset by brilliant acidity and white pepper. The 2020 tapers off structured yet fresh, to almost trick me into wanting to drink it now. Violette pastille and black currant linger on, as this tapers off lightly structured and almost too easy to like. The 2020 is luxuriously soft in feel, and with an earlier appeal than usual. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago
Doubleback
Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Like cracking open an ashen stone to find dark exotic spices, a dusting of cocoa, dried mint and black cherries, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon sets off all of the aromatic pleasure sensors. This is velvety, with dense textural waves of black raspberry and blackberry offset by notes of dark, dark chocolate and sour citrus. This tapers off with incredible length, precision and a mentholated freshness that adds lift through the structured finale. The 2019 is a vintage of Doubleback to lose in the cellar. Bravo. — 2 years ago
Delectable Wine
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The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is dark and rich in the glass, with a deeply alluring mix of blueberry and cherry sauce complemented by hints of mocha and tobacco leaf. While ripe in style and fruit-centric, this boasts a core of stimulating acidity and minerals that balances out the style beautifully, as exotic inner florals cascade throughout. The 2019 leaves a web of sweet tannins to linger while finishing remarkably fresh, as echoes of violet pastille and spiced citrus fade. This is a wonderfully balanced blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 11% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Franc, where each variety really adds to the final result. Well done. (Eric Guido, Vinous, March 2023) — 2 years ago