2016 Secret Squirrel Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

In a recent tasting of Washington wines, this was the groups Wine Of The Night. Pretty impressive for a wine that was purchased for $20. It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cedar, plums, cassis and dark chocolate. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. Some depth and complexity. Juicy acidity. On the palate, lots of cassis, some black cherries and a bit of char and ash. Tasty. This is drinking well now and is the kind of wine that would be popular at a party. It drinks well on its own and would be a nice choice with burgers, ribs or pizza. Drink over the next five years.

Grade:

A-

Score:

Vintage:

2016

Current Price:

$25.00USD

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winemaker Bob Bertheau Talks Washington Wine

Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the largest and most revered wineries in America. Located in Washington's Columbia Valley, Chateau Ste. Michelle is often -and mistakenly- overlooked by oenophiles searching for fine American wine. It isn't often that one gets to "talk shop" with the winemaker from a winery of the caliber of Chateau Ste. Michelle -they tend to be awfully busy people after all- but IntoWine.com had the good fortune of being able to do just that. What follows is our chat with Chateau Ste. Michelle Winemaker Bob Bertheau.

Read full article

Cabernet Sauvignon – Old Vines in Washington State

Zillah, Washington State, 1994. I was completely disoriented. It was hot. I was standing in a dry, semi – desert terrain, but looking west, I saw glacier capped Mt. Rainier. The roads weren’t paved, the wineries badly marked. Tasting rooms consisted of folding tables in the corners of barrel rooms, or in the family rec room with 1970’s shag carpeting. Often, I had to ring an outdoor bell to bring someone in from the fields to pour tastes.

Read full article

2020 Luke Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$25.00USD

This is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 2% Petite Verdot from Washington state. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, char and slight dark chocolate. Full bodied. Silky tannins. On the palate, black cherries, cassis, slight chocolate and a bit of spice. Some minty and bitter cherry notes on the finish. There is some depth here and it may improve a bit with short term cellaring. It is nice on its own, but seemed better with food. Of course, a burger would do, but it worked great with Felafel. Drink over the next five to eight years.

2016 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, Washington, Wine Review

Vintage:

2016

Score:

Grade:

A-

Current Price:

$60.00USD

This is a Cabernet from Washington state. It actually also has 4% Merlot. Purple in color, a bit of ruby at the rim. Opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with black cherries, plums, some baking spice and a slight liqueur note. Full bodied but not over blown. On the palate, this has juicy black cherries, plums, slight blueberries with some underlying char and a bit of minerality. Good balance. Nice finish. This is drinking well now but should go another seven to ten years. It will work on its own but probably better with food. It went well with pasta but would work well with r

2019 United Ink Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Vintage:

2019

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$18.00USD

This is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot from Washington state. It is a nice value in Cabernet. Deep garnet in color, clear and bright. The nose has cassis and an ash quality that is interesting. Medium bodied. On the palate, nice cassis fruit. Medium tannins. Nice finish. This is a solid, easy drinking wine that will work well with steaks, roasted chicken or all but the lightest foods. Drink over the next three to five years.

2016 Secret Squirrel Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review

Food and Wine Pairing Tool

Related Articles

Chateau Ste. Michelle Winemaker Bob Bertheau Talks Washington Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon – Old Vines in Washington State

2020 Luke Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wahluke Slope, Wine Review

2016 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, Washington, Wine Review

2019 United Ink Cabernet Sauvignon, USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Wine Review