Washington Cabernet Sauvignons

Tasting notes & discussion 12

Typically ~$20/bottle from Precept Wines
Vintage 2017 from Horse Heaven Hills, 2018 from Columbia Valley, and 2019 from Columbia Valley
Available for AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; KS; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NM; NV; NY; OK; OR; PA; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY
Sold by Precept Wines, fulfilled by Wine Country Connect

About the Wineries
Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Founded in 1989 in the Horse Heaven Hills, Canoe Ridge has focused on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay for the majority of their existence. Named after a ridge by the vineyard along the Columbia River.

The Huntsman
“The thrill of the chase can only be bested by the satisfaction of capturing the prize. The same can be said of The Huntsman Cabernet Sauvignon. We’ve pursued Columbia Valley’s top vineyards to hand-craft delicious wine worthy of its name. Consider the Huntsman your prize, bottled.”

Pendulum
“An ideal expression from Washington’s Columbia Valley, balanced to perfection.”

The Pit and the Pendulum

TASTING NOTES:
Canoe Ridge - “Voluptuous aromas of rich black currant and raspberries on the nose lead to full-bodied flavors of dark berries, anise and cedar. The tannins are well-balanced, and the wine finishes with ripe berry fruit on the palate. Blackberry aromas lead to seductively deep raspberry, currant and vanilla flavors, finishing with smooth and well-balanced tannins.“ (AbV 14.1%, pH 3.82, TA 5.45 g/L)

The Huntsman - “The thrill of the chase can only be bested by the satisfaction of capturing the prize. The same can be said of the Huntsman cabernet sauvignon. We’ve pursued Columbia Valley’s top vineyards to hand craft a delicious wine worthy of its name. Consider the Huntsman your prize, bottled. Aromas of cassis, black raspberry and minerals are followed by full and complex flavors of licorice and ripe plum.” (AbV 14.02%, pH 3.90, TA 4.91 g/L)

Pendulum - “Aromatics of sweet herbs and forest floor lead to flavors of blueberry, cherry, and milk chocolate. This is a full-bodied and stain your glass dark red wine, that finishes with dusty, earthy notes paired with mixed berry pie. This is a savory Cabernet so will pair well with fatty steaks, venison, braised shanks, and most mild cheeses.“ (AbV 14.19%, pH 3.83, TA 5.5 g/L)

BARRELS:
Canoe Ridge - French oak.

The Huntsman - American oak, 20% new.

Pendulum - 11 months in American and French oak, 30% new.

TANGENTIALLY RELATED FACT to help you make conversation over this wine:
Published in 1842, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum details the sentencing and torture of a man by the Spanish Inquisition. After receiving his sentence, the man is left in a dark cell with a large pit at the center. While trying to measure the cell’s size, he nearly falls in. A little later, he wakes up strapped to a wooden frame and looking up at a razor sharp pendulum that slowly descends. Maybe one of the silliest things in a Poe story, he rubs leftover meat on his bonds and has rats chew through them so that he can narrowly escape. Even more ridiculous, as soon as he gets free, the walls of the cell get super hot and start closing in to push him toward the pit. Right when he’s about to fall in, someone grabs him.

PAIRS WITH (really-going-with-the-theme-option):
Meat, to be shared with the rats.

Washington Cabernet Sauvignons

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