The 2019 Merlot opens with aromas of black cherry, fig, and dried herbs. The palate is sultry and smooth, with flavors of blackberry, vanilla, and a hint of coffee. The tannins are velvety and the finish is long with a touch of spice. It’s a crowd-pleaser for any table!
Winemaking Notes
The 2019 growing season started off slow due to winter storms that lasted into February, but consistently warm and sunny days in the summer put growth back on track. The overall heat accumulation remained just above average for Washington. Overall, the 2019 vintage showcased a fairly typical vintage in the area, which is a good sign for the consistency and quality of the resulting wines. The 2019 Merlot is composed of 84% Merlot and is well balanced by the dark fruit and structure of the Syrah that rounds out the blend. The lots were fermented separately, then blended and aged for 18 months in French oak.
Vineyard Notes
The Wahluke Slope AVA is located in south-central Washington and is considered one of the warmer regions in the state. Our 480-acre Desert Wind Vineyard is south-facing, with a gradual two percent slope ranging from 800 to 1,000 feet in elevation. The deep, rocky soil allows for excellent drainage, stressing the vines and allowing focused energy on fruit production. The resulting wines are highly pigmented and have excellent tannin structure.
The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon begins with black currant, raspberry jam, mocha, sandalwood, and a nice floral lift. Swirling brings riper fruit and spice, with blackberry compote, figs, dark cherry, oak spice, nutmeg, and hints of spearmint and cinnamon. The mouthfeel has great sweetness and concentration, almost juicy, but with good structure and gorgeous acidity. The oak presentation here is very well integrated and frames the overall bouquet. The wine finishes long, with a touch of grip. Drink now or in the next 8 years.
Winemaking Notes
The 2019 growing season started off slow due to winter storms that lasted into February, but consistently warm and sunny days in the summer put growth back on track. The overall heat accumulation remained just above average for Washington. Overall, the 2019 vintage showcased a fairly typical vintage in the area, which is a good sign for the consistency and quality of the resulting wines. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is complemented by small amounts of Merlot and Syrah that help to bring forward its pronounced fruit flavors. The grapes were fermented in open-top bins and the wine was aged for 19 months in neutral oak barrels.
Vineyard Notes
The Wahluke Slope AVA is located in south-central Washington and is considered one of the warmer regions in the state. Our 480-acre Desert Wind Estate Vineyard is south-facing, with a gradual two percent slope ranging from 800 to 1,000 feet in elevation. The deep, rocky soil allows for excellent drainage, stressing the vines and allowing focused energy on fruit production. The resulting wines are highly pigmented and have excellent tannin structure.
Desert Wind is an immersive wine, food, and entertainment destination in the heart of Washington Wine Country, dedicated to producing world-class wines that celebrate our estate vineyards in the Wahluke Slope AVA. Our southwest-inspired estate is perched on a bluff overlooking the Yakima River in Prosser, Washington, and boasts a large tasting room, overnight accommodations, light kitchen fare, spa services, and ample private event space. Desert Wind’s legacy and acclaimed wines are rooted in family and our sun soaked Wahluke Slope AVA estate vineyard. Our philosophy on winemaking is simple: Start with grapes that show terrific potential and craft smooth, friendly, world-class wines you can drink every day. We’ve grown a lot since our first vines were planted in 1993, but one thing remains the same - our commitment to creating experiences that bring people together.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Late last week, an email arrived from Alice, saying I’d been selected as a Labrat, and the wine was going to be posted for sale at midnight Sunday night. The UPS driver showed up just after 9:30 AM Saturday, didn’t bother to knock, dropped off a delivery notice tag saying they’d try again on Tuesday, and left. We didn’t notice it until later, but I knew where to call. I was promised they’d try their best to get it to me that day. I calmly told them that my company had spent a lot of money to ship this package Next Day Air, and that I had to file a report by midnight Sunday, so they’d better do more than try. An hour later, the package arrived.
So, we had a bottle of Desert Wind 2019 Merlot to sample, and little time to plan. As it turned out, we needed (yes, needed) to watch the Bills vs. Ravens game Sunday, so couldn’t really put in a lot of time on dinner prep. No problem, we had some fabulous leftovers that we thought might pair nicely with the Merlot. I pulled the cork and poured some into a glass for a quick sniff. Despite the 14.6 ABV and almost no time to breathe, there was no discernible heat, but I got a nice bouquet of blackcurrants and black raspberries. The first sip brought more of the same fruits, plus some hints of leather. I tried some with the leftover de-constructed golabki, aka un-stuffed cabbage rolls. It turned out to be a better-than-expected companion. This is a really rich, tannic Merlot, heavier on the palate than most, with a long finish.
Next, some pork shank and risotto from the local dinner theater where they put on a wonderful performance of The Shawshank Redemption earlier this season, and created a menu item called Pork Shank Redemption. It was delicious, and so popular that they kept it on the menu for the next show. But I digress. Another very rewarding pairing this was. Besides, the wine was opening up nicely, softening a bit, but still with plenty of muscle. Just right for this extremely rich pork dish.
This was a great opportunity to try a wine with a couple of very different entrée items and enjoy how well it succeeded with both. This is a big, bold, beautiful, versatile red wine that I would be confident to pair with a wide variety of foods. A nice bargain at the six bottle price, but at under 8 bucks/bottle, a screaming deal at the case price.
ddeuddeg received an email from Alice that a bottle was coming our way! After some craziness with UPS, the box FINALLY arrived Saturday afternoon and contained a Casemates glass and a bottle of 2019 Desert Wind Wahluke Slope Washington Merlot. This bottle did not have much time to settle after its overnight shipping across the country to Buffalo, NY and our needing to taste it the very next day.
ddeuddeg opened the bottle JUST before the first of our leftovers finished reheating. We did a quick sniff and taste before the food came out. I’m going to preface the rest of my writing with full disclosure that my sinuses are quite messed up and I may be coming down with something more than just a sinus infection, but, who knows? Time will tell. Upon first sniff, I got what seemed to be a big, bold wine, with aromas of black cherries and chocolate. Upon first taste, I got a burst of cherry and a full mouth feel, but I got a burn going down my throat—but I don’t have a sore or irritated throat and was able to sing fine this morning at church! I grabbed the bottle to check the alcohol content. It was 14.6% alcohol by volume. I did not expect to notice the alcohol that much. We drink plenty of big, bold wines and other adult beverages and I don’t have that kind of problem. I decided to give the wine in my glass some serious aeration and the alcohol seemed to dissipate. With further opening throughout dinner, the tannins smoothed out.
We had two different sets of leftovers tonight while we watched the Bills vs Ravens game. The first course was Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls—think kind of like Pigs in a Blanket but not even tucked in!! For me, this wine was did not pair well. The second course was leftover Pork Shank and Risotto (from a local restaurant). The wine paired much more favorably with this dish.
I allowed some of the wine to sit in my glass for about twenty minutes after we finished eating. It mellowed, but then, faded quickly. This wine might do better once it has a chance to settle in after travel. It might have had a bit of bottle shock. And, it is possible that some of my issues with it were because of my being a little under the weather. Many of you know that ddeuddeg and I do not discuss the wines that we are sent to rat before we do our reviews. That way you get two unbiased reviews of the same wine—and sometimes they are vastly different! I do wonder how that can be. Given the price on Casemates, give these wines a try! You get three of the Merlot and three of the Cab for $10 a bottle! I would recommend that you drink the Merlot sooner rather than later.
As always, happy to see the notification from UPS and Alice (it varies who notifies me first) that I have a labrat bottle en-route. Surprised to get this one so soon after the last time UPS delays and whatnot caused a failure to execute. Wife has been ill for awhile now, so likely won’t get much of the more descriptive notes to add that I usually get from her.
Got the bottle as a Saturday delivery and today (Sunday) I’ve opened it up in the early afternoon. Definitely easier for me to do a writeup over a weekend.
The bottle sat open on the counter for a good hour or so while doing some housework, then I poured a small taste into a glass where it sat for close to another hour, occasionally taking a sniff.
Day-Drinker-First-Taste:
So the nose is nice. Dark black cherry, I think. Nothing super bold, just pleasing is all I can say.
Sips nicely, mild-medium tannins. Fruit continues with that dark black cherry, possibly some hints of vanilla. I’m guessing some oak balances in, but I’m not good with my different types of wood aromas/tastes. Right now this is nice just as is. Will have more to say in a couple hours with dinner and in a GoVino glass.
Washington Cab w/ leftover Steak w/Broccoli:
Tonight’s dinner was originally going to be butter chicken from a new Indian place, but since my wife only felt up to a PBnJ sandwich, I had the rest of our leftover Chinese.
Have to say, this cab went quite well with it. Since it’s not what I could call a typical bold Cab, it didn’t overwhelm the flavors of the dish. I would say this is a rather good everyday drinker Cab. It still has some good backbone to it, but mild enough that it’ll go good with all kinds of stuff. Balanced and smooth, with a good flavor profile.
The finish is even pretty decent, letting the fruit and mild bite carry through for a short bit. Without looking it up, I’d say probably retails for about $28 and likely an offer that’ll be around the $16 range.
Seeing the offer now as I’m posting this, the pricepoint is even better for this daily drinking of a wine.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Desert Wind Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot - $25 = 20.83%
I am loving this winery. First, I am really enjoying Washington state wines these days. I think they have substantially up their game or I am just getting to know them.
Second, I just finished a bottle of their 2019 Ruah blend featured here a couple of months ago and it is terrific.
Third, I had a case of the 2018 Ruah blend and it was terrific.
Fourth, I have a coupon from buying the Meh! Bottled Cheer this past holiday season.
If, after reading all that you didn’t get the picture, it’s a no-brainer. Back up the truck. In for a case.
2019 Desert Wind Estate Grown Merlot, Wahluke Slope
Tasting Notes
Winemaking Notes
Vineyard Notes
Specs
2019 Desert Wind Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope
Winemaking Notes
Vineyard Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $216/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Feb 10 - Thursday, Feb 13
Desert Wind Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot
6 bottles for $59.99 $10/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $94.99 $7.92/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2019 Desert Wind Estate Grown Merlot
2019 Desert Wind Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Desert Wind Estate Grown Merlot, Wahluke Slope
Late last week, an email arrived from Alice, saying I’d been selected as a Labrat, and the wine was going to be posted for sale at midnight Sunday night. The UPS driver showed up just after 9:30 AM Saturday, didn’t bother to knock, dropped off a delivery notice tag saying they’d try again on Tuesday, and left. We didn’t notice it until later, but I knew where to call. I was promised they’d try their best to get it to me that day. I calmly told them that my company had spent a lot of money to ship this package Next Day Air, and that I had to file a report by midnight Sunday, so they’d better do more than try. An hour later, the package arrived.
So, we had a bottle of Desert Wind 2019 Merlot to sample, and little time to plan. As it turned out, we needed (yes, needed) to watch the Bills vs. Ravens game Sunday, so couldn’t really put in a lot of time on dinner prep. No problem, we had some fabulous leftovers that we thought might pair nicely with the Merlot. I pulled the cork and poured some into a glass for a quick sniff. Despite the 14.6 ABV and almost no time to breathe, there was no discernible heat, but I got a nice bouquet of blackcurrants and black raspberries. The first sip brought more of the same fruits, plus some hints of leather. I tried some with the leftover de-constructed golabki, aka un-stuffed cabbage rolls. It turned out to be a better-than-expected companion. This is a really rich, tannic Merlot, heavier on the palate than most, with a long finish.
Next, some pork shank and risotto from the local dinner theater where they put on a wonderful performance of The Shawshank Redemption earlier this season, and created a menu item called Pork Shank Redemption. It was delicious, and so popular that they kept it on the menu for the next show. But I digress. Another very rewarding pairing this was. Besides, the wine was opening up nicely, softening a bit, but still with plenty of muscle. Just right for this extremely rich pork dish.
This was a great opportunity to try a wine with a couple of very different entrée items and enjoy how well it succeeded with both. This is a big, bold, beautiful, versatile red wine that I would be confident to pair with a wide variety of foods. A nice bargain at the six bottle price, but at under 8 bucks/bottle, a screaming deal at the case price.
@ddeuddeg well of course you needed to watch the game. And next week too!
2019 Desert Wind Estate Grown Merlot, Wahluke Slope
ddeuddeg received an email from Alice that a bottle was coming our way! After some craziness with UPS, the box FINALLY arrived Saturday afternoon and contained a Casemates glass and a bottle of 2019 Desert Wind Wahluke Slope Washington Merlot. This bottle did not have much time to settle after its overnight shipping across the country to Buffalo, NY and our needing to taste it the very next day.
ddeuddeg opened the bottle JUST before the first of our leftovers finished reheating. We did a quick sniff and taste before the food came out. I’m going to preface the rest of my writing with full disclosure that my sinuses are quite messed up and I may be coming down with something more than just a sinus infection, but, who knows? Time will tell. Upon first sniff, I got what seemed to be a big, bold wine, with aromas of black cherries and chocolate. Upon first taste, I got a burst of cherry and a full mouth feel, but I got a burn going down my throat—but I don’t have a sore or irritated throat and was able to sing fine this morning at church! I grabbed the bottle to check the alcohol content. It was 14.6% alcohol by volume. I did not expect to notice the alcohol that much. We drink plenty of big, bold wines and other adult beverages and I don’t have that kind of problem. I decided to give the wine in my glass some serious aeration and the alcohol seemed to dissipate. With further opening throughout dinner, the tannins smoothed out.
We had two different sets of leftovers tonight while we watched the Bills vs Ravens game. The first course was Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls—think kind of like Pigs in a Blanket but not even tucked in!! For me, this wine was did not pair well. The second course was leftover Pork Shank and Risotto (from a local restaurant). The wine paired much more favorably with this dish.
I allowed some of the wine to sit in my glass for about twenty minutes after we finished eating. It mellowed, but then, faded quickly. This wine might do better once it has a chance to settle in after travel. It might have had a bit of bottle shock. And, it is possible that some of my issues with it were because of my being a little under the weather. Many of you know that ddeuddeg and I do not discuss the wines that we are sent to rat before we do our reviews. That way you get two unbiased reviews of the same wine—and sometimes they are vastly different! I do wonder how that can be. Given the price on Casemates, give these wines a try! You get three of the Merlot and three of the Cab for $10 a bottle! I would recommend that you drink the Merlot sooner rather than later.
2019 Desert Wind Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope
As always, happy to see the notification from UPS and Alice (it varies who notifies me first) that I have a labrat bottle en-route. Surprised to get this one so soon after the last time UPS delays and whatnot caused a failure to execute. Wife has been ill for awhile now, so likely won’t get much of the more descriptive notes to add that I usually get from her.
Got the bottle as a Saturday delivery and today (Sunday) I’ve opened it up in the early afternoon. Definitely easier for me to do a writeup over a weekend.
The bottle sat open on the counter for a good hour or so while doing some housework, then I poured a small taste into a glass where it sat for close to another hour, occasionally taking a sniff.
Day-Drinker-First-Taste:
So the nose is nice. Dark black cherry, I think. Nothing super bold, just pleasing is all I can say.
Sips nicely, mild-medium tannins. Fruit continues with that dark black cherry, possibly some hints of vanilla. I’m guessing some oak balances in, but I’m not good with my different types of wood aromas/tastes. Right now this is nice just as is. Will have more to say in a couple hours with dinner and in a GoVino glass.
Washington Cab w/ leftover Steak w/Broccoli:
Tonight’s dinner was originally going to be butter chicken from a new Indian place, but since my wife only felt up to a PBnJ sandwich, I had the rest of our leftover Chinese.
Have to say, this cab went quite well with it. Since it’s not what I could call a typical bold Cab, it didn’t overwhelm the flavors of the dish. I would say this is a rather good everyday drinker Cab. It still has some good backbone to it, but mild enough that it’ll go good with all kinds of stuff. Balanced and smooth, with a good flavor profile.
The finish is even pretty decent, letting the fruit and mild bite carry through for a short bit. Without looking it up, I’d say probably retails for about $28 and likely an offer that’ll be around the $16 range.
Seeing the offer now as I’m posting this, the pricepoint is even better for this daily drinking of a wine.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
Desert Wind Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot - $25 = 20.83%
I love me a good Merlot! And at this price I can’t refuse. Thanks to the rats for great write ups! @HitAnyKey42 @bahwm @ddeuddeg
/giphy aloof-brackish-machine
I am loving this winery. First, I am really enjoying Washington state wines these days. I think they have substantially up their game or I am just getting to know them.
Second, I just finished a bottle of their 2019 Ruah blend featured here a couple of months ago and it is terrific.
Third, I had a case of the 2018 Ruah blend and it was terrific.
Fourth, I have a coupon from buying the Meh! Bottled Cheer this past holiday season.
If, after reading all that you didn’t get the picture, it’s a no-brainer. Back up the truck. In for a case.
/giphy informally-fictitious-moth
