2017 The Guide Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Tasting Notes
Inviting Cherry, Cocoa and Leather Aromas.
Silky Palate is Layered with Vanilla Clove.
This Well-Structured Wine Leaves Developed Cedar and Lingering Fruit on the Finish.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Washington State harvest proved to be spectacular with a record crop level and excellent quality. All factors needed for success came together perfectly: cool nights, lots of warm weather in the growing season, and rain limited mostly to the shoulder seasons. Harvest started the third week of September and wrapped in the second week of November. The crop across the state was heavy, yet bountiful with quality. Our vineyard team enjoyed weather that enabled them to pick at will, affording perfect flavor, acidity and sugar levels.
2017 The Huntsman Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Tasting Notes
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.
Dried blueberry, strawberry jam and a touch of cocoa on the nose lead to concentrated dark red fruit flavors of freeze dried raspberry, black plum, and strawberry lozenge on the palate. The finish is long and round with lingering notes of black licorice, clove and cocoa.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Known for its many and varied microclimates (cool, warm, windy, hilly, flat), Columbia Valley is the umbrella AVA under which many of the state’s sub-AVA’s fall. While it contains 99% of wine grapes grown in Washington state, 6,851 of its acres are unique to the Columbia Valley and don’t overlap another sub-AVA in the state.
After warmer and larger than average harvests from 2012-2016, this year’s growing season and harvest were far more normal. A wet spring led to a dry, warm summer, allowing for excellent fruit development in our vineyards. By harvest, our fruit showed phenolic ripeness with an ideal balance between sugar, acids, and tannin in the fruit skins. The fruit harvested will make for a fine 20l7 vintage from Washington. Harvest began during the second week of August with the last of our Cabernet Sauvignon pulled from The Benches Vineyard at Wallula Gap and Skyfall Vineyard on November 2.
Specs
Vineyards: Goose Ridge, Alder Ridge, Wallula, Frenchman Hills, Doval
Varietal Blend: 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot
Aging: 9 months in 90% American oak, 10% French oak
Deep and voluptuous with rich currants, raspberry, anise and cedar, full bodied flavor finishes with well balanced tannins.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Located along the broadest stretch of the Columbia River, our vineyards enjoy a wonderful climate, with warm days and cool nights yielding high quality grapes. The slope of shallow, low nutrients sandy loam soils over volcanic rock yields grape clusters and berries that are small and very concentrated in flavor and color. The result is our most concentrated and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, amplifying the unique personality of Canoe Ridge Vineyard. This Cabernet Sauvignon is comprised primarily of grapes grown in Block 1, one of the three oldest Cabernet Sauvignon blocks.
The 2014 Washington State harvest proved to be spectacular with a record crop level and excellent quality. All factors needed for success came together perfectly: cool nights, lots of warm weather in the growing season, and rain limited mostly to the shoulder seasons. Harvest started the third week of August and wrapped in the second week of November. The crop across the state was heavy, yet bountiful with quality. Our vineyard team enjoyed weather that enabled them to pick at will, affording perfect flavor, acidity and sugar levels.
Winery: Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Canoe Ridge Vineyard is one of Washington State’s most recognized wineries, with its namesake vineyard established in 1989 in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area. Varieties are focused on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The name comes from a ridge by the vineyard located along the mid-Columbia River, near the town of Paterson. The famed explorers Lewis & Clark named this crest of land as the journeyed down the Columbia River in 1805. From the river, the adventurers thought the ridge resembled an overturned canoe. The Walla Walla-based winery marked its 20th anniversary in 2014.
Winery: 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.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Washington Cabernet Sauvignons - $20 = 14.28%
Looks like CT has mid to high 80’s scores on the Huntsman for earlier vintages but describes it as uninteresting and light for a cab.
Best reviews on the Canoe Ridge, with high 80’s to low 90’s, describing it as medium body with the normal cab notes but also some more layered notes like cigar, oak, and spice.
Seems like $10/btl is a good buy on the Canoe, an even buy on The Huntsman, and a meh buy on The Guide. Most purchasers of the Canoe Ridge are from Wine Woot and Costco (probably WA area ones only)
@Mark_L those are all notes I cross posted from the winewoot offer. It was tasted a socal meetup at a concert on the green. Speaking of that it’s time to start looking at a date.
I personally would favor the move away from grocery-store type wines. I can get those without waiting 3 weeks by driving to the Safeway and grabbing bourbon-barrel-wine-dujour…
@rlmanzo
These wines fall under the Precept Wines umbrella. “The Northwest’s Largest Private Wine Company”. 22 different labels, linked above. Was surprised to see that they even own the rights to Gruet, which I thought was based in New Mexico.
There are some really good wines coming out of the NW these days so it would be nice to see more of the WA and OR boutique wineries than the conglomerates but @WineDavid49 does work some in from time to time.
2017 The Guide Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Tasting Notes
Inviting Cherry, Cocoa and Leather Aromas.
Silky Palate is Layered with Vanilla Clove.
This Well-Structured Wine Leaves Developed Cedar and Lingering Fruit on the Finish.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Washington State harvest proved to be spectacular with a record crop level and excellent quality. All factors needed for success came together perfectly: cool nights, lots of warm weather in the growing season, and rain limited mostly to the shoulder seasons. Harvest started the third week of September and wrapped in the second week of November. The crop across the state was heavy, yet bountiful with quality. Our vineyard team enjoyed weather that enabled them to pick at will, affording perfect flavor, acidity and sugar levels.
Specs
2017 The Huntsman Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Tasting Notes
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.
Dried blueberry, strawberry jam and a touch of cocoa on the nose lead to concentrated dark red fruit flavors of freeze dried raspberry, black plum, and strawberry lozenge on the palate. The finish is long and round with lingering notes of black licorice, clove and cocoa.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Known for its many and varied microclimates (cool, warm, windy, hilly, flat), Columbia Valley is the umbrella AVA under which many of the state’s sub-AVA’s fall. While it contains 99% of wine grapes grown in Washington state, 6,851 of its acres are unique to the Columbia Valley and don’t overlap another sub-AVA in the state.
After warmer and larger than average harvests from 2012-2016, this year’s growing season and harvest were far more normal. A wet spring led to a dry, warm summer, allowing for excellent fruit development in our vineyards. By harvest, our fruit showed phenolic ripeness with an ideal balance between sugar, acids, and tannin in the fruit skins. The fruit harvested will make for a fine 20l7 vintage from Washington. Harvest began during the second week of August with the last of our Cabernet Sauvignon pulled from The Benches Vineyard at Wallula Gap and Skyfall Vineyard on November 2.
Specs
2014 Canoe Ridge Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills
Tasting Notes
Deep and voluptuous with rich currants, raspberry, anise and cedar, full bodied flavor finishes with well balanced tannins.
Vintage and Winemaker Notes
Located along the broadest stretch of the Columbia River, our vineyards enjoy a wonderful climate, with warm days and cool nights yielding high quality grapes. The slope of shallow, low nutrients sandy loam soils over volcanic rock yields grape clusters and berries that are small and very concentrated in flavor and color. The result is our most concentrated and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, amplifying the unique personality of Canoe Ridge Vineyard. This Cabernet Sauvignon is comprised primarily of grapes grown in Block 1, one of the three oldest Cabernet Sauvignon blocks.
The 2014 Washington State harvest proved to be spectacular with a record crop level and excellent quality. All factors needed for success came together perfectly: cool nights, lots of warm weather in the growing season, and rain limited mostly to the shoulder seasons. Harvest started the third week of August and wrapped in the second week of November. The crop across the state was heavy, yet bountiful with quality. Our vineyard team enjoyed weather that enabled them to pick at will, affording perfect flavor, acidity and sugar levels.
Specs
Included in the Box
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $236/case MSRP
About The Wineries
Winery: Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Canoe Ridge Vineyard is one of Washington State’s most recognized wineries, with its namesake vineyard established in 1989 in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area. Varieties are focused on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The name comes from a ridge by the vineyard located along the mid-Columbia River, near the town of Paterson. The famed explorers Lewis & Clark named this crest of land as the journeyed down the Columbia River in 1805. From the river, the adventurers thought the ridge resembled an overturned canoe. The Walla Walla-based winery marked its 20th anniversary in 2014.
Winery: 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.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Friday, April 5th - Tuesday, April 9th
Washington Cabernet Sauvignons
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.66/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 The Guide Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 The Huntsman Cabernet Sauvignon
2014 Canoe Ridge Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
For just an atto second, I thought that said Wellington Cabernet Sauvignons.
The '13 Handal-Denier is tasty.
@rjquillin One can dream…
@rjquillin I thought the same thing!!! Now I’m thirsty!!
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Washington Cabernet Sauvignons - $20 = 14.28%
Thumbs up on all of the stats for the 2014!
@radiolysis
Yup, but what is TA: 5.Bg/L?
Interesting that the 2014 and 2017 harvests were so similar that the same descriptive paragraph could be used for both.
The Guide - nothing on CT
Looks like CT has mid to high 80’s scores on the Huntsman for earlier vintages but describes it as uninteresting and light for a cab.
Best reviews on the Canoe Ridge, with high 80’s to low 90’s, describing it as medium body with the normal cab notes but also some more layered notes like cigar, oak, and spice.
Seems like $10/btl is a good buy on the Canoe, an even buy on The Huntsman, and a meh buy on The Guide. Most purchasers of the Canoe Ridge are from Wine Woot and Costco (probably WA area ones only)
Wow. 2 decimal places on the ABV! Such precision!
Interesting notes on the 2012 Huntsman
@Mark_L those are all notes I cross posted from the winewoot offer. It was tasted a socal meetup at a concert on the green. Speaking of that it’s time to start looking at a date.
This offer is, well, meh
Looks kinda like $10 wine; oh, wait, it is.
I personally would favor the move away from grocery-store type wines. I can get those without waiting 3 weeks by driving to the Safeway and grabbing bourbon-barrel-wine-dujour…
I miss the days of Wellington, Corison, etc…
@rlmanzo
These wines fall under the Precept Wines umbrella. “The Northwest’s Largest Private Wine Company”. 22 different labels, linked above. Was surprised to see that they even own the rights to Gruet, which I thought was based in New Mexico.
There are some really good wines coming out of the NW these days so it would be nice to see more of the WA and OR boutique wineries than the conglomerates but @WineDavid49 does work some in from time to time.
I was just saying that I needed a replenishment offering to come up for my dwindling supply of daily-drinker reds!
/giphy selfish-clairvoyant-spider
