2017 Canoe Ridge Vineyard The Explorer Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills
Tasting Notes
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.
Vintage Notes
After warmer and longer than average harvests from 2012-2016, this yearās 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 2017 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 2nd.
Specs
Vintage: 2017
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: Horse Heaven Hills
Vineyard: Canoe Ridge Vineyard
Oak: 100% French Oak
Alcohol: 14.1%
pH: 3.82
TA: 5.45 g/l
2018 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. Weāve pursued Columbia Valleyās 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.
Columbia Valley AVA & Vintage Notes
Known for its many and varied microclimates (cool, warm, windy, hilly, flat), Columbia Valley is the umbrella AVA under which many of the stateās sub-AVAs fall. While it contains 99% of wine grapes grown in Washington state, 6,851 of its acres are unique to the Columbia Valley and donāt overlap another sub-AVA in the state.
The 2018 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.
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. āThis is a favorite of mine to sip on cold nights in the hot tub.ā āJohn Freeman, Winemaker
The aromatics such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Viognier are true-to-variety and wonderfully aromatic with more floral aromas than they have shown in years. Even big reds such as Merlot and Malbec have intense and forward floral aromatics. Washington was on a warming trend since 2012, until 2019 came along to serve as a reminder that Mother Nature is in full control and will keep the viticulture teams expecting the unexpected.
Known for its many and varied microclimates (cool, warm, windy, hilly, flat), Columbia Valley is the umbrella AVA under which many of the stateās sub-AVAs fall. While it contains 99% of wine grapes grown in Washington State, 6,851 of its acres are unique to the Columbia Valley and donāt overlap another sub-AVA in the state.
Canoe Ridge Vineyard is one of Washington Stateās 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.
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. Weāve pursued Columbia Valleyās top vineyards to hand-craft delicious wine worthy of its name. Consider the Huntsman your prize, bottled.
Pendulum
An ideal expression from Washingtonās Columbia Valley, balanced to perfection.
People. Place. Purpose. Pendulum.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I want to start by thanking WD and Alice for sending a labrat bottle on such a beautiful Friday. Nice timing there!
This go round, I decided to do things a bit differently. I blind tasted the Huntsman against a 2017 Pedroncelli cabernet (3 vineyards). Each bottle had a two hour decant. My focus was on the Huntsman, but am happy to answer questions as it relates to the Ped.
Color: Medium ruby, just a tad darker than the Ped. Clear with no sediment.
Aroma: earthy with a bit of mustiness; not much in the way of fruit. Not a lot going on here in general.
Taste: Heavy tannins with minimal fruit. Good acidity and a medium to long finish. A bit later I got a slight cherry note, but it was faint.
This bottle seemed very closed, so I decided to cork the remainder and revisit tomorrow. At this point in its evolution it misses the mark, lacking in fruit and a bit out of balance. Letās see what we have in store for tomorrow.
@hscottk What a difference a day makes. The funk has blown off and I now get cassis and cherry aromas and flavors. Much more approachable, moving into decent daily drinker territory.
2017 Canoe Ridge The Explorer Cabernet Sauvignon
We received this bottle from a surprise visit from the brown truck on Thursday. I immediately checked my email and discovered that, low-and-behold, we had won the coveted golden ticket! Being that the wine was delivered Thursday evening and the sale goes on Friday night (we are in the Pacific Northwest so I always get to check at 9pm!) I immediately put it into the wine cellar to settle and chill with itās friends.
On Friday we popped and poured. About the color that youād expect from a Horse Heaven Hills/Walla Walla Cab (I still have no idea how to add pics, sorry). Swirling and smelling we got notes of blackberry and peppercorn.
First taste was light fruit and fairly tight. It tastes like this is a young wine and the structure needs some time to open up. So, off to the decanter it goes.
After an hour in the decanter we picked up notes of more berry (think raspberry this time) and some vanilla on the nose. The taste brought in more concentrated fruit, this time currant and more brambleberry.
We paired it with a 24hr brined then grilled chicken with a lemon pepper glaze and it held up nicely.
Being that we are pretty close to this area we drink a lot of Walla Walla Cabs, yay for us! I would say that this is more in line with a budget level cab from the area. The label is beautiful and the wine is pretty good. This is a wine that I wouldnāt mind bringing over to a BBQ (when we can finally do that againā¦please let it be this summer!) and share with friends and not be too concerned about hiding it behind other bottles so that people donāt steal your sips. Or, ordering at a restaurant (a man has to dream) to go with a meal if you didnāt want to break the bank.
Overall, we think this wine is a good budget cab from a great region with some potential. Iād say with a little cellaring or decanting you will notice this wine opening up over time. If it comes in at under 9 dollars a bottle or possibly in a mixed case Iāll definitely consider pulling the trigger!
A big thanks to WD and Alice for this chance!
I bought a different trio of Canoe last year and Iāve been quite pleased with the QPR. Cellar is reasonably full at the moment, but may up pulling the trigger as this is in a pricing sweet-spot for a case and thereās that COVID stimulus sitting in my bank accountā¦
From the Wine Enthusiast, and apologies if this was posted on a previous offer:
The Huntsman 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley. 88 Points
Aromas of sweet black currant and sugared plum are followed by lighter-styled, well-balanced currant flavors. The oak is pulled way back, giving an unadorned look at the variety that will win fans. SPS 8/1/20
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Washington Cabernet Sauvignons - $15 = 10.71%
At first, slightly earthy, sun dried raisin, cocoaā¦ high tannin and slight acidity. Paired well with a richer meal which included slow roasted harissa lamb with lemon & onions and peppery arugula salad. Could also see this going nicely with a chocolate dessert - to compliment but offset a sweeter flavor.
Would buy and keep in the bottle to tamp down the tannin a bit. I think that people tend to believe that letting almost all wines āopen upā by sitting for a few hours is highly beneficial. Sometimes it is, in my humble experience, and in this case it was useful for the bottle to be open for a couple of hours.
Verdict: Holy smokes, after seeing the price of these (around $13/bottle with shipping), this is really a fantastic value. My Wife and I highly recommend and we commend Casemates for another great value wine! Thanks for allowing us to review!
I got the three pack last time offered that had the Huntsman in it, I found it to be no better than a ten dollar grocery store wine. Your results may vary but I found no QPR out of the bottle.
2017 Canoe Ridge Vineyard The Explorer Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills
Tasting Notes
Vintage Notes
Specs
2018 The Huntsman Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Tasting Notes
Columbia Valley AVA & Vintage Notes
Specs
2019 Pendulum Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
Tasting Notes
AVA Background & Vintage Notes
Specs
Included in the Box
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $248/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Friday, Apr 23 - Monday, Apr 26
Washington Cabernet Sauvignons
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.66/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $124.99 $10.42/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2017 Canoe Ridge Vineyard The Explorer
2018 The Huntsman Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Pendulum Cabernet Sauvignon
2018 The Huntsman
I want to start by thanking WD and Alice for sending a labrat bottle on such a beautiful Friday. Nice timing there!
This go round, I decided to do things a bit differently. I blind tasted the Huntsman against a 2017 Pedroncelli cabernet (3 vineyards). Each bottle had a two hour decant. My focus was on the Huntsman, but am happy to answer questions as it relates to the Ped.
Color: Medium ruby, just a tad darker than the Ped. Clear with no sediment.
Aroma: earthy with a bit of mustiness; not much in the way of fruit. Not a lot going on here in general.
Taste: Heavy tannins with minimal fruit. Good acidity and a medium to long finish. A bit later I got a slight cherry note, but it was faint.
This bottle seemed very closed, so I decided to cork the remainder and revisit tomorrow. At this point in its evolution it misses the mark, lacking in fruit and a bit out of balance. Letās see what we have in store for tomorrow.
@hscottk What a difference a day makes. The funk has blown off and I now get cassis and cherry aromas and flavors. Much more approachable, moving into decent daily drinker territory.
2017 Canoe Ridge The Explorer Cabernet Sauvignon
We received this bottle from a surprise visit from the brown truck on Thursday. I immediately checked my email and discovered that, low-and-behold, we had won the coveted golden ticket! Being that the wine was delivered Thursday evening and the sale goes on Friday night (we are in the Pacific Northwest so I always get to check at 9pm!) I immediately put it into the wine cellar to settle and chill with itās friends.
On Friday we popped and poured. About the color that youād expect from a Horse Heaven Hills/Walla Walla Cab (I still have no idea how to add pics, sorry). Swirling and smelling we got notes of blackberry and peppercorn.
First taste was light fruit and fairly tight. It tastes like this is a young wine and the structure needs some time to open up. So, off to the decanter it goes.
After an hour in the decanter we picked up notes of more berry (think raspberry this time) and some vanilla on the nose. The taste brought in more concentrated fruit, this time currant and more brambleberry.
We paired it with a 24hr brined then grilled chicken with a lemon pepper glaze and it held up nicely.
Being that we are pretty close to this area we drink a lot of Walla Walla Cabs, yay for us! I would say that this is more in line with a budget level cab from the area. The label is beautiful and the wine is pretty good. This is a wine that I wouldnāt mind bringing over to a BBQ (when we can finally do that againā¦please let it be this summer!) and share with friends and not be too concerned about hiding it behind other bottles so that people donāt steal your sips. Or, ordering at a restaurant (a man has to dream) to go with a meal if you didnāt want to break the bank.
Overall, we think this wine is a good budget cab from a great region with some potential. Iād say with a little cellaring or decanting you will notice this wine opening up over time. If it comes in at under 9 dollars a bottle or possibly in a mixed case Iāll definitely consider pulling the trigger!
A big thanks to WD and Alice for this chance!
I bought a different trio of Canoe last year and Iāve been quite pleased with the QPR. Cellar is reasonably full at the moment, but may up pulling the trigger as this is in a pricing sweet-spot for a case and thereās that COVID stimulus sitting in my bank accountā¦
From the Wine Enthusiast, and apologies if this was posted on a previous offer:
The Huntsman 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley. 88 Points
Aromas of sweet black currant and sugared plum are followed by lighter-styled, well-balanced currant flavors. The oak is pulled way back, giving an unadorned look at the variety that will win fans. SPS 8/1/20
https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/the-huntsman-2018-cabernet-sauvignon-columbia-valley-wa/
fwiw
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
Washington Cabernet Sauvignons - $15 = 10.71%
2019 Pendulum Cabernet Sauvignon
At first, slightly earthy, sun dried raisin, cocoaā¦ high tannin and slight acidity. Paired well with a richer meal which included slow roasted harissa lamb with lemon & onions and peppery arugula salad. Could also see this going nicely with a chocolate dessert - to compliment but offset a sweeter flavor.
Would buy and keep in the bottle to tamp down the tannin a bit. I think that people tend to believe that letting almost all wines āopen upā by sitting for a few hours is highly beneficial. Sometimes it is, in my humble experience, and in this case it was useful for the bottle to be open for a couple of hours.
Verdict: Holy smokes, after seeing the price of these (around $13/bottle with shipping), this is really a fantastic value. My Wife and I highly recommend and we commend Casemates for another great value wine! Thanks for allowing us to review!
I got the three pack last time offered that had the Huntsman in it, I found it to be no better than a ten dollar grocery store wine. Your results may vary but I found no QPR out of the bottle.
@deadlyapp I recall only really enjoying 1 (Canoe Ridge CS) out of the 3 of the last mix, so this makes this offering a pass for me.
@Mark_L I opened a canoe bottle this evening and itās enjoyable. Not particularly nuanced but itās smooth and easy drinking