Wine & Spirits - December 2019 - 58

YEAR'S BEST US CABERNETS & BLENDS
518730

92 | Novelty Hill

$50

2016 Columbia Valley Cascadia Cabernet
Sauvignon ^ Novelty Hill's reserve bottling is
old school in character and, especially, texture, a wine that has a lean aromatic profile
of cedar and five spice, with a fine pencil-lead
savor. The flavors are clean, with an herbal
note to the dark fruit. Tannins, like dark
chocolate shavings, mark the finish. (284
cases) -P.J.C.
518591

92 | Pirouette

$90

2015 Columbia Valley Solo Dancer ^ This
edition of Pirouette is 80 percent cabernet
sauvignon and 20 percent petit verdot, from
sources that include Sagemoor and Heart of
the Hill. It's as dark and dense as you might
expect from the blend. It's also very Red
Mountain, with cassis and peppercorn aromas, old-vine grip and wild, ferrous tannins.
Those tannins seem to gather in waves, carrying flavors of grilled red fruit. Decant it for
lamb loin. (141 cases) -P.J.C.
517651

91 | Buty

$42

2017 Columbia Valley Conner Lee Vineyard ^ Deep and concentrated, this blend of
merlot with one-quarter cabernet franc is
dark and inky, with impressive density and
depth. After a day, the dark plum fruit plays
a more central role, but the wine remains
savory and very firm, with the stuffing for a
ribeye. (W&S 10/19; 325 cases) -P.J.C.
518103

91 | Chateau Ste. Michelle

$48

2016 Columbia Valley Ethos Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ^ A powerful wine, more
than half of which is sourced from old vines
at Cold Creek Vineyard (planted in 1972),
this is concentrated and lavishly oaked, yielding smoky intensity to go along with its dark,
rich tannins. (2,080 cases) -P.J.C.
518559

91 | Covington Cellars

$24

2016 Columbia Valley Rough House (Best
Buy) ^ Merlot filled out by petit verdot and
cabernet franc, this is bright and sweet with
purple flower scents. The texture is lean,
sleek and gentle, with a cedary glide to the
tannins and a prettiness that calls for a pairing with roast chicken. (225 cases) -P.J.C.
516205

91 | DeLille Cellars

$45

2016 Columbia Valley D2 ^ About twothirds merlot and one-third cabernet sauvignon, this blend starts out heady and broad,
with scents of red berries laced with fine-cut
tobacco. Its juicy red-cherry core feels airy,
even a bit transparent, with plenty of firm
tannins and cedar notes to keep it grounded.
(W&S 6/19) -P.J.C.
58

WINE & SPIRITS

DECEMBER 2019

518515

91 | Gramercy Cellars

$50

91 | Novelty Hill

$26

90 | Involuntary
Commitment

$20

2017 Columbia Valley Big Sky Cuvée ^ Three
quarters of this blend is merlot and cabernet
sauvignon, with the rest cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot. It has a tawny frame
of cedar and sassafras, with oak firmly controlling its flavors, but for a single mid-palate
beam of dark red cherry and plum. There's
enough fruit-skin grip to pair with mushroom risotto. (390 cases) -P.J.C.
518581

2017 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Spicy with scents of rye
grain and sundried tomatoes, this well-priced
red is at once sleek and funky, with an umami
grip of tannins to offset sweet dark-red fruits.
It's plush and ready for a paprikash. (2,246
cases) -P.J.C.
516467

2017 Columbia Valley Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Slightly smoky,
with that wispy note overlaying juicy, sappy
cherry fruit, this wine's flavors are broad
and sleek-straightforward cherry jam and
smoke for barbecue. -P.J.C.
518600

2016 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ^ Quiet at first, this has a compelling
spice note that emerges with air. The flavors
of plums and black cherries are framed by
elegant but evident oak, the wine well-built,
needing time in the cellar before decanting
for a lamb shank. (1,493 cases) -P.J.C.
518317
2016 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Tarry, vinous and sinewy,
this wine's structural elements are wed to its
scents of red plum and tanbark, and flavors
that feel juicy, rich and lasting. There's a light
acid drive to the finish that will marry with
lighter fare, like pork loin. -P.J.C.
518157

90 | Dusted Valley

$62

2015 Columbia Valley BFM Dionysus
Vineyard ^ About 80 percent merlot, blended
with cabernet sauvignon and a splash of petit
verdot, this has an inky depth that feels
rooted in the old vines of Dionysus, which
were planted in 1971. With its firm, intense
thrust of black plum and cacao flavor, the
wine needs time in the cellar to knit before
serving it with a black-and-blue steak. (W&S
6/19; 350 cases) -P.J.C.
516468

90 | Dusted Valley

$62

2015 Columbia Valley V.R. Special Cabernet Sauvignon ^ This is a beast when first
poured, its dark red fruit starting off wooly
and ripe. With air the wine becomes juicy
and lithe, and it finishes with firm, cedary
tannins. It needs red meat to go up against its
grip. (W&S 6/19; 400 cases) -P.J.C.
516973

90 | Long Shadows

$65

2016 Columbia Valley Feather Cabernet
Sauvignon ^ Napa Valley winemaker Randy
Dunn makes this wine from the warm
Benches Vineyard, overlooking the Columbia River. It's a rich, powerfully extracted cabernet with an oak-derived smoke component
that surrounds the dark, plummy fruit like a
thick robe. The flavors are deep and round,
the texture seductive; give it some cellar time
to let the oak integrate. (W&S 8/19; 2,930
cases) -P.J.C.

90 | Nine Hats

$20

90 | Saviah

$40

88 | Browne Family

$20

88 | Four Cellars

$15

88 | Pendulum

$21

2017 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Simple and direct, this
wine carries a whiff of violet candy and lavender overlaying dark purple plum and fig
notes. It's slightly angular, its leanness lending a nice line and tension to take on lamb
chops. -P.J.C.
518199

2017 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Scents of cedar and dark
fruit give way to a woodsy, spicy flavor, like
plum juice infused with pine fronds. With air,
the fruit and the savor meld nicely. -P.J.C.
518664
2017 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Scents of tea leaf and
dried wood give way to surprisingly creamy
black-cherry flavors; it's firm, dry and very
approachable. -P.J.C.

HORSE HEAVEN HILLS
516408

92 | Alexandria Nicole

$25

92 | Andrew Will

$74

2016 Horse Heaven Hills A Squared Cabernet Sauvignon (Best Buy) ^ Destiny Ridge
is a 237-acre site overlooking the Columbia
River in the center of a string of vineyards
in the Horse Heaven Hills. In 2016, it produced a supple and relaxed cabernet, with
mild, savory fruit and compelling hints of
carob and mace. Suave tannins mark the
close, along with a mellow, cedary note of
oak. (W&S 6/19; 1,643 cases) -P.J.C.
518125
2014 Horse Heaven Hills Champoux Vineyard ^ Andrew Will's classic wine from Champoux, a blend of merlot with cabernets sauvignon, franc and malbec, is showing its age

Wine & Spirits - December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2019