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Cristom Estate Vineyards
September 26, 2019
Accolades, News, Oregon

Forbes: The Best Red Wines for Fall Under $100

By Lauren Mowry Here in the Northeast, the first wave of leaves has fluttered to the ground. Driving past a forest, I spied the golden tinge of fall pushing through the foliage and my thoughts turned to wines for the cooler season and a change in diet. I look for wines with warmth, spice even, but that are still fresh and fragrant with edge and bite. For that I turn to reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and always, Pinot Noir. Jordan, Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, California 2014 ($59) The Jordan family suspected Alexander Valley in Sonoma would make great Cabernet Sauvignon long before the rest of the world gained such wisdom. Their first vintage was 1976; ever since, the family has focused on two wines: a Bordeaux-style Cab and Chardonnay. John Jordan, who helms the winery today, does justice to the winery’s 40-year legacy with this excellent 2014. Left Bank-ish with its plum, pencil shavings...

by chavens@cascadiafinewines.com
Doubleback Winery
June 23, 2019
Accolades, Washington State

High Scores for Doubleback’s 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

Doubleback “Doubleback has already proven to be one of Washington’s most important ventures of the past half decade.” — Wine Enthusiast We are very excited to share the news that the current vintage of Doubleback Cabernet—2016, has been awarded 95 points by the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards. This rating from Decanter puts Doubleback Cabernet at the top of the list of all Cabernets made in Washington State. Drew Bledsoe, Josh McDaniels, and their entire team, couldn’t be more proud to see the fruits of their labor rewarded on a global scale. The 2016 vintage has received the highest ratings across the board of any of their wines to-date. 2016 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley Stephen Tanzer…………………...

by chavens@cascadiafinewines.com
DeLille
April 10, 2019
Accolades, News, Washington State

Wine Game Changes on Red Mountain

Washington's "grand cru" wine region could be about to get even better, W. Blake Gray reports.By W. Blake Gray/Wine Searcher | Posted Tuesday, 09-Apr-2019Red Mountain is one of the trendiest AVAs in the United States. Its name describes not what the mountain usually looks like – it's actually desert-gray, with green when the vines are in bloom – but what the wines usually taste like. It's famous for big, ripe Cabernets: some of the best in the country, yet much cheaper than Napa's best.But Red Mountain, a young AVA, is in transition. In 1985, there were just 60 planted acres and the site was unknown to all but the geekiest of wine fans. Now two extremely expensive projects at opposite ends of the mountain promise to permanently change its reputation in very different ways.On the very peak, which once seemed unplantable, former Microsoft executive Cam Myhrvold (brother of the food engineer Nathan) is...

by chavens@cascadiafinewines.com
Washington 2017 Whites
February 23, 2019
Accolades, Washington State

High Praise for Washington State Whites, including DeLille & Gramercy

Washington’s White Wine Paradox Often overshadowed by the state’s reds, the 2017 vintage shows it’s time to pay attention to Washington’s white wines. By Sean P. Sullivan In Washington’s earliest days as a grape-growing region, the state was thought too cool to successfully ripen many warm-climate red grape varieties. Subsequently, cool-climate white grapes, especially Riesling, dominated production and brought early acclaim. But as the industry developed, successful cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and others showed that red wines could also excel. This led to increased plantings, so much so that by 2013, for the first time, the majority of Washington’s grape production tilted from white varieties to red. And now, there have been several points over the past 20 years at which the state’s red wines have seemed to overshadow their white wine counterparts in focus and recognition. Today, 50 years into the state’s development as a wine producer, white bottlings seem both imperiled...

by chavens@cascadiafinewines.com
Jeb Dunnuck
January 25, 2019
Accolades, Washington State

Jeb Dunnuck’s Top 50 Wines of 2018 features Gramercy & Force Majeure

New AVA and new online profile by the Oregon Wine Board and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association honor uniqueness of the state’s winegrowing landscapeOregon wine lovers now have 19 reasons to celebrate Oregon’s acclaimed viticultural bio-regions. Now with the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) having approved the Van Duzer Corridor as an official AVA, or American Viticultural Area, Oregon has 19 winemaking regions—second only to California—with sufficient distinct features to be declared their own unique areas. The Van Duzer Corridor AVA and 18 others are showcased on the Oregon Wine Board’s trade site, each paying homage to their distinctive characteristics, and the Van Duzer Corridor has joined the Willamette Valley’s other six embedded AVAs listed on the Willamette Valley Wineries Association (WVWA) site.Now that the federal government has approved the AVA, on January 14 bottles with “Van Duzer Corridor AVA” may be printed on labels from the AVA’s seven wineries nested within the Willamette...

by chavens@cascadiafinewines.com
November 14, 2018
Accolades, Washington State

DeLille’s 2015 Four Flags Honored as one of the “Year’s Best US Cabernets” by Wine & Spirits Magazine

Aside from the D2, DeLille's Four Flags Cabernet is one of their most popular wines. Year after year it garners high scores and praise from major critics. 94 Points     Wine Advocate "The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags reveals and attractive bouquet of cassis, black plums, dark chocolate, warm spices and loamy soil that has already nicely integrated its 100% new oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a chassis of rich, fine-grained, but firm tannins, good concentration and a long, youthfully firm finish. This is very impressive and an appreciable step up above the D2 this year. It will demand several years of bottle age and enjoy two decades of longevity, perhaps more." 94 Points     Jeb Dunnuck The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Four Flags comes from the top four vineyards in any vintage and in 2015 is 30% Grand Ciel, 30% Upchurch, 25% Ciel du Cheval, and the...

by chavens@cascadiafinewines.com
Red grapes hang on vines in the Yakima Valley's Rattlesnake Hills region.WASHINGTON STATE WINE COMMISSION
August 30, 2018
News, Washington State

Forbes: The Essential Wines Of Washington State

By Courtney Schiessl Red grapes hang on vines in the Yakima Valley's Rattlesnake Hills region. Photo: Washington State Wine Commission It seems like there’s an official holiday for every kind of wine, a day, week, or month designated as “International Sauvignon Blanc Day” or “Drink Rosé Month.” While it can be confusing to keep the increasing number of wine holidays straight – and downright impractical to relegate a specific type of wine to just one day a year – these occasions can serve to shake up wine drinking habits with new genres. Take, for instance, the annual celebration of Washington Wine Month in August. Though the myriad of wines produced in the state of Washington warrant attention all year long, Washington Wine Month is an excuse to dive deep into the state’s 14 AVAs – particularly for those who haven’t checked in with the state in awhile. While the official, month-long holiday is drawing to a close, it’s...

by chavens@cascadiafinewines.com