The Buzz 2006


Abbinare

Columbia Valley, 2006

18.5/20

Review of Washington Wines

Review of Washington Wines, June 2010
Abbinare is Italian for to "link together." This wine links 61% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec into a tasty multi-vineyard blend. It offers rich, smoky raspberry, cherry and plum aromas with scents of lavender and rubbed sage. The bright red fruit flavors resonate on the palate along with tones of licorice, mocha, dried berries and coffee grounds on the back, followed by a squirt of berry juice on the ripe tannin finish. — Rand Sealey

 

91 points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, November 2009
The 2006 Abbinare is a blend of 61% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It spent 21 months in predominantly seasoned French oak. Its aromatic array includes cigar box, violets, red currents, and black cherry leading to a spicy, silky-textured wine with excellent grip and a lengthy, pure finish. This pleasure-bent effort has enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years and will be at its best from 2011 to 2018. — Dr. Jay Miller

 

Good/Excellent

Washington Wine Report

Washington Wine Report, March 2011
Toasty, pickly spices on the nose along with red fruit. Palate is well put together with abundant red fruit flavors and herbal notes. 61% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec. Arianses, Conner Lee, Ciel du Cheval, Stone Tree, Kestrel View, and Verhey vineyards. 14.75% alcohol. 225 cases produced. — Sean Sullivan

 

89 points

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, November 2009
There is a slight hint of leather, but it does not dampen the ripe, round, cherry fruit. Despite a slight dip in the midpalate, this is an appealing Abbinare, with lots of pretty fruit, spice, ripe tannins and a hint of licorice.- — Paul Gregutt

 

90 points

Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator, June 2008
Ripe and focused, this brims with flavors of dark berry, cherry and sweet spices, without being heavy. Long and harmonious on the finish.. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2014. 225 cases made. — Harvey Steiman

 

Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

Red Mountain, 2006

92+ points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, November 2009
The 2006 Ciel du Cheval offers a different sort of personality. A blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec, It was aged for 21 months in 80% new French oak. Purple-colored and a bit more brooding aromatically, it has a quality perfume of tasty oak, pencil lead, espresso, black currant, and blackberry. Masculine and structured on the palate, it has layer of ripe black fruit, savory flavors, and enough structure to evolve for 4-6 years. Impeccably balanced, it will offer a drinking window extending from 2014 to 2026. — Dr. Jay Miller

 

90 points

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, November 2009
The winery's top blend is 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. Black cherry, caramel and astringent tannins are underlined with a streak of stony minerality, echoing through a mid-long finish. — Paul Gregutt

 

Conner Lee Vineyard

Columbia Valley, 2006

92 points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, November 2009
The saturated purple 2006 Conner Lee Vineyard is composed of 65% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc and was aged for 21 months in 50% new French oak. It has a superb perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, vanilla, violet, and black cherry. Lush, velvety, and round on the palate, this sexy effort has tons of flavor no doubt aided by a pH of 3.9. It has the balance to drink well for a decade but there is no reason to defer your gratification. — Dr. Jay Miller

 

89 points

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, November 2009
Chocolaty and ripe, it's got plenty of berry fruit, a whiff of apple blossom, and overall very pretty and delicate flavors through the middle. Chocolate barrel flavors fill in the finish. — Paul Gregutt

 

Malbec - Verhey Vineyard

Yakima Valley, 2006

90 points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, June 2008
Malbec is becoming a larger part of the mix in Eastern Washington and the 2006 Malbec Verhey Vineyard shows why. It is 100% Malbec aged for 21 months in 50% new French oak. Dark ruby-colored, the nose reveals fresh herbs, clove, sage, and plenty of black cherry fruit. Medium bodied, elegant, and potentially complex, this spicy effort will profit from another 2-3 years of bottle age and will drink well from 2011 through 2018. — Dr. Jay Miller

 

89 points

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, May 2009
Young and fresh, this 100% Malbec has tight, spicy, peppery fruit that leads into a surprisingly long finish. It's not tricked up with oak, but the sharp young berry flavors evolve in the mouth and bring on clove, wintergreen and mint, which resonate through a lingering finish. Though the fruit lacks flesh, it doesn't hold back on pure flavor, and promises good things ahead for this new vineyard — Paul Gregutt

 

Miscela

Washington State, 2006

89 points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, November 2009
The 2006 Miscela is a Bordeaux style blend of 42% Cabernet Franc, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Malbec and Merlot. Dark ruby-colored, it offers up an enticing bouquet of cedar, spice box (clove, sage, and cinnamon), cassis, and black currant. On the palate savory currant flavors stand out and the fruit has excellent sweetness. However, the wine is in need of a bit more depth and length which could emerge with a few more years of cellaring. — Dr. Jay Miller

 

89 points

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, November 2009
Dry, stony, and astringent, it tastes of cranberry and pie cherry fruit over a layer of rock. This is a wine that will reward extra breathing time. — Paul Gregutt

 

Syrah

Columbia Valley, 2006

88 points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, November 2009
The 2006 Syrah contains 12% Stone Tree Grenache and spent 21 months in 22% new American oak. It yields a nose with notes of smoke, black pepper, game, and blueberry. On the palate it comes off as a bit compact but the flavors are savory and spicy leading to a medium-long, smooth finish. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. — Dr. Jay Miller

 

90 points

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, November 2009
This is roundly fruity, forward and bursting with black cherry and berries. The tannins are ripe and smooth, and there is a crisp spicy, peppery edge to them. — Paul Gregutt

 

89 points

Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator, November 2009
Broad and smooth, with a distinct minerality to its spicy plum and blackberry flavors, picking up hints of wet earth and bacon as the finish lingers almost delicately. Drink now through 2016. 225 cases made. — Dr. Jay Miller

 

Syrah - Ciel du Cheval Vineyard

Red Mountain, 2006

90 points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, November 2009
The 2006 Syrah Ciel du Cheval contains 3% Stone Tree Grenache. The nose gives up attractive aromas of Asian spices, lavender, incense, game, and blueberry. Densely fruity on the palate, it sports a smooth texture, layers of spicy fruit, excellent balance, and a lengthy, fruit-filled finish. It will benefit from 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink well through 2018. — Harvey Steiman

 

Una Notte

Columbia Valley, 2006

90 points

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, November 2009
The 2006 Una Notte is 65% Grenache sourced from the excellent Stone Tree Vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA and 35% Syrah. Dark ruby-colored, it offers up an alluring bouquet of cherry and garrigue notes reminiscent of a quality southern Rhone. Smooth-textured, spicy, and nicely concentrated, this well balanced, lengthy effort will provide pleasure over the next six years. —Dr. Jay Miller

 

90 points

Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, May 2009
This is two thirds Grenache and one third Syrah, a delicious bottle that captures a unique flavor set that runs from sweet citrus to bright berry and cherry candy. The generous acidity props up the fruit and extends the mid-palate, and just as you think the wine is fading the barrels cut in flavors of a milk chocolate and toasted almond. Think Chateauneuf-du-Pape with New World brightness, and you are right there. — Paul Gregutt