Allen Shoup collaborates with several world-famous winemakers for his renowned project, but this red blend — named for his grandfather and grandmother — tends to be our favorite Long Shadows release year after year. His long-time friend and lieutenant in Walla Walla, French-born winemaker Gilles Nicault, casts a spotlight on Candy Mountain near Richland, Wash., for much of the Cabernet Sauvignon (50%) and all of the Syrah (28%). Two Wahluke Slope sites are responsible for the rest as StoneTree Vineyard contributes the Petit Verdot (17%) and the Cabernet Franc comes off Weinbau. The nose brings elegance with chocolate-covered blueberries, black cherry, black pepper, Weetabix cereal, eucalyptus and a whiff of gaminess — a sign of the Syrah. There’s a syrupy inkiness to the entry of blackberry juices that comes with a midpalate of cherries and chocolate. Bold acidity and seamless tannins make this an ideal Saturday dinner companion, yet it’s also built to carry well into the next decade.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 989 cases
Alcohol: 14.9%
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