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Don Carlo Vineyard 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $34

By on November 8, 2014

Don Carlo Vineyard Estate Cabernet Sauvignon bottleTim Kennedy of Tim’s Cascade-Style Potato Chips fame and his wife, Lori, chose to  move to Milton-Freewater, Ore., and subsequently joined the Walla Walla Valley wine industry. It’s certainly not retirement. In 2007, they planted and now farm an estate vineyard in “The Rocks” that includes Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Lori’s roots go back to the Calabria region of Italy, and her grandfather Carlo landed in Seattle where he became a hobby winemaker. He’d be proud of Lori’s quick success making wine. It starts with aromas of black cherry, blackberry, plum, vanilla, horehound and saddle leather surrounded by alder smoke. There’s less oak influence on the entry palate, which features rich and bold flavors of black cherry and plum. A light hand with the tannins and pomegranate acidity provide a nice frame that’s capped with more vanilla and oak toast reminiscent of some famous Cabs from veteran Walla Walla Valley producers.

Rating: Excellent

Production: 400 cases

Alcohol: 14%

Winery website

About Great Northwest Wine

Articles authored by Great Northwest Wine are co-authored by Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue. In most cases, these are wine reviews that are judged blind by the Great Northwest Wine tasting panel.

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