87. Woodward Canyon Winery 2012 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, $59
Year after year, Kevin Mott produces one of the Northwest’s top examples of Cabernet Sauvignon for Rick Small, and his latest vintage doesn’t miss a step. Eight vineyards, including Champoux, Discovery, Sagemoor and the Woodward Canyon Estate make up this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), Merlot (11%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Petit Verdot (4%) and Syrah. The nose creates hints of black cherry, chocolate and black pepper, and there’s a match on the palate. Fine-grained tannins, blueberry acidity and black tea combine to give it a remarkable structure that’s superb now, but it should also age for more than a decade. This ranked as perhaps the most expressive Cabernet Sauvignon of the 2014 Walla Walla Valley Wine Competition and merited a gold medal.
Production: 4,019 cases
Alcohol: 14.6%
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