This bottling was Walla Walla winemaker Casey McClellan’s 12th from Jim Holmes’ famed site on Red Mountain, and the Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blend (50%) is backed up by Merlot (26%), Petit Verdot (15%) and Cabernet Franc. Lovely herbal aromas are joined by dusty Bing cherry, black currant and dark chocolate, and that theme carries onto the palate. There’s the typical Red Mountain assertiveness of fine-grained tannins, which are akin to blueberry skins, yet the medium structure is driven by a long finish of Montmorency cherry acidity and pinch of cracked pepper.
Rating: Excellent
Production: 770 cases
Alcohol: 14.2%
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