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Sagelands Vineyard 2017 Riverbed Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $12

By Great Northwest Wine on April 5, 2020

Best Buy! Cesar Cuellar, a longtime member of the winemaking team at historic Waterbrook — Precept’s flagship brand in Washington state — took over the helm at Sagelands Vineyard for the 2017 vintage so this represents his first Riverbed Red blend. He chose Syrah (53%) as the foundation and filled in with Bordeaux reds Merlot (18%), Cabernet Sauvignon (9%), Malbec (9%) and Cabernet Franc (5%) before topping up with Tempranillo (6%). Vineyard sourcing included three Precept sites – Wallula in the Horse Heaven Hills, Canyon Vineyard Ranch and Willow Crest near Prosser — as well as Jones and Willard Farms. There’s some complexity to the nose of dried red fruit, dark toast, earthiness and fresh cedar, which leads a very approachable and fruity structure of cherry juice and red currant flavors, baked by tannins akin to plum skins. There are now eight wines in the Sagelands Vineyard lineup, and the brand can be found on grocery shelves at select Fred Meyer, Safeway and QFC locations.

Rating: Recommended

Production: 1,900 cases

Alcohol: 13.6%

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.