Of the triumvirate that make up the Destined series for the Fergestroms, the Sauer family’s Red Willow Vineyard in the foothills of Mount Adams is the loftiest (1,300 feet). This vineyard-designate Cab also provides a snapshot of Les Vignes de Marcoux and clone 191, as it’s known in Bordeaux. The University of California-Davis began offering it in 2003 and registered it as FPS 33 after being brought in from Gironde. Its reputation as an early ripener makes it an ideal fit for this storied planting at the west end of the Yakima Valley, and this bottling is the largest of the series. Of the five barrels, four were new French oak, and that investment is on display throughout the experience. Aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, vanilla and cedar come to life on the somewhat hedonistic and penetrating palate. And yet, it offers brightness and age worthy tannins, making it a mouth filler and a score chaser.
Rating: 92 points — Outstanding!
Production: 116 cases
Alcohol: 14.7%
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