Cult Washington Cabs - California Eat Your Heart Out

Abeja, Parker 95 Point Betz Pere de Famille 06, Betz Clos de Betz
Woodward Canyon Old Vine, Gorman, Andrew Will, Sineann

The best Washington Cabs stand toe-to-toe with big name California Cabs, but you won't find dinky allocations, inflated prices, and mailing list hassles with most Washington Cabs. What you do get is huge, rich, complex reds from 20-30 year-old vines that are often more approachable, yet with balance to age for years.

A couple steaks on the grill and any one of these wines...
it doesn't get any better!

Abeja Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon 06
$44.95/$40.95

Highly Recommended

I look at most Washington wines objectively. I look at Abeja as a fan. In some cases, that puts Abeja at a disadvantage, since they have to make a cab that I want to drink at home. The 2006 is it. Scents of wild berries and vanilla cream, and silky layers of all kinds of fruit. The finish is long and powerful with a distinct fresh blackberry streak. There's no need to cellar, but the 06 Cab has plenty of guts to age for several years. It won't last nearly that long at my house!

Betz Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon 06
$66.95/$60.26
See all Betz Wines

Pere de Famille 06 received 95 points from
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Opaque purple, the wine has a brooding nose of wood smoke, earth notes, mineral, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry. This is followed by a layered, opulent wine with superb depth and concentration." The wine was scored shortly after bottling, so Imagine what the score might be if tasted now.

84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. The grapes are 79% Red Mountain, 10.5% Horse Heaven Hills, and 10.5% Yakima Valley.

The previous vintage, 2005 Pere de Famille Cab, was selected as the Seattle Times #1 Washington Wine of the Year.

Betz Clos de Betz 06
$49.95/$44.95
See all Betz Wines

Clos de Betz 06 received 93 points from
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Purple/black in color, it reveals a fragrant nose of pain grille, pencil lead, scorched earth, black cherry, blackberry, and plum. This leads to a smooth-textured, intense, layered wine with superb depth and concentration."

Clos de Betz 06 is a blend of 47% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Malbec from 41% Horse Heaven Hills, 31% Yakima Valley, 28% Red Mountain.

Gorman Cabernet Sauvignon "The Bully" 06
$44.95/$40.46

Wine Spectator 93 points: "This is dense and chewy up front, but there's a silkiness and sweetness to the berry and currant fruit that wells up behind it, finishing with depth and silk, with a nice creamy note. Best after 2010. 450 cases made. " -HS

Woodward Canyon Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 06
$74.95/$67.45

This 'Old Vines' Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich and complex red wine. It expresses the purity of fully mature cabernet sauvignon fruit that one only can get from 35 year old vines. The Sagemoor Vineyard cabernet truly expresses itself in this vintage. The color is dark red to purple and complex aromas of cherry, leather and smoke develop in the glass. Flavors of ripe black cherries and cassis married with spicy new oak and vanilla coat the mouth. The texture is soft and silky yet there are mature integrated tannins in the rich, long finish. I love the proportion this red wine displays and with proper storage, it should age for ten years easily. -the winery

Andrew Will Sorella 06
$74.95/$67.45
See all Andrew Will Wines

Huge scents of black fruits, espresso, and wiffs of vanilla-tinged woodsmoke give way to layers of black cherries, black currants, and super-dark blueberries. The 06 Sorella is at once supple and structured, and really begins to shine with a couple hours of decanting. The finish is exceptionally long, with sweet licorice, minerals, and baking spices adding to the stunning fruit. - Avalon

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 points: "The 2006 Sorella, produced from Block 1 of the Champoux Vineyard, is the winery flagship. Saturated purple in color, the perfume is a complex amalgam of pain grille, scorched earth, espresso, black currant, blackberry, and licorice. This leads to a supple-textured wine with layers of ripe fruit, outstanding depth and concentration, considerable elegance, and a long, pure finish. It will evolve for 8-10 years and provide pleasure through 2030."

Sineann Block One Cabernet Sauvignon
Champoux Vineyard 07
$71.95/$64.75
See all Sineann Wines

Block One of what, you ask? The oldest section of Champoux Vineyard, planted in the early 70's, produces tiny amounts of exquisite Cab for Peter Rosback. A lush style, with considerable structure for mid-term aging. Super-limited, 48 cases made.

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541-752-7418

Avalon Wine
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Corvallis OR 97333
541-752-7418
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marcus@avalonwine.com
541-752-7418

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541-752-7418

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President
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