2009Cabernet Sauvignon
2009Cabernet Sauvignon
Of all the varieties we make, Cabernet Sauvignon is certainly the one we looked forward to the most. With its well known potential for rich, dark fruited aromatics and powerful palate presence. Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety that allows a tremendous amount of stylistic influence, and is enjoyable across a wide spectrum of those styles. From the tighter, heavier structure of Pauillac, to the richness and saturation of Napa Valley. We have come to appreciate the inherent differences from places where this great variety shines. Washington Cabernet is an almost perfect blend of both the ripe and more forward styles of Cab and the fresher, more structured wines of the old world. We have the same heat units as many sites in northern Napa Valley, combined with dramatic elevation changes and the resulting temperature swings that come with it. The combination of the two, allows us to craft a wine that has all the richness of warmer climates and the freshness, balance and elegance of cooler climates. Combined with meticulous attention to detail in the vineyards, we achieve incredibly fine tannins and wonderful texture with all of the hallmark power that Cabernet Sauvignon is known for.
Tasting Notes
Black with hints of Garnet at the rim. Currants, plums, vanilla and fruit cake fill the nose with licorice and bittersweet chocolate in the background. A big rich nose showing more volume and density than detail. Swirling brings the same tones with more sweetness, pushing the threshold of ripeness without the overly sweet front end you can get out of California. Volume, texture and balance are the hallmark of this wine. Giving polish and power at the same time, with a creamy sensation at the finish.
Varietal Composition
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Awards & Accolades
"Aryn Morell – who started his own project in 2007 after building the foundations of his career in Napa and doing a stint with Matthews Cellars – seems almost obsessed with “benchmarking” his wines against the world’s recognized best, a concern adumbrated in the naming of his Bordeaux blend “1:1” and demonstrated more tangibly by his taking into account a 40-60% attrition of fruit to arrive at the anywhere from 700-1,400 cases that will each year – depending on his assessment of quality – be bottled as Tenor Wines. And there is no second label outlet for whatever fails to make the cut, which instead is sold-off in bulk. With so much ambition and rigor (not to mention high prices) involved, I wish I could report having been more impressed by the wide range of vintages and wines I tasted with Morell. That many of these are not only very conspicuously new-wooded (two whites saw 100% new barrels just like the Bordelais red counterparts) but also exceedingly firm, even stiff with tannin is quite compatible – indeed, in accord – with Morell’s belief that all of his wines need considerable time in bottle “at which point the elegance will come.” And one of the older wines I tasted was in fact clearly the best. This is a project to watch, for sure."
-90+ points, David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate
