2021 Washington Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

AVA: Red Mountain, WA
Vineyard: almost exclusively from Quintessence Vineyard
100% Cabernet Sauvignon
15% Alc. by volume
750ml

Here comes the next stunning Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that winemaker Pamela Adkins unveils to our wine club members.  We joke (but not really) that our Reserve Cab (which we pour almost exclusively to our wine club members and their guests) DOES NOT SUCK….and the 2021 vintage DOES NOT NOT NOT SUCK!!! 

Pam usually makes her Cabs a bit softer so that they’re drinkable now…but with all the natural tannins in the grape…they also age well and soften up with a nice lay down of at least 10 years (this particular vintage will lay down for 15 years or will likely drink very well all the way to 2036 if stored well).  If you’re a BIG CAB drinker – here’s Pam’s first BIG CAB!  We recommend decanting this wine for about an hour before serving.  If no decanter is available – then open the bottle, and let it stand for a couple hours uncorked before serving. 

As I was sitting down to taste this wine to write these tasting notes…I burst into laughter, saying, “This wine smells SO MUCH like a winemaker Pamela Adkins Cab!”  (I typically say that about California Cabs as they tend to have their own aroma that screams “California Sun” to me).  But Pam’s Washington Cabs end up getting even MORE sunlight each summer that those down in Cali…and she makes them approachable and fruity! 

Note the dark garnet color as you swirl, and smell baking spices, cloves, cardamom, raspberries, dried cherries, and cedar.  On the palate, search for cocoa nibs, dark cherry, oak, and a long, dark-chocolate finish.  It’s BIG.  It’s got a DRY finish.  It’s truly the absolute BEST Reserve Cab Pam has ever produced!  And if it’s TOO BIG for you…..seriously….put the cork back in and try it again the next evening.  Or the next.  Or maybe even the next.  (Yes…I’m being bold here.  I tasted this wine 4 nights after opening it, and it was even MORE lovely than the first evening.)  Trust me when I say – you will NOT be disappointed with this wine.

Food Pairings?  Steak Frites with a blue cheese smother; BBQ ribs with a Carolina style sauce; crock pot short ribs and Pappardelle; or sneak away with a glass and a warm chocolate chip cookie!  Again, we say – with or without food – THIS WINE DOES NOT SUCK!  Enjoy!