Wine of Week
Rocky Pond 2020 Double D Vineyard 11 Dams Red
One of a pair of outstanding entry-level blends from Rocky Pond, this is 54% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Malbec sourced from the estate vineyard. It's all Rocky Reach AVA but carries the more generic Columbia Valley designation. An unusual blend, this deftly amps up the power of the principal Merlot component while keeping the strength and detail of the other two grapes in focus. It's a fruit showcase loaded with black cherries and cassis, backed with the AVA's underlying minerality. The generous use of new French oak (50%) is kept in check while framing the wine perfectly. Given its youth this absolutely must be decanted for near term drinking, or cellared for another couple of years. This wine was still drinking very well on the 4th day after first being opened.
550 cases; 14.8%; $46 (Columbia Valley) 93/100
https://rockypondwinery.orderport.net/product-details/0707/2020-11-Dams
Outstanding Value
Seven Hills 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
This classic, stylish Walla Walla Cab is a six Bordeaux grape blend with Petit Verdot and Malbec the most significant non-Cabernet contributors. It's full-bodied and seamless, potently aromatic with dark notes of espresso, char, tobacco and dark chocolate. Six different vineyards contributed to the blend, but nine tenths of the wine comes from old blocks of Seven Hills and the McClellan estate vineyard. Plenty was made so it should be easily available. A very well-structured wine with a decade or more of aging potential (it was still drinking quite nicely on the 4th day after first being opened).
1800 cases; 14.5%; $30 (Walla Walla) 92/100
https://www.sevenhillswinery.com/wines/walla-walla-valley-cabernet/
For the Cellar
Rocky Pond 2020 Tumbled Granite Red
This is 75% Cabernet, 20% Merlot and 5% Syrah, all from the flagship estate vineyard. Compare with the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon and the stats are almost identical, so this must be a reserve-level selection from all new barrels. With all that new oak it's loaded with baking spices, thus giving it immediate appeal despite its long term aging potential. The dark fruits are typical from the Double D vineyard, and line up taut and polished alongside sharp, polished and balancing tannins. This is a beautifully made wine which should be cellared for at least a few more years and could go into the mid-2030s. Very limited.
90 cases; 15%; $120 (Columbia Valley) 95/100
https://rockypondwinery.orderport.net/product-details/0710/2020-Tumbled-Granite-Re
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