2005 Quarter Acre Gravel Mine Cabernet

We call it "Quarter Acre Cab" because that is all we have...perhaps the only Cabernet Sauvignon in Western Washington? It makes only about 150 gallons a year...about 750 bottles.

Planted in 1980 on 65 foot deep, Lauren Gravelly Loam soil, virtually identical to Bordeaux where Cabernet is King. We ferment on the skins in big, sealed plastic bags for up to 6 weeks. This vintage was in neutral (old) Hungarian oak barrels for over a year. Fruity and intense flavor with the herbaceous character you expect of a cool-climate Cabernet. Great with hearty foods, or just drink it all by itself. A joy to drink.

Very different from an Eastern Washington or California Cabernet where the grapes are often extremely ripe and overly sweet...they all taste like overripe blackberries and oak to me. This Western Washington Cabernet is much more akin to the classic Cabernet from Bordeaux.