The 2020 Feather combines three distinct Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon growing regions to create a complex, layered wine. Weinbau (Wahluke Slope) gives Feather its texture and backbone. Dionysus Vineyard (White Bluffs) brings dark fruit. Bacchus and Sagemoor vineyards (White Bluffs) add elegance and lush, dark character. Sonnet Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills) contributes to the wine’s silky texture and appealing earthiness.
Hand-harvested grapes were picked at the peak of ripeness, then sorted, lightly crushed, and fermented in small stainless-steel tanks. Once fermentation was underway, the cellar crew vigorously pumped over the cap to extract color and structure. As fermentation neared completion, pump overs were handled more gently to further extract color and flavor without imparting harsh tannins. When ready for barrel, the wine was aged 22 months in French oak, 85% new.
One of the finest Feather bottlings to date, this is a sophisticated wine, opaque in color with enticing aromas and flavors. Dark earth and oak spice are woven throughout a generous core of black fruit. On the palate, blackberry jam and graphite mingle beautifully with an underlining richness that lifts the wine’s overall impression and provides a lush and textured finish.
Tasting Notes:
Instantly impressive, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Feather opens to silky, fresh and fleshy dark red and black fruit tones with picturesque rich and ripe notions that sashay out of the glass with elegance, power and precision. Medium to full-bodied, the Cabernet shows incredible depth and breadth with succulent acidity and fine-grained tannins. This will have no trouble aging past its 20th birthday. World-class and devastatingly beautiful, the wine continues to somersault across the ever-evolving finish, and it will undoubtedly be well received upon its release in the fall later this year. Mark your calendar now, and run, don’t walk to add this to your cellar. Just under 48,000 bottles were filled after the wine rested for 22 months in all French oak, 90% first fill.
- 98 Points WA