A sumptuous right bank Bordeaux blend, expressing Washington’s fruit forward red wine personality without ever seeming overly sweet or heavy, this is a beautifully balanced and well-articulated wine. It offers multiple layers of flavor, augmenting its red and black berry fruit with echoes of dark chocolate, coffee, and savory spice, and while full-flavored never seems intense or domineering. A few years of cellaring should result in an even higher rating.
Buty, Columbia Valley (Washington) Merlot/ Cabernet Franc 2009
By Paul Lukacs