In 2011, in one of the more high-profile moves northward by a Napa Valley winery, Duckhorn invested in Washington State. In little more than a decade, the company has taken to the Columbia Valley like—can I just say it?—a duck to water. Their Washington property, called Canvasback, was established in 2012, along with Longwinds, their 18-acre planting on Red Mountain.
This wine comes from estate and purchased fruit. From the first sip, it gives the impression of elegance and reserve. The wine leads with scents of windblown dust, tanbark and purple plum, sleek and dark. The attack is brisk and firm, the flavors of clove and cocoa, the mass of Red Mountain tannins crossing the palate like a heavy wave—yet the finish feels sleek and precise, the wave coating the mouth and then receding. If you open this now, decant it for steak.
94
Canvasback 2020 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
$44
Every week, our editors highlight a wine that intrigued them in our blind panel tastings, expanding on their tasting note in this space. These are entirely editorial choices; there are no paid placements. Subscribers can also access the original tasting note by searching here.
Patrick J. Comiskey covers US wines for Wine & Spirits magazine, focusing on the Pacific Northwest, California’s Central Coast and New York’s Finger Lakes.
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