Wine Enthusiast
Raspberry tart, tangerine zest and herb aromas jump out of the glass. Behind them are notes of dried herbs and rose hips. The flavors are tangy and fruit-forward. There's enjoyment in the purity of it all.
Winemaker's Notes
Varietal: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot
Appellation: Columbia Valley
Alcohol: 13.9%
Showcasing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest region, this full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon is rich with an earthy minerality that is balanced with concentrated dark fruit. Aromas of bramble berries, deep plum and cherry mingle with rich tobacco and herbs. Flavors of currant and cherry explode on the palate, mixing with pencil lead, vanilla and spice. This is a robust Cabernet with all the hallmarks of a complex Washington State wine.
90 Points - James Suckling
90 Points, Top 20 Best Wines Under $20 - Vinepair
History
CHAOS TO THE CORE.
Our home in the Columbia Valley was carved by cataclysmic ice age floods that tore across the Pacific Northwest, transforming the landscape, and blanketing the valleys with silt carried from hundreds of miles away.
As the last ice age came to a close, the glacial dam holding back Lake Missoula would periodically burst, releasing a 400-foot wall of water that tore across the Pacific Northwest at up to 80 miles an hour. The floods devastated everything in their path and reshaped the landscape all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The floodwaters scoured soil and sediment from the land as they went, pooling and eddying through what is now the Columbia Valley. When the water ultimately receded, the valley was blanketed in a deep layer of nutrient-poor but well-drained silt. Pair that with Eastern Washington’s reliable sunshine and epic temperature swings, and you have near-perfect conditions for growing grapes. And so, ancient lakes become modern vineyards.
Cataclysm was born from the understanding that things don’t always go to plan. Great upheaval is an opportunity for a new beginning.
20,000 years after the floods, this wine is true to the land and the hands that made it—classically drinkable but surprisingly complex, it is a testament to why Washington State has become one of the most exciting wine-growing regions in the world. Like nature, it balances power with grace and reminds us that our world is in a constant state of reinvention.
