94 POINTS - Wine Advocate

"Whereas I tasted the most recently-released, 2008 installment of Den Hoed’s pure Cabernet known as Andreas, Rob Newsom (for more about whom see under his Boudreaux Cellars in this report), chose, inexplicably, to only show me two earlier vintages of Den Hoed’s other, multi-cepage cuvee – bottlings that had already been reviewed by Jay Miller in issues 196 and 190, but which inspire me to weigh-in, beginning with the 2007 Marie’s View. As usual, this cuvee consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese, the first two in the present instance each constituting one-third, and the last two fermented together. Cherry preserves, creme de cassis, roasted red meats, tar, and bay laurel are announced in the nose and then dominate an incredibly rich, silken-textured palate whose sweetness avoids superficiality and benefits from the intriguing contrast of set stone and peat-like smoky undertones. Here is one of those surprisingly uncommon yet to my mind predictably successful North American instances of synergy between the great grapes of the Medoc and Northern Rhone. Hints of tar and camphor add to the complexity of a vibrantly tenacious yet at the same time soothing finish. Look for continued excitement over the coming decade."

100% Wallula Vineyard

Considered by some to be the best vineyard site in Washington state, Wallula Vineyard is a picturesque growing location nestled high above the mighty Columbia River south of Kennewick. The vineyard is planted on south-facing slopes which vary from 2% up to 30% grade and its perimeter totals 9 miles of varied terrain.  Of this perimeter, the shore of the Columbia River provides nearly 3.5 miles of waterfront. From the river's edge at 320 feet above sea level, the property climbs a distance of nearly 3.5 miles to its peak elevation of 1367 feet. The lower elevations of the property provide ideal growing conditions for ultra-premium reds while conditions at the upper elevations allow for high quality whites to be grown. The river is of utmost importance as the water acts as a massive insulator where during the day heat accumulates quickly and at night it provides a cooling effect once the sun goes down.

Wallula's beauty as well as its suitability to winegrapes is due in part to the huge Missoula floods that raced down the Columbia River during the last ice age. The surging waters deposited Shano silt loam soils on the site, and carved the steep, basalt-rimmed canyon walls atop which the vineyards are planted.

Rob Newsom

Rob Newsom, the Louisiana-born founder of Washington State’s already legendary Boudreaux Cellars, was inspired and tutored by Leonetti Cellar icon Gary Figgins. This former professional alpinist, ice climbing pioneer, and developer of the Gore-Tex fly-fishing wader, is known widely for his bold, rich cabernet sauvignons. Never afraid to experiment, smooth exotic blends are one of Rob’s specialties.

His background in musical performance, cooking and grilling, scientific analysis, and marketing combine with his sly sense of humor and global experience to make Rob engaging and entertaining. Rob was chosen as Seattle Magazine’s Best New Winemaker of the Year in 2007. He is serving his second term on the board of directors of the Washington Wine Institute and also serves on the board of Acoustic Sound, Inc. producers of Wintergrass.