Attributes:

Grande Ronde

Washington, United States

Cabernet Sauvignon

750 ML

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 90

currant, ripe cherry

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 88

cherry, cinnamon, herbal, pepper

2000: WineSpectator Rating: 89

cherry, coffee, plum, spice

2000: WineEnthusiast Rating: 86

soft

ripe

1999: WineSpectator Rating: 92

floral

opulent

cherry, currant, pepper, plum

1998: WineSpectator Rating: 87

fresh

currant, dill, tomato, wild berry

1997: WineSpectator Rating: 88

complex

black cherry, blackberry, sage

Food Matches:

(cab er nay saw vee nyon)—This highly adaptable grape grows almost anywhere it is relatively warm, but the best wines come from the Burgundy region of France (where it is a noble variety), California, and Australia. It became famous through the red wines of the Médoc district of Bordeaux and is now grown in Washington, southern France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make wines that are high in tannin and medium- to full-bodied. Usually identified as having black currant or cassis flavors, the grape can also possess vegetal tones when the grapes are less than ideally ripe. The best wines are rich and firm with great depth, and are often aged for fifteen years or more. Because it is highly tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other less-tannic grapes such as Merlot.

Most of the wineries in this state are located east of the Cascade Range, where the climate is desert-like, with hot days and cool nights. The irrigated vineyards produce high yield, but the flavor is nevertheless very good. Traditionally Rieslings have been the most successful here, but currently Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc are doing well. Chardonnay is successfully fermented in new oak barrels, yielding distinctively crisp and delicate flavors, like fresh apples. Washington Merlot, with its cherry flavors and aroma, tends to be more full-bodied, moderately tannic and slightly higher in alcohol than its Bordeaux cousins and higher in acidity than those from California. Acreage for the Syrah grape has increased substantially in the past few years, and in Washington it turns into big, dark, intensely concentrated wines with aromas and flavors of blackberries, black currants, roasted coffee and leather. A little-known German grape, Lemberger, does very well here. It produces a fruity but dry red wine in the Beaujolais or Dolcetto style.

Attributes:

LBD Vineyards

California, United States

Merlot

750 ML

2005: Tastings Rating: 85

soft, tangy

berry aromas

supple

berries, cedar, earth, nut oil

2004: Tastings Rating: 86

rich

buttery, nuts, pepper, plum, spice, toasty oak

fruity, juicy, ripe, sweet

Food Matches:

(mer loh) Deep in color, high in alcohol and low in tannins, this grape is grown mostly in California, France, Washington, New York and Chile. The aromas and flavors can be plummy, chocolaty, and even redolent of tea leaves. It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon although it is the most prevalent grape variety in Bordeaux.

California produces the majority of wine made in the United States. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir dominate the wine production in California, but many other varietials thrive in the California climate. Many fine wines are produced in California using Mediterranean grapes.

Attributes:

Merryvale Vineyards

Napa Valley, United States

Merlot

750 ML

2003: CGCW Rating: 85

juicy, ripe

2003: WineAndSpirits Rating: 88

soft

austere, ripe

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 83

berry, currant, plum

2002: CGCW Rating: 85

tough

2002: WineAndSpirits Rating: 91

rich, supple

oak, raspberry, red cherry

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 85

compact

cedar, cherry, currant, earthy, leather

2001: WineEnthusiast Rating: 90

rich

herb

ripe

2001: CGCW Rating: 87

soft

oak, red cherry

Food Matches:

(mer loh) Deep in color, high in alcohol and low in tannins, this grape is grown mostly in California, France, Washington, New York and Chile. The aromas and flavors can be plummy, chocolaty, and even redolent of tea leaves. It is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon although it is the most prevalent grape variety in Bordeaux.

This tiny strip of land just north of San Francisco is home to America’s most prestigious wineries. Its climate is ideal for viticulture. Ironically, it was deemed too ideal for some vintners, who have moved their vineyards from the valley’s flat plain to the hills in the east and west, adhering to the idea that grapes that struggle to grow yield better wine. The climate, soil, and individual wineries are enormously varied, so it’s impossible to identify a singular trait of Napa wines. In addition, nearly every noble grape is grown here, although Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the primary grapes. In the past, Napa’s wines have alternated between extremely fruity and fat to lean and subtle. Today the best Napa wines have achieved a balance between these extremes. Many are made to be drunk young and have abundant ripe fruit; others can be initially hard and tannic, but soften over four or five years to perfumed, cedary fruit. White Napa wines are excellent with fresh-grilled fish and chicken, but can also cope with more spicy and creamy flavors. Many Napa reds will overwhelm delicate cuisine, but rich red meat and cheeses do make good companions.