2015 Doubleback Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy Selection Sunday!  I'm excited as my Bucknell Bison are heading to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and we're moments away from learning who they will play.  So to celebrate and to continue my enjoyment of Washington Wine Month, I've decided to open a bottle of a new wine club selection that I received on Friday, the 2015 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon, a work from winemaker Josh McDaniels at Drew Bledsoe's signature label.  This wine has one of the highest amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon (98%) of any previous vintage, with the balance Malbec all from the McQueen, Bob Healy, Lefore and Pepper Bridge vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley.  I was in Walla Walla at harvest time (you can see my first day's post here) and I recall during that trip two big events, first that harvest was incredibly early, as the warm growing season resulted in harvest starting the third week of August and the fires all around that would result in days there the smoke was almost unbearable!  So now I'm finally beginning to taste some of the results of that vintage!

This wine is a classic Cabernet, with a deep, inky color at the center and bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is just a wonderfully earthy experience with layers of leather, oak and a bit of smoke over dried herbs and dusty limestone.  The taste is youthful, but remarkably complex, with ripe blackberry and cassis up front that transitions smoothly to some earthy mineral and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are youthful but remarkably well structured, providing for a velvety mouthfeel and a long, voluptuous finish with a reprise of tart cherry on the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's drinking wonderfully now in it's youth, but has ample potential to improve with a few years in the cellar (lucky I bought a few extra!).  This wine practically begs to be paired with a big, honkin' steak, ideally a richly marbled prime tomahawk ribeye, but tonight I have to go with my second choice, a nice thick Angus New York strip grilled rare with grilled asparagus and a big baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!