2008 Tero Estates Windrow Vineyard Hill Block Cabernet Sauvignon

Well, it's the first Saturday of the month, and that means it's Cellar Saturday!  That glorious time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in waiting.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that I bought on one of my many trips to Walla Walla, though I can't be sure which one, perhaps I brought this back from the 2014 trip.  In any case, tonight's wine is the 2008 Tero Estates Cabernet Sauvignon from the Hill Block of the Windrow Vineyard, a historic vineyard in the AVA first planted in 1981, though the Hill Block is relatively new, having been planted in 1998.  I remember buying a few bottles from the Tero/Flying Trout tasting room on the first floor of the Marcus Whitman Hotel and quite enjoyed the wine I tasted (I think this was before their combining with Waters and 21 Grams).  This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (94%) and Cabernet Franc (6%) for a bit of polish.  So let's see how well this wine has developed over the past decade!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, just as you might expect from a nice Cabernet.  The nose presents aromas of dusty limestone, with start mineral aromas over mild hints of blackberry, cassis and hints of lavender.  The taste is a complete departure from the stark mineral aromas you just experienced, as it's a rush of ripe, sweet black fruit, blackberry, cherry and plum that transitions beautifully into some notes of mocha, dark chocolate and a bit of pepper on the finish.  The tannins are very well structured, providing ample backbone for the long, smooth and very dry finish that just lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's just a fabulous Walla Walla Cabernet that could pair well with a broad range of dishes.  I would enjoy this wine with steak, but I don't see this a primarily a steak wine, rather it would be wonderful with some lamb with herbs provencale, Copper River salmon or a variety of hearty Italian pastas.  The latter is what I'm enjoying tonight as I've paired this wine with a new concoction of jambalaya pappardelle, which consists of cherry tomatoes with andouille sausage and shrimp and a bit of fresh basil and oregano and fire roasted hatch chiles.  The hit of the spice and pasta with the ripe fruit of this wine is a fabulous combination.  Cheers!