Cascade Heights Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2018

Where do I go when I really need to hit pay dirt on an under $20 cab? One place I look is Washington’s Columbia Valley. The out-of-control vineyards prices that struck Napa, Sonoma, and now much of the rest of California have not quite hit the region just yet. Furthermore – the weather is much more Bordelais than California which can add more structure and finesse than Napa with less interference.

My other go-to call for Cabernet that drinks at several times it’s price point is Anne Sery-Martindale. Her small lot Trousse-Chemise label has captured the imagination of dozens of sommeliers from The Odeon to Restaurant Daniel.

And furthermore – many of you have been delighted with her Washington state cabs that have delightfully borrowed a page from Professor Denis Dubourdieu’s playbook at the University of Bordeaux’s school of enology.

During our call a couple of weeks ago, Anne again tipped her hand, letting us know of a little side project that deserved a closer look. Anne had done it again.

Drawn from two choice spots in the Columbia Valley where Washington’s high desert land meets the Columbia River – the 2018 Cascade Heights is juicy, inky purple, full-bodied Cabernet. Despite the bright tannins that argue for a successful drinking window of over 10+ years, this big, juicy cab is drinking excellent right now.