Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesComing from the team at Aquilini and 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot, the dense purple-hued 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain gives up a classic Red Mountain Cabernet nose of red and black fruits, loamy soil, spice, and bouquet garni. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it offers some chalky, ripe tannins and a great finish. A beautiful wine as well as a terrific value, it should keep for 8-10 years.
A full-bodied red with berry and chocolate character. Some hazelnut, too. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a savory finish. Plenty of vanilla at the end. Rather opulent style. Drink or hold.
Editors' Choice
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain comes from the Aquilini vineyard and boasts a fresh, dark fruit and nose with dusty florals and vanilla-tinged baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is balanced, focused and layered with expressive, juicy fruit tones of black raspberry, dark plum and juicy currant before displaying fine-grained tannins with elements of crème brûlée and toasted coconut. Concluding with a delicious and delightful finish, this should continue to please for another five to six years. Just over 20,000 bottles were filled after resting 18 months in 85% new American oak. Give it a try; it’s punching above his weight class.
There’s a theory that says to become truly accomplished at something (karate, painting, the cello) it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice. This holds true for winemaking, too, where in their case the hours are counted in decades, and one thing is undeniable: there are no shortcuts.
The rich, complex 10,000 Hours reds are the culmination of that dedication. Each is deep, structured, and born of the famously exclusive Red Mountain terroir in eastern Washington, where the land and climate impart flavor characteristics like no other region in the world.
This combination of patient toil and perfect sun, soil and rainfall conditions result in Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Blend experiences that are meant to be savored, not rushed. Will you be able to taste the decades of passion and master craftsmanship that go into each bottle? Instantly.
A coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.