Mission Codename Montagne Rouge
“Winemaker Bob Bertheau is the driving force behind the incredible quality coming from this estate; impeccably made wines… and killer values are the name of the game here.” - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Red Mountain Cab!
If you know, you know.
Red Mountain has been on fire, taking the throne as Washington’s premier AVA for top-quality Cabernet and emerging as a location that can rival the best from Napa to Bordeaux.
This beauty from Ste. Michelle is a perfect example of why.
Available winery direct only at full retail, OR from us today at an unreal price, this comes from their “Special Sites” collection and was first produced in 2016. That inaugural vintage racked up a gang of big scores – 94 from Suckling ad 92s from Dunnuck, Wine Spectator, and Wine Advocate. With remarkable consistency, the 2017 pulled similar results of 93+, 93, and 92 from the pros.
For sheer quality at this price level, it doesn’t get much better.
Chateau Ste. Michelle holds way too many awards and accolades to list in one place, including a record-breaking 22 “Winery of the Year” honors by Wine & Spirits along with 18 Wine Spectator Top-100 wines leaving everyone else distantly behind in their rearview mirror. The bottom line, they epitomize consistency and make some incredibly reliable wines.
This is gutsy but elegant. Loaded to the gills with black plums, red cherries, vanilla, and cocoa dust. A vein of minerality and spice in the mix. Medium to full-bodied it’s just rippling with pleasurably ripe fruit. Long, round, and showing enormous depth - a wine to enjoy now or over the coming decade.
You’ll have a very hard time finding a similarly packed and stacked Cab for the price. Treat yourself to at least a few bottles of this highly affordable collectible, you’ll be happy you did before it disappears for good.
93+ Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
*“Rested in over 60% new French oak, the delightfully round and rich 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain bursts from the glass with ripe and juicy fruit aromas along with notes of dusty chocolate and purple flowers that overflow the glass with baking spice elements. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is open and expressive with flavors of blackberry jus, juicy plum, hints of sage and thyme, with cocoa nib and vanilla tones across the mid-palate. Concluding with a balanced structure and lifting tannins that linger on the palate with a soft rockiness, the wine offers a delicious experience at a great price. Well done. Drink 2020-2030.
93 Points – James Suckling
“Notes of dark plums, mulberries, peppercorns and baking spices. It’s full-bodied with firm, grainy tannins. Structured and serious with a creamy texture and layers of dark fruit and wood spice. Ample, flavorful finish with some length. Drink or hold.”
92 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Coming from a handful of sites, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is 100% Cabernet aged in 62% new French oak, with a splash of new American oak as well. It offers lots of camphor, spicy oak, and spice notes to go with medium-bodied richness, beautiful darker cherry and berry fruits, ripe tannins, and a focused, balanced, classic texture. A terrific Cabernet, it will evolve for 15 years or more. Drink 2021-2037.”
Tasting Profile
Black plums, red cherries, vanilla, cocoa dust, spices
Look | Alluringly deep crimson red, as the mountain it’s from |
---|---|
Smell | Black plums, red cherries, vanilla, cocoa dust, minerals, spice |
Taste | Gutsy but elegant, medium to full-bodied, pleasurably ripe |
Finish | Long, round, and showing enormous depth for its humble price |
Pairing | Enjoy now or over the coming decade with the usual Cab suspects |
What the Winery Says
2017 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
- Winemaker
- Bob Bertheau
- Varietal
- 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage
- 2017
- Appellation
- Columbia Valley, Washington
- Vineyards
- Cold Creek, Canoe Ridge Estate, Indian Wells
- Alcohol
- 14.8%
- pH
- 3.78
- Total acidity
- 5.3 g/L
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 70% new oak, 62% French, 8% American