The Chronicle Wine Selections in Washington has been built

Tag : Plums chocolate

Washington state - the second most prolific domestic premium wineproducer - harvested more than 17,000 vineyard acres of red winegrapes in 2006, according to the United States Department ofAgriculture. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the most plantedvarieties, making up more than 11,800 of those acres.
Cabernet Franc also does well in Washington's cooler regions and isoccasionally bottled varietally, though it is more frequently usedin blends.
We tasted 56 Washington state Cabernets and red Bordeaux-styleblends: seven were from the 2006 vintage, 39 from 2005, eight from2004 and two from 2003.
Our favorites are from 2005, a vintage that had a warm summer andcool autumn, which extended the growing season, allowing the grapesto mature slowly. The result was full ripeness, high acidity andexceptional balance. When provided by the winery, we listed thepercentages of grape varieties in the blends.
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2005 428 Boulevard Columbia ValleyTable Wine ($30) Winemaker Jeff Sully incorporated 12 percent Cabernet Franc inthis wine, which comes from Alder Ridge vineyard. Dry loam,cinnamon stick, kirsch, oak toast and spicy dark berry aromas.Earth comes to the fore on a finish that is supple and seamless.Limited availability.