Round Table: Walla Walla, Pt. 3

We brought back so many wines from our trip to Walla Walla this year that we decided to split them up into four Round Table segments. In this third part, we examine the Cabernet Sauvignons that we snagged in the land o’ many rivers. Stay tuned for Part 4, where we delve into the many Syrahs in Walla2.

The Cabernet Sauvignons

Whitman Cellars
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Walla Walla Valley
$36

The Whitman Cab Sauv combines seriousness and glee in the manner of Mary Poppins. On the nose, you get some green pepper and other vegetal notes, along with a hint some Juicy Fruit gum. On the palate, it’s earthy and textured along with tart, sweet fruits and a Bing cherry finish. Really well balanced and structured, this wine has a little something for everyone. You may find yourself singing, “A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down…”

Dusted Valley
2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley
$45

Thick, rich, chewy and viscous, this Cab has the texture of a late-harvest, though it isn’t. It’s an artery-clogger in wine form. Most interesting on the attack, it has some earthiness and a little funk, along with suggestions of chocolate covered cherries. Big and lush, the flavors meld together on the mid-palate, and slowly fade through the long finish. This is a wine that eats like a meal.

Va Piano Vineyards
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley & Walla Walla Valley
$38

A fireside treat on the nose with burnt marshmallow, toasty caramel and graham crackers, you also get hints of bell peppers and other green notes. On the palate, behind a healthy dose of alcohol and oak, it’s even more expressive with ripe berries. Elegant and balanced, it has nice tannins and acidity, making the fruit all the more enjoyable.

Pepper Bridge
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Walla Walla Valley
$55

Not as super-boisterous as we would have expected, this vino has a tight nose and is more sensory on the palate with velvety tannins. The twenty-one months in the barrel really makes a strong oak presence, and the 14.1% alcohol is evident as well. Peeking through the overtones is the fruit with suggestions of dark, ripe berries and chocolate. The long finish gives you plenty of time to play hide-and-seek with the notes of cherry and earth.