David Shaw

9.2

Columbia Valley. 43/42/8/7 blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (a Meritage by any other name?). Raspberry, blackberry and herbal notes in nose, red fruit with cherry in mouth. Rounded mouthfeel initially with minimal tannin expression. Just enough acid, lighter alcohol though label states 14.5% alc/vol. Menthol-eucalyptus on finish. Winery tasting notes mention red plum, currant and cranberry aromas and flavors; no doubt they will emerge as I bide my time sipping. An allusion to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream rests in the Wild Thyme name; best do an online search for the whole passage. 24 hours later the red plum, black currant and cranberry emerge alongside a moderate level of skin astringency. Best decant for drinking sooner. — 17 days ago

Jennifer G

9.1

Obscure purple, strong flavor but quite smooth. Smells of sour cherries. — a year ago

David Shaw

9.2

Dense purple-red, high pigment extraction. Aromas of black currants, blackberries and white pepper, flavors of blackberries with length, white pepper finish. Slightly tart on initial pour. Still assessing — 2 years ago

David Shaw

9.3

Wallula Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills. Winery tasting notes mention Bing cherry, blueberry, citrus and sage flavors. Not sure I get the floral character on the initial pour. Dark red, high pigment extraction. Tannins are fine grained and mostly seed tannins initially though skin astringency starts emerging after 15 minutes. Elegant. Bright acidity. Some white pepper finish. A perennial favorite for me, with less herbal expression than some previous vintages, but there is definitely sage going on. 24 hours later,the fruit is fully forward, tannins mellowed, with brightness intact. — a month ago

David Shaw

9.0

Purple, cloudy, dense, high pigment extraction, meatier style here: viscous, blackberry, tobacco leaf, cigar box aromas, similar flavors with light ethanol heat and mint-eucalyptus on the finish, aftertaste. Minimal tannins after three hours decant. — 9 months ago

David Shaw

9.1

Horse Heaven Hills, 325 cases made. Purple red, moderate pigment extraction. Light herbaceous nose, call it tobacco light. Blackberry flavor with length on initial pour, nice round mouthfeel with fresh blackberry aftertaste. Just a tad tart. Tobacco leaf aftertaste emerges after 20 minutes with some fine seed bitterness. I might have popped this one open too early as it’s got plenty of tannins for further aging. Still, it’s got fruit to spare… — 2 years ago

David Shaw

9.0

Isenhower Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Wallula Vineyard Washington state. Deeply extracted pigment. Aromas and flavors of red fruit, spice and wood. Well made but I’d prefer it with less wood, my bias these days. Few better Cabs in state, however. — 5 months ago

David Shaw

9.2

Revisiting vintage. Paired with homemade Hatch green chile stew, yum. — 8 months ago

David Shaw

9.2

Such a fragrant wine on the initial pour: raspberry, cherry, blackberry, white pepper and herbs! Similar flavors, fine weight seed tannins on finish that bring out a white pepper aftertaste. Length of red fruit, herbs and the depth of white pepper, black pepper and phenol and wood in the finish. Lovely wine for such a dreadful year. After an hour, tart red plum and a light cola note emerge. — 2 years ago

David Shaw

9.2

Last bottle of the 2020 vintage, 130 cases made. Orange with a hint of pink, excellent clarity. Floral and stone fruit aromas, subtle. Lactic, citrus and subdued orchard fruit flavor. Some skin astringency on finish but less than you would expect after a 72 cold soak before fermentation in used wood. An orange wine with finesse, or at least a light touch. Refreshing — 3 years ago