Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vines 2020

Tasting notes

This wine is dark purple and dense in the glass. Aromas of cocoa, black currant, and anise develop with a rich concentration of ripe black fruits and molasses. New French oak integrates the fruit, acid, and alcohol creating a nice weight, texture, and overall mouthfeel. The smooth but firm tannins leave you with a seamlessly rich and long fin-ish. The wine expresses the purity of fully mature cabernet sauvignon that can only be achieved from old vine fruit. This wine will pair beautifully with beef short ribs, filet mignon, and dark chocolate cake. Store and serve at cellar temperature.

Terroir

Sagemoor Vineyard (63%)
Founded in 1968, Sagemoor Vineyards was a pioneering effort that helped establish the Washington State wine industry. Its early vineyards are among the oldest plantings of vinifera grapes in the state. Rick began using Sagemoor fruit in his home winemak-ing days, and we continue to use it today. A significant number of 1972 plantings are still producing our Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from specific rows in Blocks 3 and 9. Quincy loamy fine sand, Sagehill very fine sandy loam, 2-10% slope. 572ft elevation.

Weinbau Vineyard (31%)
Weinbau has a view of the Rattlesnake Mountains to the south, and the Saddle Moun-tains to the north. The land slopes gently south, with elevation ranging from 710-950 feet. Weinbau is a warm site with excellent air drainage, and the soil is dominated by Kennewick silt loam with a 2-5% slope. The consistency of soil type shows up in vine growth and subsequently in the wines.

Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard (6%)
Planted in 1977, Woodward Canyon is the westernmost vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley AVA, roughly 15 miles west of Walla Walla, Washington. There are 41 vineyard acres planted and several more acres of green belts that support native species such as western juniper, ponderosa pine, western sagebrush, arrowleaf balsamroot, and peren-nial wildflowers. Ritzville silt loam over fractured basalt, slope 15-18%, 750-850ft ele-vation. Managed by Woodward Canyon. All grapes are Salmon Safe certified.

Vinification

Hand harvested and sorted
48 hour cold soak
Fermented in 1.5-ton stainless steel fermenters
100% New French Barrels, 20 months
Spontaneous malolactic fermentation

Winery Description

Owner and winemaker Rick Small’s family has been farming the same land where Woodward Canyon’s vineyards now lie for three generations. Rick first planted vineyards here in the late 1970’s, and Woodward Canyon was the second winery to be established in the Walla Walla appellation in 1981, after Leonetti. With deep roots in the land, Rick Small is one of a handful of the Washington wine industry’s ‘elder statesmen’ that have devoted their lives to producing some of the world’s finest wines in Washington. Woodward Canyon wines express the passion and intensity of Rick Small’s devotion to his work - he personally oversees the crafting of each of his wines from vine to bottle. Painstaking effort is taken in each step of the winemaking process, from canopy and irrigation management in the vineyard to ageing oak in order to make his own barrels at the winery. Rick’s vision for his wine has always been quality over quantity, and his enduring reputation as one of Washington’s finest winemakers is testament to his success. Woodward Canyon wines are never fined nor filtered and are always expertly handcrafted. Rick Small’s intimate knowledge of the land and passion for quality can be tasted in every glass.