Walla Walla Vintners Sagemoor Cabernet Sauvignon
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Sourced from the original 1972 plantings at Sagemoor Vineyard’s Bacchus Vineyard.
- Now part of the newly established White Bluffs AVA, a subregion of Columbia Valley. Columbia Valley, in the southeastern corner of Washington State, is one of the United States’ largest official wine regions.
Varietal Composition: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot
Elaboration: 18 days fermentation on skins. Twice daily pump-overs and mid-fermentation delestage.
Tasting Notes: This wine has notes of sweet red fruit, berries, tobacco leaf, and red licorice on the nose. Full-bodied with velvety tannins. Rich and opulent with subtle ground-spice complexity. Aged 22 months in 75% new French oak.
PRESS
2020 – 94 Jeb Dunnuck, 90 James Suckling
2019 – 91 James Suckling | 91 Jeb Dunnuck
2018 – 92 Wine Advocate | 92 Wine Enthusiast | 90 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Founded in 1995, Walla Walla Vintners was the eighth winery in the Walla Walla appellation. Many others have followed their lead and today, there are at least 120. Yet, Walla Walla maintains a stellar reputation as one of the best. In 2017, wine aficionados Scott and Nici Haladay decided to leave their careers in IT and nursing and they purchased the historic winery in southeastern Washington, adjacent to the Oregon border.
The estate’s winemaker, Derrek Vipond, holds degrees from two respected enology and viticulture programs. After following harvests around the world, he returned to Walla Walla and joined the Haladays in 2019. His goal to craft finely made, elegant wines aligns perfectly with the vision of Scott and Nici.