Pick My Next Bottle – 2004 Washington Cabernet Sauvignon

The February Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on Washington Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2004 vintage. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published shortly thereafter.

I landed on 2004 Washington Cabernet Sauvignon to set the tone for March, which is Taste Washington Wine Month. Taste Washington Wine Month in March is an annual celebration of Washington State’s wine industry. The culmination of Taste Washington Wine Month is Taste Washington, a massive tasting of food and wine held at the CenturyLink Field Event Center.

2004 was a good to very good vintage in Washington. A very hot Summer was followed by a cool Fall. The harvest extended into November for some varieties.

The Contenders:

2004 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon – The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 19% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Carmenere. Purple-colored, it exhibits a complex nose of smoke, vanilla, pencil lead, olives, licorice, black currants, and blackberry which soars from the glass. Sweet and ripe on the palate, with layers of dark fruit flavors, the wine’s oak, tannin, and acidity are beautifully integrated. The finish lasts for 50+ seconds. Give this Cabernet another 5-7 years in the cellar and drink it through 2035. 95 Points from the Wine Advocate.

2004 Woodward Canyon Old Vine Cabernet Sauvignon – Old Vines (35 years of age) elevates the bar. Composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, it is opaque purple-colored and delivers a superb perfume of pain grille, scorched earth, espresso, black currants, and blueberries. This is followed by an extracted wine with richly flavored dark fruits, outstanding concentration, and great balance leading to a 60-second, pure finish. Give this powerful wine 4-6 years of additional bottle age and drink it through 2035. 94 points from the Wine Advocate.

2004 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard – The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Galitzine Vineyard’ comes from the fourth leaf of this estate vineyard and is the first release of the wine, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 22 months in 100% new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it has a superb bouquet of pain grille, scorched earth, truffle, walnuts, black cherry, and blackberry liqueur which leaps from the glass. On the palate it is sweet and rich with layers of spicy black fruit flavors, terrific balance, and a 45+ second finish. It does not have quite the weight and depth of the flagship Cabernet but keep in mind that this is the product of a young vineyard only beginning to express its enormous potential. 97 points from the Wine Advocate.

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Thanks for voting! I’d love to see a comment below on why you picked one bottle over another. Also, please do let me know if you have any suggestions for the March installment of Pick My Next Bottle.

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