The Walls Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Curiositas 2019 (750ML)

98 JD

Lastly, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Curiositas is 100% varietal and comes from a handful of top sites on Red Mountain. Aged in 75% new French oak, it sports a dense ruby/purple hue to go with a brilliant bouquet of cassis and blackberry-like fruits as well as spicy oak, chalky mineral, spice box, and smoked tobacco. It's purity of fruit is spot on, it has full-bodied richness, a balanced, layered mouthfeel, ample textbook Red Mountain tannins, and obvious structure. I’d put this beauty up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Hide bottles for 3-4 years if you can, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this evolve for well over two decades.—Jeb Dunnuck

An up-and-coming estate that readers need to try is The Walls, which was created by Mike Martin, with the wines made by Todd Alexander. They produce several wines from throughout the state, all of which merit serious attention.

Todd Alexander is one of a select few 100-point winemakers in Washington State, who began his winemaking career in the Napa Valley at such esteemed wineries as Cade and PlumpJack, later becoming the winemaker at cult cabernet producer Bryant Family Vineyard. Todd has been in the Pacific Northwest for the past six vintages, crafting highly-rated and regarded wines at Force Majeure Vineyards, from estate fruit grown on Red Mountain. His involvement with The Walls allows him to take the lead in crafting wines from a variety of Pacific Northwest AVAs, further showcasing his talent.