Deep ruby color; black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, plum, vanilla, cedar, chocolate, oak on the nose and palate.
Dry; significant tannins that move to silky with air exposure. Balancing acidity (3.68 pH). Pure cabernet sauvignon play. Grapes destemmed and crushed; fermentation included daily punch downs. Full malolactic fermentation/conversion. Aged 20 months in French oak, 36% new; racked every three months. Tight structure, definitely consider decanting as the wine becomes much smoother and easily approachable after air time. Full body. 14.5% ABV
Grapes harvested from three Columbia Valley AVA sub-appellations. Three old vine blocks—Cold Creek, Four Feathers, Shaw Red Mountain—supplied the grapes. The vineyards enjoyed a relatively uneventful year from mild winter through mild summer and cooling fall. The Columbia Valley AVA is the largest AVA in Washington State, covering more than 11 million acres. Northstar also produces a Walla Walla AVA (a sub-appellation of Columbia Valley) cab that is somewhat softer and more approachable on pop-and-pour. The winery is located in Walla Walla.
While Northstar generally focuses on merlot, it clearly makes some very nice cabs, too. It is a brand of Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the largest maker in Washington-Oregon. Chateau Ste. Michelle was sold by Altria—whose brands include Nabisco, Kraft Foods, and Philip Morris/Marlboro/Copenhagen/Skoal tobacco products—to a private equity firm, Sycamore Partners, in 2021, after this vintage was harvested, but while it was still being produced. Hopefully, the firm that paid $1.2 billon for Chateau Ste. Michele will allow the winery to continue to do what it has done to make it worth $1.2 billion. Watch this space.
David “Merf” Merfeld is the winemaker. He joined the Northstar team in 2001 and became head winemaker in 2005. He notes; “Winemaking is a constant learning experience and the vineyard, lab, and equipment resources we are fortunate to have at Northstar give us a great advantage in making the kinds of wines we strive for. It’s incredibly exciting for me to see the way these wines take shape and grow into what they eventually become—a great experience in the glass.”
Northstar Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington 2020 is very tasty, classic-flavored red and dark fruits cab that gains depth and sophistication with decanting or lengthy time in a large glass. Swirl away to be carried away. The Walla Walla maker is known for its merlot, but this holds its own as a quality cab. Pair with hearty beef dishes, ribeye, sirloin, New York strip, grilled, roasted, braised short ribs, beef stew; roasted or grilled lamb; wild game—venison, boar; gourmet burgers with aged cheese, sautéed mushrooms, bacon; duck with cherry or plum sauce; grilled vegetables—bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant. Cheese—aged cheddar, gouda, gruyère, roquefort, gorgonzola, pecorino, manchego, asiago. Avoid soft, creamy cheeses; young, tangy goat cheeses; pungent blue cheeses. $40-45
