Owned by Precept Wine, Canoe Ridge was originally a partnership between Chalone Wines in Napa, Calif. and a group of Washington farmers and investors that founded the vineyard in 1990, with the winery to soon follow. This iconic Walla Walla-based winery has been sourcing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay from their eponymous Horse Heaven Hills vineyard since 1994.
Cited on the National Register of Historic Places, the Canoe Ridge tasting room building served as the town’s streetcar and train facility in the early 1900s (Walla Walla Traction Co.). The winery has operated continuously since 1994, and the tasting room underwent an extensive renovation befitting of its turn-of-the-century character; it reopened after a two-year closure in May 2012.
Canoe Ridge’s 2011 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from some of the oldest blocks in their Horse Heaven Hills estate vineyard that stretches along the shores of the Columbia River.
Nose: Soft aromas of red and black berries, tobacco leaf, tar and lightly toasted oak.
Taste: Medium-bodied, lively and bright, exuding flavors of cherry, currants, lavender and herbal spice with vanilla accents. Firm tannins push through to the finish.
Editor’s Choice
Alcohol: 13.1%
Website: www.canoeridgevineyard.com