Andrew Will Winery Sorella 2016
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
This vintage of Sorella will be the type of wine that has been praised as one of the best vintages since its inception in 1994. This was an excellent vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon and it shows in this Cab Sauv heavy blend. Sorella means sister in Italian and was named after Chris Camarda late sister Jane Camarda.
Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petite Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Flirting with perfection, the 2016 Sorella checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. Coming all from the Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, its saturated purple color is followed by a La Mission Haut Brion-like bouquet of black and blue fruits, gravelly, minerality, smoke tobacco, and chocolate. Deep, multi-dimensional, full-bodied, and with beautiful complexity, it’s a magical wine as well as the finest wine from this estate to date. Bravo!
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Sorella is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. The plump, juicy nose exudes aromas of luxurious, elegant fruit characteristics of ripe blackberry and dark plum along with a layered core of oak and a structured floral bouquet. Exciting and thought-provoking on the full-bodied palate, fruit and oak spices radiate with the precision and focus of world-class wine, building to a plushier, fruit-forward expression on the mid-palate yet showing a mineral focus. The finish is long and winding, with layers that continue to evolve in the mouth, unfolding to a generous and intricate lingering expression. Only 472 cases were made, and it will be your lucky day if you can add some of this stellar wine to your cellar. Bravo!Rating: 96+
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Andrew Will Winery was started in 1989 and is owned by Chris Camarda. The winery was named for nephew Andrew and son Will. Andrew Will was launched out of a love for wine that Chris developed while working in the restaurant trade for almost 20 years. Named after his son Will and nephew Andrew, Andrew Will has been a major contributor in putting Washington State on the map as a world-class wine-producing region.
Andrew Will wines are labeled by vineyard with each wine a different makeup of the Bordeaux varietals. These vineyards, all in the Columbia Valley, include Camarda's own estate Two Blondes. He is part owner of the Champoux Vineyard and sources from Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. They make about 4500 cases of wine. In addition to the blends, Andrew Will makes from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese from fruit grown at Ciel du Cheval.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A large and geographically diverse AVA capable of producing a wide variety of wine styles, the Columbia Valley AVA is home to 99% of Washington state’s total vineyard area. A small section of the AVA even extends into northern Oregon!
Because of its size, it is necessarily divided into several distinctive sub-AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley—which are both further split into smaller, noteworthy appellations. A region this size will of course have varied microclimates, but on the whole it experiences extreme winters and long, hot, dry summers. Frost is a common risk during winter and spring. The towering Cascade mountain range creates a rain shadow, keeping the valley relatively rain-free throughout the entire year, necessitating irrigation from the Columbia River. The lack of humidity combined with sandy soils allows for vines to be grown on their own rootstock, as phylloxera is not a serious concern.
Red wines make up the majority of production in the Columbia Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety here, where it produces wines with a pleasant balance of dark fruit and herbs. Wines made from Merlot are typically supple, with sweet red fruit and sometimes a hint of chocolate or mint. Syrah tends to be savory and Old-World-leaning, with a wide range of possible fruit flavors and plenty of spice. The most planted white varieties are Chardonnay and Riesling. These range in style from citrus and green apple dominant in cooler sites, to riper, fleshier wines with stone fruit flavors coming from the warmer vineyards.