Cadence Tapteil 2018
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker -
Wine &
Spirits
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Fresh boysenberry and blackberry aromas complement the ever present Tapteil dust, sage and minerals. The acid/fruit/tannin balance interplays wonderfully throughout the wine; this is a dervish whirling ever faster on your palate. Powerful, intense and long, decant now or wait a few years to enjoy Tapteil 2018.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Tapteil Vineyard is slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated and checks in as 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Merlot. It too saw 18 months in 40% new French oak. Ripe red and black fruits, leafy herbs, chocolate, charcoal, and earthy nuances give way to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, concentrated red blend with the fruit and opulence to shine today yet the structure and balance to evolve for 15-20 years. Give it a few years if you can.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Rich, round and balanced on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers a delightfully layered expression that gives way to fresh, dark fruit flavors that sway with lifting tannins. It ends with a succulent finish, leaving behind persistent flavors of juicy plum, dusty blackberry and soft vanilla-inflicted essence.
Rating: 91+
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Wine & Spirits
This blend of cabernet sauvignon, franc and merlot is dark as an inkwell when poured, with scents of graphite and violets, olive and plum. Its flavors are intensely concentrated and dense at the moment. Give it some cellar time before grilling a ribeye.
Other Vintages
2017-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
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Wine
Enthusiast -
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Spectator
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Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
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Wine &
Spirits -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Enthusiast
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 coveted source of top quality red grapes among premier Washington producers, the Red Mountain AVA is actually the smallest appellation in the state. As its name might suggest, it is actually neither a mountain nor is it composed of red earth. Instead the appellation is an anticline of the Yakima fold belt, a series of geologic folds that define a number of viticultural regions in the surrounding area. It is on the eastern edge of Yakima Valley with slopes facing southwest towards the Yakima River, ideal for the ripening of grapes. The area’s springtime proliferation of cheatgrass, which has a reddish color, actually gives the area the name, "Red" Mountain.
Red Mountain produces some of the most mineral-driven, tannic and age-worthy red wines of Washington and there are a few reasons for this. It is just about the hottest appellation with normal growing season temperatures commonly reaching above 90F. The soil is particularly poor in nutrients and has a high pH, which results in significantly smaller berry sizes compared to varietal norms. The low juice to skin ratio in smaller berries combined with the strong, dry summer winds, leads to higher tannin levels in Red Mountain grapes.
The most common red grape varieties here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, among others. Limited white varieties are grown, namely Sauvignon blanc.
The reds of the area tend to express dark black and blue fruit, deep concentration, complex textures, high levels of tannins and as previously noted, have good aging capabilities.