Hedges Family Estate La Haute Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2012
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Wine
Enthusiast
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Dark purple, almost black color. Aromas of mincemeat, allspice, mint, menthol, and dried black berry with hints of black licorice and creamed corn. The entry is full bodied and somewhat astringent with flavors of dark fruits, menthol, mincemeat and creamed corn. It finishes very long with a solid tannic backbone. This is a wild, complex, "savage" Cab that will definitely mellow on the palate (but not aromatically) over the next 10 to 20 years and seems to constantly change with every sniff and taste.
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Wine Enthusiast
All Cabernet Sauvignon coming from Hedges Estate and Magdelena vineyards, this is aromatically locked up on first pour, with notes of herbs, flowers, bittersweet chocolate and earth. The dark fruit flavors are tightly wound, needing hours of decanting or days open to show themselves but plenty of charms are revealed.
Other Vintages
2018-
James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck
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James
Suckling -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
It was 1986 when Washington native Tom Hedges found his first employment in the wine industry marketing American wines in Taiwan. From that humble beginning, Hedges Cellars, then a "virtual" winery, found its first customer: the government of Sweden. Tom and his wife Anne-Marie marketed their Cabernet/Merlot blend to foreign buyers exclusively for two years before going domestic and opening up North American distribution. Still without their own winery, they took a chance buying acreage on an obscure little hill called Red Mountain.
The Hedges have concentrated their efforts on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and the concept of terroir since their first vintage in 1987. With Anne-Marie Hedges' roots and childhood in the Champagne region of France, it was only natural that a French-style chateau would be built on the slopes of Red Mountain amongst their vines.
Their daughter, Sarah Goedhart, is the head winemaker and their son Christophe Hedges is the General Manager. Hedges Cellars transitioned to Hedges Family Estate, and farming practices became more focused towards being organic, vegan. The first two vineyards were certified Biodynamic by Demeter in 2011 and all five vineyards were certified in 2021. Robert Parker awarded Hedges the Green Emblem in 2022 in recognition of their long-term commitment to sustainability. Their future direction is clear: they will continue to work as a family to unite farming, winemaking, and the promotion of their wines and the Red Mountain AVA.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
As the first recognized wine-growing region in the Pacific Northwest, Yakima Valley is centrally located within Washington’s vast Columbia Valley. The region also includes Washington’s oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines, Otis Vineyard, planted in 1957, and Harrison Hill Vineyard, planted in 1963. Yakima Valley contains three smaller sub-regions: Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, and Snipes Mountain and is ideal for both red and white wine production. In fact, Yakima Valley is Washington’s most diverse region, boasting more than 40 different grape varieties over about one hundred miles.
The cooler parts of the valley are home to almost half of the Chardonnay and Riesling produced in the state! Both are made in a wide range of styles depending on the conditions of the vineyard site.
But its warmer locations yield a large proportion of Washington’s best Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The finest Yakima Valley reds are jam-packed full of red cherry, currant, raspberry or blackberry fruit, as well as cocoa, herb, spice and savory notes, and exhibit a supple texture, great body, focus and length.