Winemaker Notes
StoneCap wines are handcrafted entirely from estate grown grapes from the renowned Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard in Washington's Columbia Valley. This expansive and highly regarded vineyard allows the Monson Family to produce stunning quality wines that are sensibly priced.
Washington State's famed Columbia Valley produces extraordinary grapes in large part due to the area's great soils—the result of massive flooding during the last Ice Age. Light and porous, these soils are frequently wind-blown, and the windy tops of the many high hills and ridgelines of the region are typically devoid of soil leaving a "stonecap" of rocks behind.
The Monson family has been farming the Columbia Valley for over four decades and developed Goose Ridge Vineyard in 1999 under the guidance of Dr. Walter Clore, the "father" of the Washington wine industry. The Monsons, along with veteran winemaker Kendall Mix, are dedicated to limited production, handcrafted wine and meticulous vineyard practices.
Washington produces so many exciting wines, and that definitely includes Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. With over 10,000 acres under vine, Cabernet Sauvignon is now the most widely-grown varietal in the state. Terrific examples hail from sub-appellations like Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla Valley. One of the fascinations of these Columbia Valley Cabs is that they so often seem to have one foot in the New World and one in the Old. Representing the former are characteristics like the ripe, forward fruit that results from long sunny days during the growing season (up to two hours longer than in much of California). Old World similarities include an undeniable brightness from acidity, as well as notes of herbs, graphite and a dusty, sometimes gravelly minerality.
Whether you’re looking for a budget bottle for everyday enjoyment, or a stellar, world-class wine with tremendous aging potential, Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon wines can deliver the goods! Among the many fine options are bottles from Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle, L’ecole #41, Quilceda Creek and Leonetti.