Abeja Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 06
winery: Abeja
"This is the varietal that we believe will increasingly be recognized as the icon varietal of Washington State and comprises the majority of our production. This 2006 Cabernet is stylish, elegant, and impeccably balanced. We accomplish this by meticulous viticultural management, utilization of a rare sorting system, gentle handling of the fruit and the wine, customized practices for every lot no matter how small, and carefully selected French oak." - The winery
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Previous Vintage Tasting Notes
Previous Vintage tasting notes
Avalon Notes: There’s no need for a decanter. The Abeja Cab 05 shows off its big aromas of black fruit, espresso, milk chocolate, graham, and violet-infused smoke that carries through. Very supple and expressive Cabernet fruit, with a ripe black cherry and cassis core, and a little bubble of cherry candy that bursts just before the finish. Hints of graphite unite with perfectly-integrated toast and lingering, sweet black fruit.
Avalon food & wine pairing: The lush dark fruit and layers of sweet smoke in the wine call for an equally seductive food partner. There is nothing more elegant and simple to show off the beauty of the Abeja Cab than a perfectly seared filet mignon. Served medium rare with a wild mushroom fricassee, the finely balanced Cab deftly matches the weight of the steak and opens up to reveal the subtle earth notes mirrored by the mushrooms.
The ever so slight “burst” of cherry acts as a bright pop of flavor on the palate, which leaves your mouth refreshed and excited about the next sip. We enjoyed our filets served with creamy potatoes gratin which revealed the silky and integrated tannins of the Abeja Cab. Over the course of the evening, the wine continued to evolve and show a slightly caramelized violet depth that was so stunning that we didn’t end up ordering dessert.
There are certain meals that make life worth living, Abeja Cab with a beautifully prepared filet is certainly one of them.
Winery Notes: Crafting a Cabernet with dark dense color, richness and complexity, and a bright fruitful nose is one thing. Combining that with elegance, finesse, and superb balance is quite another.
In 2005, the growing season gave us every opportunity to accomplish both, and this Cabernet is a beautiful illustration of an exceptional vintage. It is absolutely complete, abundant, and balanced. Our own Heather Hill Vineyard fruit is blended with Bacchus, Dionysus, Wallula, Weinbau and a touch of Hedges Red Mountain.
This wine has pretty aromas of ripe cherry, black briar berry, and a hint of fresh fig. Its sleek structure frames a layer of sweet cassis, mountain strawberry, and shaved chocolate. Wood spice and lustrous tannins are in perfect balance and lead to a magnificent finish.
Abeja 2004 Tasting Notes Avalon Notes: Intense aromas of black fruit and fresh ground coffee, with notes of ancho chili. Flavors of black plum and cassis, with bits of black raspberry that give way to dark and milk chocolate, graphite, tobacco leaf, and barrel spice on the finish. With super-fine tannins, great concentration, and balancing acidity, the Abeja Cab '04 should evolve excellently over the next decade. - Marcus On the nose it reminded me of chestnuts roasting at a cold winters day, full of deep dark coffee and a dark chocolate component on the finish. Nice complexity on the mid-palate. Cozy up with a rich Irish stew and brown bread or a more elegant cocoa nib and hazelnut crusted loin of venison. Embrace winter and stay inside with this wine. - Amy Abeja's Cab release is one of the most anticipated in the Pacific Northwest each year. John Abbott makes rich, complex, delicately balanced Cabernet Sauvignon that, while big, is also delicious, interesting, and cellarworthy. From the Winery I had hoped that the growing season of 2004 wasn't going to be as warm as it was in 2003. But I
hadn't hoped for the other extreme, which was to start the year with a January cold spell that caused
bud, cane, and trunk damage in our two estate vineyards. After these damaging temperatures, we were
fortunate that not all of our estate fruit was lost. Additionally, we have built strong relationships with
our growers, who grow fruit for us in other quality areas of Eastern Washington. Geographical diversity
and strong working partnerships make it possible for us to produce exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon
even from more difficult vintages. With the exception of the Walla Walla Valley portion of the blend, which usually makes up twentyfive
to thirty-five percent of the total, the fruit sources are similar to the previous three vintages.
Slightly over fifty percent comes from our friends at Sagemoor Farms and their Bacchus and Dionysus
vineyards, thirty percent is grown on Red Mountain, and the balance is from the Wahluke Slope. From the beginning, at Abeja, a primary focus in our cellar has been evaluating how each of our
vineyards responds to different barrel types and with the 2004 Cabernet, we have made a lot of
progress pairing our vineyards with the best coopers. I am very proud of this wine and feel it is one of our best examples of classic Washington State
Cabernet. It is opulent, powerful, and full-bodied, with great balance and those signature Abeja
qualities of finesse, femininity, and continuity. A complex mosaic of aromatics, rich fruit, and spice
enters your palate and continues with a smooth, seamless texture throughout, with an exceptional, long
finish. It has everything we look for in a Cabernet from our region. Recently filling the freezer with really nice, grass-fed beef has rekindled my fondness for this meat.
I recommend an extra-thick cut covered with mushrooms. Pascal Sauton of Carafe Restaurant in
Portland, Oregon paired this wine with braised pork cheeks and green lentil salad, which was a perfect
match. One last thought on beef: a simple patty on artisan bread (I like to shape the patty to the
bread) with fresh greens is hard to beat. For this wine, the music pairings echo the food. I am thinking Charlie Pride's Burger and Fries or
Jimmy Buffet's Cheese Burger in Paradise or Frank Zappa's Calling any Vegetable. We need dessert too, so
how about Spinal Tap's Cups and Cakes. Enjoy the 2004 Cabernet and happy eating!John Abbott-Winemaker Abeja 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Tasting notes Avalon notes: Abeja held back the 2003 Cabernet for an extra five months, pushing its November 2005 release date to March, 2006. The additional time in barrel and bottle has given the wine a more mature, integrated character at release.The 2003 Abeja Cabernet is 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Merlot. The winemaker says: "...fragrances of plum, dark raspberry, and sweet vanilla. Cocoa and lightly roasted coffee mingle with hints of spice and cedar. A long finish is generous and engaging. It has an impeccable balance of integrated tannin, acidity, and alcohol that perfectly accompanies the meal and provides for excellent longevity in the cellar." An inviting nose of fresh roasted coffee and vanilla bean, with dark raspberry that carries through to the core of the wine. Blackberry and bits of plum intermingle with dark cocoa beans before the miles-long finish hits, with the very silky, lightly spicy tannins. The Abeja will benefit from a of couple years in the cellar and has great balance that will young when decanted. - Marcus
Winemaker notes:
The winemaker says: "...fragrances of plum, dark raspberry, and sweet vanilla. Cocoa and lightly roasted coffee mingle with hints of spice and cedar. A long finish is generous and engaging. It has an impeccable balance of integrated tannin, acidity, and alcohol that perfectly accompanies the meal and provides for excellent longevity in the cellar."
This vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon is big and with layers of complexity that really start to show themselves with a little extra time in the glass. Initially, it is deep and mysterious and then opens to reveal fragrances of plum, dark raspberry, and sweet vanilla. Cocoa and lightly roasted coffee mingle with hints of spice and cedar. A long finish is generous and engaging. It has an impeccable balance of integrated tannin, acidity, and alcohol that perfectly accompanies the meal and provides for excellent longevity in the cellar.
The 2003 vintage was unusually cool during the Spring, however Summer was very warm and the heat units increased dramatically. Fortunately, we received a week of cooler weather in the first part of September, which allowed the Cabernet Sauvignon to slow its rapid ripening trend and finish the season with some hang-time. The vintage was unique for us in that we had all the Chardonnay picked and through primary barrel fermentation, and the Merlot through primary fermentation and settling in barrel, before we ever picked a Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
Even though it was a hot summer, the Cabernet was able to stay on the vine longer, and take advantage of the fall's cooler nights. Practices were the same in the winery, all the fruit was hand-picked, whole-cluster sorted, de-stemmed, and secondary sorted before going to the fermenter. Cold soaking before inoculation and maceration time after fermentations were longer to help flesh out tannins. Enjoy through 2020.
Vintage: 2003
Appellation: Columbia Valley
Harvest Dates: September 19, 2003 - October 23, 2003
Varietal Composition: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Merlot
Barrel Aging: 21 months
Oak Composition: 100% French, medium toast
60% new/40% one & two year old
Alcohol: 13.93 %
PH: 3.73
TA: 0.57 g/100ml
VA: 0.06 g/100ml
R.S: 0.03 g/100ml
Bottling Date: June 28-29, 2005
Release Date: March 2006
