Andrew Will Sorella 08
Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines 2011
This wine is featured in our 2011 Collector's Case, 12 bottles of the very best BIG RED wines made in the Northwest. Cayuse, Charles Smith Royal City, Sheridan Block 1 Cab, Gorman, Baer, Maison Bleue, and more.
The Collector's Case will be released later this month. Watch our home page - there are only 12 cases available.
2008 Wine Spectator - 95 points - Impressive for its intensity and elegance, packed with black cherry, cherry, plum and spice flavors, hinting at roasted red pepper and a tarry minerality as the finish glides smoothly over refined tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best from 2012 through 2020. 973 cases made. - H.S.
Brawn and brains. 08 Sorella is 80% Cab from Champoux Vineyard's famed Block 1 - planted in 1972, it's Washington's best Cabernet site. The nose is showy - black currant, cedary black cherry, dustings of baking spices, licorice and tar leading to a massive palate (brawn), while holding onto thoughtful complexity and refinement (brains). 80% Cabernet, 14% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot. - Marcus
We've offered every vintage of Sorella and every year it is one of out top ten Washington reds. The flagship red from Andrew Will, it is made entirely from old-vine Champoux Vineyard fruit and named in honor of his sister.
2007 Vintage Tasting Notes
2007 Wine Advocate - 96 points - Andrew Will's flagship wine is called Sorella; the 2007 Sorella, sourced entirely from the Champoux Vineyard, one of Washington's finest sites, is made up of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. Aromas of toasty oak, espresso, Asian spices, incense, black currant, and blackberry lead to a firmly structured wine with impeccable balance and serious aging potential. This pleasure-bent offering will offer a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2032, perhaps longer."
The complex display of mineral and fruit notes puts this wine into play as one with terrific promise. This wine is a dominant expression of Cabernet Sauvignon which exhibits itself in a light made brighter by the addition of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Already it is starting to move out of its first stage into something more formed and giving. We like the persistently bright personality of this vintage of Sorella as well as its ability to cast a shadow into the future. - the winery
72% Cab Sauv, 10% Merlot, 15%Cab Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, primarily from the oldest block of Champoux Vineyard
Wine Enthusiast 96 points.
2006 Tanzer - 91 points - Bright ruby-red. Cassis, black cherry and berry skin aromas are lifted by a floral note. Supple, sweet and densely packed, with savory and floral notes adding interest to the smooth dark berry flavors, and ripe, harmonious acidity giving shape and energy to the wine. Youthfully medicinal in a positive way. Finishes with big, broad tannins and flavors of dark fruits and licorice pastille that dust the entire palate. This may ultimately merit an even higher score.
2006 Vintage Tasting Notes
Huge scents of black fruits, espresso, and wiffs of vanilla-tinged woodsmoke give way to layers of black cherries, black currants, and super-dark blueberries. The 06 Sorella is at once supple and structured, and really begins to shine with a couple hours of decanting. The finish is exceptionally long, with sweet licorice, minerals, and baking spices adding to the stunning fruit. - Avalon
2006 Wine Spectator - 95 points - Tight, focused and distinctive, this sharp-edged wine shows ripe currant, spice, tobacco and coffee flavors that sneak up on you. They start slow but swirl through the mildly grippy tannins into a long, expressive finish, making for a beautifully compact and complex wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2011 through 2018. From Washington." - H.S.
Avalon's 2006 tasting notes: We're standing by last year's provocative statement: we'd rather drink the Andrew Will Sorella than the 100 point Quilceda Creek Cab. Besides the obvious $50 saved for each bottle, the Sorella is powerful and refined. The two wines share the same fruit pedigree - Washington's Champoux Vineyard. The heart of the Sorella (like the QC Cab) is Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted in the early 70's. - Avalon
Andrew Will Sorella 06 - "The promise, complex fruit, and mineral qualities already apparent in this wine are easily seen after the wine has been open for a few hours. Most of my wines show much better after they have been open for four to eight hours. This wine is no exception. My partner in the Two Blondes VIneyard, who knows my wines better than I, says this is the best wine made at Andrew Will, and while I don't put much belief in the idea of a "best" wine, I am very happy with the path this wine is taking. We like it now but think 4 to 25 years in the cellar." - Winemaker Chris Camarda
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 94 points: "The 2006 Sorella, produced from Block 1 of the Champoux Vineyard, is the winery flagship. Saturated purple in color, the perfume is a complex amalgam of pain grille, scorched earth, espresso, black currant, blackberry, and licorice. This leads to a supple-textured wine with layers of ripe fruit, outstanding depth and concentration, considerable elegance, and a long, pure finish. It will evolve for 8-10 years and provide pleasure through 2030."
2005 Vintage Tasting Notes
Andrew Will Sorella 05 received 96 points from Wine Advocate (Parker) 7/08. They said: "The 2005 Sorella, from the tenderloin portion of the Champoux Vineyard, is a more brooding, dense, and masculine version with layers of rich fruit, a mouth-coating palate feel, and exceptional length. It, too, should develop nicely in the cellar and provide peak drinking from 2015 to 2035. "
2005 Andrew Will Sorella is Washington wine at the top of its game. Intense aromas of black and blue fruits with wiffs of vanilla-tinged woodsmoke then wait--Amarena cherry cream. Oh the dense layers of black cherry, black currant, baked plums, and blueberries sprinkled with baking spices. The tannins are woven in the body of the wine, and appear on the finish with cocoa powder and licorice. The Sorella is made from some of WA State's oldest vines, in Champoux Vineyard, and the complexity shines through. -Avalon
Wine Spectator 95 points
3/13/08 - We taste a lot of wine at the store. The 05 Sorella and 03 Annie Camarda Syrah are two of the best bottles we've tried in years. We were blown away. Top notch juice!
2004 Vintage Tasting Notes
Avalon tasting note - The 2004 Andrew Will Sorella is extraordinary. When the Avalon team tasted this wine, words like sensual and seamless came from everyone. The aromas of black and red cherries were perfectly entwined with lovely sweet oak and smoke, pie spice, dark violets and with time, roasted coffee. Mouthfillingly plush and juicy flavors of black and red cherries, dark chocolate-covered blueberries. The tannins are structured but velvety and the acidity provides a lift through to the finish, which delicately caresses your mouth with a m?lange of fruit, minerals, and spicy toast.
While definitely a young wine, the '04 Sorella has an openness not usually found in Andrew Will red wines. We're convinced this will prove to be one of the best Washington 2004 reds.
Parker 92 Points
"The 2004 Sorella is sourced from the Champoux Vineyard and is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot,18% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. It was aged for 21 months in 70% new French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it presents a fragrant perfume of pain grille, scorched earth, sweet spices, clove, mint, cassis, and black currants. This leads to a medium-bodied, velvety-textured, seamless, full-flavored wine with excellent balance and enough structure to evolve for 3-5 years. It should provide pleasure through 2027.
Chris Camarda's Andrew Will Cellars was founded in 1989 and currently produces 4300 cases of predominantly Bordeaux-style blends. They reflect Carmada's interpretation of each vineyard's terroir."
Take note Champoux Vineyard fans: the '04 Sorella is 37% Block I Cabernet Sauvignon-over 30 year old vines!, 21% Merlot, 18% Blocks II and III Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot, all from the Champoux Vineyard.
2003 Vintage Tasting Notes
Avalon tasting note - Andrew Will continues to hit home runs with his top of the line Sorella Bordeaux-style blend made exclusively with fruit from Paul Champoux's vineyard in Washington State. The 2003 Sorella stands out as a brooding, complex wine with the perfect combination of power and elegance. Deep blackberry and coffee/chocolate/mocha notes, leather and licorice flavors form the core of this wine with dark cherry, almost violet highlights. Cedar and toasted oak notes echo in the background. Silky tannins and a supple texture turn this muscular wine into an elegant beauty.
Wine Advocate rating 93 points: "In honor of his departed wife, Camarda has changed the label of the floral, dark berry-scented 2003 Sorella; it is now adorned with a painting of Annie. An assemblage of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot, it is a structured, medium-bodied wine with outstanding concentration, freshness, focus, and length. Notes of toasty oak intermingled with red cherries, blackberries, elderberries, cassis, and currants are found in its expressive flavor profile. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2022."
Sorella, named in honor of owner/winemaker Chris Camarda's sister, is always a blend from Champoux vineyard; 50% block 1 & 2 Cabernet Sauvignon (30+ year old vines and the heart of the wine), 23% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Petit Verdot.
"Good full ruby. Sexy aromas of deep black raspberry , minerals and dark chocolate. Rich, lush and sweet, with a captivating minerality supporting the black fruit and chocolate flavors. Really sappy and full in the middle, and impressively long on the aftertaste." 93 points, Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar.
The Champoux Vineyard has become a world class site for big red wines coming out of the Columbia Valley of Washington State. Good acidity from the cool fall nights, a deep plum color and wonderful fruit flavors from elegant cassis to all manner of blackfruit are hallmarks of the Champoux Vineyard.
The Champoux Vineyard is in the "Horse Heaven Hills" AVA located in Alderdale, just outside of Prosser, Washington. This site has been in grape production since it was originally planted in 1972 on the old Mercer Ranch. Quilceda Creek Winery gets some of their best fruit from the Champoux Vineyards. Sineann gets their powerhouse Block One Cabernet Sauvignon from 30 old Champoux vines and their Baby Poux from 14 year old vines on Paul Champoux's property. Woodward Canyon and Powers are among the lucky few who also get fruit from Paul Champoux's beautiful vineyard along with Andrew Will. This site delivers the goods year after year.
As you may know, Andrew Will is phasing out single varietals wines and starting with the 2003 vintage, all his wines will be 100% blends whose identity are anchored by the vineyard.
The 2003 Sorella comes exclusively from the Champoux Vineyard. It contains 50% Block I and II Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot. The heart of this wine is the 30 year old Block I vines. The best of the best. If there were a candidate for a Premier Grand Cru Class vineyard in Washington State, this would be it.
The Sorella is Andrew Will winemaker Chris Camarda's best wine and the 2003 is exceptional. Smaller yields and a long hang time added to the complexity of the fruit. Warm weather and cool nights helped make for some incredibly intense yet balanced wine.
This wine calls out for a food with complex flavors to pair with it. Not that it wouldn't go perfectly with a Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin or a Prime Rib, I'm thinking something with Moroccan spices (cumin, coriander and cinnamon) to play on the depth of the wine.
The 2003 Sorella is great paired braised lamb with Moroccan spices layered over saffron basmati pilaf folded with mango chutney and drizzled with a little yogurt raita.
2002 Vintage Tasting Notes
Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) 93 points: "Produced entirely from fruit acquired from Paul Champoux's Champoux Vineyard, the 2002 Sorella is fashioned from 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot. Tar-laced black fruits, sweet spices, and herbs are found in this beauty's aromas as well as flavors. Medium-bodied, muscular, and intricate, it is a lovely, concentrated, as well as complex offering with a long, flavor-packed, and slightly warm (from alcohol) finish. Drink it between 2007 and 2018."
"This winery, named after Chris and Annie Camarda's nephew, Andrew, as well as son, Will, used to produce a bevy of Merlots and Cabernets from contracted vineyards. Recently, however, it has evolved towards the production of Bordeaux-style blends that reflect Chris's perception of each vineyard's terroir. Klipsun Vineyard, located in the Red Mountain AVA (American Viticultural Area), remains the exception to Camarda's newly found "meritage" philosophy." ---review by Wine Advocate
Winemaker Chris Camarda says: "We are sure from trying our older wines (from 1989 on) that this wine can age 20 years or so."
Winemaker Chris Camarda says: "The 02 Sorella has an almost liqueur like body which is soft and muscular. It is a compelling wine which begs to be held onto tightly but can be enjoyed now if desired. We love both faces of this bottling. The blend (47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot) seems to us balanced and at the same time nothing is hidden from the palate."
"The wine has a mysterious lunar side to it which draws one towards it while making one aware of the vast impossible distance between the wine now and what it will be in the future. We are sure from trying our older wines (from 1989 on) that this wine can age 20 years or so."
