Chateau Rollat "Edouard" Cabernet Sauvignon 05
A concentrated nose of cassis, black plum, soil, smoke, violets, and spicy herbs. The lush palate offers up beautifully dense black fruits, with attractive sweetness and awesome length. This is a wine for cellaring--the structure begs for it. Put into a line-up of 20 Walla Walla Cabs or Cab blends, you could pick this wine out virtually every time because of its distinct earth, herb, and oak component. Those who invest in the 05 Edouard will be very happy in 10 years.
"Rollat's still more substantial sibling is the 2005 'Edouard' Cabernet Sauvignon ($62).... All Chateau Rollat wines are being made at Va Piano for the moment, though a dedicated winery is in the planning stages. The Edouard, in French terms, is a vin de garde - a wine to put away for some years. "I hope it will be a giant among wines," says the winemaker. Based on my first impressions (dark, smoky, nuances of bark, soil, subtle layers of earth and barrel), I believe it will." - Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times
Steven Tanzer says: "Bright ruby-red. Aromas of black cherry and herbs, with a brooding soil pungency and very suave use of oak. Richer, denser and more energetic than the regular bottling. This one boasts greater sweetness of fruit but it also has terrific acidity and comes across as tightly wound today. Finishes very long, with a succulence achieved by only a handful of Washington State Cabernets. These two wines are made entirely from Walla Walla fruit, from the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards. 92(+?) points"
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Stephen Tanzer recently reviewed the "Edouard" and gave it 92(+?): "...blended with 20% merlot and 5% cabernet franc) Bright ruby-red. Aromas of black cherry and herbs, with a brooding soil pungency and very suave use of oak. Richer, denser and more energetic than the regular bottling. This one boasts greater sweetness of fruit but it also has terrific acidity and comes across as tightly wound today. Finishes very long, with a succulence achieved by only a handful of Washington State cabernets. These two wines are made entirely from Walla Walla fruit, from the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards.
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