Nine Hats Red 08 from Longshadows

The Nine Hats Red 2008 includes the classic five grapes of a true Bordeaux blend. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape at 54%, softened with 24% Merlot, 10% each Cab Franc and Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec. Long Shadows' higher end wines draw from the very best vineyards in Washington, and the Nine Hats wines are made with the same fruit. Vineyard sources for the Nine Hats Red include the famous Champoux Vineyard.

Previous Vintage Tasting Notes

2007 Vintage Tasting Notes

Great value from a wine group whose normal prices are $55 plus. It's made from the same wine as their $55+ bottlings - barrels that weren't used for the signature wines.

Not much was made, and they are being quite low-key about it. Virtually unknown, this wine is only sold in Seattle and a bit in Oregon - by us!

LongShadows Wineries is a group of nine famous winemakers from around the world making seven highly rated wines from Washington State fruit. The "Nine Hats" include California winemaker Randy Dunn (Feather), Augustin Huneeus (Pirouette), Bordeaux's world famous wine consultant Michel Rolland (Pedestal), Australian John Duval (Sequel), and Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari (Saggi).

“Nine Hats” Red Wine is a blend of the extra barrels of LongShadows’ 2007 vintage red wines – Sequel, Pirouette, Feather, Saggi, Chester Kidder, and Pedestal. It’s the same juice as goes into the signature wines of each “Hat” – the excess that was left over.

LongShadows didn’t make much of this wine. With 94+ scores for most of their wines from Wine Spectator and such, they don’t have to. I’m assuming they needed to get rid of the extra juice. Whatever the reason, this is pretty dang good for the price.

It’s big and juicy, with lots of dark cherry and plum flavors, cedar, toast, saddle leather, cigar smoke, espresso. Classic Washington red. Although says it’s 60% Cab on the label, it drinks more like a big Walla Walla Syrah. Great wine for the $$$.

From Longshadows Group: “Nine winemakers. Nine hats. The nine renowned winemakers of Long Shadow’s signature wines discover after each harvest that a percentage of their resulting barrels are more than they require to achieve that perfect balance in their final blends. These extra barrels now produce NINE HATS…wines of complexity and supple texture.”