A Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon from McKinley Springs, the Andrews family's estate winery in south-central Washington. The 2012 now has more than a decade of bottle age and has moved into a savoury, rounded stage.
About This Wine
The family's Cabernet is grown on its own vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills, a dry, windy plateau above the Columbia River where warm days, cool nights and constant air movement give small berries with firm colour and tannin. Their estate Cabernet has drawn on the original Block 1, planted in 1980, alongside younger blocks. At this age the wine has softened, with dried herbs and cedar joining the black fruit.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Blackcurrant and dark cherry with dried sage, cedar and a hint of cocoa.
- Palate: Medium to full-bodied, with ripe black fruit, savoury herbs and tannins that have settled with age.
- Finish: Dry and steady, finishing on dark fruit, spice and a light oak note.
Serving & Food
Serve at 16 to 17°C in a Bordeaux glass, standing the bottle upright a day before and decanting off any sediment. Drink over the next few years. It suits a charcoal-grilled steak, lamb burgers or aged cheddar.
How to Enjoy
A mature Washington Cabernet for a weekend steak dinner.
Product Details
Producer: McKinley Springs
Country: USA
Region: Washington State
Appellation: Horse Heaven Hills AVA
Vintage: 2012
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Volume: 750mL
About the Winery
The story starts in the 1940s, when George and Mabel Smith, parents of Louise Andrews, began buying dry land in the Horse Heaven Hills south of Prosser. During the Second World War part of it served as a bombing range for aerial training, and after the war the family went back to growing dryland wheat, later adding irrigated crops such as potatoes and asparagus.
In 1980 Bob Andrews and his son Rob planted 17 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, now known as Block 1. More vineyards followed, and the family today farms thousands of acres of wine grapes, selling fruit to other Washington wineries as well as bottling its own under McKinley Springs. Doug Rowell, a family member by marriage, is the winemaker, and Rob Andrews was named Grower of the Year by the Washington Winegrowers in 2011.