Anytime I come across a fruit driven wine with great acidity and a reasonable amount of complexity in the $10-$15 range, I want to sing its praises.

The Horse Heaven Hills wines remind me a lot of a great Alexander Valley Cabernet, where the tannins ripen and the wine is more approachable than a Napa bottling. The 2010 vintage in Horse Heaven Hills saw a cool summer that required good vineyard management, but a warm September and October ripened the naturally low-yielding vines just before the wet weather set in.

This vintage is phenomenal: not too high in alcohol, with a great acidity, that makes it an elegant, food-friendly, fruit driven, medium-bodied Cabernet. A nose of cherry and rose petals leads to a mouth of silky dark berries, dusted with cocoa and hints of bramble and forest floor. Black cherry and a hint of chocolate complement the soft tannins on the solid finish. 14.5% alc.

97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, 1% Cab Franc.

90 points Wine Spectator

“Polished and distinctive, offering chocolate and espresso accents around a supple core of cherry and fresh currant fruit. The finish is well-defined, with a silky feel. Drink now through 2019.” (11/ 2012)

Wine Enthusiast

“This wide-open, flavorful wine is lifted by accents of tobacco and cocoa that sit above the light and pretty cherry flavor. The finish is laden with a mocha note, which provides a pleasing conclusion.” (4/ 2013)

 

Score the 2010 before it’s gone:

K&L and Costco…$10.95

Fry’s, Kroger…$12.95

Safeway…$13.95