2016 Andrew Will Sorella
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Tasting notes
Bright ruby-red. Brooding scents of blackberry, blueberry, licorice, menthol and graphite. Dense but sharply delineated and penetrating, with black and blue fruit flavors conveying terrific energy and juiciness that mask the wine's thickness. Still, this can't quite match the more Merlot-based Champoux Vineyard blend for density. This wine boasts serious Cabernet Sauvignon structure, finishing with lovely mounting violet lift and length. Firmly tannic but not hard. This, too, should evolve slowly but even today it's balanced and enjoyable. I suppose it's a bit more tannic and less pliant than the Andrew Will '16s that contain more Merlot, but none of these wines lack for definition or spine. (15.2% alcohol; just 30% new oak; Will Camarda noted that the winery is cutting back on use of new barrels)
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Sorella is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. The plump, juicy nose exudes aromas of luxurious, elegant fruit characteristics of ripe blackberry and dark plum along with a layered core of oak and a structured floral bouquet. Exciting and thought-provoking on the full-bodied palate, fruit and oak spices radiate with the precision and focus of world-class wine, building to a plushier, fruit-forward expression on the mid-palate yet showing a mineral focus. The finish is long and winding, with layers that continue to evolve in the mouth, unfolding to a generous and intricate lingering expression. Only 472 cases were made, and it will be your lucky day if you can add some of this stellar wine to your cellar. Bravo!
Flirting with perfection, the 2016 Sorella checks in as 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot. Coming all from the Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, its saturated purple color is followed by a La Mission Haut Brion-like bouquet of black and blue fruits, gravelly, minerality, smoke tobacco, and chocolate. Deep, multi-dimensional, full-bodied, and with beautiful complexity, it’s a magical wine as well as the finest wine from this estate to date. Bravo! Readers looking for classic, age-worthy Bordeaux blends that will stand up with the best out there need to give the wines of Andrew Will a serious look. These are classic, balanced wines that deserve more attention in the market.