2015 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla
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Tasting notes
A very deep and quite lusciously fruited style with ripe mulberries, plums and cassis on the nose. The cedary oak chimes in nicely on the palate with a plush and succulent core of blackcurrants, plums and cherries. Chalky tannins hold nicely at the finish. A blend of 82% cabernet sauvignon, 8% malbec, 8% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Drink in the next eight years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
(49% new oak): Bright violet-ruby color. Aromas of kirsch , blackberry, violet and spicy oak, complicated by a whiff of tobacco leaf. Plush, tactile and fine-grained, showing noteworthy energy and spice character to its flavors of cassis, blackberry, licorice, cocoa powder and violet. ("I knocked myself out retaining freshness in 2015," said winemaker Pellet, noting that he did not acidify these wines.) This broad, structured wine is still a bit reduced and will need a couple more years of cellaring to open up. (14.5% alcohol)
Notes of crème de cassis and sweet berry fruit introduce the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, a full-bodied, chewy and somewhat rustic red that's wrapped up in a tight corset of tannin. Suppler and less expensive, the Merlot has the edge over this cuvée in 2015.
The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon checks in as a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 4% Malbec, and 2% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It offers a more forward, blue-fruited, graphite, and scorched earth bouquet, yet firms up nicely on the palate with fine, building tannin and a great finish. It's another ripe yet pure wine from this team. This Walla Walla based estate is run by Swiss Jean-Francois Pellet and focuses on Bordeaux blends mostly from their estate Seven Hills Vineyard. I found all their 2015s to be outstanding.