Category	Red Wine
Varietals	Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Region	United States, Washington, Horse Heaven Hills
Brand	Chateau Ste. Michelle
Alcohol/vol	14.5%

Polished and well-structured, with lively black cherry, green tea, toasty and spice flavors that flesh out on the finish, ending with refined tannins. Drink now through 2024. 10,600 cases made.

Saturated bright, deep ruby; looks like a barrel sample! Superripe, nearly porty aromas of kirsch, cassis, licorice pastille, menthol and violet; smells concentrated. Densely packed but more delineated than the Red Mountain Cabernet. Shows an intriguing savory quality to leaven its sweetness, plus subtle pepper and herb notes that provide lift. Nicely seamless but still quite primary, with its crushed black fruit character dominating. Finishes with broad, dusty tannins and slowly building persistence. This wine offers a bit more verve than the Red Mountain Cabernet and I suspect there's more to come with bottle aging.

Aromas of vanilla, herb, cherry and baking spice are followed by a full-bodied palate. The tightly wound tannins need some time to unspool. The oak plays prominently, but it's quite tasty with coffee lingering on the finish. Give it a short decant if drinking in the near term.

Moving to the reds, from sandy soils and aged 18 months in 22% new French oak, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate has lots of plum and black cherry fruit as well as notes of vanilla bean, chocolate, and a kiss of scorched earth. This medium-bodied, fresh, elegant red will drink nicely for 7-8 years, probably longer.

Containing a 2% splash of Merlot, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard displays dark fruit expressions of cassis and currant on the nose, with a ripe, elegant core and softly aromatic exotic spices. Medium-bodied, the wine shows flavors of subtly bitter dark chocolate across the mid-palate, followed by a grippy finish that lingers with notes of soft plum skin. With 10,600 cases made, this wine shows good value for the price.