Skip to main content

Wine Review: 2011 Wautoma Wines Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon


photo

Another premium Washington wine by Jessica Munnell.

It was a pleasure to enjoy a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon made by Jessica Munnell from her Wautoma Wines label. This review follows another wine review about a Rose' also made by Ms. Munnell from the Mercer Estates label. She's a busy and talented winemaker.

If you are not familiar with Wautoma Wines, it is a partnership between vineyard manager Tom Merkle and winemaker Jessica Munnell. Tom provides the premium Washington grapes and Jessica makes the wine. Tom  and Jessica met at Tom's Wautoma Springs vineyard in January 2000. Working together, they became friends. The friendship developed into a business partnership which became Wautoma Wines in 2008.

Wautoma Wines are made of the best Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Wautoma Springs Vineyard and of Malbec from Wahluke Slope’s Stone Tree Vineyard. This bottling is 100% Wautoma Springs Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.



Tasting Notes 2011 Wautoma Cabernet Sauvignon

Color: Dark Burgundy.
Nose: Big, cherry, oak, incense, pomegranate juice, vanilla.
Palate: Bing cherry, chocolate, hint of bell pepper, medium body, polished, medium tannin, balanced, moderate finish.  Approachable and friendly at open.
After 15 minutes: Chocolate gingerbread, candied cherry, dusty nose. Dusty dark chocolate, coffee bean, oak, cherry, pleasing finish lingered.
25 minutes: Perfumed nose, candied spice. Good texture, chocolate-cherry, spice, growing finish. Wine integrating, not heavy, balanced, easy drinking and showing well. Think grilled steak.

After an hour: Ebullient, aromatic, deep nose, dark fruit, tomato leaf, sandalwood. Cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate, cinnamon, note of cumin. Not a brawny wine, aromatic, cozy, and fun to be with, tannin more present, still coming together. Lingering finish. Moroccan lamb, flat bread, rose water rice and labneh on my mind.

After 2 hours: Fresh cherry, dry on the tongue and lower gum, blackberry, chocolate, medium finish, tingle on the gums. Very food friendly. Enjoyed with pasta in a white sauce with sliced mushroom, diced red bell pepper, white cheddar, black pepper and Marsala. Delicious. Also had chicken wings cooked in apple cider, French thyme, black pepper and garlic salt. Then Pressed on hot skillet until skin caramelized.  Flavors were complimentary. Very enjoyable meal.

After 3 hours: Blueberry, silky, dark notes, tar, cherry cordial and orange chocolate into the finish, pleasant spike mid-palate. Shifted from the nose onto the palate. Longer finish. Eminently drinkable at this point. I had to exercise restraint.

Day Two: Blackberry, smoky violets, dark chocolate on the nose. Creamy cherry, blackberry, fluid, silky, chocolate and dark notes on the finish. Yum.

Thoughts: Yes, food friendly at two hours and very drinkable at three hours. From my tasting notes you can tell I really enjoyed this wine on the first day. But it was better and better the longer it was open. Therefore, I would suggest holding for a year or five before drinking, or decant for the most pleasure today. I believe I am becoming a fan of this winemaker. Strongly Recommended.

Vineyard: Wautoma Springs 
Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Closure: Natural cork.
Heavy bottle with deep punt, nice shape.
ABV: 14.1%
SRP: $48
Winemaker: Jessica Munnell

Wautoma Wines LLC
www.wautomasprings.com
Facebook Wautoma Wines

About Tom Merkle
Owner/Vineyard Manager
Tom Merkle is a second-generation grape grower. In 1999, he planted the first grapes at his own Wautoma Springs vineyard. That has since developed into a fifty-acre, exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard supplying fruit to some of the best-known, most-respected wineries in Washington. In addition to Wautoma Springs, Tom manages several other top-rank vineyards on the Wahluke Slope.


photo
Wautoma Wines Winemaker Jessica Munnell.

About Jessica Munnell
Owner/Winemaker
In 2003, Jessica left viticulture for winemaking, beginning with an internship in Australia. She later returned to the states for an enology position with Snoqualmie Winery. In 2005, she began work at Canoe Ridge and worked her way up to an Assistant Winemaker position with Chateau Ste. Michelle. After a few years away from full-time wine industry involvement to begin raising a family, Jessica approached Tom Merkle about working together to create a wine that featured his grapes. A partnership was formed in 2008 that became Wautoma Wines – made of the best Cabernet Sauvignon from Wautoma Springs and Malbec from Wahluke Slope’s Stone Tree Vineyard. In addition to her work with Wautoma Springs, Jessica is the head Winemaker for Mercer Estates.

Related Post: Review Mercer Estates 2013 Sadie Louise Rose' Horse Heaven Hills

Cheers!

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle must

My Current State of Wine

"Do I still work in the wine industry?" Like many of you, the Covid pandemic altered my life trajectory. Today, I am going to re-cap where I am in the wine industry. My story will bounce back and forth for context. Remember, I like to connect the dots. The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center in Prosser, Washington. First, everyone asks me, what happened to the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center (Clore Center)? Good question. The Clore Center, located in Prosser, Washington, birthplace of Washington wine, opened in 2014 as a not for profit. The primary mission of the Clore Center was to promote " Washington state wine ." I began working at the Clore Center in October 2015. My last title was, Wine Education Coordinator . We finally, sadly, closed our doors in November 2020.  It was my sincerest pleasure to work at the Clore Center for five years. I made many friends in the industry and in the community. I met many people from around the country and from around th

A Special Oregon Pinot Noir with Eastern North Carolina Inspired Ribs #OTBN #winePW 10

Open That Bottle Night - A great excuse for a Wine Pairing Weekend.  February 28th was Open That Bottle Night - I selected a bottle of wine I helped blend using barrel samples of Pinot Noir from R. Stuart winery in McMinville, Oregon. I was saving this bottle for a special occasion and knew it was likely time to open and drink. I hoped it had improved. "Blending wine is no task for mere mortals."   - William Pollard Jr.  Our Wine Pairing Weekend group decided Open That Bottle Night would be an appropriate occasion to pair our selected bottle of wine with something special as well. After some consideration, I decided North Carolina ribs would likely pair well with my special bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. For this post I'll review the wine first, then provide the recipe, and wrap up with the results of this wine + food pairing. *Note: What is Open That Bottle Night? Wife and Husband columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher invented Open That Bottle