Great NW Wine - Big Deal Red Blends

2015 Nine Hats Red Wine - Outstanding!

Nine of the planet’s most famous vintners are part of the renowned Long Shadows Vintners project in Walla Walla, and they work with some of the Columbia Valley’s top vineyards. There’s not room for all of that juice under Long Shadows brand, so founder Allen Shoup and director of winemaking, Gilles Nicault, use select lots for their Nine Hats brand. Three out of the past four vintages of this proprietary blend have earned our top rating. The latest is loaded with Cabernet Sauvignon (41%) from Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills and Syrah (50%), and the opulent oak program leads to aromas of roasted coffee and toast with plum and blueberry. Plum and black cherry flavors lead to fine-grained tannins akin to espresso grounds joined by Marionberry juice, setting up a long, silky and bright finish. Production has been increased by nearly 2,000 cases from the prior vintage, and it still merited a gold medal at the 2017 Cascadia Wine Competition.