The pride and joy of Horse Heaven Hills, Champoux Vineyards helped write the dictionary for how many wine professionals define Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington state. The origin to half a dozen 100-point wines delivered by the critical powers that be, Champoux Vineyards proudly represents the wines their vines have produced by displaying their moniker on a winery’s label that usually results in a higher price tag. This is not the case with 25-year-old, Kent, Wash.-based Soos Creek Wine Cellars. Diminutive in total production but king-sized in flavor for an affordable price, the 2010 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is a wee $40. Maintaining 84 percent Cab and blended with Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the wine commences with typical Champoux aromas of bramble fruits like red and black currants and tart raspberry, while whiffs of marionberry pie and dusted cocoa pull through over savory mint in the background of the glass. Brambly on the palate up front, finesse is disclosed in the mid-palate through radiant red fruits, moderate acid and chewy, lip-smacking tannin. Champoux Vineyards grows Cabernet to age and this wine is no different, although balanced and approachable now, this 2010 Cab from Soos Creek can wait patiently for a few years in anticipation for its truer time to shine.
