2004 Andrew Will Red Two Blondes Vineyard
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Tasting notes
(a blend of 44% cabernet franc, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 21% merlot) Good red-ruby color. Aromas of currant, plum, truffle and musky roasted oak lifted by a whiff of pomegranate. Juicy and firm in the mouth, with lovely acidity and lift to the berry flavors. This finishes with very good spine and cut. Chris Camarda notes that the wine has fairly high total acidity but also a relatively elevated pH of 3.85. I like the balance here, and this one should age gracefully.
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
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The 2004 Two Blondes Vineyard is a young vineyard owned by Andrew Will Cellars. The wine is composed of 44% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 21% Merlot. Dark ruby-colored, it offers a nose of violets, damp earth, cloves, cranberry, wild raspberry, and cassis. Supple and ripe, with excellent extraction, light tannin, and a long, pure finish, it will drink well over the next 10-12 years. Chris Camarda’s Andrew Will Cellars began in 1989 and currently produces 4300 cases of predominantly Bordeaux-style blends. They reflect Carmada’s interpretation of each vineyard’s terroir. Tel. (206) 463-9227; www.andrewwill.com
(a blend of 44% cabernet franc, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 21% merlot; from young vines) Deep ruby-red. Musky nose dominated by beefsteak tomato and smoked meat; slightly vegetal. Then sweet and nicely concentrated, with the tomato character accompanied by meat and olive. This has good breadth but a rather pronounced leafy quality, like some cabernets from the Napa Valley floor. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins. (Chris Camarda declined to show his other 2004 reds, as a couple were not yet finished and he felt the others were in an awkward stage following the bottling.)