2018 Passing Time Cabernet Sauvignon
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Exploding from the glass, the 2018 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon has certainly filled in its shoes since the last time I tasted it. Generous, expressive and juicy, aromas of blackberry jus, spiced cherry compote and chocolate-covered blueberries sway with elegant oak tones of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Full-bodied, the wine offers bold and rich flavors of bitter dark chocolate, crème de cassis, Chambord, elegant oak expressions and fine-grained tannins. The wine continues to evolve with persistence and elegance on the finish, lasting for more than a minute on the aftertaste. The wine rested for 21 months in 60% new French oak. Run, don't walk to get some of this into your cellar. Only 4,500 bottles were produced. Bravo, touchdown!
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Blackcurrants, blackberries, dried herbs, walnut husk and cloves on the nose. Itâs full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Structured and concentrated with focus and poise. Try from 2023.
Another one of the top wines in the vintage is the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley, which is all Cabernet sourced from the Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge Vineyard. It spent 21 months in 60% new French oak. Gorgeous tobacco, bouquet garni, lavender, and a hint of menthol emerge from the glass, and it has loads and red and black fruits, full-bodied richness, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. It’s as seamless as they come yet will still benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and should have 30 years of longevity. Another estate utilizing the talents of winemaker Chris Peterson, Passing Time is a collaboration between football stars Dan Marino and Damon Huard. They’ve increased the number of wines produced over the past few years and now offer a number of appellation blend Cabernet Sauvignons, which are consistently some of the gems in every vintage.
Bright full ruby. Suave, scented nose combines cassis, blackberry, licorice, spices, black pepper and bitter chocolate, plus a touch of herbs. Densely packed, savory and quite suave, with dark berry and bitter chocolate flavors conveying terrific inner-mouth definition and lift. Youthfully medicinal, sappy and juicy but not hard, with harmonious acidity perfectly balancing the wine's subtle sweetness. Finishes with firm, serious, tooth-dusting tannins and slowly building violet-tinged length. I like this! A very classy, suave wine (like the 2017 version), with the backbone to evolve gracefully. Already long on personality but this is still an infant.