This is a mix of 56% Sagemoor and 41% Champoux Cabernet, with a 3% splash of estate Petit Verdot. It’s detailed in the manner of a Pauillac, thick cassis fruit with deep veins of iron, cedar, licorice and a just a hint of silage. The fruit is dark and dense, but with breathing you’ll find it begins to open into a splendid blend of black cherry, cassis and mountain berry flavor. Woodward Canyon’s red wines age beautifully, but if drunk young give them a lot of breathing time.——P.G.(5/1/2009)—— 94

This wine is immediately fascinating. A rich mix of fruits, ripened to compote intensity, offers both power and detail. Subtle streaks of herb, leaf and wet hay suggest old-vine complexity, and the acids are naturally firm and supportive. Everything is nicely knit together, full-bodied and deep. ——P.G.(10/1/2006)—— 93

To demonstrate this cuvee’s aging potential, I was shown the 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Dedication Series (the predecessor to Old Vines). It was made from 100% Champoux fruit and finished at 13.8% alcohol. It is an elegant, spicy, complex wine which has achieved its plateau of maturity with another 10-12 years of peak drinking ahead. Woodward Canyon, directed by its founder Rick Small, remains one of Washington’s benchmark wineries. The two Chardonnays are outstanding. Tel. (509) 525-4129; www.woodwardcanyon.com