Cabernet Sauvignon
WA - Walla Walla Valley
Wine & Spirits 94
2017 HANATORO CABERNET NAMED WINE & SPIRITS YEAR'S BEST CABERNET- 94 POINTS
2017 is our 7th vintage of Hanatoro Cabernet Sauvignon, produced entirely with grapes from our
own carefully tended blocks of the Octave Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.
The Octave vineyard, in leaf 11 in 2017, is reaching a new level of beautifully mature fruit expression.
Octave, owned by 6 of Walla Walla's pioneering winegrowers, has quickly been recognized as some of the most sought-after fruit in Walla Walla. Hanatoro owns 3 acres of this amazing 24-acre vineyard. The farming, focused on sustainable practices, is meticulous. We grow the five classic Bordeaux varietals at a high elevation of 1250-1350 ft on a uniquely north facing slope to maximize the sun exposure at high latitudes during the summer growing season.
The soil consists of a thin layer of wind-blown loess and glacial alluvial silt covering a deep bed of fractured basalt. In the afternoon the wind comes racing up the Columbia Gorge dehydrating the berries and thickening the skins while concentrating both flavor and structure. The resulting small berries are loaded with intense red, blue, and black fruit, spice and soft skin tannins contributing a big structure yet balanced with silky smooth, gentle, polished tannins yet supple on the palate. This wine tastes and acts like mountain fruit!
