2011 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon - 1.5L
Napa Valley vintner, Randy Dunn, brings his artistry and expertise to Washington State to produce small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley's finest vineyards. His reputation for producing world-class Cabernet spans more than four decades. After making wines at Caymus from 1975-1985, Randy established Dunn Vineyards on Howell Mountain where he continues to craft distinctive wines of high acclaim.
Despite a cooler than average spring and summer, the 2011 Washington vintage produced intense, vibrant wines with wonderful structure and texture. Moderate spring and summer conditions warmed in late August, with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s to low 90s, allowing the grapes to gain color and sugar. Though many California coastal vineyards struggled with a wet harvest, the Columbia Valley’s September and October days were warm and cloudless allowing the grapes to achieve physiological maturity and optimal ripening. Cool fall evenings offset the warm days to preserve the grapes’ acidity and ripe tannins, resulting in wines with excellent structure and intensity.
Balancing power with finesse, the 2011 Feather offers an impressive intensity and purity of flavor, displayed on a core of mocha-scented blackberry, dark currant and ripe plum flavors. Fine-grained tannins and hints of dried herbs, licorice and oak spice highlight an expressive and persistent finish.
94 POINTS - WINE ADVOCATE
| Download Wine Notes |
| Vintage | 2011 |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Varietal Composition | 100% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Appellation | Columbia Valley |
| Acid | 0.52 grams / 100ml |
| PH | 3.88 |
| Alcohol | 14.20% |
| Wine Style | Red Wine |
| Volume | 1.5 liter |
2011 FEATHER - 94 POINTS
"The 2011 Feather, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is up there with the top Bordeaux varieties of the vintage. Loaded with notions of dark fruits, chocolate, mineral, coffee bean and scorched earth, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful purity of fruit and a voluptuous texture that only partially conceals edgy, yet ripe, tannin. It has the fruit to be enjoyable now, but will be better in another year or three, and evolve nicely for 12 to 15 years or more."
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2011 FEATHER - 93 POINTS
"Saturated bright ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of blackberry, licorice, mocha and dark chocolate lifted by a violet topnote. Lovely balance and texture, and very suave on the long finish, which features big salty tannins."
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Grapes were sourced from two distinct areas of the Columbia Valley: the Wahluke Slope and Tri-Cities, each region contributing unique character to the wine. Wahluke’s Weinbau (35%) and Stone Tree (27%) vineyards give the wine its notable structure and dark fruit flavors. Tri-Cities’ Dionysus Vineyard (30%) and 40-year-old vines from Sagemoor Vineyard (8%) provide refined tannins, texture and earthiness.
Randy Dunn is one of the world’s most celebrated makers of extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignons.
Dunn established his reputation at Caymus Winery from 1975 to 1985, where his Cabernet Sauvignons became the benchmark for the industry. In addition, his artistry shaped other premium wineries that now enjoy an acclaimed place in the sun (Pahlmeyer, Livingston, La Jota and others). Since 1979, Dunn has produced roughly 5,000 cases a year of his Dunn Vineyards Cabernets.
Randy is known not only for his famous wines, but for his philosophy on how to make wine. He does it his way - leaving the floor of the Napa Valley “to corn and melon farmers,” he tends his vines in the red stony soil of Howell Mountain. There are no road signs; no retail sales. And don’t look for him in a winery tour guide. No time for that, as Randy spends his quiet hours making his wonderful heirloom wines.
Randy lives with his wife, Lori, next to the winery on Howell Mountain.
