04/05/2024
Cellar Selection, & New Arrival!
Andrew Will 2019 Sorella Champoux Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills, Washington.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot
Champoux (pronounced “shampoo”) Vineyard is set back five miles from the Columbia River in the Horse Heaven Hills.
The 175-acre vineyard was first planted in 1972, & Block 1, the oldest section, provides the Cabernet Sauvignon for Andrew Will’s Sorella. Paul Champoux, for whom the vineyard is named, retired in 2014 as an owner and vineyard manager. Dan Nickolaus replaces him as vineyard manager.The vineyard is owned and run by a consortium of partners, which includes Andrew Will. Other partners include Quilceda Creek, Woodward Canyon, and Powers.
The soil is sandy loamy (Warden-Schano-Esquatzel).
Tannins are noteworthy in the wines from this vineyard.
The area is differentiated from other parts of Washington by the wind from the Columbia River Gorge, which never seems to stop.
I am a big fan of this winery, but I haven't tried the Sorella before. Their wines are very ageworthy & only get better, in my opinion, so I'm really excited to crack one & put a few away in the cellar for a rainy day. This scored very well across the board from critics, with the lowest score being 95 & the highest at 99.
#