Bridgman Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – Columbia Valley, Washington

From the label: ‘In 1917 W.B. Bridgman introduced European wine grapes to the Yakima Valley near Sunnyside. Bridgman wines are dedicated to this visionary man who helped make fine Washington wines what they are today.

Our Cabernet Sauvignon has rich aromas of berry and cherry fruit with a fine layer of sweet oak and a hint of walnuts. Excellent with red meats or pastas with a hearty tomato sauce. Try it with garlic stuffed leg of lamb rubbed with rosemary.’

Price: $13.99

This estate grown and bottled wine from Walla Walla, Washington (I just love saying that town name…makes me giggle…but I digress) is a nice clear garnet colored medium bodied Cabernet Sauvignon.

The bouquet (or smell, for us common folks) was very fruity and most definitely accentuated by cherries. The taste I found intriguing though. I have read reviews by people claiming that their wine had a ‘buttery’ taste and I admit up to now I had NO IDEA what they were talking about. I mean it’s WINE! How can it have a buttery taste? Well this wine, my friend, showed me what that meant. My first taste was so buttery and nutty that I had to really think about it for awhile. I’d never tasted a wine like that. After I finally got over that buttery punch the next thing I tasted was, of course, the cherry. This wine had a nice medium finish to it as well.

Overall I liked this wine. It was surprising to my palate and let me know that there really are wines out there that are distinct and new tasting (at least to me anyway).

I rate this wine at a score of 88. It’s a nice wine with a soft buttery taste. I drank this wine without the intervention of any specific food but due to it’s buttery, nutty flavor I would say that the recommendations on the bottle would be correct. This wine needs a strong, hearty meal to be able to stand up to it.

Winery Website: www.apexcellars.com