Winery - Pepper bridge
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This signature wine from Pepper Bridge is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Winemaker Jean-Francois Pellet brings aromatic elegance to all of his wines, this one with a sweet hay note, and a mix of sweet grain, berry, light herb and saline flavors.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Fragrant, herbal and oaky, with light notes of fresh grass and alfalfa coming up into the nose. The fruit is light and lacks density. The winemaking is careful, yet the new oak still outweighs the light fruit, at least for the moment.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Returning to traditional fruit sources (Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge) after the freeze year of 2004, winemaker JF Pellet has crafted the finest Pepper Bridge Cabernet to date. Gorgeous aromas explode from the glass, a lush mix of flower, berry, mocha and sweet earth. Smooth and silky on the tongue, it’s a riot of berry and cassis flavor, all in proportion and moving gracefully across the palate and into a round, detailed finish with whiffs of smoke, caramel and coffee grounds.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot and 4% each Malbec and Petit Verdot, this brings seductive baking spices, cinnamon and more, all of which elevate the aromas. In the mouth come fruit flavors of ripe strawberry and plum, with hints of red licorice and a pretty sandalwood note. The flavors spread evenly across the palate with a generous and spicy tang; then linger gracefully, inviting the next sip immediately.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The blend is classic Bordeaux—85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Malbec. It’s got grip and a sensuous mix of wild herb, black olive and mountain berry. There is plenty of acid to support it, and winemaker J-F Pellet has been pulling back on the new oak, so that newer releases of Pepper Bridge are more structured and tilting more toward a European sensibility, which is to say, ageworthy.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The blend includes 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec, all estate-grown. The aromas are intense and seductive, layered with flower, berry and clove. Dense and youthful, the wine has compact black fruits, streaks of smoke and a strong flavor of clove. It’s a big wine, with mass and depth. The new oak is pulled back relative to this winery’s earlier vintages, to good effect, and the fruit can more than carry it. It changes rapidly in the glass, suggesting that once it’s past its baby fat stage it will show still more complexity, while retaining an elegant precision.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Good, solid, ripe fruit that shows interesting leather and saddle scents. The wine is concentrated and reasonably long, with new oak flavors of toast and sweet cocoa. Very good winemaking is evident here.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The warm, broad, strawberry/cherry flavors of Pepper Bridge fruit are in evidence here. There are also hints of dill and bell pepper, leather and saddle, and some well-managed herbal notes that add interest and balance.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The winery’s oaky-smoky style is well-suited to Merlot in ripe years such as this, and it’s a very seductive wine. Nuances of pipe tobacco, dried herb, dust, coffee grounds and butterscotch complement the strawberry-cherry flavors of Pepper Bridge fruit. Sophisticated and smooth, with plenty of tannic grip.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Pepper Bridge has supplied fruit to many of Washington State’s top wineries, but this is only the second vintage made under their own label. It’s a very pretty Cabernet, with soft, ripe fruit tasting of plums and cherries. Fragrant and focused, it shows classy winemaking and a smooth, sophisticated style.
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