Accolades
Accolades for Cabernet-Sauvignon (Champoux)
Full Pull Offer Acrhive for 2004 Champoux Cabernet Sauvignon
"layers of flavors that unfolded over the palate from attack to midpalate to finish; there was black fruit, blue fruit, minerals, coffee, earth, smoke, tropical fruits; and the mouthfeel was liquid silk"
Forgeron Cellars had the chance to list our 2004 Champoux Cab with Full Pull and for your review below is a copy of the article.
"Hello friends. Today's offering is an exciting one for me, as I have been trying for some time to locate a decent-sized parcel of this wine. There are only 15 bottles currently available in Seattle; not enough for a proper offering. But I managed to get my hands on a much larger lot, and I'm very happy to pass it along to you.
The reason I have been seeking this wine is that Sean Sullivan named it his #1 Wine of the Year for 2009. Sean is the author of Washington Wine Report, and if you're not reading his work on a regular basis, you should be. WWR is an independent blog focused on Washington wine, and it is a truly comprehensive information source for anyone with interest in this state's wine industry. The blog features tasting notes on a regular basis, and there are other excellent recurring features, such as Washington Wine Round-Up (a collection of Washington wine-related stories from across the internet); a monthly Virtual Tasting (where Sean and his readers try the same wine at the same time); and a monthly Five Under Fifteen feature (an analysis of Washington wines from the lower price tiers).
WWR is one of my go-to blogs that I try to read every single day, and I have tasted enough wine with Sean now to trust his palate without question. So when he calls out a single wine as his Wine of the Year and I can get my hands on it, I'm going to. Here is what Sean wrote back in July after first tasting Forgeron's Champoux Cab during Spring Release: "Almost completely opaque. Violets, tobacco, funk, and earth emerge on the nose. Packs a gigantic punch on the taste. A complete whopper. Almost completely overwhelms all senses and then comes back and sails. ** Score." (Note: In Sean's rating system, ** is the highest possible rating, representing what he calls "an exceptional wine.")
And here is the Wine of the Year writeup from December: "Of the many wines I tasted this year, none wowed me more than this gem from Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron. As I described in my original post, this was a wine that literally brought all conversation to a stop. From one of Washington's finest vineyards and one of its finest winemakers."
Champoux Vineyard Cabernet is the fruit by which all other Cabernets in this state are judged. During my December research trip, I had a chance to stop briefly and snap a few pictures of the gnarled old vines of Block 1 Champoux Cabernet Sauvignon. I felt like I was standing on hallowed ground.
I recently had a chance to try this wine myself, and it was an impressive effort indeed (not surprising to any of us who tried Marie-Eve's 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, a very early Full Pull offering). What was notable for me were the layers of flavors that unfolded over the palate from attack to midpalate to finish; there was black fruit, blue fruit, minerals, coffee, earth, smoke, tropical fruits; and the mouthfeel was liquid silk - just a complete palate-stainer. This is 100% Champoux Cabernet, and only 175 cases were produced. It's also worth noting that this is a one-off wine; Marie-Eve has not made a Champoux Cab since 2004, so this is a unique chance to experience a potent combination of a top winemaker working with the finest raw materials.
Jay Miller also dug this wine. Here he is, writing in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "[REVIEW TEXT WITHHELD. 94pts.""