Vintage Story

Bacchus Vineyard’s block 3 has long been a favorite of our boss, Kent Waliser. Originally planted in 1972, the fruit on these Cabernet Sauvignon vines is stunning and steadfast, year after year producing big, complex flavors. Award-winning wines are a regular occurrence from this block, and a few celebrated winemakers hold all of the contracts to these grapes. One of those winemakers is John Abbott.

John knows these rows as much as anyone. He’s been making wine from Bacchus since 1997 when he was winemaker at Canoe Ridge Vineyard. He took the winemaking helm at Abeja in 2002, coincidentally the same year Kent Waliser took over operations for Sagemoor. John describes standing among vines that were planted almost 50 years ago as “a powerful experience.” For Kent, standing in these same rows was the deciding factor for taking the Sagemoor job.

“I know how many times in the last 40 years these vines could’ve frozen back to the ground, but haven’t. I felt star-struck by their quiet strength. Instead of thinking about all the work I had in front of me, these old vines suggested something very special about Sagemoor.”

“I think about their history” says John, “with hot summers and cold winters being only part of what Mother Nature has thrown at these vines. As they grow older and wiser, they bring me with them.”

Originally planted in 1972, the fruit on these Cabernet Sauvignon vines is stunning and steadfast, year after year producing big, complex flavors.

And so it goes that two highly skilled men with different talents but similar passions met for the first time in 2002, the root system for Stars in a Row already beneath their feet.

Using Bacchus block 3 as the anchor was an absolute must for Sagemoor’s inaugural Cabernet. Together, John and Kent then chose the building blocks from the collection of vineyards whose role in Washington’s wine history can’t be overstated. Says John, “What an honor to tell the story of these vines from the perspective of those who are in the vineyard every day.”

Kent explains, “This bottle is carefully finessed by rows and pick dates. We covered a lot of ground to find the just-right Cabernet notes from Bacchus block 9 and Dionysus block 14. We picked each block twice, about a week apart. We found extra intrigue with Cabernet from our namesake Sagemoor, and then finished with Merlot from Weinbau block 12.”

John Abbott’s long experience with our land has created a bottle of red that humbles us.  The brute strength of Bacchus is tamed by the silky elegance of Dionysus. Dried rosemary and thyme from those old Cabernet vines. Rich, dark chocolate from Weinbau’s Merlot adds mid-palate texture. A hint of dried cherries, a whiff of cedar box. This bouquet worth lingering over is a worthy lead-in to the layers in each sip.

Thank you, John Abbott. Thank you, Columbia Valley. And thank you, reader, for indulging us.

details

Vintage Story

Bacchus Vineyard’s block 3 has long been a favorite of our boss, Kent Waliser. Originally planted in 1972, the fruit on these Cabernet Sauvignon vines is stunning and steadfast, year after year producing big, complex flavors. Award-winning wines are a regular occurrence from this block, and a few celebrated winemakers hold all of the contracts to these grapes. One of those winemakers is John Abbott.

John knows these rows as much as anyone. He’s been making wine from Bacchus since 1997 when he was winemaker at Canoe Ridge Vineyard. He took the winemaking helm at Abeja in 2002, coincidentally the same year Kent Waliser took over operations for Sagemoor. John describes standing among vines that were planted almost 50 years ago as “a powerful experience.” For Kent, standing in these same rows was the deciding factor for taking the Sagemoor job.

“I know how many times in the last 40 years these vines could’ve frozen back to the ground, but haven’t. I felt star-struck by their quiet strength. Instead of thinking about all the work I had in front of me, these old vines suggested something very special about Sagemoor.”

“I think about their history” says John, “with hot summers and cold winters being only part of what Mother Nature has thrown at these vines. As they grow older and wiser, they bring me with them.”

Originally planted in 1972, the fruit on these Cabernet Sauvignon vines is stunning and steadfast, year after year producing big, complex flavors.

And so it goes that two highly skilled men with different talents but similar passions met for the first time in 2002, the root system for Stars in a Row already beneath their feet.

Using Bacchus block 3 as the anchor was an absolute must for Sagemoor’s inaugural Cabernet. Together, John and Kent then chose the building blocks from the collection of vineyards whose role in Washington’s wine history can’t be overstated. Says John, “What an honor to tell the story of these vines from the perspective of those who are in the vineyard every day.”

Kent explains, “This bottle is carefully finessed by rows and pick dates. We covered a lot of ground to find the just-right Cabernet notes from Bacchus block 9 and Dionysus block 14. We picked each block twice, about a week apart. We found extra intrigue with Cabernet from our namesake Sagemoor, and then finished with Merlot from Weinbau block 12.”

John Abbott’s long experience with our land has created a bottle of red that humbles us.  The brute strength of Bacchus is tamed by the silky elegance of Dionysus. Dried rosemary and thyme from those old Cabernet vines. Rich, dark chocolate from Weinbau’s Merlot adds mid-palate texture. A hint of dried cherries, a whiff of cedar box. This bouquet worth lingering over is a worthy lead-in to the layers in each sip.

Thank you, John Abbott. Thank you, Columbia Valley. And thank you, reader, for indulging us.

details

Vintage Story

Bacchus Vineyard’s block 3 has long been a favorite of our boss, Kent Waliser. Originally planted in 1972, the fruit on these Cabernet Sauvignon vines is stunning and steadfast, year after year producing big, complex flavors. Award-winning wines are a regular occurrence from this block, and a few celebrated winemakers hold all of the contracts to these grapes. One of those winemakers is John Abbott.

John knows these rows as much as anyone. He’s been making wine from Bacchus since 1997 when he was winemaker at Canoe Ridge Vineyard. He took the winemaking helm at Abeja in 2002, coincidentally the same year Kent Waliser took over operations for Sagemoor. John describes standing among vines that were planted almost 50 years ago as “a powerful experience.” For Kent, standing in these same rows was the deciding factor for taking the Sagemoor job.

“I know how many times in the last 40 years these vines could’ve frozen back to the ground, but haven’t. I felt star-struck by their quiet strength. Instead of thinking about all the work I had in front of me, these old vines suggested something very special about Sagemoor.”

“I think about their history” says John, “with hot summers and cold winters being only part of what Mother Nature has thrown at these vines. As they grow older and wiser, they bring me with them.”

Originally planted in 1972, the fruit on these Cabernet Sauvignon vines is stunning and steadfast, year after year producing big, complex flavors.

And so it goes that two highly skilled men with different talents but similar passions met for the first time in 2002, the root system for Stars in a Row already beneath their feet.

Using Bacchus block 3 as the anchor was an absolute must for Sagemoor’s inaugural Cabernet. Together, John and Kent then chose the building blocks from the collection of vineyards whose role in Washington’s wine history can’t be overstated. Says John, “What an honor to tell the story of these vines from the perspective of those who are in the vineyard every day.”

Kent explains, “This bottle is carefully finessed by rows and pick dates. We covered a lot of ground to find the just-right Cabernet notes from Bacchus block 9 and Dionysus block 14. We picked each block twice, about a week apart. We found extra intrigue with Cabernet from our namesake Sagemoor, and then finished with Merlot from Weinbau block 12.”

John Abbott’s long experience with our land has created a bottle of red that humbles us.  The brute strength of Bacchus is tamed by the silky elegance of Dionysus. Dried rosemary and thyme from those old Cabernet vines. Rich, dark chocolate from Weinbau’s Merlot adds mid-palate texture. A hint of dried cherries, a whiff of cedar box. This bouquet worth lingering over is a worthy lead-in to the layers in each sip.

Thank you, John Abbott. Thank you, Columbia Valley. And thank you, reader, for indulging us.

details