February 11, 2022

CANVASBACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

(Red Mountain, Washington State) $34

If you love red wine, then you’ll want to know about Red Mountain. The region may be tiny, but the wines are most definitely big. In fact, this is where some of Washington’s most powerful Cabernets are made— Cabs packed with exploding flavor and soaring tannin. Canvasback makes one of the best, and the wine overdelivers for the price. The layers of blackberry, lavender, graphite, spice, and earth notes are delicious. The texture is smooth and muscular. One sip of this wine will have you craving a thick grilled steak. Red Mountain is more of a large hill than a mountain, and it isn’t really red (although the cheatgrass that also grows there can look reddish in the spring). But for any wine drinker who wants their reds to have real gravitas, Red Mountain is a place to know. 15% abv

93 points KM

Available at Vivino

What are criollas?

A. Special picking boxes used during harvest to minimize oxidation and damage to the grapes

B. A modern system of racks that can roll barrels making it easier to stir lees

C. A group of South American grape varieties that have a Spanish heritage

D. Refrigerated containers that are used to ship grapes long distances in the summer

The criollas (Spanish for “creoles”) are a group of Vitis vinifera grapes that the Spanish brought to South America in the 16th century, including the grape varities that were born in the Americas as a result of those original varieties. Some of these—such as the red grape listán prieto—were brought directly from Spain as seeds or cuttings and then carried by missionaries and conquistadors from one South American country to the next. Other of the criollas originated in South America itself, the result of natural crosses that formed between various European varieties. In Chile, listán prieto was called criolla chica (creole girl) and later renamed pais. In Peru, listán prieto was known as negra criolla, and in Bolivia, it was missionera. In Mexico, listán prieto was called misión (after the early missions where it was planted)—a name that the grape variety (mission in English) also held in California, Texas, and New Mexico. Several subsequent criollas were born in Argentina.

20K

Number of employees of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the largest wine and spirits distribution company in the U.S. with operations in 44 states. The company formed last year when the giants Southern Wine & Spirits and… Continue reading

CANVASBACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

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