More than a decade ago I fondly recall taking friends to the Long Shadows tasting studio in Woodinville. The winery was a brand new project at the time and a really big deal! For many years Long Shadows has made their name by crafting outstanding red wines with a superstar cast of winemaking talent that spans the globe. Gilles Nicault serves as Long Shadows head winemaker. A great dude with a killer palate, Gilles was formerly at Woodward Canyon and is one of the brightest talents in the state. One thing I have found with these wines over the years is how brilliantly they can cellar. I have really enjoyed tasting many of his older wines, particularly their ‘Pedestal’ and ‘Feather’ wines from the 2004-2008 vintages. These wines are meant to age and are really singing right now.
The new releases by Long Shadows were seriously good across the board. Long Shadows produces a beautiful Chardonnay, their 2020 Long Shadows ’Dance’ (OB, 93)which is very fleshy and broad-shouldered, with a great underlying finesse. Even better is the incredible new 2019 Long Shadows ‘Feather’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 95) which shows serious weight considering the vintage, with lovely herbal and earthy accents. Learn more about this amazing winery at http://www.longshadows.com/ Here are the beautiful new release wines from Long Shadows.
2020 Long Shadows ‘Dance’ Chardonnay- The 2020 ‘Dance’ Chardonnay is mostly sourced from the 1985 and 1988 plantings from the French Creek Vineyard as well as 1990s plantings from the Boushey Vineyard. This was stored in mostly concrete and neutral oak, with 31% new French oak. The palate is soft and inviting with a seamless texture. Layers of white peach and Mayer lemon vanilla cream come together with stony minerals and suggestions of baking spice dusted brioche. This is elegant, rich and well-balanced Chardonnay that is up there with the finest you will find in the state. Enjoy now and over the next eight plus years. Drink 2022-2030- 93
2019 Long Shadows ‘Feather’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Stored for 22 months in 85% new French oak, the 100% varietal 2019 Long Shadows ‘Feather’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from old vine Dionysus Vineyard, as well as Weinbau, with smaller portions coming from the Horse Heaven Hills sites. The nose immediately gratifies with sagebrush, scorched earth, mocha, dense black fruits, with toasty oak accents. The palate is very fresh and beautifully textured. Fine grained tannins line a beautiful core of black currants, blackberry compote and coffee ground flavors. This is an extraordinary effort considering the coolness of the vintage. Delicious to consume now, this beauty will easily cellar for another fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2022-2037- 95