One of the nicest guys in Washington wine is also making some world-class Cabernet Sauvignon that you need to keep your eye on. It has now been ten years since Andrew Januik started his own line of wines, focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon. Today he is making a range of wines which includes his fantastic ‘Southern Sojourn’ wine from Argentina. His ‘Stone Cairn’ is a Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon that is inky and intense, with beautiful texture and a good core of finesse. The wine is sourced from a host of Red Mountain AVA vineyards including Shaw, Obelisco, Quintessence, and Ciel du Cheval vineyards. Oak treatment is moderate, usually around 55% for roughly twenty months before being stored in the bottle. The wines are well-priced when you consider the price that Cabernet Sauvgnon can fetch.
I have really enjoyed how these wines age, as I have tasted many older vintages with Andrew and have found them to get better and better. He did an amazing job navigating the cooler 2019 vintage. His work in 2020 was even more impressive as the wines were all exceptional despite the obvious challenges of the September weather. The 2020 Andrew Januik ‘Stone Cairn’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 94) is a marvelous effort that is rich and shows loads of nuance with a silky mouthfeel. These wines are extremely reasonably priced under 50 dollars. Check out more about these beautiful wines at https://www.noveltyhilljanuik.com/wines/andrew-januik/ Here are my tasting notes from the new Andrew Januik wines.
2020 Andrew Januik ’Lady Hawk’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 Lady Hawk Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA and is 100% varietal Cabernet Sauvignon. This is very soft and round on the mouth, with a silky texture. Layers of toasty oak mingle well with graphite, black currants, espresso grounds and shades of mint leaf. Really delicious now, this will be great to savor over the next seven years to come. Drink 2023-2030- 93
2020 Andrew Januik ‘Stone Cairn’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 ‘Stone Cairn’ comes from Red Mountain as this is now the 10th edition of this wine. Inky dark in the glass, this unveils layers of cassis, creme de violette and scorched earth on the nose with sandalwood and pencil lead notes. The palate is concentrated and deep with refined tannins that frame a beautiful core of black and blue fruits with garrigue undercurrents. This is seriously good stuff to consume in its heady youth. Drink 2023-2030- 94
2020 Andrew Januik ‘Baba Yaga’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 ‘Baba Yaga’ comes from the Southwind Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. This edition is really delicious and inviting already at the three year mark. Tar, anise and creme de cassis flavors mingle well with dark rose petals and shades of black licorice on the nose. The palate is soft and nicely textured, with good weight and length. Finishing long, this is great stuff to consume now and over the next few years. Drink 2023-2030- 93
2020 Andrew Januik ‘Doppel Ganger’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2020 ‘Doppel Ganger’ is the inaugural release of this wine which was sourced from the Andrews Family Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Right away alluring aromatics of violets, tar and mocha combine on the nose wth freshly tilled soil notes. The palate is soft and inviting with polished tannins that frame a core of blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors with coffee grounds and a graphite edge. Drink 2023-2033- 93
2020 Andrew Januik ‘Los Molinos’ Red Wine- This is Andrew Januik’s GSM-inspired bottling that is near all equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. This is nicely smoky and savory with layers of wild blackberry and black raspberry fruits that mingle well with the dried herbs, smoked brisket and scorched earthy notes. Drink 2023-2030- 92