Passing Time 'Horse Heaven Hills' Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical

It has been now nearly ten years since Passing Time has been making world-class wines. Starting with the 2012 vintage, Passing Time sought to make some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon in Washington State. Founded by NFL legends Dan Marino and Damon Huard, Passing Time utilizes the talents of famed winemaker Chris Peterson. Peterson was the first graduate of the Walla Walla Community College’s Enology and Viticulture program and working at DeLille for eight years under legendary winemaker Chris Upchurch. He makes wines that are very well-structured and are built for aging. I love the bold style that he utilizes with these wines, which show great acidity and aging potential. There is plenty of new French oak but Peterson has things dialed back so the fruit and non-fruit flavors really do the talking.

Back in 2012 they made their first ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ bottling. Damon Huard’s family have a history in this region formerly in the farming community many decades ago. The Horse Heaven Hills is a highly scenic AVA in Washington that actually holds roughly one third of all grapes produced in the state. The region is home to some of the finest vineyards in the state including the Champoux and Discovery Vineyards.

I loved tasting through the past ten vintages of the ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon. The first vintage from 2012 (OB, 94) was still very fresh and layered, with a superb texture. This is one to drink right now. Even better was the 2013 ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ (OB, 95) which was more inky and intense, with more concentration and just as much finesse. Arguably the finest wine I tasted came from what I consider to be the best vintage in the past ten years. The 2018 ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) is a monstrosity of a wine — still a bit tightly wound — but insanely delicious. This beauty needs a bit of air if consuming now. Similarly, another total stunner was the 2016 ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ (OB, 97) which is extremely dense and delicious to enjoy right now.

It was such a pleasure tasting through these older wines and kudos to Dan Marino and Damon Huard for having this incredible vision of creating world-class Washington wines way back during their playing days with the Miami Dolphins. These wines also show the aging prowess of what Chris Peterson can craft in the cellar, as they can age just as well as those he made at DeLille. Learn more about this famous Washington wine project at passingtime.com and here are my reviews of the ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon vertical tasting.

2012 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Coming from this very classic vintage in Washington State, the  2012 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon combines 86% Discovery Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Klipsun  Vineyard Merlot with the remainder Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Franc. Right now this appears to be peaking with its crushed lavender and damp soil notes alongside blackberry and black currant tones. Enjoy over the next five to seven years. Drink 2023-2030- 94

2013 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- I am now never surprised how well the top wines from 2013 are showing now. The rich and layered 2013 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon is another prime example why Washington Bordeaux style wines from 2013 are equally good — if not better — than those produced in 2012. Creme de violette, baking spices, dark chocolate covered kirsch and shades of tar all parade with a light dusting of minerals and soft tannins on the palate. This is seriously good stuff that is drinking right at its peak now. Drink 2023-2033- 95

2014 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Deeply perfumed with violets, creosote, graphite and heady dark fruits, the 2014 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely singing now at the eight year mark. Very smooth on the mouth, this delivers an intense combination of black and blue fruits with freshly rolled cigar leaf at the moment with great underlying poise and light tannins that frame everything neatly in place. The 2014 ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ is in a fantastic spot. No need to cellar this beauty. Drink 2023-2035- 96

2015 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon is showing several steps behind the other wines of this tasting. It is intense and rich, yet is starting to lose momentum in terms of its acid backbone due to intense heat spikes that occurred this vintage. Violets, tar, and heady blue fruits mingle with a light level of tension on the palate. This is a fantastic effort considering the challenges faced this vintage. Drink 2023-2028- 93

2016 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Dense, heady and every bit delicious, you have to adore the 2016 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ which is an astonishingly good blend of nearly all Cabernet Sauvignon (89%), with 7% Merlot, and a touch of Cabernet Franc. Inky in the glass, this is very polished and seamless stuff that effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. Turkish coffee flavors combine with freshly tilled loamy soils, tobacco leaf and shades of creme de cassis that all give hedonistic pleasure without being out of balance. This is going strong now. Drink 2023-2043- 97

2017 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The brilliant 2017 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes form a slightly cooler vintage. The wine combines  mostly Cabernet Sauvignon from the Discovery and Champoux Vineyards, as well as 5% Merlot and Cabernet Franc each blended in. This comes off very smooth and polished on the mouth, with violets, sagebrush, black currants, ripe huckleberry and shades of dark licorice on the palate. A touch less concentrated than the 2018, yet silk and well-balanced, this Cabernet Sauvignon is shining brightly right now. Drink 2023-2040- 95

2018 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The outstanding 2018 ’Horse Heaven Hills’ combines 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with 9% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Coming from mainly the Discovery and Champoux Vineyards, this offers impeccable balance and poise with loads of blue and black fruits on the palate, alongside coffee grounds, pencil lead, sandalwood and scorched earth notes. Complex and delicious, this is really shining right now and will continue to evolve well for another fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2023-2040- 97

2019 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Taken from this slightly cooler vintage, the 2019 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon which has 10% Merlot and  5% Cabernet Franc blended in. Coming from mainly the Dionysus Vineyard, as well as Champoux, and Wallula vineyards, this offers incredible balance and poise, with slightly less concentration than other vintages. This is beautifully evolved wine already with its black tea, exotic spice, pipe tobacco and brilliant core of dark fruits that parade with espresso grounds. Enjoy the beauty now and over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2023-2038- 95

2020 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon- This is truly an outstanding effort from a challenging vintage. The 2020 Passing Time ‘Horse Heaven Hills’ Cabernet Sauvignon is densely packed on the palate with ripe kirsch, mocha, tar and sandy soil flavors. Very plump and heady, with a smooth texture this is open for business right now. Fantastic to consume now, I see no reason to cellar this any longer. Drink 2023-2028- 96