Today we share one of the standout producers of Washington State. For more than 25 years Ben Smith (http://owenbargreen.com/benjamin-smith-cadence) together with his wife Gaye McNutt have been making exceptional, cellar-worthy bottlings from some of the state’s great sites. Last year I had the chance to revisit wines more than 20 years old with Ben and Gaye and there is no doubt about the aging potential in Cadence wines. Cadence planted an estate vineyard on Red Mountain, the Cara Mia Vineyard, where most of their wines come from. I’ve enjoyed tasting these wines at the ten year mark where they seem to start collecting secondary characteristics.
They did an excellent job navigating the tough 2019 and 2020 vintages. I adored the new 2022 Cadence ‘Coda’ Red Wine (OB, 93) which is dense and rich, showing beautiful texture at their entry level. Even better is the stunning 2021 Cadence ‘Cara Mia Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 96) which is a world-class bottling that has tons of aging potential. Learn more about this great winery at cadencewinery.com and here are my reviews of the the beautiful new wines by Cadence.
2021 Cadence ‘Coda’ Red Wine- A blend somewhat akin to the 2020 bottling, the 2021 ‘Coda’ combines mainlyCabernet Franc and Merlot with small parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is silky and rich on the mouth, loaded with dense black fruits that combine with garrigue, yellow bell pepper and shades of dusty soils on the palate. Really refined and elegant with its smooth texture, this is already nicely evolved stuff that will cellar well over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 93
2021 Cadence ‘Cara Mia Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A total stunner, the 100% varietal 2021 ‘Cara Mia Vineyard’ comes from this site on Red Mountain planted to clone 191 and 08 Cabernet Sauvignon. Beautiful potpourri notes mark the nose alongside damp earth, chocolate and espresso grounds. The palate is refined and shows silky tannins with plenty of powerful dark fruits that mingle well with creosote, creme de violette and dark chocolate shavings. Really good even in its heady youth, this has the potential to be a 20 year wine. This is several notches better than the 2020 bottling. Drink 2024-2040- 96