This old vine block is now controlled by another winery, so this will be the next to last vintage of Champoux from Soos Creek. It gets the all-star treatment: native yeast. 50% new French oak barrels. Note that some of Washington’s most prestigious wineries get this fruit, and get a whole lot more for the wine. Here the balance is spot on, the flavors firm and dense. Black fruits, a dusting of toast, coffee grounds, polished, grainy tannins – it’s all here in this young wine that needs more bottle age to show its best. 14.1%; (Horse Heaven Hills) 94/100

I continue to be amazed at the quality wines that Dave Larsen puts together at budget prices. Here is a Bordeaux blend sourced from Ciel du Cheval, Champoux and Elephant Mountain vineyards, fermented in native yeast and aged in 15% new French oak. It’s principally Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a splash of Cabernet Franc. Firm, tight, dark and tannic, yet beautifully balanced for aging, this could be your go-to Bordeaux blend for aging over the next decade. Cassis and black cherry fruits, a streak of coffee, a hint of licorice… wow, this over-delivers past any reasonable expectation. 14.1%; (Columbia Valley) 92/100

This wine from a 1998 planting is the last we’ll see from Elephant Mountain, as Larsen says he is transitioning to vineyards from the Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla Valley AVAs. So enjoy this excellent example from the Rattlesnake Hills. Firm, tight and tannic, its dark fruits are streaked with copper and coffee. The wine continued to improve over a full three days. 14.1%; (Rattlesnake Hills) 93/100

Soos Creek’s Dave Larsen sources Cabernet from some of Washington’s A+ vineyards, and here he’s given a gift to wine lovers with a single vineyard HHH Cab at a supermarket price. The blend includes 15% Merlot, which helps to soften the tannins. There’s an interesting sweetness here – not from fruit or sugar, but more like the sweetness of fine tobacco. This is classic Washington Cabernet, with black fruits, sandalwood, toasted walnuts and tannins with a firm streak of espresso. 14.1%; (Horse Heaven Hills) 91/100

Principally sourced from Ranch at the End of the Road vineyard, with a barrel from Ciel du Cheval, this is the last Soos Creek vintage from any Red Mountain grapes. Dense, compact and deeply saturated with flavors of cassis, black fruits, anise and espresso, this just needs time and/or decanting to unpack all it holds. I suspect it will age into a truly gorgeous old wine, but that may take a decade or more. Were it aged in new oak, rather than used, it would rock the world. 14.1%; (Red Mountain) 93/100

This wine was sourced from the Champoux Vineyard. The grapes were inadvertantly picked at a lower brix (less sugar) because a change in viticultural practices slowed down their ripening. The difference in the character of the wine is a nice change of pace with flavors that are more red than black fruits, lower alcohol, and higher acid. The character of the wine reminds me of a good Pinot Noir.

“Among all of the Soos Creek Cabs, this single vineyard expression is in some ways the most significant, as it includes old vine grapes from the 1982 (original planting) and 1994 blocks, along with 20% Cabernet Franc. Aged 21 months in 40% new oak. It still seems a bit shuttered and will respond best to decanting and further cellaring. The potential ageability of this wine is two or three decades. Sadly, this is the last vintage it will be made, 94 points.” Paul Gregutt 3/19/23

"The 2019 ‘Last Rodeo’ is a blend of equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with 20% Merlot. It is soft and inviting with a smooth texture and a pretty red fruit profile, with worn leather and graphite notes. Complex and delicious, consume this beauty now and over the next ten years. Drink 2022-2032." Owen Bargreen, 92 Pts.

“Always a fine value, the 2019 Sundance is two thirds Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cab Franc, sourced from the Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Dineen vineyards. That’s a helluva great trio for such an affordable wine. It’s a ripe and tangy tangle of red berries, stiffened up a bit with hints of stem and seed. Aged 21 months with 10% of the barrels new, this all-purpose red is a showcase for the power of Washington’s Bordeaux style wine, and especially those driven by Merlot. 92 points” Paul Gregutt 3/19/23

"Coming from the Ciel du Cheval, Ranch at the end of the Road and Klipsun Vineyards on Red Mountain, this delicious 2019 wine delivers good structure and flavor density with tar, anise, blackberry compote and dark chocolate shaving flavors. Delicious to consume now, enjoy this beauty over the next fifteen years. Drink 2022-2037." Owen Bargreen, 93 Pts.

"The really good 2019 Soos Creek ‘Soleil’ red wine mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (57%) with smaller portions Merlot and Cabernet Franc blended in. Very soft on the mouth, this revels in its ripe red currant, black cherry, dried sage and cigar ash flavors. Enjoy this outstanding new red blend over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2022-2035." Owen Bargreen, 92 Pts.

The densely packed 2018 Soos Creek ‘Ciel du Cheval Vineyard’ Red Wine is an awesome wine even at the three-year mark. Exotic spices, scorched earth, tobacco, and gobs of dark fruits greet you on the nose. The palate is fresh and polished with good tension and a light dusting of salinity that falls upon the core of dark fruits and espresso bean tones. Gorgeous to enjoy now, this has another fifteen years ahead of it. Drink 2021-2035, Owen Bargreen 93 points.

The 2018 ‘Terrible Beauty’ exudes class with its soft mouthfeel and good level of viscosity and tension. Its medium to full-bodied and loaded with dark fruits and chocolate tones, with mineral accents. Drink 2021-2031, Owen Bargreen 91 points.

A whiff of toasty oak immediately catches your attention as ripe dark currants collide with smoke, graphite, and blackberry compote on the nose. The palate is seamless and beautifully textured with a great acid and tannin edge that hold everything in place nicely. Drink 2021-2033, Owen Bargreen 91 points.