2012 Efeste Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Big Papa Old Block Columbia Valley 750 ml

Washington’s “Goldilocks” Vintage: Just Right

It’s been awhile since we featured a Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon on WineAccess. Why? For the most part, it comes down to the price tag. Many of the acclaimed wineries are small, family-owned operations. Yields are small. As there are no economies of scale, production cost is high. Buttressed by sales out of tasting rooms in close proximity to Seattle, most of the boutique players seem perfectly content to focus their attention on the home market.  

But the critics aren’t content to let Washington hoard its riches in the Northwest, instead shining an ever-brighter light on the state’s top producers. “Washington State continues its steady pace … towards becoming one of the great wine regions of the world,” declared Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate in a recent vintage report. In 2012, already-high expectations were blown out of the water as winemakers saw Washington’s greatest vintage in a decade — if not ever.

Vinous’ Stephen Tanzer didn’t mince words: The “consistently excellent and often spectacular year,” he claimed, “produced a greater number of outstanding, silky wines with a full range of aromatic qualities and suave tannins than any past year.” He called it “a splendid year for Washington wine … it is a vintage to buy with confidence.”

For a stunning snapshot of this robust vintage, you can’t do better than EFESTĒ’s “Big Papa” Cabernet Sauvignon. That’s because this wildly hedonistic 100% Cab is sourced exclusively from some of the state’s oldest and most pedigreed vineyards — a lineup that reads like a set list of only greatest hits.

There’s Klipsun from the tiny Red Mountain AVA, known for its dark, masculine fruit and named one of the 25 best vineyards IN THE WORLD by Wine & Spirits Magazine. There’s Bacchus in the Columbia Valley AVA, boasting 40-year-old vines planted to fine sandy loam soil, lending incredible complexity. Fruit from Red Willow in the Yakima Valley AVA (one of the state’s most historic vineyards, planted in 1973) and Kiona (a Red Mountain site that sees abundant sunshine, leading to superb opulence) round out the blockbuster mix. Peter Devison — handpicked by his predecessor at EFESTĒ, Brennan Leighton — blended with finesse.

What made the 2012 growing season so special? It’s almost easier to describe what the vintage wasn’t. No cold snaps, no heat spikes. Not too much rain, nor too little. A “Goldilocks” year of perfect balance, avoiding extremes while maintaining an almost unbelievable stretch of long and warm sunny days. Extended hangtime made for richly textured, beautifully balanced Cabernets, buttressed by ripe, sumptuous tannic backbones. Washington State winemakers never had it so easy.

EFESTĒ’s “Big Papa” — a longtime best-seller for the winery whose name is pronounced like the letters “F,” “S,” and “T” — proved an instant hit with the critics. 92 points from Tanzer, who praised it as “silky, utterly seamless,” finishing “with big but lush tannins and excellent length.” Wine Enthusiast did Tanzer one better, coming in at 93 points and holding it up as “a compelling example of the variety.”

The 2012 EFESTĒ “Big Papa” Cabernet Sauvignon is inky purple in color, infused with lush aromas of blackberry, cola, chocolate, and cigar smoke. Massive on the attack — not so much jammy as dense and compact — the core is packed with blackberry compote and licorice. Firm and sturdy on the back palate, with excellent vibrancy and tension, bracketed by cedar spice.

$60 on release. Just the roll call of acclaimed vineyards alone should put this one at $75 or above! At this WineAccess-exclusive $35/bottle, it’s 42% off! Tanzer’s “buy with confidence” never sounded more like an understatement. NOT to be missed by Cabernet bargain-hunters.