2015 Andrew Will Sorella Champoux Vineyard Washington Red

2015 Andrew Will Sorella Champoux Vineyard

98 RP

Featured Review

The 2015 Sorella is superb, unwinding in the glass with a youthful but already complex bouquet of crushed cassis, cherries, pencil shavings, subtle cigar smoke and espresso roast. On the palate, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a rock-solid core, juicy acids and a beautifully fine-grained but firm chassis of structuring tannins. If it's the most promising of these 2015s from Chris Camarda, it's also the most backward and in need of cellaring, and as the track record of this bottling demonstrates, its tenth birthday will be just the beginning of the excitement. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker | 98 RP

The flagship 2015 Sorella Champoux Vineyard is another include Cabernet Sauvignon dominated blend that’s up with the crème de la crème of the vintage. Cassis, black raspberries, toasted spice, candle wax and graphite notes all emerge from this tight, concentrated, fresh beauty that really needs 4-5 years of bottle age. A wine that gains depth with time in the glass, it has fine tannin, beautiful balance, and a classic, elegant style.

Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JD

(Andrew Will Cellars “Sorella” Champoux Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills)) The 2015 Sorella cuvée from Andrew Will is heavily-weighted towards the old vine (planted in 1972) cabernet sauvignon this year, with fully eighty-five percent of the blend made up of this varietal, to go along with six percent each of merlot and cabernet franc and three percent of petit verdot. It too comes in tipping the scales at a ripe 14.5 percent, but is beautifully cool and pure on the nose, which offers up scents of cassis, black cherries, cigar wrapper, a fine base of soil, a touch of coffee bean and a discreet framing of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, nascently complex and beautifully balanced, with lovely roundness on the attack, a rock solid core, fine-grained tannins and a very long, pure and nascently complex finish. Though this is listed at the same octane as the Champoux Vineyard bottling, it seems cooler in the mouth on the finish and is impeccably well-balanced for the long haul. Though its palate impression is already quite seamless, this is still a young and quite primary wine and I would try to not touch a bottle for the next five to seven years and really let its secondary layering emerge. Great juice. (Drink between 2023-2075).

John Gilman | 94 JG

Dark ruby-red. Aromas and flavors of blackberry and licorice are lifted by violet and spice notes. Suave and expressive, conveying a distinctly juicy character to its dark berry and spice flavors. Already shows a captivating glossiness to its fruit but its firm tannic spine calls for some patience.

Vinous Media | 91+ VM

Type of Wine	Washington Red
Varietal	Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country	US : As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants.
Region	Washington : While California definitely owns the spotlight when it comes to excellent American wines, Washington winemakers should certainly not be underestimated. While their traditional focus was set firmly on refreshing, illustrious white wines, they've adopted French red varietals like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Since then, they've been achieving excellence in both categories and can compete with the world's most prestigious viticultural titans. Flavor-wise, you can expect a healthy amount of variety when it comes to Washington's finest wines. From acidic and fruity bottles that can shake you up from even the deepest slumber or sadness to rich and ripe powerhouses that command the respect of everyone in the room after as much as a single whiff. Juicy raspberries that gently tickle your tongue, deep and noble blackberries, intense cherries and earthen oak - these are the flavors that characterize this region, despite the presence of an entire orchestral symphony of other aromatic notes. A sampling of fine wine from Washington is a lot like being seduced, so why not uncork one of these bottles for a potential or existing partner? With a drink of this quality, those romantic sparks will turn into a fireworks display, as your emotions are laid bare and intensified, and you make a connection that can last a lifetime.