Vanilla, anise, nutmeg, and a hint of caramel delightfully tinge ripe cherry and cassis in the nose of Januik’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, another exhibit of this producer’s seemingly trademark primary juiciness and flatteringly subtle integration of oak. That said, there is considerably more tannic chew here than in most of the other reds I tasted from the present collection. “That’s how this vineyard expresses itself,” suggests Januik, “and although it has more astringency it also has sweetness,” a judgment with which I completely concur; indeed, the latter is almost confectionary. I’d like to think that further complexity and counterpoint will develop over the next half dozen or so years. Ste. Michelle veteran Mike Januik founded and runs the winery that bears his name in parallel with Novelty Hill (covered separately in this report), and the same recent vintage, high-tech production facility is employed with essentially the same aesthetic goals for wines of each label. The affable and insightful Januik has been in a position to cultivate close relationships with many if not most of Washington’s top grape growers, so it’s no surprise that his roster of suppliers is impressive, resulting in relatively consistently high quality. (Among the current collection, only a “Red Wine” comprising whatever barrels of Bordelais varietals are left after the blending of single-vineyard bottlings – and thus still emanating from a who’s who sites – disappointed.) Fermentative extraction for reds here is almost entirely via pump-over and of only 6-8 days duration, as Januik warms his musts in order to get alcoholic extraction to begin early and is at pains to moderate tannins. Reds typically go to barrel (generally half new) before reaching complete dryness; though rather than there being any rule, Januik opines, “after handling 700 red wine fermentations a year” for a decade at Ste. Michelle, “you get a certain feel and it’s not hard to tell when a wine is ready to press-off.” Januik commutes from Woodinville to visit nearly all of his vineyard sources on a weekly basis during the growing season in order to check on “his” blocks of vines. Tel. (425) 481-5502