Sourced from Andrews, Cold Creek, and Anna Marie vineyards, the varietally pure Northstar 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon thus traverses a wide arc of Eastern Washington and (in the case of Walla Walla A.V.A Anna Marie) northeastern Oregon. Cassis mingled with bitter herbal concentrates inform a relatively polished palate, leading to a moderately sustained finish just lightly tinged with vanilla and coconut from its nearly half new wood, but in which some abrasive and faintly drying tannin emerges. I’m skeptical that this will pick up any notable complexity or finesse with bottle age, but it will certainly hold up decently for several years. Part of the Ste. Michelle family, Walla Walla-based Northstar has been focused for two decades on showcasing Merlot. “There’s still not a lot of top-quality Merlot to play with,” notes winemaker David Merfeld apropos options to source this grape from Walla Walla vineyards other than his estate. That the fashion for Cabernet Sauvignon and Rhone varieties to which this shortage testifies shortchanges Merlot’s Washington potential, is clearly a matter of faith at Ste. Michelle, which has in recent years planted more, including on Northstar’s home property, whose first vines went in just over a decade ago at the time that their imposing production facilities were being built. “I’m proud to be known as Mr. Merlot,” quips Merfeld – a protegee of Jed Steele, whose vision (along with that of Alan Shoup) was behind the origination of Northstar – “and I’m glad we stayed the course” even when this grape’s sheer ubiquity threatened to undermine the project of producing world class wine from it. Fruit sources for Northstar remain diverse, and their range of bottlings has expanded to include many non-Merlots. Active fermentation here is generally not longer than a week, and may finish in barrel depending on the lot. I had the opportunity to barrel-taste several components from the extremely late-harvested 2011 season, finding sap and energetic promise, though in some instances also the seeds of potential sweet-tart bifurcation. Tel. (509) 525-6100

This starts with a startling but tangy lemon-tea flavor. Cinnamon and plum notes enter the palate, which are underscored by rather chalky acidity, and finished with a coffee highlight. — (12/31/2012) —88