The 2008 Champoux Vineyard is made up of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It sports an inviting bouquet of sandalwood, rose petal, Asian spices, a hint of leather, black currant, and blackberry. This is followed by a succulent, plush, pleasure-bent wine that deftly conceals enough structure to evolve for 5-7 years. It offers a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2028+. Andrew Will, located on Vashon Island, a short ferry-ride from Seattle, is where Chris Camarda fashions his blended, Bordeaux-style wines. In the 2008 vintage Camarda began producing two varietal wines at a lower price point due to the recession. In 2009 he has done the same but with vineyard designations.Tel. (206) 463-9227; www.andrewwill.com

A complete reversal from 2007, with Cabernet Sauvignon back as the principal grape. Deep plum and black cherry flavors are driving this wine, which opens with a quick burst of juicy fruits, swathed in tart, citrusy acids. Though one third new French oak was used, there is little evidence of it in the mouth. Perhaps the wine is entering a dumbd phase, but it was difficult to get much out of it, even after many hours of breathing time. ——P.G.(11/1/2011)—— 89

The 2007 Champoux Vineyard is a bit more deeply colored. A blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Petit Verdot, it is also denser, richer, more plush, and longer in the finish. Give it 4-6 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2014 to 2027. Andrew Will, located on Vashon Island, a short ferry-ride from Seattle, is where Chris Camarda fashions his blended, Bordeaux-style wines. Without prompting Camarda told me (as he did Lettie Teague in a Wall Street Journal interview) that business has been very difficult, that he is cutting production, and that in the 2008 vintage he has fashioned two varietal wines that can sell within the range that American wine consumers are willing to spend. That said, the current releases of Andrew Will wines from the 2007 vintage are as good as or better than anything Camarda has done before.Tel. (206) 463-9227; www.andrewwill.com