The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve had 140+ days of hang-time with its canopy with picking extended through November 3. Purple/black, opaque, and brooding, it delivers an other-worldly bouquet of wood smoke, lavender, licorice, espresso, Asian spices, incense, a hint of balsamic, blackberry, and black currant. Dense, rich, loaded, and totally pleasure-bent, this phenomenal effort is remarkably fresh and symmetrical despite its size and power. It will easily see its 30th birthday but that is a conservative estimate. The intense Scott Greer is one of Washington’s rising stars. His wines are all sourced from estate vineyards which are just now starting to come into maturity. He keeps yields low and the farming and winemaking are impeccable. He has recently opened a tasting and sales room in the Seattle area which should improve access to his wines. Sheridan’s newest collection begins at “outstanding” and rises from there. In addition, the two entry-level wines are superb values. There is really no mystery as to what Scott Greer is doing at Sheridan; total attention to detail, a great vineyard, impeccable farming, and non-interventionist winemaking. www.sheridanvineyard.com

There are only 250 cases of the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve sourced from the tenderloin (Block 1 ) of the Sheridan Vineyard and aged for 30 months in 100% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it exhibits a brooding bouquet of toasty oak, cocoa, cassis, blackberry, and incense. Dense, rich, and super-concentrated on the palate, the wine is mouth-filling, focused, and splendidly balanced. It will reward 6-8 years of cellaring and drink well through 2030. The intense Scott Greer is one of Washington’s rising stars. His wines are all sourced from estate vineyards which are just now starting to come into maturity. He keeps yields low and the farming and winemaking are impeccable. He has recently opened a tasting and sales room in the Seattle area which should improve access to his wines www.sheridanvineyard.com

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was aged for 30 months in 100% new French oak and spent time on its lees. Yields for this wine, selected from a tenderloin parcel of the vineyard, was 1.5 tons per acre. Saturated purple, the aromatic array includes toasty new oak, pencil lead, spice box, black currant, and blackberry liqueur. On the palate the wine has terrific grip and power. All of its components are nicely integrated and the finish lasts for nearly a minute. Vigneron Scott Greer appears to be the rising star in Yakima Valley. He began planting his vineyard in 1997 and now all of the wines are estate bottled (a model that appears to be the wave of the future in Washington). The vineyards are still young so it would appear that the best is yet to come. Typical yields are 2 tons of fruit per acre and current production stands at 5000 cases. Kudos to Scott Greer for a superb portfolio of wines www.sheridanvineyard.com

More powerful and potent than the ’04, this simply has more juice, more depth, more power and more detail than any previous Sheridan wine. The fruit is exceptional—dense black cherry and cassis, with a sense of compact layering that promises great aging potential. This was 30 months in oak but does not seem oaky in any way. It already has the balance, the polish and the length to justify long-term cellaring. Tannins are ripe and supple, bringing in hints of dried herb and black olive.——P.G.(5/1/2009)—— 94