Coming all from Red Mountain and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Galitzine Vineyard spent 21 months in all new French oak. Deep inky plum/purple-colored with a huge nose of blackcurrants, singed herbs, black licorice, and scorched earth, this beast of a Washington State Cabernet has building tannin, a huge mid-palate, and a great, great finish. It needs to be forgotten for 3-4 years but will keep for 2-3 decades.

Bright, dark medium ruby. Briary blackberry and blueberry aromas are joined by a note of licorice. Sweeter, plusher and creamier than the flagship Cabernet, conveying an impression of density and thickness without weight. But a bit less expressive today than the Cabernet Sauvignon, with its huge plush, broad tannins spreading out to saturate the palate on the back end. If these chewy tannins are a bit less refined than those of the flagship Cabernet, they still compare favorably to most Napa Valley examples. This vineyard is typically four degrees hotter than Champoux in both summer and winter, says Paul Golitzin, but both are planted on sandy loams and require "dessert farming," as they receive just seven inches of water per year on average.