2011 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

Doubleback's estate vineyard story is written in basalt. McQueen Vineyard, the founding site, climbs a ridgeline of fractured volcanic rock to 1,440 feet in the SeVein development, where thin soils and relentless wind produce small berries with thick skins and deep color. In 2011, Drew Bledsoe's team expanded that estate vision with the purchase of Bob Healy Vineyard, and the Flying B site would follow in 2016, completing a portfolio devoted to a single idea: Walla Walla Cabernet of true pedigree.

Nature made 2011 a test of nerve. A cold spring and cool summer left ripening far behind schedule until September sunshine rescued the crop, and severe yield reductions concentrated the fruit that survived. The resulting Cabernet trades opulence for precision, offering fragrant cassis, bay leaf, iron, and cranberry over a taut, medium-bodied frame with fresh, mouthwatering acidity. It is a vintage for drinkers who prize energy over extraction.

Chris Figgins, the Leonetti Cellar winemaker who guided Doubleback's first decade, shepherded this vintage from fermenter to French oak, favoring restraint so the site character could speak. His eventual successor, Walla Walla native Josh McDaniels, trained at his side during these years before assuming full winemaking leadership of the estate. The 2011 spent its élevage in tight-grained barrels chosen to frame rather than mask the vintage's aromatic lift.

Fifteen years on, the 2011 sits squarely in its secondary bloom, where fruit, earth, and cedar hold equal rank. Decant it briefly, serve it just below room temperature, and pair it with duck breast, lamb shoulder, or mushroom risotto. Well-kept bottles will cruise gracefully into the early 2030s. Its lighter frame also makes it the rare Washington Cabernet that flatters salmon or tuna prepared over coals.

• Size: 750ml
• ABV: ABV varies
• Vintage: 2011
• Origin: Walla Walla Valley, Washington
• Winery: Doubleback
• Grape/Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon
• Vineyard: McQueen Vineyard and estate Walla Walla sites
• Aging/Élevage: French oak barrels
• Tasting Notes: Cassis, bay leaf, iron, cranberry, fresh acidity
• Drink Window: Now through 2031