94 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with 5% Cabernet Franc and matured in 100% new French oak. It has an opaque ruby color and slowly unfurling scents of Luxardo cherries, blueberries, licorice, cigar box and grilled meats. The full-bodied palate offers concentrated, nuanced flavors matched by classy new-oak spices. It’s structured by powerful, grippy tannins and juicy acidity and has a long, polished finish.
94 Points Decanter
Spry and classically Cabernet Sauvignon from this Red Mountain estate run by the Antinori family. Violets and iron filings alight from the glass, followed by lively blue fruits and a note of dried lavender. There's a definitive elegance to the tannins in this wine, which is mainly comprised of Quintessence Vineyard at 82%, Col Solare estate at 15% and a touch of wine from the Shaw 32 Vineyard. This wine sees 20 months in all-new French oak.
94 Points Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain (95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc) is deep purple hue and offers a killer nose of pure crème de cassis, spicy oak, graphite, and violets, with a kiss of Pauillac-like lead pencil emerging with time in the glass. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has polished, elegant tannins, and a great finish that shows more than a little of that classic Red Mountain minerality. Hide bottles for 3-4 years, and it should have 15-20 years of overall longevity. The 2021 comes 82% from the Quintessence Vineyard, 15% from Col Solare, and 3% from the Shaw Vineyard (all on Red Mountain) and spent 20 months in 100% new French oak.
94 Points James Suckling
What a perfumed nose of blackcurrants, blueberries, lavender, sandalwood and charred bark. Full-bodied, polished and velvety in texture, with sturdy tannins that melt into the fruit at the end. Long, firm and classy. 95% cabernet sauvignon and 5% cabernet franc. 350 cases produced. Try after 2026.
93 Points Vinous
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon entices with a rich blend of crushed black cherries, incense, dusty violets, cloves and shavings of cedar forming its complex bouquet. It envelops the palate with ripe red and blue fruits underscored by tactile minerals, while a core of vibrant acidity maintains fantastic freshness. The finish has a classic feel, with sweet tannins framing hints of blackberry and a slight air of mint.
93 Points Wine Enthusiast
A rich cassis aroma sets the tone for this Red Mountain mix of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Also swirling up from the glass are spicy notes of fennel and ginger. The wine's elegant texture is complemented by fine-grained tannins and a gentle ripple of acidity. Ripe Bing cherries dominate the palate, joined by dollops of mocha, black tea and cedar.
A Washington Icon of Italian Heritage
Col Solare was established in the Red Mountain AVA with the 1995 vintage upon a belief in bold, patient, and innovative winemaking techniques that few in the world have mastered. Many years later, we enjoy the fruits of a continuation of Italian tradition and an emblem of Red Mountain, the shining hill nestled deep in the heart of Washington’s wine country.
