Andrew Will Sorella 2017

Sorella is the flagship red of Andrew Will, made by Chris Camarda on Vashon Island in Washington State and named in Italian for his late sister. It is a Bordeaux style blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon and filled out with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Washington sits at a high northern latitude with long summer daylight and a marked diurnal range, which lets the Cabernet ripen fully while the cold nights hold acidity and lengthen the growing season. The result is ripe fruit with retained structure rather than soft jamminess. The wine is aged eighteen months in French oak barrels, where the gradual oxygen exchange knits the blend together, polishes the tannins and frames the fruit with cedar and spice. The colour is deep and concentrated. The nose moves through blackcurrant, dark plum and cherry into fine tobacco, cocoa and pencil shavings. The palate is full bodied and firmly structured, with substantial but ripe tannins, dark fruit and a long savoury finish. This is a wine for the cellar that already rewards a decant. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted well ahead. Match it with prime cuts of beef and aged hard cheese.