Mullan Road Cellars 2016 Columbia Valley Red Blend 750ml

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the 2016 Columbia Valley Red Wine opens to a dusty and dark-fruited nose with herbal and peppery tones and complex expressions of baked earth and dusty red flower petals. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is just-ripe and turns slightly tart across the mid-palate with defined flavors of green bell pepper that sway with blackberry essence and dusty dark cherries. It has a balanced structure and sticky tannins followed up by evolving flavors of bitter dark chocolate and plum skin on the long, winding finish.

Score: 90+ points -- Anthony Mueller, The Wine Advocate, 2020