DGA Wine Club - 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvingon 2010

Posted by Jamie

I recently had a wonderful cabernet sauvignon.  The 14 Hands Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon was quite a treat for such an affordable price.  It contains the class Cab Sav flavors for black cherries with hints of baking spice.  It is bolstered by fine round tannins making it a medium bodied wine.  It is fruit forward and has a smooth finish.   The concentrated aromas of dark stone fruits and toast burst from the glass. 

14 Hands Vineyards is located in Washington State in the Columbia Valley which is in central Washington.  The vineyard is inspired by the wild horses which used to roam in this area.  The name “14 Hands” comes from the fact that these horses were only 14 hands high - a “hand” being equivalent to a man’s palm width and how horses were measured then.  This region is distinct from western Washington state, which has a much different climate due to the rain shadow caused by the Cascade range.

14 Hands winemaker Keith Kenison has been making wines in Washington State since the late 1990s. It was his interest in winemaking that brought him to Washington, and over the years his expertise in enology and winemaking blossomed.

14 Hands celebrates the spirit of the wild horses, and the rich and unique history of Washington wines not only in its wines, but also in the vibrant colors and images on their bottles.  The bottle art was created by artist Cynthia Sampson.  Sampson is an award-winning representational colorist who specializes in brightly colored pastel and acrylic animal paintings. 

  

I enjoyed the wine while having a cook out with friends.  We paired the wine with garlic infused pork chops and baked asparagus.  The pairing worked out perfectly.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the wine and our only complaint was that we did not have a second bottle.