The 2018 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Proprietary Blend is a red wine from the Horse Heaven Hills appellation in Washington's Columbia Valley. This wine is a blend of 58% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. It was aged for 22 months in 35% new French oak barrels and boasts an alcohol content of 14.5%. The wine is sealed with a traditional cork closure.
Jeb Dunnuck awarded this wine an impressive 95 points, noting its origins from a top site in Horse Heaven Hills. He describes the wine's "beautiful bouquet of red and black currants, chocolate, cedary spice, and dried herbs" and praises its "medium to full-bodied, rich, concentrated yet flawlessly balanced" profile. Dunnuck emphasizes the wine's "ripe, velvety tannins, a round, layered texture, and a great finish," suggesting it can be enjoyed over the next 15 years.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also scored the 2018 Champoux Vineyard blend at 95 points. The review highlights the wine's "delightful and lovely aromatics," which include "dusty plum, black cherry skin, blackberry essence, and elements of dusty red and purple flowers along with hints of cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and the floral element of potpourri." The publication emphasizes the wine's balanced structure with "buttressing tannins and juicy acidity" and notes its thoughtful and complex finish. The review concludes with high praise, stating, "It’s gorgeous, and I’m going back for another sip."
Decanter provided a score of 93 points, describing the wine's nose as filled with "Turkish coffee with blackcurrant jelly and cigar box tones." The review notes the wine's "soft and round" mouthfeel, calling it a "silky and refined red blend" with "decadent dark fruits" and a long finish.
Vinous, also awarding 93 points, describes the wine as "dark and inward in the glass," with a bouquet of "wildflowers, blueberry, and crushed rocks." The review mentions the wine's "silky and cool-toned" palate with "pretty red and blue fruits cascading across a core of citrus-tinged acidity." The wine leaves a "lingering zesty tension" with "lightly grippy tannins, nuances of kirsch, and black currant."
Overall, the 2018 Andrew Will Champoux Vineyard Proprietary Blend is a highly praised wine with a balance of fruit, spice, and tannins, suitable for aging and worthy of a place in any wine enthusiast's collection.