2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reviews
93 points-GOLD from Seattle Wine Awards
92 points from Eric Guido with Vinous
Dark and intense, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a compelling blend of crushed ashen stones, rose petals and red currant. This is round and supple, with plummy red fruits and sweet spices that swirl throughout. Saline mineral tones slowly saturate. The 2019 taprs off long and potent, leaving sweet tannings to mix with lingering blackberry fruit and a bitter tinge.
92+ points from Anthony Mueller with The Wine Advocate
The 2019 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, made with 14% Malbec, unfolds with spicy red fruit aromas with a balanced juiciness and firmness. Oak and mineral notes complement the fresh, firm texture, promising aging potential beyond a decade. The wine spent 23 months in a combination of French and Hungarian oak, predominantly new. 4,128 bottles produced.
Tasting notes
Blue and red fruit, minerality, and velvet textured tannins characterize this,our flagship wine, Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. It is chock full of delicious dark berry fruit flavors with a hint of vanilla. A healthy portion of Malbec keeps those dark fruit flavors going through the mid-palate and on to a glorious finish.
Production notes
We use gentle harvesting and winemaking techniques that reduce maceration ofthe skins, stems and seeds, which are home to most of the tannins in wine grapes. All our grapes are hand harvested and no harsh pumping or agitation methods are used here at Hightower Cellars. Instead, gravity does most of the hard work to move grapes and must between containers. Thank goodness for forklifts!
Other notes
Original retail price: $45
As our signature wine, our Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Red Mountain wine – bold and full of the flavors that make this region so special.
Vineyard
Red Mountain AVA 100%
Out of Line Estate Vineyard 57%
In 2005 we finished planting 10 acres of vineyard: 6 acres planted with 5 clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, 2½ acres planted with 4 clones of Merlot, and ½ acres of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot – with all of the plant material certified to be free of diseases and pests. Our vineyard rows are canted eleven degrees off of north-south. This orientation more evenly balances the sun exposure on each side of the vine row, increasing the exposure on the east and decreasing it on the west.
Tinte Vineyard (formerly E&E Shaw Vineyard) 43%
Planted in 1995 by Ed and Eve Shaw, Tinte Vineyard has been part of the Hightower story since 1999. Known for its intense color, concentrated dark fruit, and firm tannin structure, this site adds depth and character to our wines. Like every parcel on Red Mountain, it brings its own nuances, shaped by the Worden Silt Loam soils that force the vines to struggle and ultimately focus their energy into the fruit. We are grateful to the Shaws—not only for their vineyard, but also for Eve’s creative touch as the artist behind the original Murray label.
A standout library wine, released in limited quantities for this exclusive sale.
Blue and red fruit, minerality, and velvet textured tannins characterize this,our flagship wine, Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. It is chock full of delicious dark berry fruit flavors with a hint of vanilla. A healthy portion of Malbec keeps those dark fruit flavors going through the mid-palate and on to a glorious finish.
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Varietal Composition | Cabernet Sauvignon 86%, Malbec 14% |
| Appellation | Red Mountain AVA |
| Vineyard | Out Of Line Vineyard 57%, E&E Shaw Vineyard 43% |
| Harvest Date | 10/22/2019 |
| Aging | 23 months |
| Residual Sugar | <0.1g/L |
| Alcohol | 14.40% |
| Wine Style | French and Hungarian Oak - 76% New Oak, 24% Neutra |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 344 |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
| State of Origin | Washington |
93 points-GOLD from Seattle Wine Awards
92 points from Eric Guido with Vinous
Dark and intense, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a compelling blend of crushed ashen stones, rose petals and red currant. This is round and supple, with plummy red fruits and sweet spices that swirl throughout. Saline mineral tones slowly saturate. The 2019 taprs off long and potent, leaving sweet tannings to mix with lingering blackberry fruit and a bitter tinge.
92+ points from Anthony Mueller with The Wine Advocate
The 2019 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, made with 14% Malbec, unfolds with spicy red fruit aromas with a balanced juiciness and firmness. Oak and mineral notes complement the fresh, firm texture, promising aging potential beyond a decade. The wine spent 23 months in a combination of French and Hungarian oak, predominantly new. 4,128 bottles produced.
Red Mountain AVA 100%
Out of Line Estate Vineyard 57%
In 2005 we finished planting 10 acres of vineyard: 6 acres planted with 5 clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, 2½ acres planted with 4 clones of Merlot, and ½ acres of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot – with all of the plant material certified to be free of diseases and pests. Our vineyard rows are canted eleven degrees off of north-south. This orientation more evenly balances the sun exposure on each side of the vine row, increasing the exposure on the east and decreasing it on the west.
Tinte Vineyard (formerly E&E Shaw Vineyard) 43%
Planted in 1995 by Ed and Eve Shaw, Tinte Vineyard has been part of the Hightower story since 1999. Known for its intense color, concentrated dark fruit, and firm tannin structure, this site adds depth and character to our wines. Like every parcel on Red Mountain, it brings its own nuances, shaped by the Worden Silt Loam soils that force the vines to struggle and ultimately focus their energy into the fruit. We are grateful to the Shaws—not only for their vineyard, but also for Eve’s creative touch as the artist behind the original Murray label.
Tim & Kelly Hightower
Tim and Kelly Hightower founded Hightower Cellars in 1997 in Woodinville, Washington with a simple philosophy: "Get the best grapes and don't screw them up." With their grape supply primarily coming from Red Mountain, the husband and wife co-winemaking team set out to make high quality wine, beginning with their first vintage: 221 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Today Tim and Kelly aim to make wine that lets the powerful, concentrated fruit from Red Mountain speak for itself, producing wine with great character, that’s naturally beautiful and free from pretense. The result is a collection of well-balanced, nuanced wines that reveal something new and interesting each time you open a bottle. We like to think they’re wines with character through and through – in how they were made, how they taste, and in the connections they inspire.
