N x NW Cabernet Sauvignon (75cl, 14.5%)

N x NW Cabernet Sauvignon is a Columbia Valley red wine blending fruit from Oregon and Washington vineyards, produced by King Estate. It is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot, with cold soaking, punch downs, pump overs and extended maceration, followed by 18 months in French and American oak barrels, 35% new. The nose shows just-ripe blackberry and cassis, with tobacco leaf, leather, sweet smoke, vanilla and dried leaves. The palate is fleshy and fruit-forward, with plum and cassis, ground coffee, clove, anise, dark chocolate and toasted almond, with well-integrated tannins and balanced acidity. The finish is long, carrying blackberry and coffee, with lingering toasted oak and a whisper of eucalyptus. It shows best at cellar temperature around 60–65°F in a large-bowled glass, with decanting for 30 minutes.