There are two Bordeaux-styled wines beginning with the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon “Alder Ridge Vineyard.” In addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon, it consists of 16% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot aged in a mix of European and American oak, 45% new. Purple-colored, it has an expressive nose of vanilla, spice box, cedar, tobacco, cassis, and black currants. This is followed by a structured wine with ripe flavors and excellent balance. The tannins are well concealed and should support several years of further evolution. Drink this stylish Cabernet through 2022. I tasted some impressive 2006 barrel samples at Bergevin Lane. Particularly noteworthy is a Petit Verdot from the Stone Tree Vineyard in the excellent Wahluke Slope AVA. It has (95-98 point) potential were it to be bottled separately and not blended into a Bordeaux-styled wine. During my tasting trip I tasted several other equally meritorious Petit Verdots at different venues.Bergevin Lane, located in Walla Walla, is owned and operated by Annette Bergevin and Amber Lane. Based on what is in the bottle and in the barrel, these young women are off to a flying start.Tel. (509) 526-4300; www.bergevinlane.com

Tight and tannic, this is a Bordeaux blend which leans to the herbal side of the line. It’s got interesting aromas, a mix of leaf, soil and herb, and there is a solid red currant base to it. I suspect this will open up and smooth out in a few more years; right now it’s a bit chewy.——P.G.(11/1/2007)—— 89