2005 Andrew Will Two Blondes

This is about 35% cab sauv, 35 cab franc, and 30 merlot. extremely complex, evocative nose with about 10 components from violet to wood bark to blackberry, raspberry, cranberry, licorice and oak/vanilla. There's some other wild berry aroma--blueberry maybe? or pomegranate? and flavor I'm not sure of too. Some herbal notes with airing. There's some alcohol on the nose that is well balanced with the fruit and acid. The tannin is way in the background; there is some but it's about as sweet and silky as tannin can be I'd say. The alcohol is noticeable on the finish and perhaps a bit much but it does help to carry the long finish. This just misses on the depth and length I'd like in a 95 point wine but I'm guessing it'll drink nicely for another 4-5 years and will develop a bigger bouquet still. Medium body and medium color, pretty opaque but a bit of translucence and a bit of red on the rim even though it's just 5 years old. I guess this is an index of the relatively low tannin and does mean the wine is not a real long ager. I'd say the nature of the nose marks this a US rather than French bordeaux blend--it's bigger, and there's little currant or tobacco as far as I can tell, telltale markers of the French versions. Plus actually I'm not sure how many Bordeaux actually use a nearly balanced blend of the big 3 grapes, since Pomerol emphasizes merlot and St Emilion emphasizes cab franc. I'm giving it 93 points

Tanzer gives it just 89:

2005 Andrew Will Winery Two Blondes Vineyard Red Wine Red Mountain

($60; 36% cabernet franc, 35% cabernet sauvignon and 29% merlot) Bright ruby-red. Notes of smoke, game and dried herbs on the nose. Lush, smoky and dry, with a distinctly balsamic quality to the flavors of tart red berries, game, earth, spices and truffle. Like the Sheridan bottling, this shows firm acidity, which gives it good cut and a juicy quality. From a vineyard near Zillah planted at an altitude of 1,250 feet. The highest in pH of these 2005s, at about 3.9, according to Chris Camarda.

Parker's Jay Miller says 92:

The 2005 Two Blondes, located a stone’s throw from the Sheridan Vineyard, is a blend of 36% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 29% Merlot. Its personality is remarkably similar to its sister vineyard with expressive red and black fruit aromas, spice box, and smooth-textured, sweet fruit. It is a lengthy, elegant effort for drinking from 2012 to 2025.

Andrew Will, located on pastoral Vashon Island, was founded in 1989 by former sommelier Chris Camarda. His focus is on blended, Bordeaux-style wines from some of Washington’s finest vineyards. The wines are made identically, the differences among them reflective of that vineyard’s terroir.