Appellation · United States
Red Mountain
Washington’s smallest and hottest AVA — a south-west-facing slope producing the state’s most tannic Cabernet Sauvignon.
Full-bodied, dense Cabernet Sauvignon with black fruit, and among the firmest tannin in American wine. Needs a decade.
About Red Mountain
Red Mountain is a small south-west-facing slope at the eastern end of the Yakima Valley, and it is the hottest AVA in Washington.
Its soils are shallow, alkaline and very poor, and persistent afternoon wind thickens grape skins further. The combination produces exceptionally tannic Cabernet Sauvignon.
Demand for its fruit is high enough that vineyard land here is among the most expensive in the state.
What the name means
- Legal name
- Red Mountain AVA
- Type
- American Viticultural Area (AVA)
- Set by
- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
- Recognised
- 2001
- Regulates
- Origin only. It sets no rules about varieties, yields, ageing or winemaking.
Only where the grapes were grown, plus the percentage that must come from the named area. An AVA sets no varietal, yield, ageing or winemaking rules whatsoever — the single most commonly misunderstood fact about US wine labels.
Grapes
Wines from here
What to eat, and how to serve it
Derived from this region’s signature styles. Each is listed separately, because a region does not have one serving temperature.
Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
Serve at 16–18°C (cool room temperature).
Try with roast chicken, fillet steak or grilled chicken.
Where to go next
Places worth trying if you like this one — neighbours, rivals, and the obvious step across.
- Yakima Valley — Washington’s first AVA and its largest planted area, containing several more specific sub-appellations.
- Walla Walla Valley — Washington’s most celebrated sub-AVA, straddling the Oregon border, with a famous stony sub-district called The Rocks.
Sources
Sources consulted
- American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) — Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), US Department of the Treasury
- Washington State Wine Commission — Washington State Wine Commission