Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

75cl * 14.5% ABV * ColumbiaValley, Washington, USA

A Hollywood actor making wine seems a bit clich these days. However, Kyle MacLachlan, most known for his role as Agent Cooper on Twin Peaks, is truly a small-town boy at heart having been raised in the rural landscape of Yakima, Washington. During the peak of his acting career, MacLachlan found himself homesick for the dramatic beauty of the Pacific Northwest and its farmsteads, antique stores, and winery tasting rooms. In 2005, after a fateful visit to Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla with his father, Kyle embarked on a collaboration with winemaker Eric Dunham to produce a very fine wine – Pursued by Bear.

Exit, pursued by a bear is anunexplained and most absurd stage direction from Shakespeares The Winters Tale. It felt a fitting name for paying homage tonot only the careful study, focus and intense dedication of required of an actor, but also to winemaking. Pursued by Bear’s really very good flagship Cabernet Sauvignonis a seriously structured wine. The 2020 vintage comes from six unique top vineyard sites in the Columbia Valley andis aged for 22 months in entirely new Taransaud French oak barrels.

Adeep, darkly coloured wine offering generous notes of wild blackberry, cocoa powder, and warm vanilla spice. Atouch (5%) of Merlot adds a hint of sweet cherry. Undertones of black plums and ripe, dark cherries build layered complexity on the palate with the wines fine-grained tannins and balanced acidity creating a generous and richly textured mouthfeel that gives way to a long, expressive finish. From a vintage that will be remembered for producing beautiful wines displaying outstanding aromatics, concentrated flavours and fresh vibrancy, this classic Washington Cab shows an ideal mix of lush, pure New World fruit and Old World structure.

Pair with braised beef short ribs, grilled rib-eye steak roasted vegetable tarts, or aged Gouda cheese.

Wine Geek Fact: Kyle MacLachlan’s serious interest in wine was sparked when director David Lynch gifted him a bottle of Chteau Lynch-Bages for landing the part of Paul Atreides in Dune.