Tag Archives: Sound Purveyors

60 Second Wine Review — 2007 Efeste Final-Final

A few quick thoughts on the 2007 Efeste Final-Final red blend from the Columbia Valley.

The Geekery

Efeste was founded in 2005 by Daniel and Helen Ferrelli, Patrick Smith, Kevin and Angela Taylor. The name comes from the phonetic pronunciation of an acronym using the founders’ last names, F-S-T.

In 2007, Brennon Leighton was hired as head winemaker on the recommendation of consulting winemaker Chris Upchurch of DeLille.

Leighton would stay on at Efeste for nearly 5 years before leaving in 2012 to join Charles Smith Wines. That same year he harvested the first fruit for his own label, B. Leighton Wines.

He was succeeded by Peter Devison (who also made the Sound Purveyors Cab we’ve reviewed). Mark Fiore, formerly of Beresan, Balboa Winery and Charles Smith Wines, is now the current winemaker for Efeste.

The 2007 Final-Final is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Syrah and 2% Mourvedre. Around 3000 cases were made.

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity nose. Still a noticeable core of dark fruit–blackberry and currant–for a 10+ year old wine but the bouquet is dominated by spicy and savory tertiary notes.

Photo by UserWiki. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-SA-4.0

The savory, spicy character of this wine reminds me of a delicious lamb curry dish.

On the palate those tertiary notes still hold court with a lot of Indian spices like Garam Masala and meatiness that is amplified by the mouthwatering medium-plus acidity. The medium-plus tannins are still present but very velvety and soft as they hold up the medium-plus body fruit. Long finish ends on the savory notes.

The Verdict

While I’ve certainly enjoyed more recent releases of Efeste’s Final-Final, I honestly can’t remember the last time I was this blown away by the wine. It could be a combination of the wine aging well, the inclusion of Mourvedre (which hasn’t been used in recent vintages) or the differences in winemaking style from changing winemakers.

This wine is an absolute steal for folks who bought it on release at $23-27 and still have bottles. Even as a library wine, it’s still a compelling value for $40-45.

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60 Second Wine Reviews — Sound Purveyors Cabernet Sauvignon

A few quick thoughts on the 2016 Sound Purveyors Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley.

The Geekery

Sound Purveyors is a collaboration project between winemakers Morgan Lee of Two Vintners and Peter Devison, formerly of Efeste and now with Cadaretta in Walla Walla.

Lee began his winemaking career as an intern for Columbia Crest before moving to Woodinville in 2007 to take the assistant winemaking position at Covington Cellars. He eventually took over full winemaking duties and partnered with David and Cindy Lawson of Covington to start Two Vintners in 2010. (Check out our review of their 2014 Zinfandel here)

In 2016, Lee was named a “Winemaker to Watch” by Seattle Magazine as part of their 11th Annual Washington Wine Awards.

Devison is a Canadian winemaker who studied viticulture in New Zealand. He worked harvests both there and in Australia before moving to Washington in 2005. His first job in the state was at Tsillan Cellars in Lake Chelan. In 2007, he moved to Precept Brands to oversee the winemaking of Alder Ridge and Apex Cellars.

In 2012, he succeeded Brennon Leighton as head winemaker of Efeste where he stayed until leaving in 2017 to join the Middleton family’s Cadaretta winery and to oversee the production of their second label, Inconceivable.

The majority of the fruit for the 2016 Sound Purveyor Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Red Mountain.

The Wine

Photo by FotoosVanRobin from Netherlands. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-SA-2.0

The French oak spice in this wine compliments the big fruit.

Medium intensity nose. Rich black currants and plums with noticeable oak spice.

On the palate, those dark fruits come through but balanced by medium-plus acidity. The ripe, high tannins hold up the full-bodied fruit and are softened by the creamy vanilla from the oak. Moderate length finish ends on the dark fruit and oak spice.

The Verdict

I enjoyed this young full-bodied and rich Cabernet Sauvignon. It will certainly be giving pleasure for several years.

Crafted by two of the best winemakers in Washington, it’s a very delicious and well-made bottle in the $25-30 range.

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