2021 Auclair Winery 96 Cedars Red, Columbia Valley, USA 🇺🇸

The Moment

Some Bordeaux-style blends are built around ceremony.
Others are built around exactly the right night to open them.

The 2021 Auclair Winery 96 Cedars Red feels like the kind of bottle made for the second lane — a serious red, but one meant to be enjoyed without waiting for the perfect excuse. A classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, with a touch of Malbec added beginning in 2018 for added spice and complexity. This is the bottle made for earlier enjoyment, calling it their “Tuesday night” wine because everyone needs a good midweek bottle.

That framing tells you a lot about where this wine lives stylistically. The 2021 vintage note on Auclair’s site says the year brought warm weather and record heat, resulting in wines with distinct profiles and concentrated fruit and flavors. At the same time, the 96 Cedars concept is clearly about approachability rather than stern structure, which means a red that still brings Bordeaux blend depth but in a more open, immediately enjoyable shape.

What It Feels Like

Think burgers on a real plate, a roast chicken that turned into a better dinner than expected, and a bottle that feels polished without ever feeling precious.

What makes this wine appealing is the blend itself. Cabernet Sauvignon gives it backbone, Merlot softens the middle, Cabernet Franc adds lift, Petit Verdot adds depth, and the small Malbec addition is there specifically for extra spice and complexity. This is the Bordeaux-style red they make for earlier drinking, which usually means a wine built to feel complete now rather than demanding patience.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Expected to show dark fruit, subtle spice, and classic Bordeaux-blend character, with added lift and complexity from Cabernet Franc and a touch of Malbec. 

Palate
Medium- to full-bodied, with concentrated fruit from the warm 2021 vintage and a smoother, earlier-drinking frame than Auclair’s more age-worthy bottlings. 

Texture
Approachable and balanced, with enough Bordeaux structure to feel serious but a shape designed for earlier enjoyment. 

Finish
Smooth, lightly spiced, and food-friendly, with fruit and structure carrying through the close. 

Why We Love This Bottle

A Bordeaux Blend Made To Be Opened
The most useful thing about this wine is that Auclair explicitly positions it for earlier enjoyment. That makes it feel less formal than many Bordeaux-inspired Washington reds, while still keeping the blend’s depth and character.

Classic Blend, Smarter Shape
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and a touch of Malbec is a very compelling mix, especially when the point is drinkability with a little extra spice and complexity.

A Strong Midweek-To-Weekend Red
The winery’s own “Tuesday night” framing is honestly the best endorsement here. It is a bottle built to overperform in real life, not just in theory.

Pair It With

• Burgers
• Roast chicken
• Braised short ribs
• Mushroom dishes
• Aged cheddar

Technical Notes

Producer: Auclair Winery
Wine: 96 Cedars Red
Vintage: 2021
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington, USA
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, plus a touch of Malbec.

Winery Style Notes:
Auclair describes 96 Cedars as its earlier-drinking Bordeaux blend and its “Tuesday night” wine. The winery’s 2021 vintage note describes the year as warm with record heat and says the results were wines with concentrated fruit and flavors.

Body: Medium-Full
Structure: Concentrated fruit · approachable frame · Bordeaux-blend depth · subtle spice

Flavor Profile
Dark Fruit · Spice · Bordeaux Blend Character

Drink Window
Now–2029