2022 Dossier Red Blend, Columbia Valley, USA

The Moment

Some red blends are made to disappear into the background.
Others bring just enough presence to make dinner feel a little more put together.

The 2022 Dossier Red Blend is the kind of bottle that lands with dark fruit, floral lift, a little wild sage, and the kind of supple texture that makes it feel polished from the first pour. It has richness, but it doesn’t feel heavy. Structure, but not stiffness.

This is Columbia Valley red blend in a very appealing register: Cabernet-led, plush through the middle, and shaped by enough freshness and spice to keep it lively. The blend includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, with notes of cassis, black cherry, violets, and wild sage.

What It Feels Like

Think a steak on the grill, a skillet of mushrooms, or a dinner that wants something generous but still composed.

What makes this bottle work is the balance between fruit and structure. Review notes describe rich cassis, dark plum, wet slate, cedar, blackberry, anise, thyme, and lavender, with sturdy tannins holding it together. Other recent notes call it soft and supple, with spiced red plum, black cherry, cacao nib, baking spice, and juicy acidity. That gives it a nice tension: plush enough to enjoy now, serious enough to feel like a real bottle of red.

In the Glass

Aromatics
Cassis, black cherry, dark plum, violet, lavender, cedar, and wild sage.

Palate
Ripe blackberry, black cherry, red plum, anise, thyme, and a touch of cacao and baking spice.

Texture
Medium-full to full-bodied with a soft, supple core and sturdy, drying tannins underneath.

Finish
Juicy, savory, and polished, with lingering dark fruit, herbs, and spice.

Why We Love This Bottle

Cabernet-Led, But Not Hard-Edged
This wine has the cassis, structure, and depth you want from a Cabernet-driven blend, but the Merlot and Malbec help round it out.

Plush With Real Definition
There’s fruit here, but also cedar, wet slate, herbs, and spice — enough non-fruit detail to make the wine feel complete.

A Crowd-Pleaser With Backbone
Both approachable and serious, which is exactly why it works so well in the real world: easy enough to open now, structured enough to feel like a dinner bottle.

Pair It With

• Burgers with aged cheddar
• Grilled steak
• Mushroom pasta
• Short ribs
• Aged gouda or cheddar

Those pairings are my recommendation based on the wine’s dark fruit, savory herb notes, oak spice, and firm but polished structure. The wine’s Cabernet-led blend and tannin profile make it especially comfortable with richer, roasted, or grilled foods.

Technical Notes

Producer: Dossier Wine Collective
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington, USA
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Malbec · Cabernet Franc · Petit Verdot

Body: Medium-Full to Full
Structure: Supple texture · sturdy tannins · juicy acidity

Flavor Profile
Cassis · Black Cherry · Dark Plum · Violet · Wild Sage · Cedar · Baking Spice

Drink Window
Now–2032