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Jackalope Wine Cellars 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
The Craigslist Winemaker
There’s a way you’re supposed to become a winemaker. You’re expected to apprentice in France or Italy, get a graduate degree in oenology, and find a millionaire investor.
Or, if you’re Corey Schuster, you answer an ad on Craigslist for a winery assistant to work on the harvest crew and pour wine in the tasting room.
It’s not as if Corey had nothing better to do. After all, he was making a good living as a civil engineer. But looking for a change, he promised himself that he’d try any job for one day.
When he answered that Craigslist ad, the winery manager asked him what he knew about wine. Corey’s answer: “Not much. But I like drinking it!” His honesty won him the job that day. And his hard work ensured he kept it.
Starting at the Southeast Wine Collective in Portland, Corey’s now moved to another shared facility in SE Portland. Known for his experimental style, he’s winning fans in Oregon — and more than a few around the world.
The winemaker from Craigslist has found his place. Says Corey, “The wine industry is about community, and a love of the work, something I’d not experienced before.”
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Jackalope Wine Cellars, Portland, Oregon
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most popular red wine grape, originating in Bordeaux, France and beloved for its high concentration and age worthiness.
In the hands of a California winemaker, Cabernet Sauvignon can be loaded with power and oak. In eastern Washington, you’ll often find Cabernet Sauvignon produced as a jammy fruit bomb.
Well, in the capable hands of Corey Schuster, you’ll find a lighter, beautifully-nuanced wine. Some folks have told Corey that his Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like a Cabernet made by a Pinot Not winemaker. He thinks that’s a compliment -- and I agree!
This 2020 wine makes the wine grapes the star, not the barrel or the winemaker. This wine opens with the bold flavors of blackberry pie – cooked fruit and a little yeastiness – alongside the minerality of crushed gravel and a few bright, tart hints of ripe cherry. And if you close your eyes for a moment, you’ll pick up the spice and vegetal notes of a green pepper as it fades away.
A Cellar 503 selection in July 2022, Summer Party Wines Columbia Valley | Cabernet Sauvignon
