Long Shadows Pirouette Red Blend

Long Shadows Pirouette Red Blend is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux-style blend from Columbia Valley, Washington, bottled at 15.1% ABV in a 750ml format. The 2017 vintage earned 96 points from Jeb Dunnuck, and the 2018 followed with 95+ points from the same critic — placing Pirouette among the most acclaimed red blends produced in Washington State.

Quick Facts: ABV: 15.1%  |  Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington  |  Bordeaux-Style Red Blend  |  Producer: Long Shadows Vintners

Production & Heritage

Long Shadows Vintners was founded by Allen Shoup, the former CEO of Stimson Lane (parent company of Chateau Ste. Michelle), with the concept of pairing world-renowned winemakers with premium Washington State fruit. Pirouette involves Agustin Huneeus, the visionary behind Napa Valley's Quintessa, lending a distinctly refined Bordeaux-blend sensibility to Columbia Valley grapes. The blend shifts slightly each vintage but centers on Cabernet Sauvignon (typically 55–58%) with Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and occasionally Cabernet Franc. What truly distinguishes Pirouette is its fermentation technique: the Red Mountain-sourced Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented in 400-liter French oak barrels that are gently rolled throughout fermentation rather than relying on traditional punch-down or pump-over methods, extracting color and tannin with unusual delicacy. The finished wine ages 22 months in French oak, approximately 80% new, before bottling.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The bouquet opens with ripe cassis and dark plum, layered with violets and grilled herbs. As the wine breathes, deeper notes of graphite, incense, freshly brewed coffee, and charcoal-grilled meat emerge.

Taste: The entry is rich and full-bodied, delivering concentrated black currant and blueberry fruit. At mid-palate, dark chocolate, nutmeg, and cinnamon weave through a silken texture, supported by gentle acidity and velvety tannins. The overall impression is generous but balanced, with the oak integration seamless rather than dominant.

Finish: Long and lingering, with cedar, black tea, and a persistent dark-chocolate undertone. The tannins resolve gracefully, leaving a polished, almost powdery sensation that invites the next sip.

How to Drink Pirouette

Pirouette drinks best at cellar temperature (60–65°F) with at least 30 minutes of decanting to open the layered aromatics; younger vintages benefit from an hour or more. This is primarily a wine for the table rather than the cocktail bar, but it pairs exceptionally with food-forward occasions. Serve it alongside a grilled ribeye where its cassis and charcoal notes mirror the char. It holds up beautifully with braised short ribs in red wine reduction, where the wine's tannin structure cuts through the richness. A charcuterie board anchored by aged Manchego and dark chocolate gives the wine room to show its spice and fruit range.

Best For

• Gifting a serious Washington State wine collector
• Anniversary or milestone dinners featuring prime cuts of beef
• Cellaring for 8–15 years to explore long-term development
• Side-by-side tastings comparing top Bordeaux-style blends from the Pacific Northwest

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Pirouette taste like? Pirouette is a full-bodied, Cabernet-led blend dominated by ripe black plum, cassis, and dark chocolate, with secondary layers of cinnamon, cedar, and black tea carried on velvety tannins.

How does Pirouette compare to Quintessa? Both wines share the influence of Agustin Huneeus, but Quintessa draws from a single Rutherford estate in Napa Valley while Pirouette sources fruit from multiple Columbia Valley vineyards including Red Mountain, resulting in a bolder, higher-alcohol profile with more pronounced dark-fruit intensity compared to Quintessa's earthy, mid-weight elegance.

Is Pirouette good for cellaring? Yes — its high proportion of new French oak, firm tannin structure, and concentrated fruit suggest a drinking window that extends well beyond a decade, and the Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selection designation for the 2019 vintage supports its aging potential.

Where is Pirouette made? Pirouette is produced by Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington, using grapes sourced from premier vineyards across the Columbia Valley AVA, including fruit from the highly regarded Red Mountain sub-appellation.

What foods pair well with Pirouette? Grilled ribeye or filet mignon complements the wine's charcoal and cassis character. Braised lamb shanks with rosemary echo its herbal aromatics. Aged hard cheeses like Manchego or Parmigiano-Reggiano match its tannin weight. Dark chocolate desserts mirror the wine's cocoa undertones. Mushroom risotto provides an earthy counterpoint to the concentrated fruit.

What sizes does Pirouette come in? Pirouette is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Pirouette worth the price? Pirouette positions as a premium Washington State red blend, competing in the same tier as top Napa Valley Bordeaux-style wines but often at a lower price point for comparable critical acclaim — the 96-point Jeb Dunnuck score on the 2017 vintage represents strong value relative to similarly rated California bottlings.

Why Pirouette?

The barrel-rolling fermentation technique used on the Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon sets Pirouette apart from virtually every other Bordeaux-style blend in Washington, extracting tannin and color with a gentleness that shows in the wine's polished, almost seamless texture. Consistent high scores — 96 points from Jeb Dunnuck for the 2017, 95+ for the 2018, and a Wine Enthusiast Cellar Selection for the 2019 — confirm that this quality carries across vintages, not just isolated releases. The collaboration between Allen Shoup's deep knowledge of Washington terroir and Agustin Huneeus's Bordeaux-blend pedigree from Quintessa gives Pirouette a dual identity: unmistakably Washington in its ripe generosity, yet structured with Old World discipline. For collectors and serious drinkers tracking the rise of Columbia Valley as a world-class red wine region, Pirouette remains one of the benchmarks.