The 2022 vintage has now found its way into your glasses, offering another compelling expression of our Riverbend Vineyard fruit from the warm, southern-facing soils of the Wahluke Slope. These wines reflect the generous ripeness and layered fruit that this site is known for, with structure, balance, and richness that reward both early enjoyment and thoughtful cellaring. This page is actively maintained with the vintage’s rating and awards, check back regularly for updates.
2022 Vintage Report
Vintage after vintage, we strive to craft the best wines possible. Mother Nature is our leading lady and she took her time with the 2022 growing season.
With a cooler spring and summer, harvest was a few weeks delayed across Washington State. We did accumulate enough heat in September and October to get harvest parameters just right.
A delayed harvest had us on the crush pad in our snow suits (literally). It also meant we had fruit demanding extra love and attention, resulting in Jaime and Megan “hand massaging” every fermenter of grapes. Most years, we can usually do “pump overs” or “punch downs” with our equipment. In an effort to be as gentle as possible, we avoided using anything other than our hands.
This is just one illustration of the level of detail we pursue to give you, our members and supports, the very best wine experience possible. These wines, and every wine we share, have a little piece of our soul in them.
2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – 346 cases
Tasting Notes: Deep red, with aromas of sweet berries, dark cherry, floral notes, cocoa, cedar, and dried herbs. Bright, fruit-forward flavors are supported by integrated oak and soft tannins. It carries the energy of a bustling steakhouse, full of laughter, clinking glasses, and every course a reason to linger a little longer.
91 – Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report
Blended with 12% Syrah and 8% Malbec, the aromas offer notes of chocolate nib, co-coa, pencil lead, cedar, and black cherry. Dried herb notes provide accents. The dark fruit flavors are somewhat lighter through the middle and show the elevated acidity of the vintage, adding a light tartness that is lovely though uncommon for the producer.
92 – Wine Enthusiast
92 – Wine Spectator
2022 Syrah – 192 cases
Tasting Notes: Deep red, with abundant aromas of cherry, brambly berries, game, and fresh grass. The palate bursts with dark fruit layered with dried herbs and white pepper, carried by a juicy, supple mouthfeel and a bright mid-palate. Like a late-summer afternoon, warm air, a full table, and the season on the edge of turning, this wine captures the moment when summer’s sweetness meets autumn’s depth.
93 – Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report
This wine was aged mostly in new and neutral puncheons. The aromas are appealing, with notes of fresh flower, dark brambly berry, and plum. The palate brings a mouthful of rich, voluptuous, pitch black fruit flavors. It’s a glorious, no holds-barred example of the variety.
2022 Malbec – 168 cases
Tasting Notes: Inky and inviting, with aromas of blackberry preserves, dark cherry, red petals, and raw lumber. The palate offers velvety blackberry compote, pencil wood, and dried spice, wrapped in a plush, enveloping texture. It evokes the feeling of sinking into a worn leather armchair, music low, and the night stretching ahead with nothing but warmth and ease.
93 , Critic’s Choice – Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report
Boom! The aromas explode from the glass, with notes of plum, just peeled tangerine rind, and fresh flower, showing Malbec’s fingerprint in Washington. The palate delivers on all of that promise, with high thread count blue and darker fruit flavors. A warm finish caps it off. Yum.
2022 Tribute – Red Wine – 478 cases
Tasting Notes: Deep, dark red, with aromas of Herbes de Provence, cured meats, and white pepper. Fresh berries and subtle herbal notes flow across the palate, framed by a taut, age-worthy structure and rich texture. It drinks like an easy conversation with a long-time friend, warm, familiar, and full of welcome.
91, Critic’s Choice – Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report
This is principally Syrah (30%), Merlot (28%), Malbec (20%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (12%), along with bits of Cabernet Franc and Carménère. The aromas offer notes of raspberry, black cherry, plum, and herb – an appealing medley of fruit. Graphite notes provide accents. The palate is rich, ripe, and luscious, full of fruit flavors that show texture and depth. It’s hedonism at its best, a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
91 – Wine Enthusiast
2022 Carménère – 45 cases
Tasting Notes: Rich and layered, with aromas of wild herbs, fresh earth, spice, and distant wood smoke. Dark berries and leafy notes unfold on the palate in a calm yet vibrant balance. Like walking a quiet, ancient hillside where the air is cool, the soil alive, and every step invites discovery, it offers depth and quiet intrigue.
No Ratings
Buy Wine2022 Merlot – 218 cases
Tasting Notes: Dark cherry red, with aromas of cedar, chocolate mint, and ripe plums. A rush of juicy plums, berries, and cherry fills the palate, with subtle oak lending texture you can feel more than taste. Like golden hour in early fall, when the air smells of fallen leaves and the day’s warmth fades into evening comfort, this wine feels effortlessly inviting.
92, Critic’s Choice – Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report
Blended with 13% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Malbec, the aromas show notes of cocoa, barrel spice, cinnamon stick, and cherry. The palate brings the lush and appealing mouthfeel that quality Washington Merlot delivers. It’s straight up tasty.
90 – Wine Enthusiast
2022 Cabernet Franc- 246 cases
Tasting Notes: Dark red with aromas of dark fruit, peppery spice, espresso, toasted nuts, and warm spice. The palate is smooth and rich, with a lingering finish. Like a dimly lit European café on a crisp evening with candlelight flickering, the air smells of coffee and wood, and the night feels unhurried.
92, Critic’s Choice – Sean Sullivan, Northwest Wine Report
Fielding Hills consistently excels with Cabernet Franc. We see that here. This wine is blended with 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah, and 1% Malbec. The aromas offer notes of espresso, green pepper, dark chocolate, herb, and cherry. Ripe, lush dark fruit flavors follow, with plentiful barrel accents. A warm, coffee-filled finish caps it off. It’s delicious, classic Fielding Hills.
93, Editors’ Choice – Wine Enthusiast