Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Washington Red Wine

So the number to square with first is the score, which at 4 out of five sits low among the wines we track. That reading rests on a thin sample, since the number of shopper ratings so far is 1, so treat it as an early signal rather than a settled verdict.

Chateau Ste. Michelle says it was established in 1967 as Washington's first premium winery, built in Woodinville, and its own site adds that the Wyckoff family bought the winery in 2025, returning it to local ownership after 50 years. Both facts describe the winery, not this particular bottle. In our September 2026 checks the lowest observed price was $14.99 and the highest was $22.99.

Washington on a label names a state origin rather than one growing area, and official guides count 21 recognized growing areas within it, a few shared with Oregon. Most of its vineyards lie east of the Cascade Range, which shields them from much of the Pacific rain and leaves warm days, cool nights and a winter frost risk.

On the grape itself, Cabernet Sauvignon is a widely grown red that tends toward firm structure and shows up often in blends. Wine authorities list black currant, cherry and plum among its common fruit references, with firm tannin and a possible oak spice, and they note that ripeness, climate and cellar choices can send it anywhere between lean and herbal and broad and fruit-forward.

Chateau Ste. Michelle's own technical page for this bottling lists a blend of 82 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with 6 percent Syrah, 5 percent Malbec and 7 percent other red varieties, at 13.5 percent alcohol. The winemaking notes state 24 months in oak, split between new and neutral barrels plus a stainless-steel portion, 20 percent new oak, 46 percent neutral oak and 34 percent stainless, in the winery's own figures. The producer's tasting note describes the wine as “rich with red fruit flavor,” with “complexity and structure,” and “concentrated Washington red fruit in an accessible style,” the producer's words.

Our call: worth a try if you want documented detail behind an everyday Cabernet; Chateau Ste. Michelle publishes the exact blend, the oak program, and the acid and alcohol numbers for this bottling, real detail beyond what the shelf label states. Pass if you are leaning on the shopper score; the rating on our record so far reflects a single shopper, not a settled read, and it sits low among the wines we track.

The Grocery Store Wine Desk · written Sep 16, 2026 from our research file for this wine. Numbers reflect our latest checks.