93 points, Editors' Choice Wine Enthusiast: "A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 1% Syrah, this is a side project for actor Kyle MacLachlan, and it's a show stealer. Aromas of dark roasted coffee bean, vanilla, black cherry, cedar and spice lead to sumptuous, textured, layered dark fruit and spice flavors. It's flat-out delicious, putting a premium on hedonism. It roars out of the gates but will only get better with some time in the cellar. What a value."
If forced to pick an all-time favorite musical act, it would have to be The Police. Yet ask me how many bottles of Sting’s Tuscan wine I’ve purchased (or drunk for free, for that matter) and the answer is zero.
The same is true for other celebrity wineries’ juice; to say I’ve approached them skeptically is an understatement. But this little Bear buddy has softened me up.
Pursued by Bear is the actor Kyle MacLachlan’s winery. You may know him best from Portlandia. Or perhaps you were more of a Twin Peaks fan. Either way, it’s important to know that MacLachlan’s roots are in the Northwest–he grew up in Yakima, Washington, and has been a fan of Washington wine since the ‘90s.
After developing a fondness for Dunham wines, MacLachlan enlisted the expertise of Eric Dunham to begin Pursued by Bear in vintage 2005; the winemaking is now shepherded by Dan Wampfler (formerly of Dunham, now the winemaker for Abeja).
Bear Cub is fantastic Cab-based blend: 78% Cab, 21% Merlot, and a splash of Syrah, It’s considered a “playful sibling” of Pursued by Bear’s flagship Cabernet and we concur–it is playfully fun to open and drink now but much like a bear cub, there’s a lot of strength right under the surface. Loads of bright dark berries and plums, a pinch of cocoa, a comforting warm vanilla note. It’s simply great juice.
Pursued by Bear was also listed by the excellent Washington wine reviewer Jeb Dunnuck as one of the dozen exciting Washington wineries people should have on their radar: “Pursued by Bear might have a whimsical name, yet the wines continue to go from strength to strength.”