($45): Marty Clubb makes two wines, Apogee and Perigee, meant to mirror each other as expressions of two of the best known vineyards in Walla Walla, Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills. The latter tends toward a feminine, floral brightness underlined by an earth core; the former is usually has much deeper structure and a darker fruit profile. So too with this 2003, an intense, superbly built wine, a morass of black fruit at the outset (the 2003 Apogee is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and the balance Malbec and Cab Franc) with its aromas of black coffee and dark red cherry fruit giving way to a warm spice. On the palate it’s graceful and concentrated, upheld by a fine vein of minerals and a tightly woven finish. This will reward cellar time, and I’d recommend at least six years before serving it with steak. 93 Michael Apstein Aug 29, 2006