Nose
Cassis and cola.
Palate
Subtle tannins emphasize vibrant
dark fruit evolving into vanilla and coffee
which linger on the long lasting finish. It’s
the perfect marriage of acidity and fruit.
Growing Conditions
The 2014 Growing season started perfectly, with an extended dry blooming period and ideal
temperatures. The year was drier than normal and much warmer than normal from April
through the first few weeks of October. These perfect growing conditions led to what Tedd
Wildman, manager of Stone Tree Vineyard, called shock and awe. “First the winemaker was in
shock because the quantity was between 10 and 20 percent higher than cluster counts predicted,
then everyone was in awe because the quality was very, very good.” Overall, this trend repeated itself through all our vineyards. The two exceptions were Les Collines and Bergevin Springs.
The Cabernet Sauvignon came in on our tonnage target and the quality is spectacular. The Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon came in on target at Bergevin Springs and the
vineyard is giving hints to an earthy character that is quite unique. The Merlot from Bergevin
Springs came in above expected quantity but shows the dark fruit and that earthy character
found elsewhere in the vineyard. The only down side to this vintage was that the workload was
as intense and concentrated as the wines. Our facility was bulging at the seams.
Appellation/Vineyards:
Stone Tree Vineyards (62 % Wahluke Slope); Bergevin
Springs, Francisca’s, & Les Collines Vineyards (34%
Walla Walla) Candy Mountain Vineyard (4% Columbia
Valley)
Bottling
June 29, 2016
Winemaking
Hand Picked grapes are carefully sorted and lightly crushed and gravity
fed into 4 ton fermenters to preserve fruit character. 6 different cultured yeasts, one per lot, are used to create a silky texture and a broad palate of flavors. Fermentation was conducted slowly to prevent harsh tannins.
After a 21 day fermentation, the free run wine was separated and the skins gently pressed.
Aging
18 months in neutral 228 liter French,
American & Eastern European barrels
Appearance
Fire truck Red.
