Nose
Rich, ripe fruit and classic high-tone Washington floral notes rise from the
glass generously. While this wine is reminiscent of the exceptional 2007 vintage, with its big
bold character, what’s different here is the dominance of cabernet and how it shapes the wine.
Elements of beetroot and chocolate, as well as darker tones shift the 2009 vintage into familiar
cabernet territory. Yet the syrah keeps it brighter than any cabernet can be. The wine smells
ripe and inviting, and while the oak presence shows its reserve quality, the oak is a
complement, perfectly supporting the compelling fruit and flower perfume.
Palate
A generous attack is
followed by a mid-palate filled with power, fruit and fine grained tannins, all supported by
abundant acidity, which keeps the palate clean and leads to a persistent fruit and flower finish.
This young wine promises a long future.
Growing Conditions
Although the spring of 2009 was cool, a hot September finish brought big
ripe flavors to the vintage. At the same time, the ripe tannins produced were complemented by
generous acids from the long, cool spring. Flowering occurred the week of June 15th, with
veraison finishing during a dry summer that saw highs only in the 90s. No rain fell in the Horse
Heaven Hills from veraison until harvest.
This length of time for fruit to develop on the vine is equivalent to the finest vintages of
Bordeaux cabernet sauvignon.
Harvest
Harvest began October 8th, 110 days after flowering. The cabernet has Brix of 25.0°, a pH of 3.5 and total acidity of
8.2. The syrah, (which was harvested three days earlier than the cabernet), had one more
gram of acid than the cabernet. Color was abundant in the must, seeds were brown and
flavors were deep and ripe in both the varieties, yielding this classically built wine.
Bottling
Bottled unfiltered.
Winemaking
After de-stemming, the uncrushed fruit was gravity-transferred to wooden
Taransaud fermentation tanks. We fermented for 21 days on skins allowing generous extract.
Aging
The free-run cabernet selected for this bottling was aged in half-new and half-used Taransaud
and Bel Air Château barrels for 20 months. By strict selection of the best lots, our final cellar
blend was made from only 50% of the vintage’s best yield.
