Palate
Layers of licorice, marshmallow, spiced yeast bread and the reserved elegance of roses
fill the nose and echo on the smooth palate. Youthful in character now, we are confident
this wine will have a long life in your cellar.
Growing Conditions
This vintage is particularly
special as few wines were made in 2004 from Walla Walla grapes due to the winter
freeze. The canes were buried in the mid fall and thus survived the harsh weather.
Harvest
Hand harvested on September 25th, the syrah was ripe and very concentrated yielding
five pounds per plant with classic berry shrivel across our rows. The cabernet sauvignon
was harvested October 4th, yielding five pounds per plant, ripe and not shriveled. The
cuvées are whole foods, and are not adjusted in any way with acid or water. The fruits
had generous total organic acids and a natural pH of over 4.0; we do not change the
natural pH balance of the wine with any acid additions. Changing the pH with acid
additions would ruin its supple texture, its aging and perfume. A natural alcohol of
14.1% was achieved from 27.4°brix hydrometer syrah and 24.8°brix cabernet
sauvignon.
Bottling
Bottled on
February 15, 2006.
Winemaking
Fermented by native yeasts, it was on skins for over two weeks, and only
free run was used. Raised on its lees, like our chardonnays, the wine developed palate
volume and complexity that is superior to the flavors of smoky new barrels.
Aging
The wine
aged fifteen months in mature and only one new French Rhone barrel. We further bottle aged this wine one year before release. The traditional
bottle aging before sale offers you our wine rested, with full perfume and character.
