Nose
This wine leads with aromas of sweet ripe blackberry and
black cherries with a layer of red licorice.
Palate
Powered
by fruit flavors with an elegant palate and finish.
Growing Conditions
The 2015 vintage was one of the warmest growing seasons
on record in Washington. Warm temperatures continued through the spring and
summer, moderating slightly into fall and extending an
early harvest. Overall, 2015 saw very favorable growing conditions,
producing optimal ripening across varieties and yielding
outstanding wines throughout the region.
Source vineyard: Sportfisher is a small vineyard nestled in the heart of the
Cold Creek district. This low-yielding vineyard is planted
with a Vertical Shoot Position (VSP) trellis system on rocky,
silt loam soil to provide optimal drainage and support
healthy growth.The balance between warm daytime temperatures
and cooler evenings concentrated aromatics and
enhanced complexity. The region’s low rainfall yields concentrated fruit with
depth and varietal expression.
Winemaking
Hand-picked grapes were destemmed, sorted and placed
into stainless steel tanks. A twice-daily pumpover regime
was used to extract color and flavors. The grapes were cold soaked for two days prior to
fermentation to help extract color and flavor from the grape
skins without extracting too much tannin.
Aging
Lots were kept separate and placed into 50% new French
oak barrels. Aging occurred for 19 months, with blending
happening just prior to bottling.
