Nose
Crafted in a classic Bordeaux style and sourced from
low yielding vineyards within the best sub-appellations of
the Columbia Valley, this Cabernet Sauvignon delivers an
enticing bouquet of graphite, blueberries and caramel.
Palate
The
elegant seductive fleshy mid-palate leads to an expressive,
lingering finish.
Growing Conditions
2012 was a return to the “classic” Washington vintage
and a much welcomed change from the cooler 2010 and
2011 vintages. Accelerated ripening due to the warm summer season was
slowed by cooler temperatures in early fall. Overall the 2012
harvest was outstanding; the red wines are flavorful and
rich with ripe tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for the Reserve program
were harvested from the top 10% of the vintage’s best
vineyard sites.
Source Vineyards: Beverly, Shaw, Stone Tree. Vineyard sites are located on the Wahluke Slope (for
aromatics and complexity); the Cold Creek area (for flavor
and fruitiness), and on Red Mountain (which contributes
focus and structure).
Winemaking
Hand-picked grapes were de-stemmed and placed in stainless
steel tanks un-crushed. Cold soaking on the skins for two days extracted soft tannins
and intense color.
Aging
Lots were blended and placed in predominately new
French oak barrels to finish primary fermentation, which
was followed by malolactic fermentation. Aging occurred
for 26 months
