Palate
Offering captivating blackberry, crushed rock, and mocha tones, this unique wine is striking for its complexity, richness, and structure. On the palate, it presents layers of cedar, violet,
black plum, and spiced boysenberry, and a polished and proportioned texture. The finish is powerful, yet velvety.
Growing Conditions
A late bud-break in mid-April was followed by a warm May with rapid canopy growth. A quick, even bloom set a uniform crop. A cool June contributed to healthy berry growth. July and early August were warm, with occasional heat spikes. Canopies were managed
to avoid sunburn and irrigation was micromanaged. Intense cluster thinning was required to control yields. Veraison tracked 2017 in Walla Walla and was slightly ahead in other regions of the state.
A brief rainfall shifted early September into cooler weather leading to two months of near-perfect weather conditions for final fruit maturity
Harvest
Perfectly dry harvest weather extended hang-time resulting in rich color and vibrant fruit flavors, another great vintage for Washington State.
Winemaking
The handpicked grapes were gently crushed and de-stemmed into small, one-ton stainless steel fermenters. The must was fermented and gently punched down by hand two to three times daily. At the ideal balance of tannin and fruit extraction, the must was gently pressed and transferred to tank to settle. The resulting wine was aged 22 months in 100% small oak barrels with approximately 50% new oak. The wine was racked five times, then bottled unfined and lightly filtered to preserve its natural flavors.
