Palate
This Austral or Southern Rhône-style blend of Marsanne and Roussanne, delivers richness and structure showing stone fruit and ripe melon flavors, co-fermented in stainless steel to lend a bright, pretty high tone fruit note. A touch of Viognier provides layers of peach and minerality and was fermented in neutral barrels and aged for 4 months, adding a creamy texture to the palate.
Growing Conditions
The 2016 vintage experienced the best of both worlds with a hot spring and early summer, but also a cool fall season.
Cooler temperatures in August and September, slowed down ripening and resulted in longer hang time for the grapes and the longest harvest on record in Washington State (August 15- November 15).
Overall, 2016 saw very favorable growing conditions, producing wines with ripeness and elegance.
Columbia Valley vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and receive just 6-8 inches of rainfall annually.
Warm, sunny days and cool evening temperatures create ideal conditions for intense aroma and flavor development in the ripening grapes.
Sandy soils with low fertility and low water-holding capacity enable precise control of vine growth.
A northerly latitude gives the Columbia Valley roughly two more hours of sunlight daily during the peak-growing season than California, increasing the region’s ability to ripen fruit.
Winemaking
Ripe grapes were destemmed and inoculated with various strains of yeast to maximize complexity.
The fruit was aged in stainless steel to highlight the bright fruit flavors. The balance of the fruit was fermented in neutral barrels and aged sur lie for 4 months.
