Palate
Once again Cabernet from Block 99 and 9B of the Indian Wells Vineyard stood out as special wines that required their own stage. We blended them together to create a wine with bright, juicy blackberry and tasted spice flavors and a smooth, weighty palate that is versatile enough to enjoy alone or with a hearty meal.
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 hangtime 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.
100% of the fruit was sourced from the Wahluke Slope, one of the warmest regions in Washington state that creates big and bold wines.
Our most northern growing area, the Wahluke Slope is bordered on both the west and the south by the Columbia River and to the north by the Saddle Mountains.
Winemaking
Ripe grapes were destemmed and sorted with a cutting-edge grape receiving and separation system designed to gently deliver fruit to the fermenters, allowing for pure varietal expression and soft mouthfeel.
Gentle pumpovers were used to extract optimal flavor and color and minimize harsh tannins.
Each individual fermentation tank is tasted daily to evaluate the development of the tannins and structure and find the right moment to drain the wine from the skins.
Aging
Aged for 22 months in 13% new French and 35% new American oak barrels.
