Palate
Long time club members may remember Tempestade as a dark, brooding wine.
Not for this vintage; the 2014 has had a makeover! Old vine Portuguese varieties Touriga (43%), Souzao (32%), Tinta Cao (15%), and Tinta Madiera (10%) from Cold Creek vineyard were fermented together as a field blend, then aged in concrete to preserve the explosive fruit and rich minerality. Viva o Vinho!
Growing Conditions
2014 in Eastern Washington was one of the warmest seasons in decades.
The ripening period in September cooled to more typical weather for the region. In October temperatures rose again to one of the warmest October months on record.
Overall 2014 was an ideal growing season; ripening was excellent for all varieties in all locations.
Planted in 1973, the south-facing Cold Creek Vineyard is a warm, dry site with high heat accumulation.
The low yielding old vines produce small clusters and small berries, resulting in intense varietal flavors and deep color.
The site’s weak, loamy sand and gravel soils with low-water holding capacity produce moderate crops and concentrated grapes.
Cold Creek Vineyard is LIVE and Salmon Safe certified.
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 18 months in concrete tanks.
