2005 Columbia Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Background
Cabernet Sauvignon grows brilliantly in Washington. The heady, fruity character of this complex grape develops slowly, and ages beautifully.
Harvest & Winemaking
The 2005 growing season was an excellent red wine year. A warm and dry autumn reduced overall yield, leading to concentrated fruit with fine grain tannins and ripe fruit flavors.
We chose select vineyards, each bringing their own unique characteristics to create complexity and depth. Fruit from Alder Ridge Vineyard was chosen for tannic structure, while Smith Vineyard and Destiny Ridge Vineyard brought a combination of bright and luscious fruitiness to the wine.
The overall soil character of these vineyards is very shallow sandy loam that drains quickly, producing excellent concentrated fruit. Fruit was left to hang on the vine until harvesting in mid-October, to avoid green tannins.
For the Columbia Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the fruit is handled very delicately during the picking and winemaking processes to preserve as many whole berries as possible.
After pressing, the wine underwent fermentation in stainless steel tank, where the juice was pumped twice a day to maintain constant contact with the skins for maximum color and flavor extraction.
After fermentation, the wine was transferred to a blend of 70% French and 30% American oak barrels for about 18 months. We prefer to use primarily French oak on Cabernet because its more subtle flavors meld well with Cabernet’s sometimes aggressive tannins.
Wine Description
Our Columbia Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is ruby red in color, displaying ripe red strawberry and sweet oak toast on the nose. Complex flavors of hibiscus, cranberry, leather and olive are balanced by rounded oak, lengthy tannins, and a long savory finish. Enjoy now or cellar for up to seven years.
Food Pairing Suggestions
Try pairing our Cabernet Sauvignon with barbecued steak, spice-crusted rack of lamb, creamy pasta dishes, sharp cheeses, chocolate and other rich foods.
$18.00 Per Bottle
| Winemaker: | Kerry Norton |
| Appellation: | Columbia Valley |
| Varietal: | 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 5% Bordeaux Varieties (Petite Verdot and Malbec) |
| Alcohol: | 13.78% |
| T.A.: | .57 g/100ml |
| pH: | 3.64 |
| Residual Sugar: | |
| Vineyard Source: | Smith, Alder Ridge, Destiny Ridge |
| Harvest Date: | October 2005 |
| Bottling Date: | September 2007 |
| Release Date: | January 2009 |
| Cases Produced: | 5,175 |
