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The Vintage: The 2007 growing season found growers dealing with a warm – early spring followed by a hot and dry summer. All in all, it was a very good vintage with fruit being harvested fully ripened with excellent flavors and aromas. The harvest numbers for the Cabernet Sauvignon numbers were; Brix 26.0, Acidity 6.0g/liter and pH 3.25. Merlot sources were; Jones Vineyard: Brix 24.5, Acidity 5.5g/liter and pH: 3.37, DuLia Merlot: Brix 26.2, Acidity 5.7g/liter and pH 3.69. The Malbec was sourced from the Bouy vineyard (Yakima Valley) with 24.6 Brix, 6.0g/liter acidity and a pH of 3.66. Rivers Bend Syrah was harvested with; 25.7 Brix, 5.2g/liter acidity and a pH of 3.48.
The Grape Growing: The renowned Rivers Bend vineyard was the source for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Located just west of the Yakima Valley appellation town of Benton City the Rivers Bend vineyard is one of the oldest continuously operated sites in eastern Washington State. Known for producing glorious Cabernet Sauvignon wines this site slopes due south. The soil is a stingy 18” – 24” above fractured basalt and bedrock. Merlot for this wine was harvested from two southern vineyards. The Jones vineyard is located in the south facing Wahluke Slope appellation. This area’s terrior is the result of the basalt flows circa 20 million years prior and the mammoth flood which took place approximately 8,000 years ago which originated in Montana. The second site was the DuLia Vineyard located in the Lake Chelan appellation. This sites terrior is the result of 10,000 year old glacial deposits, south facing slope, proximity to Lake Chelan and an elevation of 1,100 feet above sea level. The Bouy vineyard neighbors the Rivers Bend vineyard.
The Winemaking: All grapes were as usual hand picked and sorted in the vineyard. Upon arrival at the winery, my crew and I set to sorting the fruit once again to ensure only the best clusters were destemmed and crushed into the fermentation tank. The yeast strain F15 was used to conduct the primary fermentation on the Merlot and Malbec while the strain Premier Cuvee was used for the Cabernet Sauvignon. The yeast strain RB2 was used for the Syrah. New and used French, Hungarian and American oak barrels were selected to age the wine in for 24 months. The wine completed malo – lactic fermentation in barrel. The final blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot 17%, Syrah 6% and Malbec 2%. A tight filtration was conducted at bottling.
The Wine: The deep red – purple color hints at the depth this wine possesses. Yummy toasty oak, leather and vanilla bean notes wrap around a juicy core of black cherry, chocolate raisins and coffee flavors. The tannins are up front providing enough to offer decent aging potential. This is a wine which requires a little breathing time between opening and enjoying …. say a good half hour. The fare demands a thick grilled beef steak, duck served with a black fruit sauce or a Dagwood hamburger (that means a super deluxe burger!). If these are not an option, a large empty glass, lovely companion and beautiful sunset would fill in more than adequately.
% Alcohol: 14.1%
pH: 3.43
Acidity: 5.7g/liter
Residual Sugar: 0.5g/liter
Cases Produced: 796
Blend: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 6% Syrah & 2% Malbec.
Cellar Potential: 2013 - 2019
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