CASE PRICE = $17.99 per bottle (add 12+ quantity to your basket)
Notes from the Winemaker:VINTAGEThe 2008 growing season was cooler than usual, delaying veraison by
as much as 2-3 weeks but time spent thinning crops and dropping
uneven clusters over the summer kept the vines in balance and allowed
the grapes to ripen beautifully. Harvest conditions in September and
October were picture-perfect, marked by the Columbia Valley’s typical
warm fall days and cool nights, and the resulting wines boast striking
flavors and juicy acidity.
VINEYARDSThe Columbia Valley is a diverse growing region that provides a
wide range of fruit expression, and few Washington winemakers
know the land as well as veteran vintner Mike Januik. Like previous
vintages of this wine, Novelty Hill’s estate vineyard Stillwater Creek
is the predominant source for the blend, but Mike also relies on a
handful of other top vineyards, including Alder Ridge, Weinbau and
Chandler’s Reach, to give the wine added layers and complexity.
WINEMAKING- A combination of punch downs and pumpovers were used to extract color and flavor during the early stages of fermentation
- Fermentation was finished in barrels to integrate the fruit and oak
- Regular gravity-racking helped soften and clarify the wine
- Aged in both new and one-year-old barrels, predominately French oak for 20 months
Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc
Cases: 4,846
What Does It Taste Like?
A classic, full-bodied Cabernet with dark fruit aromas and a hint of spice. Generous layers of fresh currant, black cherry and ripe blackberry gain concentration across the palate before leaving a balanced, richly-textured impression that lasts.
Ratings & Reviews
91 Points & "SMART BUYS" - Wine Spectator Magazine:"Bright and expressive, offering a velvety mouthful of raspberry, cherry, blackberry and sage flavors, finishing with a hint of smoke. Shows depth and persistence. Drink now through 2018. 4,846 cases made." —H.S.
(Oct 2011)
90 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine: (2007 vintage)"Bright and generous on a medium-weight frame, currant and blueberry fruit emerging easily against hints of red pepper, with refined tannins, long and inviting. Drink now through 2016. 3,964 cases made." —H.S.
(Oct 2010)
