2018 Estate "Tribute" Red Blend
The 2018 Tribute – Red Wine is a Merlot dominant blend, with the balance being Caberent Sauvignon and Syrah. The small amount of Syrah provides dark ripe fruit aromas and flavors, while the Cabernet Sauvignon adds more structure and richness to the wine.
93 points The Wine Panel
90 points Wine Enthusiast
92 Points Wine Spectator
Brandy cherries, light cocoa powder, raspberry
Pick decisions are based equally on grape juice chemistry (Brix/pH/TA), as well as flavor and physical maturity of the grapes. Harvested early in the morning, the hand-picked grapes are promptly delivered to the winery for immediate processing. Whole-cluster sorted to remove any material other than grapes (MOG), before being destemmed and lightly crushed into 1-ton fermenters. The must is allowed to rest for 24 hours before inoculation with a selected yeast strain. The must is gently punched-down twice daily to ensure proper phenolic extraction. When fermentation is nearly complete the free-run wine is pumped directly into a combination of French and American oak barrels (225L). Barrel aged 22 months, followed by another year in bottle before release.
| Varietal | Red Blend |
| Varietal Composition | 58% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah |
| Appellation | Wahluke Slope |
| Vineyard | Estate Riverbend Vineyard |
| Alcohol | 16.10% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Bottling Date | 08/2019 |
| Cases Produced | 514 |
| Country of Origin | UNITED STATES |
93 points The Wine Panel
90 points Wine Enthusiast
Estate Riverbend Vineyard
