Winemaker Notes
The eagerly anticipated debut bottling from the Longwinds Estate Vineyard offers an effusive nose of Kirsch, cherry compote, orange marmalade and cinnamon, with sophisticated secondary aromas of calla lilies and sage. On the palate, luxurious flavors of wild strawberry and ripe red fruit dominate, gliding across rich, velvety tannins. Though beautifully plush and concentrated, the finish offers lovely grip and energy, with grenadine flavors comingling with hints of herbs, desert air and pink peppercorns. This wine represents our first bottling of our own Longwinds Estate Vineyard on Red Mountain, planted in 2014. Vines were 5 years old in vintage 2018, and displayed unusual maturity for a vineyard this young.
Production
2018 offered near-perfect growing conditions from bud-break until the end of harvest. After a warm April, and an early budbreak, May and June turned cool, providing ample time to prune the vines through careful shoot selection. July and August brought a return to classically warm Washington weather, without any noteworthy heat stress. From the beginning of September onwards the weather was ideal for harvest, with no rain, and sunny days with temperatures ranging from the high-70s the low 80s. A slightly warmer than-average year overall, 2018 was an exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon vintage, yielding impeccably balanced wines with depth, energy and beautiful fruit intensity.