*ASK* 2016 Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain
Tasting notes
Bursting with bright ripe red fruits and a plethora of mixed dried spices leaning towards cinnamon, clove and ginger powder. A little bit of coffee, aged leather, moist earth and a kiss of vanilla make for an intriguing mix of aromas. The palate starts off with bright tartness that is immediately balanced with a smooth long finish.
Grapes are from Red Mountain AVA vineyards within a 2 mile radius of the winery: Hedges, Bel’ Villa, Magdalena and Jolet. The wine was destemmed and partially crushed into stainless steel fermenters and pumped over twice daily until desired tannin extraction was achieved. It was pressed to barrels and underwent malo-lactic fermentation, then racked to barrels. 100% barrel aged for 21 months in 40% new oak, American (65%) and French oak (35%)
HARVEST NOTES:
2016 had a mild winter followed by a wet Spring with a few heat spikes in early May. Summer had an above average amount of heat, but nothing like what we saw in 2015. A few rain events throughout the growing season. The first part of harvest had mild heat which made for steady and even ripening of the fruit. The end of harvest was hit with periodic rain, which really slowed things down and stretched out picking dates.
The 2016 harvest resulted in large crops with impressive fruit quality.
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Varietal | Red Mountain |
| Varietal Composition | 38% Merlot 29% Cabernet Sauvignon 12% Syrah 8% Cabernet Franc 5% Malbec 5% Petit Verdot 1% Touriga Nacional 1% Tinta Cao 1% Souzao |
| Appellation | Red Mountain |
| Acid | 5.9 grams/Liter |
| PH | 3.82 |
| Aging | This wine, like other Red Mountain wines, is best now with food, but will age well, probably peaking in 5-10 more years. |
| Alcohol | 13.50% |
| Volume | 750 ml |
| Cases Produced | 6050 |
GOLD - BEST in CLASS
32% Hedges 33% Bel’ Villa 30% Jolet 4% Les Gosses 1% Magdalena
