2021 CMS Red
Double Gold 95 Pts Sunset International Wine Awards
Light red raspberry, wild blackberry, dried cherries, semi-sweet chocolate, dried herbs, dusty earth with touches of cinnamon, vanilla bean, subtle tamarind, and orange zest. Light on the entry with an explosive mid-palate leading into a long finish with flavors of cherry, vanilla, cocoa bean, herbs, and toasted spices.
Grapes come from the Columbia Valley vineyards, Wooded Island, Bacchus and Sagemoor, and the Red Mountain Vineyards of Hedges, Bel’ Villa, Jolet, Les Gosses and Magdalena. Most of the wines were pumped over during alcoholic fermentation for 6 to 10 days while on American Oak. About 40% of the wine was racked to barrel where it completed malo-lactic fermentation and then aged for an additional 15-18 months. The other 60% completed M-L in tank, at the end of which it was racked onto French Oak and had SO2 added. About 60% French oak /40% American oak.
Harvest notes: 2021 was a warm and dry growing season. We saw an impressive amount of heat at the end of June, with Red Mountain hitting 118 degrees and staying above 100 for most of June and July. Our vineyard team was on top of irrigation every step of the way and although this dry, warm year left us with lower yields, the vintage overall is showing nicely.
