Description

Next Red Blend

Vintage

The Columbia Valley AVA lies in the Columbia Plateau, or Columbia Basin, found primarily in eastern Washington State with a small section crossing into Oregon. Stretching between the 46th and 47th parallels, the Columbia Valley is in line with the famed French wine growing regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The 2019 vintage started out with snow that delayed bud break. While still above 20-year averages, summer temperatures were cooler than in recent years. Cooler conditions extended into fall, delaying picking. Frost and freezes in October brought harvest to an end with most, but not all, fruit in. Tonnage was lower but quality was high.

Terroir

The soils found in the vineyards of the Columbia Valley are defined by the great Missoula floods, a series of cataclysmic floods that swept through the Columbia Gorge more than 10,000 years ago. Most vineyards lie below the floodwater with soils of loess (wind-blown deposits of sand and silt) overlying gravel and bedrock formed by sediment, providing a diversity of soil types that are well drained and ideal for growing wine grapes.

Vinification

Fruit forward and approachable, this wine balances the primary fermentation notes with flavors from barrel aging and culminates into a long-lasting, enjoyable wine with a lingering finish. Whole clusters are destemmed and cold soaked for 48 hours with daily pump overs. Fermentation is in stainless steel open-top tanks with daily punch downs. For optimum flavor and tannin profile, the wine underwent délestage, also known as rack and return, followed by extended maceration. Aged 10 months on French and American oak, 20% new.

Tasting Notes

In the glass, the wine shows a deep red with ruby hues. Aromas are of black cherry, blueberry, plum, cedar, caramel, baking spice, toast and vanilla with some forest floor. Dark fruit flavors of blackberry jam and blueberry compote appear on the palate, joined by cocoa, sweet oak, earth, cedar and chamomile.

Next Red Blend Notes To Your Senses:

• APPEARANCE: Deep red with ruby hues
• AROMA: Black cherry, blueberry, plum, cedar, caramel, baking spice, toast and vanilla with some forest floor
• TASTE: Dark fruit flavors of blackberry jam and blueberry compote, joined by cocoa, sweet oak, earth, cedar and chamomile
• FINISH: Long and lingering
• ABV: 13.5%