2002 Pepper Bridge Vineyard

Reserve

 

 

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Winemaker Notes

Our goal with the vineyard reserve program is to showcase the character of each estate vineyard, and I believe we really accomplished that with our first release.

This dark, rich and immense wine is crafted around vibrant dark cherry flavors with currant and floral notes. Nuances of chocolate, nutmeg, cedar, sage and exotic spices add layers of complexity. This highly concentrated wine offers an incredible blend of power and finesse with a long and persistent finish. We aged this wine for 22 months in 70% new French Oak barrels.

The 2002 Vintage

In 2002, Mother Nature smiled upon the Walla Walla Valley, blessing it with yet another — its fifth consecutive — exceptional growing season. Virtually no rain fell between June and September, and the weather remained warm but not too hot. Most days, the temperature ranged in the mid to high 90s, and very few days reached above 100 degrees. This warm, dry weather facilitated uniform verasion, growth and ripening of the clusters. In our vineyards, grapes of all varieties ripened evenly and completely, culminating in a bountiful harvest of premium fruit.

Our wines from this vintage are characterized by a warm, good tannin structure and pleasantly ripe, concentrated fruit flavors with an intense, brilliant color.

- Jean-François Pellet, Winemaker

Wine Specifics

Varietal(s): 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 % Merlot, 4% Malbec

Vineyard(s): 100% Pepper Bridge Vineyard

Appellation: 100% Walla Walla Valley

Oak Program: 70% new oak, 30% used oak; 100% French Oak

Time in Barrels: 22 months

Harvest Date(s): October 1 through October 18, 2002

Brix at Harvest: 25.4

Total Acidity: 0.59 g/ml

pH: 3.72

Finished Alcohol: 13.9 % Vol.

Total Production: 198 (9-liter cases)

Bottling Date: July 27, 2004

Release Date: July 1, 2005