2014 CABERNET SAUVIGNON Walla Walla Valley AVA $44
This wine takes up the gauntlet thrown down by the 2012 & 2013 Laelaps Cabernet’s (back to back 91pt. Wine Enthusiast wines!) This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the renowned Seven Hills Vineyard shows big rich purple fruit on the nose and palate. Blackberry, Cassis, Blueberry along with Baking Spice and good grip on the finish. This medium bodied wine has a nice acid/tannin balance and it will drink well now and will age gracefully up to 10 years.
VINEYARD
The renowned Seven Hills Vineyard is located on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley appellation. Wine & Spirits Magazine named it one of the ten great vineyards of the world. The soils are predominantly silt loam, which is wind-blown glacial loess that is geologically very young and full of minerals. It is two to four feet deep atop coarser layers of sand and gravel that were deposited by catastrophic, glacial floods that swept through this region about 15,000 years ago. The result is a complex mix of minerals, lending a corresponding complexity to the wines.
WINE MAKING
We once again brought in nearly perfect fruit in late October. As a rule – we meticulously sorted and settled in for a 4 day cold soak, followed by a long, slow, cool fermentation. On racking off the lees in June, the wine was then barreled with 66% new French Oak with 66% ‘sur lie’. It was bottled in August for a 22 month elevage.
WINE FACTS
Varietal:
Cabernet Sauvignon – 100%
Appellation:
Walla Walla Valley
Vineyard:
Seven Hills Vineyard
Aging:
22 Months in 66 % new French Oak
Alcohol:
14.8%
pH:
3.8
Production:
75 Cases
Pre-Release:
May, 2017