Airfield Estates Red Blend
WHY WE LOVE IT
- A complex Yakima Valley blend with evolving flavors, balanced oak influence, and a smooth mouthfeel.
- 100% Estate Grown. Sourced from reserve tier blocks on the estate vineyard.
- Best now or cellared for 10+ years. Peak maturity in about 8-9 years.
Varietal: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 18% Cab Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Elaboration: Each varietal in this red blend was harvested at optimal maturity. The grapes were destemmed, sorted, and processed into stainless steel fermenters, with extraction methods tailored for each varietal. After fermentation, the wines aged in French oak barrels, undergoing malolactic fermentation and lees stirring twice monthly for three months. Following 10 months of aging, the final blend was crafted and aged together for an additional eight months, totaling 18 months in French oak (15% new, 35% two-year-old, and 50% neutral).
Tasting Notes: Refined and approachable Bordeaux Blend, showcasing rich aromas of blackberry jam, red cassis, and blueberry compote, with subtle hints of cola, dark chocolate, and graphite. On the palate, delicate tannins are balanced by secondary flavors of smoked dates, black cherry, and sweet espresso. The wine concludes with a lingering finish, marked by savory toasted oak notes that persist.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Airfield Estates is a fourth-generation family vineyard based in the Yakima Valley, Washington. Today the winery is overseen by brother-sister duo Marcus Miller and Lori Stevens. The siblings prepared themselves for this endeavor. Marcus pursued an MBA in Finance and a degree in Viticulture and Enology, interning at Canoe Ridge in Walla Walla, he also worked as winemaker at Tsilan Cellars in Chelan and harvester at Montana Brancott Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand. Laurie obtained a Master’s in Wine Business from the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, South Australia, with a background in retail distribution management..
Prior to its farming days, Airfield Estates operated as a training base for hundreds of Army Air Corps pilots during World War II. The airbase closed in 1944, and the airplane hangars and other buildings were auctioned off to the Miller family for $1. The ranch produced alfalfa, asparagus, potatoes, onions, and oats, as well as cattle and hogs. Founder H. Lloyd Miller’s entrepreneurial spirit brought him in contact with President Roosevelt to find the funding for the Rosa Canal Project in the Yakima Valley, enabling irrigation water access from the high mountains to the soon-to-be established 830-acre winery. In 1967, Don Miller, the current owner’s grandfather, planted three “test” varietals, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, which would lead to more than 20 different varietals being greenhouse-propagated and commercially planted by 1971 as the oldest established AVA in Washington State.