Ermisch Family Cellars Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon
WHY WE LOVE IT
- This Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon features fruit from two Oregon parcels, one of which is located in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA. Grapes are 50% Rocks District and 50% Cockburn Ranch.
- This is very much a hands-on project, and Ermisch can now be found doing most of the work from vineyard pickup to winemaking to bottling.
Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Elaboration: Destemmed and cold soaked for 3 days and then when signs of fermentation started showing, I pitched yeast. I like a combo of native yeast in the beginning and then pitch sometimes, and sometimes not, to finish. Pumped over once and punched down once a day to avoid over extracting tannins. Drained via gravity into barrels and cellared about 12 months. One new American one new French and the rest used Pinot barrels. This was hand-filtered and bottled. Hand-dipped wax finish.
Tasting Notes: Bold, dark berry flavors and concentration. Savory with mineral notes.
PRESS
2020 – 91 Wine Enthusiast | 92 James Suckling
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
This is Ermisch Family Cellars’ 10th harvest this year. After making wine continuously in Argentina since 1997, Christopher “Kirk” Ermisch decided to try his hand at Oregon’s iconic Pinot Noir after basing his US wine importing business in Bend in 2001. Originally called Erendira’s Rise, the wine sought to showcase the overcoming of a challenge. In this case it was about a new grape in a new region for the winemaker. Fast forward to 2021, it is now about making wine that is professionally well-made, a delight to consumers and a reflection of the terroir of the vineyard and clone of Pinot made. While this current focus is certainly not a new story, Ermisch Family Cellars is about quality for value.
As we move forward, this project is increasingly about family. What started as a solo, small scale project by Kirk, is now about working with his daughter, Hannah, who is a trained winemaker and Sommelier, to take the wines to a broader public. Now as a father daughter team, Hannah has been a part of the past three harvests, and is increasingly taking more on. This means a slightly bigger case production and incorporating other unique vineyard sites and other varieties that are also now emblematic to Oregon.