Isenhower Cellars “Wild Thyme” Red Blend
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Isenhower Cellars “Wild Thyme” Red Blend is a Bordeaux style red wine from the Columbia Valley.
- The grapes are sourced from Dineen Vineyard, Dionysus Vineyard, Phinney Hill Vineyard, RKP Vineyard, and Wallula Vineyard.
- Seamless and fresh with red fruit flavors. Lithe, beautiful, and complex. One of their most popular wines.
Variety: 43% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot
Elaboration: 100% hand-harvested and hand-sorted fruit. Fermented with a variety of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Punched down twice daily with three pump-overs. Pressed at dryness. 21 months in 33% new 300 L French oak barrels (Mercurery and Remond).
Tasting Notes: Dark red hue. Vibrant aromas of red plums, currants, and cranberries – very pretty and tight. Mouth is lively and fresh with flavors that mirror the aromas. The mouthfeel is full of red plum and curant flavors and is seamless, fresh, and clean. Tannins are linear, long, and perfect. Wonderful balance and delicious!
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Isenhower Cellars was founded in 1999 by Denise and Brett Isenhower and was the 18th winery in the Walla Walla area. The Isenhower’s, both Pharmacists, chose to leave their Colorado surroundings and corporate healthcare to follow Brett’s dream of winemaking and Denise’s dream of moving back to Washington, where they first met. Today, Denise is the General Manager and Brett is the Winemaker. For Brett, Walla Walla was an easy choice because of its beauty and the wide-open, entrepreneurial nature of the wine industry there. Isenhower Cellars is one of the few medium-sized Washington wineries that is 100% husband and wife owned and operated.
The Isenhower’s built their winery in 2002 and opened the Woodinville tasting room in 2009. They source their grapes from experienced, established growers ranging from Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Walla Walla, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, and Oregon to the Wahluke Slope. These high-elevation farms produce beautiful juice from old vines all the way to experimental clones.
Isenhower Cellars and their growers follow a minimalist philosophy and more natural winemaking process, including low pesticides, light intervention and sustainable farming methods to achieve depth of character, lightness of touch, and an array of fresh, interesting wines.