Isenhower Cellars ” Road Less Traveled” Cabernet Franc
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The Road Less Traveled is Isenhower’s most popular wine.
- It is sourced from the Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Haven Hills.
- Enjoy through 2035.
Variety: 100% Cabernet Franc
Elaboration: 100% destemming with open-top fermentation. Fermented with Alchemy IV, CVRP, and RP15 yeasts. Punched down twice a day with 3 days of limited oxygen sparging. Peak fermentation of 30 C. Pressed at dryness after 15 days. 300-liter French Oak barrels, AnA Selection and Tonnellerie de Mercurey. Light-Long to Medium Long toast. 17% new. Native malo-lactic fermentation finished in barrel. Racked twice.
Tasting Notes: Dark red hue. Beautiful aromas of red raspberry, red plums, sweet red peppers, mountain sage, marjoram, tapenade, and peppercorn. Very elegant and fresh. The flavors are red/blue fruits with a hint of sea salt. The texture is thick and luscious. Notes of sweet red pepper and earthy tapenade. A beautiful wine.
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.