Lone Birch Red Blend
WHY WE LOVE IT
- 100% Estate grown.
- Lone Birch Red Blend showcases some of the best varietals the Estate has to offer.
- This wine is handcrafted in a balanced, approachable style that showcases the quality of fruit from Washington State.
- The mixture of new, slightly used, and neutral French oak creates a more bountiful fruit-forward profile that has soft tannins and a seamless layer of oak that will not overpower the wine’s beautiful fruit aromas.
- Enjoy now through 2034 with optimal maturity peaking around 2029.
Varietal: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec
Elaboration: Each vineyard block was harvested at optimal maturity, then sorted using an optical sorter before being sent to fermenters. After a 48hour cold soak, the must was warmed up and inoculated with several different yeast strains. During alcoholic fermentation, the extraction protocol was more aggressive in the early stages to allow us to obtain most of our extraction without the harshness of alcohol. Two-thirds of the way through fermentation, then tapered off to more gentle methods to create a balanced and lush palate allowing the wine’s fruit to be the star of the show. The wine was fermented dry on the skins before being pressed and sent to a variety of barrels and tanks. During barrel aging, the lees were stirred twice a month for 3 months to naturally soften the wine, build texture, and create roundness on the palate. The wine was aged in 22% new French oak, 28% 3-year-old French Oak, and 50% neutral oak for 12 months.
Tasting Notes: Bountiful aromas of black currants, blueberry jam, roasted vanilla bean, and smoked figs. The palate is well-balanced with undertones of sweet espresso, cocoa, and toasted oak leading to a soft, smooth finish.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
In the shadow of the Rattlesnake Mountains stands the 70-year-old Lone Birch Tree, providing shade to vineyard workers, a landmark to travelers, and inspiration to generations of descendants of Howard Miller, entrepreneur, successful realtor, and visionary. Miller, a nature lover and steward of the land in the Yakima Valley, planted the tree to inspire future generations to care for the environment, shrink the carbon footprint, make sustainability a goal of the farm, and provide a source of pride and living for generations of his family. In addition, his dedicated efforts led to the region’s wine growers’ ability to access high mountain water through the creation of the Roza Irrigation Canal.
Throughout the family’s connection to wine production, diversification of crops led Don Miller, Howard’s son, to implement the use of row crops as the family experimented with growing Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Following in Don’s footsteps, Mike founded the Airfield Estate Winery, now the home of Lone Birch Wines. Grown on over 1,100 acres with a wide palette of fruit, Lone Birch Wines, located in Sunnyside, Washington, prides itself on limited production, high quality, and good value for its patrons.