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News > Current Release
October 21, 2006
Greetings from Ross Andrew Winery,
As this letter goes to print, the last of our grapes from the fantastic 2006 Washington harvest are nearing the end of fermentation, awaiting transfer to barrel. Over the last three weeks we’ve harvested 70% of our fruit making this one of our busiest harvests to date. (We haven’t slept much, but we never really do this time of year.) Over the next 16 to 18 months these wines will be barreled in our cold rooms, gracefully ageing from young, powerful and tannic wines into deep, rich and complex wines that will eventually end up on your dining room table.
THE WINE:
2003 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
We’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of our flagship Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2003 vintage (a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Malbec and 8% Merlot).
A very warm August and early September gave the vines and grapes in Eastern Washington a great foundation from which to build both sugar and physiological ripeness. Despite the slight cooling trend that went into effect about the 10th of September, the ripening pendulum had been set in motion as we began harvesting the first of our merlot grapes from Ciel du Cheval on Red Mountain. The rest of our vineyard sources (Alder Ridge and Boushey) followed suit and by the 12th of October everything had been harvested. The color, density and flavor of Cabernet Sauvignon from this vintage shows more power and berry flavors than graphite and mineral, (something more common with a cooler harvest season). This wine has a black garnet core that fades only slightly towards the edges. Intense black fruits dominate the aromatics supplemented by smoky chocolate, coffee, black olives and black pepper. The Malbec adds a lushness to both the nose and palate. On the palate you’ll find a wonderful balance between flavor, structure and length. This is not a big, rough and tumble Cabernet Sauvignon that needs to be cellared to be enjoyed, but rather one with smooth, fine-grained tannins and a very appealing ‘brightness’ to it. 300 Cases produced
We are excited to offer you this wine and are thrilled that you are interested in trying it. We invite you to join us at the Winery, Sunday, the 5th of November from 11am to 4pm where you can pick up your wine while tasting some of the barrel samples from the 2005 harvest.
When: Sunday, November 5th, 2006 from 11am to 4pm
Address: 18512 142nd Ave NE, Bldg. G, Woodinville, WA 98072 Tel: 206.369.3615
Thank you and kindest regards,
Ross Mickel Sheila and Ned Nelson
Current Release - October, 2007 [ html ]
Past Release - August, 2007 [ html ]
Past Release - October, 2006 [ html ]
Past Release - November, 2005 [ html ] [ pdf ]
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